Alaska in October

[Acruisefiend]

16 hours ago, mking8288 said:

  find room for a good pair of binoculars and tele-photo digital camera.  

Yes. I even have a waterproof (underwater) camera so I can photos in all weather.

 

8 hours ago, ClevelandCruisin said:

I can't wait, even if we get to stay on the ship and enjoy the spa balconies we have.  

We have a spa room as well, just in case we end up with extra ship time. And I agree whale watching in the rain could actually be kind of fun, I DO think we will see be able to see some whales.. the stragglers. 

 

One more plus to add, Northern Lights. At first, I didn't think them likely, but up by Glacier Bay and Icy Point there does seem to be a chance to see them if we get lucky and have clear skies. My week is a no moon week, which makes for great lights if they do appear!

[WarfRatWA]

On 6/18/2021 at 9:32 PM, Karaboudjan said:

Fewer insects?

As a former resident of Alaska, I endorse this benefit.  I would also cruise in October.  Just layer up.

[Sailing12Away]

On 6/18/2021 at 8:37 PM, complawyer said:

i'll admit though i'm a wuss. we were on the getaway and tried the ice bar (17 degrees) and after about 7minutes, i was outta there. brrr. oct would be a great time to go to the carribbean

Really? 7 minutes? We jumped in and stayed until they kicked us out. Had a great chat with the bartender as it ended up just being the 2 of us in there for most of the time. Planned it for the night we ate at Le Bistro so hubby was already wearing pants.

[complawyer]

1 hour ago, Sailing12Away said:

Really? 7 minutes? We jumped in and stayed until they kicked us out. Had a great chat with the bartender as it ended up just being the 2 of us in there for most of the time. Planned it for the night we ate at Le Bistro so hubby was already wearing pants.

in that case, my hat is off  and  salutations to each of you. it was  waaay to cold for me. by the way, where are you from? i've lived in los angeles for over50 years, and i have absolutely no tolerance for the cold. on winter nights, if it goes down to 60, i turn on the heat.

 

and i was even wearing pants!

 

and i c an assure you, neither my wife nor I looked as happy as you 2.

 

it was just something i had to try

[Peachypooh]

We cruised the first week in Sept. inside passage. It was very pleasant. Not too hot

not too cold. A hint of rain a couple of days. We loved it.

[ClevelandCruisin]

12 hours ago, Acruisefiend said:

Yes. I even have a waterproof (underwater) camera so I can photos in all weather.

 

We have a spa room as well, just in case we end up with extra ship time. And I agree whale watching in the rain could actually be kind of fun, I DO think we will see be able to see some whales.. the stragglers. 

 

One more plus to add, Northern Lights. At first, I didn't think them likely, but up by Glacier Bay and Icy Point there does seem to be a chance to see them if we get lucky and have clear skies. My week is a no moon week, which makes for great lights if they do appear!

Hopefully we can see them in October.  The whale excursion is for my wife and bucket list. Might as well go do the tour, probably won't be doing another Alaskan cruise. 

[DanMartin8602]

10 hours ago, WarfRatWA said:

As a former resident of Alaska, I endorse this benefit.  I would also cruise in October.  Just layer up.

We are doing the 3rd week in October.

We have done Alaska on the 2nd,3rd,3rd and 4th weeks of September and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Only issue was bad weather kept other ships out of Ketchikan the day we were there. We had the place to ourselves and got great deals on souvenirs. 

 

We did 8 days north of Fairbanks last November in temps of 20 above to 21 below zero to see the Northern Lights. Awesome. Outside in shirtsleeves at 2am and 21 below, loved it.

 

Dan & Kathy

Edited June 20, 2021 by DanMartin8602

[Acruisefiend]

33 minutes ago, DanMartin8602 said:

We are doing the 3rd week in October.

We have done Alaska on the 2nd,3rd,3rd and 4th weeks of September and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Only issue was bad weather kept other ships out of Ketchikan the day we were there. We had the place to ourselves and got great deals on souvenirs. 

 

We did 8 days north of Fairbanks last November in temps of 20 above to 21 below zero to see the Northern Lights. Awesome. Outside in shirtsleeves at 2am and 21 below, loved it.

 

Dan & Kathy

What ship were you on that got your in port when others couldn't? 

 

Northern Lights are a must for me as well, I will probably book a special trip just for that someday. 

[Tippyton]

On 6/18/2021 at 7:37 PM, complawyer said:

we dont have any cold weather gear, been living in los angeles for the past 52 years. even a free cruise wouldnt induce me to go to alaska in late fall.

 

only positive thing is early darkness and ability to see the aurora borealis.

 

i'll admit though i'm a wuss. we were on the getaway and tried the ice bar (17 degrees) and after about 7minutes, i was outta there. brrr. oct would be a great time to go to the carribbean

Frogg Toggs and a good base layer will get you set up for about  $120 max PP.

[complawyer]

30 minutes ago, Tippyton said:

Frogg Toggs and a good base layer will get you set up for about  $120 max PP.

thanks for the tip, but i'm still not going to alaska in oct. we're goingto the greek isles, athens, rome and israel in nov instead . nice and cozy

[complawyer]

thanks for the tip, but i'm still not going to alaska in oct. we're going to the mediterranean, athens, rome and israel in nov instead. nice and cozy. this way, my hand wont freeze to the bootle when i'm drinking an ice cold heineken on my balcony

[SouthLyonCruiser]

One thing will remain constant; it will still be Alaska. Beauty beyond comparison. 

As far as all the shops being closed, so what.

