alaska

[bsblady01]

we are planning a cruise to alaska for the summer of 2015 we are going to do the land and sea cruise would you do the land part first or last. and when is the best time during the summer to go to alaska.

[highheel girl]

Originally Posted by bsblady01

we are planning a cruise to alaska for the summer of 2015 we are going to do the land and sea cruise would you do the land part first or last. and when is the best time during the summer to go to alaska.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

We like to do the cruise last so we end up in Vancouver, close to Seattle for cheaper return air.
We have gone in May/June/July/September, they have all been excellent.

[bsblady01]

thanks for the help can't wait to book our trip

[flashcat]

We did the land portion first and then you can rest or whatever you want to do on the ship. We have been twice in early September and the weather was great. Have fun! It is a great trip.

[Luvmyrotti]

We did the land tour first, which then allowed us to relax a bit on the last portion on the cruise, albeit still a port intensive cruise. We cruised in May and lucked out with pretty nice weather with just a bit of rain. Enjoy, it's a wonderful cruise.

[Mom33]

I agree with doing the land portion first. Then when you get on the ship, you can unpack and relax for a week.

[bsblady01]

thanks for the help. what is the weather like in july

[Shmoo here]

Another vote for land portion first.

We've done Alaska in late Sep and late May/early June. Next trip July.

[highheel girl]

Originally Posted by bsblady01

thanks for the help. what is the weather like in july

Remember layers layers layers!
That way you can peel off clothing if need be or put it back on.
It can be in the 60's and it can also snow.
Its like Colorado, wait 10 minutes and the weather will change.
This can happen on either the land/cruise portions.

[kamac56]

We did ours cruise first and wont do that again. It would be more relaxing doing the cruise last and land first. I personally like Aug not for anything in particular other than getting away from work than is better than in May

[bonvoyagie]

Most of the areas around Denali will not open until June 1 or later - esp the longer trips into the park. However by then the cruise prices are ramping up to their peak rates in July/Aug. June is the peak of the daylight as well.

As for NB vs SB just make sure the cruise goes through Glacier Bay - NCL does this on the NB HAL and Princess do it on either. But things could change between now and 2015. As for flights, you are going to have to do a long flight so it is up to you wether or not you want to start or end your vacation with it - idea: Break the long flight up into two segments There are also many ways to get from Seattle to Vancouver BC.

If you don't want to take a cruise line cruise tour here is an alternative company http://www.alaskatravel.com/

For more info on ports see: http://cruiseportinsider.com/index.html

And for general AK tourist info: http://www.travelalaska.com/

[bsblady01]

we are planning to fly from albany ny to seattle and then we can get a flight to alaska. after the cruise we are planning to spend a few days in vancouver

[caribill]

Originally Posted by bsblady01

when is the best time during the summer to go to alaska.

Are you asking about weather? Whale sightings? Salmon runs? The answer can be different depending on what you are most interested in.

As far as weather is concerned, there is no good answer as it can be completely different from year to year. This past summer was rainier than the previous summer, and in September at least one Princess ship could not leave Whittier on time due to high winds and missed both glacier experiences.