Alaskan Cruise

Trying to get an idea of what the weather is like on an Alaskan cruise in the very end of the season. Has anyone been on the last week of September/ first week of October?

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There is a whole part of Cruise Critic devoted to Alaska, located here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

where this question is discussed very frequently. It can be pretty cold and wet, although some will report "perfect weather", whatever that means. There have been major wind events causing missed ports, and some damage to ships. These cruises are cheaper for a reason. Heck, on Labor Day a few years ago, we had about 3 hours of sleet.

Thank you so much, I appreciate it.

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Trying to get an idea of what the weather is like on an Alaskan cruise in the very end of the season. Has anyone been on the last week of September/ first week of October?

 

 

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Lots of rain and short days. My last late-September cruise in Alaska was during a typhoon with 82 MPH winds from the side when exposed to the Pacific Ocean. Thankfully, we were safe while shielded by the Inside Passage and knew exactly when we would feel the brunt of the storm.

It is certain that most cruises will never experience such foul weather but it is a possibility.

Any chance you saw Northern Lights? I’ve read that if you happen to see it from the cruise, the shorter days are the prime time to see it.

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The weather in Alaska is frequently unpredictable, especially at the end of the season. Having completed a couple of full seasons in Alaska, many additional trips as a pax and also working many years on the BC Coast - October is frequently not fun.

October is normally the beginning of winter weather - lots of storms, high winds and heavy rain. However, you may also experience slightly better weather.

Where you are going to in Alaska is definitely a factor. If staying in the Inside Passage, you are mostly sheltered from the seas, except crossing Dixon Entrance & going down Hecate Strait. If heading up to Prince William Sound, it could be a rough ride.

The other consideration are - Seattle based ships head up the West Coast of BC (Pacific Ocean), whereas the Vancouver based ships spend 1/2 the BC coast in the sheltered Inside Passage.

I've sailed the Seattle-Glacier Bay-Seattle itinerary in mid-September twice now. Third time coming up on 9/16/18!

Weatherwise, the first time each port was overcast or drizzle, a light waterproof jacket was warm enough for walking around town. Some outdoor activities might have been less fun if you weren't dressed for the conditions. Glacier Bay was a gorgeous blue sky day!

The second time we had overcast as well and precipitation ranging from none to heavy rain and strong wind (normal for Ketchikan!). As we started in to Glacier Bay it was was foggy, but it lifted so visibility was good though it was raining off and on.

So, if you have your heart set on weather dependent excursions, or hate rain, September is chancy. If you're prepared with good footwear, raingear and layers, you can be comfortable.

As to sailing conditions, our first time, conditions were fine except for a 24 hour stretch beginning with the ship's arrival in Skagway. Very high winds held the ship in port an extra 4 hours and when it left, tugs were required to maneuver out of the berth. Once underway, with attempting to make up lost time while sailing into high wind, it was an extremely rough night! Felt like it does when you're in a small craft hitting rollers head on! We were in a low deck interior stateroom, don't know if that was a factor.

The second sailing had completely smooth sailing the entire week.

Trying to get an idea of what the weather is like on an Alaskan cruise in the very end of the season. Has anyone been on the last week of September/ first week of October?

 

As you've probably gathered, the weather is extremely variable. We've sailed end of Sept/early October several times and had both fantastic weather and inclement weather, sometimes in the same two hour period.

 

Yes, we have seen Northern Lights while on a cruise. While fall and winter are the best times to see them, they can occur anytime. It's based on solar activity. There are websites that forecast Northern Lights, just do a search. I've seen them in the summertime in MN. It just depends.

 

I see you're from southern Texas. Check the average lows and highs for SE Alaska for Sept/Oct. Your tolerance for cool weather will dictate what you'll want to bring. I've grown up in the Northland, so 60F to me is bliss, and still shorts weather. I suspect that wouldn't be the case for you:D By way of example, we were in Iceland last month. It was 50F-60F everyday, much like AK in late Sept/early Oct. While visiting a waterfall on The Golden Circle, we met some people from Florida who were bundled up like I would for a cold December day; fleece cap, scarf, mittens, down coat and winter boots. I was wearing a t-shirt and khakis. They thought I was nuts. I was in heaven! I always give the advice to first time Alaska cruisers to buy a fleece vest at the first port, then you'll have a useful souvenir. I never travel without a fleece/wool vest. Get one with the Alaska state flag, a bear, an eagle, or some such embroidered on it. You'll be at the end of season so there will be clearance sales everywhere.

 

We've sailed from Seattle twice and Vancouver three times. Given the choice, I'd go out of Vancouver. As others have said, you'll be in the Inside Passage a good deal of the time. Plus, on the way back, the scenery is breathtaking. (On the way up it'll be dark, so you won't see much)

 

Good luck planning.

 

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Check one or more of the weather things online. Look up history. Look up records (high/low, precip). And then look at the forecast for the next 10 days to get a sense of what might happen. Pack accordingly. But always...take an umbrella.

Jim

Trying to get an idea of what the weather is like on an Alaskan cruise in the very end of the season. Has anyone been on the last week of September/ first week of October?

 

 

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I can't answer the weather issue, but the clothing question is always answered the same by seasoned Alaskan cruisers - layers. It could be very warm one day and dry, or it could be cold and wet, or anything in between. The way to go is with layers. There are always lengthy discussion about this on the Alaska board.