I can shop at home, I can't see Alaska there.

[Tippyton]

10 hours ago, complawyer said:

thanks for the tip, but i'm still not going to alaska in oct. we're goingto the greek isles, athens, rome and israel in nov instead . nice and cozy

Can't argue with that decision matrix!  We have done 2 AK cruises.  One in June and one in mid September.   June cruise had a little rain outbound on a sea day from SEA, and for 1/4 of the day at Misty Fjords.  SEPT cruise had a sprinkle day in Fairbanks and a bit of rain in Denali one day.  That's it!  We were lucky on both accounts.  Both trips I wore shorts in Juneau.  We enjoyed our mid-September cruise and land tour better.  But I agree - October is pushing it.

[DanMartin8602]

13 hours ago, Acruisefiend said:

What ship were you on that got your in port when others couldn't? 

 

Northern Lights are a must for me as well, I will probably book a special trip just for that someday. 

Probably the Pearl.

[don't-use-real-name]

17 hours ago, DanMartin8602 said:

We are doing the 3rd week in October.

We have done Alaska on the 2nd,3rd,3rd and 4th weeks of September and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Only issue was bad weather kept other ships out of Ketchikan the day we were there. We had the place to ourselves and got great deals on souvenirs. 

 

We did 8 days north of Fairbanks last November in temps of 20 above to 21 below zero to see the Northern Lights. Awesome. Outside in shirtsleeves at 2am and 21 below, loved it.

 

Dan & Kathy

Only issue was bad weather kept other ships out of Ketchikan the day we were there.

 

Probably out of an abundance of caution - Celebrity Infinity did a number on Pier (Berth3) read below:

 

On June 4, 2016, Port Ketchikan's Berth 3 was damaged by the Celebrity Cruises liner Celebrity Infinity while docking. Due to the sustained serious damages, the pier became inoperative. The collision was caused by a sudden gust of wind and resulted in around USD 0,93 million in damages.

The vessel was approaching Berth 3 when a strong wind (up to 20 m/sec) pushed it into the structure, Repair works started on June 7, and by July 5 the pier was useable again. During pier's repair, ships in Ketchikan had to use port's other 3 piers or to anchor near Berth 3 and transport their passengers via tenders. In the period June 3 - July 5, the damaged Berth 3 had a total of 35 scheduled/booked ship calls.

[deliver42]

I don't think the businesses will be shutting down early this year. They need all the money they can get after losing one and a half seasons. Enjoy your cruise.

[julig22]

16 minutes ago, deliver42 said:

I don't think the businesses will be shutting down early this year. They need all the money they can get after losing one and a half seasons. Enjoy your cruise.

Probably not shutting down - but some possibly not starting up in the first place.

 

Not booking yet but if prices drop closer to sailing, I'm game!  Seattle is within driving distance, so good to go at the last minute.

[PhillyTravelBug]

Is there any chance of seeing Northern Lights on an Alaskan cruise at this time of year?  Alaska was my last cruise in 2019, and was probably my best vacation ever.

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 6/20/2021 at 6:03 PM, complawyer said:

 this way, my hand wont freeze to the bootle when i'm drinking an ice cold heineken on my balcony

Fortunately, this won't be a problem in that fantastic observation lounge.  Plus, the guy just keeps bringing me more drinks as long as I sit there enjoying that beautiful AK scenery!  😎

[don't-use-real-name]

6 hours ago, PhillyTravelBug said:

Is there any chance of seeing Northern Lights on an Alaskan cruise at this time of year?  Alaska was my last cruise in 2019, and was probably my best vacation ever.

The cruising from port to port is done in the hours of darkness so the only place to see

the lights would be on board the ship.

Find a dark corner away from the lights and rigging and give it a shot.

Perhaps the bow of the ship in or near under the Bridge - a light restricted area.

Perchance to see one of the deck bridge officers about the ship - ASK - pop the question !

Forecast for clear skies - possible -

Partly cloudy breaks in the overcast - remote possibility -

But remember daylight times are longer in the summer -

Look for viewing opportunities in the very late wee hours (midnight to 2-3 am).

[ClevelandCruisin]

1 minute ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Fortunately, this won't be a problem in that fantastic observation lounge.  Plus, the guy just keeps bringing me more drinks as long as I sit there enjoying that beautiful AK scenery!  😎

I agree! Warm and comfortable with a drink in hand. The only thing I know people will stand right at the window in front of the seats blocking my view. I may have to move the seats to the window. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 minutes ago, ClevelandCruisin said:

I agree! Warm and comfortable with a drink in hand. The only thing I know people will stand right at the window in front of the seats blocking my view. I may have to move the seats to the window. 

LOL.  I've been to AK on the Pearl and I don't remember having a problem with anybody blocking the windows in the observation lounge.  Maybe I just got lucky.  I did have a problem with the show folks lowering all of the blinds so that CD could put on some kind of goofy event on the stage in the observation lounge.  I had to politely ask them twice to raise them far enough so that the rest of us could enjoy the scenery.  They finally did.

[ClevelandCruisin]

Just now, ChiefMateJRK said:

LOL.  I've been to AK on the Pearl and I don't remember having a problem with anybody blocking the windows in the observation lounge.  Maybe I just got lucky.  I did have a problem with the show folks lowering all of the blinds so that CD could put on some kind of goofy event on the stage in the observation lounge.  I had to politely ask them twice to raise them far enough so that the rest of us could enjoy the scenery.  They finally did.

They better not close them... I need photos. Take that show to the atrium!