Would like advice please on Late Season AK?

The very nice people at the HAL threads recommended I come here for advice, and this is my 1st HAL, and 1st Alaska voyage. They mentioned "Budget Queen" has a wealth of information also.

I have booked a September 23rd (2017) voyage on HAL Eurodam; I understand this is very late in the season and the weather will be, as several have termed it "a crapshoot". I understand there may be more rain, less daylight and far cooler temps, but this is the only R/T Seattle voyage which I saw, as the others are either one way or R/T Vancouver.

Has anyone done a late season voyage like this that can report the conditions they experienced? I don't feel like these things will diminish my enjoyment of seeing Alaska, since weather can be dealt with by having the right outerwear.

I noticed, Budget Queen, that you mentioned Port side for glaciers, but dos that mean a cabin Starboard side will have a nice departure view when leaving?

Also - I looked it up but still don't have a precise notion of the term "civil twilight"...any explanations there? I have a nice book to look at, and lots of research to do obviously, but, I have plenty of time to do it. Before I make my deposit though, I did want to see if there were thoughts on going this late in the season...Thanks! I appreciate all advice!

Civil Twilight is essentially the time before sunrise or after sunset when we'd call it dark out but not quite nighttime.

To see what it looks like tonight, go to http://www.wundergound.com and open the forecast for where you are. Scroll down to the Almanac section and look in the Astonomy block for "Civil Twilight". It'll list times for Rise and Set. In New York City, NY for example, it says Civil Twilight began this morning at 4:52am with Sunrise at 5:25am; tonight Sunset is at 8:31pm and Civil Twilight ends at 9:04pm. Thus it was Civil Twilight from 4:52 to 5:25am, and will be again from 8:30pm to 9:04pm.

Hope that helps.

There are at least 3 ships, HAL, has, doing round trip Seattle. Not sure where you are looking, but http://www.hollandamerica.com has them listed.

Your current booking, is too late for my priorities, and it would have to be hugely price dumped for me to consider it. I great value my daylight and this time frame, just does not have enough for my cruise preference. Some tours also will not be running, so, FIRST figure out, what you wish to see and do during your trip before you go any further. Verify your timing matches up with your selection.

Alternatively- it is darn easy and simple to get between Seattle and Vancouver. I've transferred numerous times with Quick Shuttle, Amtrak, Greyhound and one way rental cars. There is also Bolt Bus and usually cruise ship transfers.

Quote "I have booked a September 23rd (2017) voyage on HAL Eurodam; I understand this is very late in the season and the weather will be, as several have termed it "a crapshoot". I understand there may be more rain, less daylight and far cooler temps, but this is the only R/T Seattle voyage which I saw, as the others are either one way or R/T Vancouver." end quote

Hal has four ships that do 7 day rtn cruises to Alaska . Usually two ships in Seattle and two in Vancouver. This between June 2017 and Sept 17.

The Volendam and Nieuw Amsterdam do 7 day RTN from Vancouver weekly.

The Eurodam and Amsterdam do 7 day RTN from Seattle.

The Amsterdam does a 14 day RTN to Seattle monthly as well.

We're sailing the last week of August on the Amsterdam roundtrip from Seattle. It will be the latest we've ever sailed to Alaska. Our other cruises have been the end of July and first week of August. Even that late in the month, we'll have 14-1/2 hours of daylight (between sunrise and sunset). At the end of September, the days are getting a lot shorter, so you'll have less than 12 hours of daylight--sunrise around 6:50 a.m. and sunset at 6:46 p.m. in Juneau on September 25.

September, on average, gets more precipitation than the summer months. But you never know what you'll get in Alaska. One of my biggest recommendation is waterproof shoes.

Also - I looked it up but still don't have a precise notion of the term "civil twilight"...any explanations there?

Here's a good page to read, with both technical and practical explanations for the various kinds of twilight. http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/2832/the-differences-between-civil-nautical-and-astronomical-twilight/

We have cruised in Alaska in mid to late September and have experienced everything from torrential rain to sunny 70* days; as you recognize this could be the case then go for it. You will have shorter days, some excursions may be limited as student employees head back to school and stores catering to cruisers may be short of inventory however the scenery doesn't change. Many believe that the port side is better for Glacier Bay however if you are going to take in all that it offers you really need to be off your balcony and out on deck to take in all the scenery so IMO side is not important.

There are several other cruise lines going to Alaska besides Holland also.

Here's a good page to read, with both technical and practical explanations for the various kinds of twilight. http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/2832/the-differences-between-civil-nautical-and-astronomical-twilight/

I spent quite a bit of time looking at this today, and even found (via google) a nice site with twilight Alaska pix. quite something!

I figured out the problem was my learning curve for the HAL website!! It wasn't user-friendly, and I just started using it yesterday.

I have now figured out the website and a nice compromise and I am going to change our trip to R/T Seattle, 1st week of September. Just a week earlier in August and it was astronomically more expensive! The sunset and twilight hours will give us about 45 minutes or so more each night to enjoy the scenery.

