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However, the unusual heat over the past few seasons moved that timeline up some. In October you’ll smell salmon (corpses, rotting along river banks), but the salmon run will be long over. It should also come as no surprise that the best time to see bears at port in Alaska coincides with the salmon run as they feed on salmon near the mouths of streams and rivers.
Great experiences from the great land
On an Alaska cruisetour with Princess, discover what makes the Great Land so special, and craft your own tales of your time on land and sea. Tour a working Alaska homestead and learn how the Great Land’s residents have become so self-sufficient. Or land in a helicopter on a glacier beneath the tallest peak in North America on your Alaska cruisetour.
North to Alaska
This is Last Frontier pioneering with the cruise line voted Best Overall by Travel Weekly readers for 20 years running. When traveling from Vancouver in the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska, the waters are mostly protected and provide smooth sailing. If ports include Anchorage, Seward, or Whittier, cruise ships must cross the Gulf of Alaska, which has notoriously rougher waters. The abbreviated Alaskan cruising season goes from May to September. The best time to see salmon spawning on an Alaskan cruise is typically between mid-July and mid-September.
Twice the glaciers
Bears will be hunting for the last of the berries and salmon, and caribou, deer and moose will be mating. Most cruise passengers will head to Alaska between Memorial Day in late May and Labor Day in early September when temperatures range from slightly chilly to warm during the long daylight hours. Tourist attractions are in full swing, salmon swim upriver and bears (and humans) have access to fishing.
Our Family Alaska Cruise: A Vacation We'll Never Forget Royal Caribbean Cruises
However, the views and ability to go sightseeing from your room on ocean days make the higher price worth it. Because of its latitude, Alaska experiences extremes in daylight in the summer and darkness in the winter. Be sure to pack high-quality rain gear for excursions along with warm, layered clothing and a hat and gloves. Holland America Princess, and Royal Caribbean have Alaskan Inside Passage cruises departing from Vancouver at the end of April. Carnival has 14-day Alaskan cruises departing from Seattle and Long Beach in late April.
or 11-day Alaska cruises
Enjoy perks such as privileged access to Glacier Bay National Park and prime docking locations that give you a head start on sightseeing. Let Princess pick you up from the airport and take you directly to your ship or hotel when you arrive, even if you didn't book your airfare through us. Each month has its advantages, not the least of which is discounted pricing in the spring and fall shoulder seasons. Sourdough is such an important part of Alaskan culture that long-time Alaskans are actually called sourdoughs in local parlance.
Arguably, the biggest draw is the marine animals, with opportunities to see pods of humpback whales, gray whales, orcas, sea lions, sea otters, and more. The benefits of cruising in April include less expensive pricing, fewer tourists, and less crowded ports. Here is a breakdown of other important considerations for an April Alaskan cruise. Below you’ll find the October 2024 cruises that dock in Alaska. You’ll note that a handful of these are extended sailings onboard Oceania’s Regatta, not dedicated Alaska sailings. You can also look for a last-minute Alaska cruise deal, though keep in mind that with Alaska's cruise season growing longer, interest in Alaska September cruises is rising.
Royal Caribbean Announces Schedule for 2025-2026 Bookings - Cruise Hive
Royal Caribbean Announces Schedule for 2025-2026 Bookings.
Posted: Tue, 17 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Cruise To Alaska Travel Tips & Articles
Shoulder seasons, which include May, June, and September, are times when the temperature is likely to be a little bit cooler and the number of tourists will be lower. The months of July and August are when temperatures are at their peak and the weather is typically more sunny. This is also one of the busiest times of the year for tourism because of the increased number of cruise ships. However, the optimal time for cruises through Alaska will vary from person to person depending on their tastes. The most disappointing aspect of my October cruise was the lack of park rangers onboard during our day spent sailing through Glacier Bay National Park. Normally 2-4 park rangers board the ship to provide highly enriching commentary and programming, to stamp your national park passport book, and to offer educational resources and souvenir merchandise.
Dog Sledding Tours
Or experience the culture of Russian Alaska on a visit to St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church, and relive Native history at the Sheldon Jackson Museum. Alaska cruisetours combine our top-rated Voyage of the Glaciers cruise with three to ten nights on land exploring Denali National Park. Travel aboard our exclusive Direct-to-the-Wilderness® train and unwind at Princess Wilderness Lodges®. Every year Princess introduces more people to Denali National Park than any other cruise line. Unless you booked early, cabin choice could be limited — especially if you are looking for a fancy suite or cheap inside cabin, which tend to be the first categories to sell out. Temperatures will be in the 60s, sometimes higher — you might even see 80s in Juneau in July.
If you book a Gulf of Alaska voyage, you'll also enjoy exploring parts of the Inside Passage and its ports that could include a mix of Juneau, Skagway, Sitka, Ketchikan, Haines and Icy Strait Point. Many people trek to Alaska to commune with nature, but there's history here you shouldn't overlook. Ketchikan, Alaska is one of the best spots along Alaska's Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. Amble historic Creek Street, a boardwalk over a wide creek that fills with salmon during certain times of year. An elegant and spacious Alaska cruise ship with fresh floral arrangements and garden-inspired décor.
The peak season to view the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis is between late August and late April, which unfortunately doesn’t overlap much with the Alaskan cruise season. If the Northern Lights experience is high on your Alaska bucket list, consider a September cruise with more dark nighttime hours and increased solar activity. You’ll enjoy wildlife viewing, warmer temperatures, and daylight returns to more typical hours.
If you want to spot herds of caribou, book an Alaska cruise that puts you in range of Denali National Park. And with salmon runs in full force, you can catch fishing bears in the southeast. You will find local asparagus on some menus in southeast towns later in the month, and fiddlehead season also begins in Alaska in May. However, most of Alaska's tastiest fruits and vegetables aren't on offer until later in the summer. By late September and early October, weather/temperature & local options could be much more challenging - including the odds of snow & wind-driven freezing rain.
If you are in port, you’ll get to see how Alaskans take advantage of the Midnight Sun with locals out biking, hiking, and fishing at all hours of the night. Summer workers (typically college students) begin to arrive for the peak tourist season, and shops and restaurants open for the summer. May is a practical choice for Alaskan cruisers who are on a limited budget but want to have slightly warmer and drier weather and more chances to see wildlife.
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