Alaska in August - Some Q's

[homeofthehound]

Hi,

 

About our plans:

- looking at a cruisetour with HAL or Princess, land portion first

- leaning towards doing Anchorage as opposed to Fairbanks

- flexible to travel in Aug, leaning to earlier Aug departure date (maybe Aug 7th range?)

- looking at some 10-11 day cruisetours but debating staying an extra night or two in Anchorage

 

Questions:

- how bad are mosquitoes likely to be for land portion, mid-late August (note - we are from the Prairies, cottage country etc. so we are well used to mosquitoes, just wondering if they will be even worse than that 😀)

- Glacier or Hubbard preferred?

- excursions for whales, bears etc.... anything we should consider at that time of year?

- likelihood of lots of rain? (I am assuming spring fall would be worse, is that correct?)

- any other thoughts re: travelling in August?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

[thegoaliegirl]

Southbound cruises on Princess include Glacier Bay AND Hubbard Glacier, so no need to pick just one if doing land and then cruise with Princess.

[BarbinMich]

1 hour ago, homeofthehound said:

Hi,

 

Questions:

- how bad are mosquitoes likely to be for land portion, mid-late August (note - we are from the Prairies, cottage country etc. so we are well used to mosquitoes, just wondering if they will be even worse than that 😀)  We've experienced those mosquitos at Riding Mtn and Prince Albert NPs 😉 and don't recall anything like that in Alaska, at least at cruise ports or nearby areas we've visited.  Haven't been to Alaska in Aug., but have been in Sep (and May, June). 

- Glacier or Hubbard preferred?  I prefer Glacier Bay (there are multiple glaciers to view, Hubbard just one).

 

 

[AKStafford]

3 hours ago, homeofthehound said:

- looking at a cruisetour with HAL or Princess, land portion first

Instead of a pre-packaged cruisetour, would you consider doing your own trip with a rental car? There's nothing offered on a cruisetour that you can't book independently. Doing the trip on your own lets you see what you want to see at your own pace. Just a thought...

[homeofthehound]

3 hours ago, BarbinMich said:

 

Haha, I didn't think the mosquitoes could be as bad as here, but someone had cautioned me to think about it (as I suffer with huge welts when they attack), so I thought it might be worth asking the experts :) Thanks!

[homeofthehound]

1 hour ago, AKStafford said:

Instead of a pre-packaged cruisetour, would you consider doing your own trip with a rental car? There's nothing offered on a cruisetour that you can't book independently. Doing the trip on your own lets you see what you want to see at your own pace. Just a thought...

 

I was starting to think about this too, but to be honest I was finding it a little overwhelming with so many options and things to do/places to stay etc., so the cruisetour seemed like a convenient option for our first trip up. I will take your advise and spend some more time researching OYO options - thanks!

[AKStafford]

2 hours ago, homeofthehound said:

 

I was starting to think about this too, but to be honest I was finding it a little overwhelming with so many options and things to do/places to stay etc., so the cruisetour seemed like a convenient option for our first trip up. I will take your advise and spend some more time researching OYO options - thanks!

In addition to the research you do on Cruise Critic, you might also look at the TripAdvisor forum for Alaska: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

Details that are important:

How many days you'll have for the land portion

Are you okay with renting a car?

What sort of things you are looking to do

Any physical limitations?

[Melinda Brasher]

We went in August once, about the same time you're thinking.  I would definitely take insect repellent if you're going inland, but the mosquitoes weren't as bad as I was expecting.