End or August or End of September for Alaska???

[cigloo]

me again,

We can't decide whether it is better to sail Alaska at the end of August or end of September (last weekends of Alaska season)? We want the least amount of crowds.

Thanks!

[RuthC]

You should get the smallest crowd in the end of September, but you'll also get much colder weather. By mid-September you can tell Winter is coming on. :eek:
If you like to shop the prices will be lower, to get rid of remaining stock, but the merchandise will have been picked over, too.

Were it my choice I would go the end of August rather than the end of September.
The year I went the first week of September they said it was the best weather of the season. Then I spent a week touring around the state. and I could see and feel the difference. The third week I was at a conference in Anchorage, and I was ready to get back to the lower 48 when the conference was over. Brrrrrr.

[Mary Ellen]

I have done Alaskan cruises the end of August and the last one in September. Yes, the crowds were much less in September, but this was also in 1980, so not really a fair comparison. On our August trip the crowds weren't bad and the 'end of season' sales had already started in the ports.

As Ruth mentioned, the weather can definitely have turned to winter by late September - we had 40-ft seas coming out of Sitka. :eek: I don't think we'd ever go that late in the season again, but the last week of August was great (and very few children). We'd go again then - or the late May/early June, in a heartbeat.

[hammybee]

I am another one who votes for the end of August. Worse than the cold, is the substantially greater potential for rain, a lot of rain, in late September.

[billroddy]

R/T Seattle here are minimum outside prices, plus tax etc., for the Oosterdam.
Aug 16 849
Aug 23 749
Aug 30 799
Sep 06 749
Sep 13 749
Bill

[Druke I]

I prefer after Labor Day - far fewer people.

[cigloo]

Thanks for the repleis - this really helped. We are booked for September 20th as the fare for a verandah jumps up quite a bit for that last weekend in August - I guess we just waited to long.

Will post when we get back.

Thanks again.

[PathfinderEss]

September would be the least amount of people but the weather probably won't be good. I would vote for August for better weather but if you really want less people and cheaper prices do the last cruise of the season which would be in September.

[PathfinderEss]

oops, sorry I see you already picked your month......