I appreciate all the clothing advice - I will be bringing Wellies, high quality waterproof outerwear in order to be on deck regardless of weather, and lots of layers. Binoculars, too. I will be prepared!

I chose HAL because I wanted an aesthetically pleasing ship with a nice traditional feel. Cunard does not go to Alaska, and the closest line I could find is HAL. I will take a look around though; we are 3 people traveling - myself, my husband and my mom, so I need a room with a separate bedroom. Many ships don't offer this, I found.

The only cabins that two sleeping are

Full suites

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Holland America is an excellent choice given your priorities, and moving to the first week of September will give you a far better experience. The weather is often so nasty in late September that many people don't even get off the ship in the ports, regardless of the clothes they bring.

The only cabins that two sleeping are

Full suites

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I booked a "pinnacle" class room in order to have enough room for 3 people.

Daylight isn't really a big deal for these, although you will see more shadows than earlier in the season. Fall solstice means 12 hours of daylight. Make sure your cameras can handle dimmer light. We've taken two trips including land in Alaska in mid-September and really liked them shutting down the stores when we left - really good sales. Like jeans jackets for $10 and name-brand winter wear for $20-30.

You will have far fewer ships around and the towns are much less crowded. Whale watching in Juneau should still be running. Bears are trying to stoke up for winter, so they could be very active.

Our trips had one day of rain in Juneau and other with rain in Ketchikan. Yup - you get wet. Other than that it was pretty nice. The one trip it was 72 in Fairbanks and the locals were roasting. But you really are not going to encounter really cold weather - windbreaker and sweatshirt handles almost everything.

Side doesn't really matter that much for glaciers - captain will turn the ship around so both sides can see, but in reality you want to be moving around the ship to see views from all sides. Next trip B2B out of Vancouver we are not even going with a balcony.

We would have booked the cruise out of Vancouver (Skagway and Tracy Arm) but both cruises include Glacier Bay, which is not to be missed. The only time we sailed out of Seattle was a one day to get to Vancouver, stayed a few days and then took cruise north. We like driving from Seattle to Vancouver. If you have time take the Black Ball ferry to Victoria, stay a few days, take the BC Ferry to Tsawwassen and then stay in Vancouver for a few days. Very scenic, and your 6 hour stay in Victoria is way too short.

Holland America is an excellent choice given your priorities, and moving to the first week of September will give you a far better experience. The weather is often so nasty in late September that many people don't even get off the ship in the ports, regardless of the clothes they bring.

I think you're right. I took a brief look at celebrity last night but HAL looks more like a ship we will enjoy.

I appreciate someone pointing out those sales! Never thought of that :D but it did cross my mind maybe some ships would be gone and the crowds slightly thinner. I'm very glad to be sticking with Glacier Bay, and this itinerary. I'll have to research the camera/lighting situation, thank you for that tip. But I'm headed out down to CA as soon as we return to Seattle, so I can use my Disney timeshare and stay at their Grand California hotel. I don't like to fly and likely won't fly out from NC to the west again for a very long time, so this is 1st time Alaska, 1st time Disneyland, and probably last for a while. I know it will be memorable.

I think you're right. I took a brief look at celebrity last night but HAL looks more like a ship we will enjoy.

 

 

I appreciate someone pointing out those sales! Never thought of that :D but it did cross my mind maybe some ships would be gone and the crowds slightly thinner. I'm very glad to be sticking with Glacier Bay, and this itinerary. I'll have to research the camera/lighting situation, thank you for that tip. But I'm headed out down to CA as soon as we return to Seattle, so I can use my Disney timeshare and stay at their Grand California hotel. I don't like to fly and likely won't fly out from NC to the west again for a very long time, so this is 1st time Alaska, 1st time Disneyland, and probably last for a while. I know it will be memorable.

Unless it's foggy or pouring rain light levels will be fine. I use a point and shoot camera (some adjustments) with good results .

Daylight isn't really a big deal for these, although you will see more shadows than earlier in the season. Fall solstice means 12 hours of daylight. Make sure your cameras can handle dimmer light. We've taken two trips including land in Alaska in mid-September and really liked them shutting down the stores when we left - really good sales. Like jeans jackets for $10 and name-brand winter wear for $20-30.

 

You will have far fewer ships around and the towns are much less crowded. Whale watching in Juneau should still be running. Bears are trying to stoke up for winter, so they could be very active.

 

Our trips had one day of rain in Juneau and other with rain in Ketchikan. Yup - you get wet. Other than that it was pretty nice. The one trip it was 72 in Fairbanks and the locals were roasting. But you really are not going to encounter really cold weather - windbreaker and sweatshirt handles almost everything.

 

Side doesn't really matter that much for glaciers - captain will turn the ship around so both sides can see, but in reality you want to be moving around the ship to see views from all sides. Next trip B2B out of Vancouver we are not even going with a balcony.

