Best Month for Alaska?

[Aussie Teen]

We are thinking of visiting the Rockies and combining it with a cruise to Alaska next year. Is September too late? I am not a very good sailor and am worried that the seas might be getting a bit rough by then.

[CruiserBruce]

Seas aren't usually rough in the Inside Passage, but can be rough just about anytime in the open seas areas.

[TheCalicoCat]

Take a cruise that leaves out of Vancouver & you should be fine.

(Seattle departures have open ocean days.)

[frugaltravel]

September is probably the worst month for Alaska cruises due to diminished daylight and weather.

[AKman2495]

There is no "best" month to go to Alaska. It all depends on what you want to see and do. End of May/June you will have lots of daylight, but, it is still spring in May and flowers are not at their peak. There is still a lot of snow on the mountains and glaciers. July is a great month for fishing and overall activities, but is typically the start of the rainy season in south-central-lost of clouds and rain.

 

Around the beginning of August, the season changes. Day are getting shorter, and in the Anchorage/Fairbanks region, cooler and drier. Southeast can be rainy-but they it can be rainy anytime.

 

By the middle of August, snow is at its minimum and flowers are plentiful.

 

So, it all depends on what you want to do and see....

[vbmom87]

Budget Queen (Alaska cruise expert) is on vacation I believe. She never recommends cruising past the first week of September, because of the potential for poor weather. There is also less daylight, which can be a concern if you are coming to Alaska to enjoy its scenery. We chose June the first time because historically it is drier in June. We ended up loving he extended daylight and we spent our evenings out on deck or in the Crow's Nest lounge which had panoramic views. We never got to a show because our entertainment was outside. Our second cruise was in early through mid August. We chose that timeframe because our priority that time was to see bears fishing for salmon. We saw those bears and really enjoyed our excursion watching the bears fishing, playing, eating berries, etc. It was awesome!!! However, there was definetly less daylight in August, which meant less viewing of the scenery, but we did get to take in some of the late shows on our second cruise. ;)

 

You will have to decide what your priorities are for Alaska and then choose a timeframe when those priorities can be realized.

 

 

Below is a link that explains some of the rough weather you can run into if you cruise near the end of the Alaska cruising season. You definitely are taking more of a gamble late in September.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1487385

[Putterdude]

No, early September is not to late for Alaska but your chances of it being wet and cool do increase. September has provided us with some very wet times in Alaska but also some very pleasant times....you just can't predict weather from year to year or even week to week. Frankly my favourite time is mid- July thru mid-August but again this can vary from year to year.

 

If you are sailing from Vancouver you will sail entirely in the Inside Passage where the waters are very calm. You will have two spots, one at the northern tip of Vancouver Is. and the other at the northern tip of the Queen Charlotte Islands where you can have some rough water but we are speaking of a few hours in each case. Sailing from Seattle is another matter as these itineraries sail in the Pacific and do not enter the Inside Passage until north of Vancouver Is. which means you can be exposed to rough seas for up to a day in either direction. The itineraries out of Vancouver are also much more scenic than those out of Seattle.

[Budget Queen]

I have personally experience rough sailing in Alaska on ALL the routes, including round trip Vancouver, so It is not true, any guarantee, it will be "alright" doing so. IF motion sickness is the problem, then the only solution is to get a prevention. contact your health care provider for advice.

[jpthomas27]

September is probably the worst month for Alaska cruises due to diminished daylight and weather.

 

Although September probably isn't the best month, I've heard some great experiences in September, plus prices are great at the end of the season. Also, I think the lack of sun light is a little exageratedand definately relative. The begining of September brings 14 hours of sunlight (6am to 8pm) a day! True, it's not 24 hours of sun, but sunlight at 4am or 10pm at night isn't going to benefit many people.