Alaska cruise in May

[millacon]

We are taking an Alaskan cruise the first week of May and I know temperatures are still relatively cool for the area at that time. Since we have a balcony room and I want to use it to see the sights do they provide blankets that are warm enough to enjoy the balcony? Do the balconies typically get a lot of wind? We are on the port side of the ship toward the front on N. Amsterdam. Any tips or tricks would be welcomed.

[Crew News]

We are taking an Alaskan cruise the first week of May and I know temperatures are still relatively cool for the area at that time. Since we have a balcony room and I want to use it to see the sights do they provide blankets that are warm enough to enjoy the balcony? Do the balconies typically get a lot of wind? We are on the port side of the ship toward the front on N. Amsterdam. Any tips or tricks would be welcomed.

 

We love the first week of May for Alaska because there is snow on the peaks, baby animals are just starting life, and the flowers are starting to bloom.

 

Blankets are available in the public areas and in your stateroom.

 

The balconies are quite windy when the ship is moving unless you are in an aft stateroom.

 

Here is a link to my photo review of the Nieuw Amsterdam from May 2016:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/ms-nieuw-amsterdam-on-board-images/

[Krazy Kruizers]

There should be blankets in your cabin -- if you don't see any -- ask your cabin steward on them. Or get them at any pool. They are usually next to the towels.

I have also seen a few on the Promenade Deck.

It will be windy when the ship is moving.

[paganwoman]

Our last Alaska cruise was in May and yes it was cool and windy but we got the best pictures of anytime we have cruised. The skies were blue and it was Sunny the entire trip. It tends to be more cloudy with rain in the summer months then spring time. Enjoy

[david,Mississauga]

We are taking an Alaskan cruise the first week of May and I know temperatures are still relatively cool for the area at that time. Since we have a balcony room and I want to use it to see the sights do they provide blankets that are warm enough to enjoy the balcony? Do the balconies typically get a lot of wind? We are on the port side of the ship toward the front on N. Amsterdam. Any tips or tricks would be welcomed.

We were on an Alaska cruise in early May of 2015. The weather was glorious. You have not asked about rain, but I should mention that there was none until the last night returning to Vancouver. We didn't find the balcony to be particularly windy - just what is to be expected on a moving ship.

[AV8rix]

Not a weather-related reply.....but there's an extra bonus for the first and last cruises of the Alaska season (May or September)....school is still in session and there are very few children on the ships. So those are the only times that I go to Alaska. And only once has weather ruined some port stops.

[Tbay]

We cruised Alaska on the Noordam May 1 last year. Cool but not cold, and a couple of rainy days, but you can't predict the weather. But, we were the only ship at all the ports. Wonderful.

[TheEmerson]

Having done the first cruise in May before, I loved it. The cold rain was always a welcome delight. Every mid morning I would swim in the Sea View Pool for an hour. It is heated so it is quite relaxing. The bar staff were at the point of laughing as I would swim for a bit, drink a G&T with my feet in the water while they were huddled in their jackets, gloves and scarves. One thing I forgot was that you can still get a sunburn from the UV that does penetrate the cloud layer. I would recommend a hoodie if you do want to hang out on your balcony to help cover up.

 

As from another post there is not many kids on board but there will be some. I took my DD out of school for the week for the cruise.

[just_cruising_along]

We have been to Alaska many time in May, including last year where Juneau experienced weather in the 70s. Although that is not not normal. This May, we are preparing for cool weather, rain and potential sun breaks.

 

The wind you may experience when you get off the boat can equally be strong. So make sure you are dressed warmly for any shore-type activities.

 

Have a great cruise.

[debkaysmith]

We have done a few cruises in May to Alaska and September too! I was happy I brought along a lightweight blanket in my luggage. The balcony was chilly viewing the glaciers - a nice hat and gloves worked too. Enjoy!!

[VioletHorse]

We are taking an Alaskan cruise the first week of May and I know temperatures are still relatively cool for the area at that time. Since we have a balcony room and I want to use it to see the sights do they provide blankets that are warm enough to enjoy the balcony? Do the balconies typically get a lot of wind? We are on the port side of the ship toward the front on N. Amsterdam. Any tips or tricks would be welcomed.