 

We would have booked the cruise out of Vancouver (Skagway and Tracy Arm) but both cruises include Glacier Bay, which is not to be missed. The only time we sailed out of Seattle was a one day to get to Vancouver, stayed a few days and then took cruise north. We like driving from Seattle to Vancouver. If you have time take the Black Ball ferry to Victoria, stay a few days, take the BC Ferry to Tsawwassen and then stay in Vancouver for a few days. Very scenic, and your 6 hour stay in Victoria is way too short.

There still can be a lot of ships sailing Alaska, through mid Sept. the season has been extended.

YES, you most certainly can encounter "cold" weather. I've had cold, driving rain, on the inside passage, along with snow early Sept in Denali.

There still can be a lot of ships sailing Alaska, through mid Sept. the season has been extended.

YES, you most certainly can encounter "cold" weather. I've had cold, driving rain, on the inside passage, along with snow early Sept in Denali.

I am definitely preparing for anything and everything. I will be packing for both Alaska, followed by Southern CA, so I will be prepared for cold and damp, AND sunny and warm. I have had snow in Quebec City in a QM2 voyage in the 1st week of October - I learned to expect everything!

I greatly respect Queen's opinion but there are always differing ones, I can only show you what our Sept. 3rd 2014 cruise was like and a picture is worth a 1000 words...so much in fact that we booked the same cruise on Solstice this year...

Here are, in order posted...arriving Ketchikan (rainiest town in Alaska or so they say)...a twilight pic (loved the light at this time of evening)...and an inside passage (we had fog only one day out of 7, returning inside passage to Vancouver, all other days were sunny and warm)

I greatly respect Queen's opinion but there are always differing ones, I can only show you what our Sept. 3rd 2014 cruise was like and a picture is worth a 1000 words...so much in fact that we booked the same cruise on Solstice this year...

Here are, in order posted...arriving Ketchikan (rainiest town in Alaska or so they say)...a twilight pic (loved the light at this time of evening)...and an inside passage (we had fog only one day out of 7, returning inside passage to Vancouver, all other days were sunny and warm)

MY goodness those were beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing! I am happy with early September as a choice as schools will be back in session during the 2nd portion of my trip (Disneyland!)

I greatly respect Queen's opinion but there are always differing ones, I can only show you what our Sept. 3rd 2014 cruise was like and a picture is worth a 1000 words...so much in fact that we booked the same cruise on Solstice this year...

Here are, in order posted...arriving Ketchikan (rainiest town in Alaska or so they say)...a twilight pic (loved the light at this time of evening)...and an inside passage (we had fog only one day out of 7, returning inside passage to Vancouver, all other days were sunny and warm)

There is a huge difference in early Sept, mid Sept and late Sept like this OP was first looking at.

As you may read, I often cruise consecutive weeks, which I have end of Aug into Sept , several times. Always- the changes are severe between the weeks. I last did this for a 3 week Alaska trip (out of 10) in 2014, and actually had fall "colors" only one week. :) In the Yukon, I needed more layers each week. :) Darker every evening. etc changes very noticeable visiting ports a week apart etc.

The changes are really noticeable on extended trips in this time frame.

There are always, exceptions, and surprises and no way to predict. But similar, historic, trends can be informative for some, at least to consider. Especially in terms of attire.

Several years ago we were on an Alaska cruise which departed Vancouver on September 11th. It was the first leg of a B2B.

No only do we live in Alaska but my husband also worked in SE Alaska many, many years ago. We expected and were prepared for significant rain. While there were some lovely days there were also days in which the rain was on the verge of torrential. It was somewhat of surprise to see the number of passengers totally unprepared for rain of any significant amount.

Yep, its hit and miss....I just hope we can get the same great weather. I know it could snow in July up there, we had snow at Yellowstone one year June 3rd.

We always bring cold gear, rain gear and some summer stuff. On the trip mentioned we only needed the cold gear at Hubbard. It was just perfect every day...we were even ready for some foggy day when that came and it was enjoyable too...come to think of it, it kind of clouded up in Juneau toward the end of our whale watch so it was drippy when we visited Tracy's for chowder. But it cleared off....kinda like Texas, if you don't like the weather give it a few minutes....LOL.

I weighed everything - price, time of year, etc., and I booked September 2nd of next year. It was still a nice savings over August, and I made my deposit today. I ended up getting the port side cabin.

I hope on the way back to Seattle, after Glacier bay, towards Ketchikan, that we are close enough to the shore to see some nice scenery.

I weighed everything - price, time of year, etc., and I booked September 2nd of next year. It was still a nice savings over August, and I made my deposit today. I ended up getting the port side cabin.

 

I hope on the way back to Seattle, after Glacier bay, towards Ketchikan, that we are close enough to the shore to see some nice scenery.

What is your itinerary, I can tell you the scenic areas to consider taking time to enjoy. Unfortunately, with round trip Seattle, you do have 2 open ocean sea days, with little scenery.