Best Time for Alaska

WE are looking to cruise Alaska next year and wondering which is the best month, May or Aug? Also, do you recommend Seattle or Vancouver for departure port. We will be doing the Inside Passage roundtrip.

Thanks in advance for all your replies.

Depends on what you want to see and pay. May will generally be cooler and cheaper than August. You will probably (in general) see less sea life in May. Also, you will also have night :)

We went in August, and the weather was great. Only rained one day. There were plenty of dolphins, whales, orcas, and bald eagles to see. Be sure to find a cruise that goes into Glacier Bay.

Did a round trip in early June.

Week one temperature was in the 90s!!!

Week two was cold.

We've been in July and August. Those months are the most popular. If DH had a more flexible schedule, I'd love to go in late May.

Depends on what you want to see and pay. May will generally be cooler and cheaper than August. You will probably (in general) see less sea life in May. Also, you will also have night :)

Not a lot of difference as you have to count the number of days before and after the longest day of the year. Sunset on May 20 in Anchorage is 10:53. Sunset in Anchorage on August 15 is 10:01.

You have about the same amount of night both times. Also, who wants night? If it is always day, you get to see more.

DON

Beyond 15 August, plan for rain.

Seattle is generally easier and cheaper to fly into, and pre-cruise hotels are much cheaper.

Like somebody else said, depends on what you want to do. If you're a hiker (we are), trails can still be closed or very difficult in May. If you're going to Tracy Arm, chances of getting close to the glacier are probably slimmer in May. We drove from Skagway into the Yukon in May and the snow-covered peaks were spectacular. We drove into the Yukon a week ago and the non-snowy peaks and autumn color were spectacular.

Weather in Alaska is always a crapshoot. Ketchikan was non-rainy last week...first time in four cruises. We heard that all the Alaskan ports for the mid-August sailing before ours had awful weather.And though I was of the "be sure to do Glacier Bay" school, the trip up Tracy Arm, the fjords misty, the glacier a bright blue, was just as wonderful. On the other hand, we didn't even see a single dolphin from the ship, much less whales. (Others did see a whale though. One.)

Here's a suggestion: go twice.

At least.

Have to agree that weather is always a crap shoot. Generally speaking, May is one of the driest months. We went this past May on Pacific Princess and had sun every day, not a drop of rain all week, and cool comfortable temps. In May you will have much less crowds. We were the only ship in port except for Ketchikan. Also, very low numbers of children if that is an issue for you. Not insignificantly, the locals are happy to see you and the stores are well stocked. By August, stocks can be running low and certainly by September the locals are beginning to look forward to more quiet months. I guess that is one of the reasons to live in Alaska. One plus for August, as has been mentioned, the wildlife will be more active. Sometimes bears are late May beginning to stir. All in what you want. We personally prefer sailing from Vancouver and love the city. But then, Seattle aint bad either. Different strokes, etc.:D:D

We went last week and it was sunny on 5 days and two days were partly cloudy, and only one night had some drizzle. It is a crapshoot

Sept was nice, only 3 kids on the boat that I counted

May would be our choice as there would be fewer children. :confused: However, if you are traveling with kids, then August might be more to their liking. Regardless, any month is a great time to cruise the Inside Passage to Alaska. :eek::D

Previous Cruises:

Alaska, May '07! ~Alaska, Sept '12!~Hawaii, Mar '13!~Can & NE, Oct '13!

Booked '15 Crown Princess 29 day Cruise ~ Hawaii, Samoa & Tahiti!

We are just,

“RetiredNTraveling”!(Mike & Betty)

We went in May and the temps were very comfortable. We needed a jacket in the evening. As another poster said, in May the people who work in the tourism business are happy to see you. In September, they cannot wait to get rid of you. We also saw plenty of wildlife when we went - bear, moose & whales. We would go again in the spring. We also like Vancouver, so would probably go out of there, although Seattle is great as well. You can take a very scenic Amtrak ride from Seattle to Vancouver (about 4 hours) for around 40 or so per person.

Having really bad weather during my first cruise to Alaska (in July) - I did a ton of research.

What I found was that starting in Mid May and going forward, the weather is the driest in May and then as the summer goes on, your chances for rain increase. For example, end of May is usually dryer than June. June is dryer than July, July is dryer than August and September has the capability for the worst weather of the season. Though early May can be off also.

My favorite time to go is at the end of May and first of June. I love having the snow on the mountains when I go.

June 21st is going to have the most sunlight but when I have gone at the end of May, it is light until very late.

If you are interested in seeing bears and taking an excursion for them August is going to be better. Now after saying that, I have seen bears on most of my May/June trips. Not on bear excursions but while looking at glaciers, hiking in Seward, on a boat ride to Tracy Arm, drive into the Yukon, etc...

I personally can handle cold but don't like a wet cruise. My July 4th cruise the first time was excessively foggy and wet. Several years later, I went the same week and it was pretty hot (sun burn time). Though, I have had sun burns in May also.

With your choices, I would go with May.

I'd definitely go earlier than later. Weather in Alaska and the Pacific NW is unpredictable, but generally speaking there is more rain as the summer progresses.

May/June typically has the driest weather and more sun. However, some vendors don't open until Memorial Day and some sights & activities are not accessible due to snow/slush from winter. And the park road in Denali doesn't open to Eielson Visitor Center until June 1, to Wonder Lake on June 10. The mountain scenery early season is more dramatic because the snowfall hasn't melted away entirely.

Mid August is the beginning of shoulder season and after Labor Day some businesses start closing down. Sept also brings a greater chance for a fall storm with strong winds and heavy rainfall which can be brutal for the cruise portion.

If you're planning land travel, i'd choose a north-bound cruise near the end of May, so that I would get to Denali after June 1.

And I would choose a Vancouver departure. Ships out of Vanc sail between the mainland and Vancouver Island so it's more scenic and calmer seas.. Ships out of Seattle sail on the west side of Vancouver Island so no land to view and a greater chance for rough seas. People usually find it cheaper to fly into Seatac then transfer to Vancouver ... cruiseline transfer, Quick Coach, Amtrak train, Amtrak bus, Bolt bus, rental car, or Alaska/Horizon Airlines.

Although you couldn't prove it by me, June is statically the driest month and of course you have the longer days in June. However all things being equal I really prefer the period of mid July thru mid August for its warmer temps. Also as you move into August salmon are starting to run in the creeks and rivers and the life cycle starts all over.

putterdude brings up a good point .... some activities have peak periods of time and those periods can vary by location. So if you have any priorities, ie bear viewing, you need to investigate those peak periods.