 

We've cruised Alaska 3x in May and only once had a balcony. It was cold and windy when the ship was moving. The blankets that HAL provides are not full size but are more the size of a lap blanket so we had a total of 6 (3 each) to wrap up in. That was in addition to layering our outerwear with fleeces and windproof jackets, along with winter hats and gloves. We were fine, but we also live in the Northeast and are no strangers to cold temps and wind chill factors that can go below zero.

 

That said, we preferred to being on the open decks for viewing. You can see much more from an open deck than you can see from from your balcony.

 

Being prepared for any kind of weather that Alaska can throw at you is the secret to having an enjoyable cruise.

[Cruise_More_Often]

We've been on four Alaska cruises, all in May, and the weather has been terrific. We love cruising when Alaska looks like I had imagined it would look -- with snow on all the mountaintops. (Plus, it's less expensive, and there are fewer little ones to contend with.)

 

Dress warmly and snuggle under HAL's blankets, and you'll be glad you chose May.

[millacon]

Wow, thanks everyone! Some great suggestions for our cruise. We are very excited and want to get the most enjoyment out of the cruise. Will definitely plan to layer as I do not like being cold.

[DaveOKC]

We have cruised in late Sept and early May to Alaska. Weather can very alot for either times, nice one day, rainy and cold the next.

 

I liked early May better as the days are longer and thus you can see more in the evenings. Sept. is better for visiting areas with ice, as May can prevent you from going in or getting close (to glaciers, Tracy Arm, etc.).

[Ekelley8804]

We have cruised in late Sept and early May to Alaska. Weather can very alot for either times, nice one day, rainy and cold the next.

 

I liked early May better as the days are longer and thus you can see more in the evenings. Sept. is better for visiting areas with ice, as May can prevent you from going in or getting close (to glaciers, Tracy Arm, etc.).

What about May makes it harder to visit places with ice? I have my heart set on visiting the ice caves at Mendenhall Glacier. Is it unlikely to visit there in May?

[xlxo]

An Alaskan cruise means different things to different cruisers. For most.... glacier viewing is the highlight.

 

May temperatures are still very cold compared to the summer months. Glaciers chucks break off at various times of the day (calving) and don't get to melt on ship water ways quick enough for safe passage. In general, June onwards allow ships to get closer to glaciers like Sawyer and Hubbard for glacier viewing. Glacier Bay is one that allows ships for close glacier viewing for the cruise season.

 

Tracy Arm is a popular cruise itinerary for glacier viewing, when the ship does not have passage Glacier Bay passes. To see Sawyer, the cruise ship must travel 31 miles in a narrow channel to meet Sawyer. If that channel is clogged with ice, it is unsafe for a cruise ship to enter. In 2016.... cruise ships were unable to enter until mid-August!

[DaveOKC]

What about May makes it harder to visit places with ice? I have my heart set on visiting the ice caves at Mendenhall Glacier. Is it unlikely to visit there in May?

 

On our early May trip the shore excursion to Tracy Arm was not offered (due to ice they told us), even before we sailed.

 

Second, in Glacier Bay we were not able to get very close to the main glacier, due to ice in the water. We had gotten very close to it the previous Sept., so it was not a big deal to us, but many others were disappointed.

 

Do not know about Mendenhall - you should call the ranger station there and talk to them.

[CatPurry]

We are going to be on the 30 day cruise that includes the Caribbean, to Mexico and up the coast to Alaska. Packing for this much of a change in climate is a challenge. We live in Florida and don't know what to expect of Alaskan ports. Do we need boots? I figure we can just layer up and have bought us FrogTogg suits that are waterproof and should give us an adequate top layer even in snow.

[Nic6318]

Hi Millacon

 

We were there just last May. We packed for the worst, but our weather was great, (reasonably) warm and dry.

 

What I wanted to mention was, that while we also had a balcony, we spent little time on it. If we happened to be in our cabin and there was something special out there to see, we would run out for a look. Generally, I would say that unless you needed to be in your cabin, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't go up on deck. It is so spectacular, to only see the small segment from your balcony would be like only watching part of a good movie.

 

have a great cruise