Alaska 2025 May or September?

[larrybritt]

We are debating between to trips to Alaska next year. May 3rd for 11days on Coral Princess or Sept 13th for 10day on the Caribbean Princess. Both have similar itineraries. So the question really is about the time of year people like best as well as the Ship. Our initial thoughts are the May trip to see more snow, but concern about things not being open yet and maybe weather might be better in Sept, but we know weather is always hit or miss in Alaska. Any and all thoughts are appreciated. 

[HS2BS]

May is early in the Alaskan season, so expect temperatures to be on the “cool” side. Some of the excursions might be limited by lingering snow and ice. Coral has an indoor pool which is nice when the weather outside isn’t. It is smaller than the Caribbean Princess, but ver nice(we did Alaska aboard the Coral, but in July).

Fall will offer warmer weather, and the colors of the foliage will add to your sightseeing, but expect greater crowds.

We happen to be booked on the Ruby(rt) out of San Francisco during August(also an 11 day cruise) in 25.

 

Hal

[karatemom2]

We did a 12 day cruise out of Vancouver on the Royal a couple of years ago that started on May 2 and it was one of our favorite Alaska cruises. Most things were open, not all, but certainly not enough to detract from our trip. Mostly just a few shops. We expected that traveling early during shoulder season - it will be the same in late September as some things will have closed for the season. 
 

The weather was cool, but glorious! Hardly any rain with the exception of some in Juneau. There was still lots of snow everywhere and driving the highway in Skagway was incredible - the lakes were still frozen over and stunning. Glacier Bay and Hubbard Glacier were breathtaking with all of the snow still sitting low on the mountains. 
 

We still saw plenty of whales, eagles, seals and otters, but no bears or salmon - too early for that which might be more likely for you in September. It will also potentially be much rainier later in the year. But we have heard in September there is a small chance to see the Northern Lights. 
 

I would absolutely cruise in May again, but we are also considering a cruise In September too. It’s the only cruise season month we haven’t visited Alaska yet, so we would love to give it a try and see it late in the season with Fall coming on. 

In your case, I would probably choose May, especially if you are concerned about weather. We found the weather to be spectacular and May and June are generally the dryest months in terms of rainfall. 

 

[Teeara]

41 minutes ago, larrybritt said:

We are debating between to trips to Alaska next year. May 3rd for 11days on Coral Princess or Sept 13th for 10day on the Caribbean Princess. Both have similar itineraries. So the question really is about the time of year people like best as well as the Ship. Our initial thoughts are the May trip to see more snow, but concern about things not being open yet and maybe weather might be better in Sept, but we know weather is always hit or miss in Alaska. Any and all thoughts are appreciated. 

We just about froze on our May 4, 2008 cruise. There was snow on the ground and it was cold.  

 

We did a road trip through Alaska in August 2021 and it was still cool, but it the 60s in Alaska proper (Anchorage to Talkeetna to Denali to Fairbanks).  By the time we got to Fairbanks it was 80 degrees whereas Anchorage was in the 60s.  Weird.

 

If I had to choose, I would rather go in September than May.  Good luck in your research!  Alaska was fantastic and I can't wait to do another cruise and road trip to Alaska.

[LEtue]

51 minutes ago, larrybritt said:

We are debating between to trips to Alaska next year. May 3rd for 11days on Coral Princess or Sept 13th for 10day on the Caribbean Princess. Both have similar itineraries. So the question really is about the time of year people like best as well as the Ship. Our initial thoughts are the May trip to see more snow, but concern about things not being open yet and maybe weather might be better in Sept, but we know weather is always hit or miss in Alaska. Any and all thoughts are appreciated. 

I am booked on the May 3 sailing on the Coral.  I have not sailed this early in May - but have done mid month and later twice.  Once was cold and once was mild (60's in the daytime.  

 

As far as September, I have only sailed mid to late August and into the first week of September which is my favorite time for temps and wildlife.  Sailing in mid September can be rainy and the days are shorter but many people say they love to travel then.

 

I booked this sailing based on the Coral.  I sailed on the Island before she was refitted and it is my favorite Princess ship so far for size and layout.  I expect temps to be cool to cold but since I have made multiple trips to Alaska I won't mind that.  If this is your only planned trip it may not may work as well for you.

[phoebe2m]

We went the middle of May and regretted it. The weather was fine but we saw no wildlife, none! And most of the shops were closed. Never been in September so can't comment on that time of the year. 

[Zeke Eak]

I did a 10 day mid September cruise in 2022. The sunsets are earlier. Because of the longer times in most ports, the ship traveled mainly in the dark. I had a balcony, but I felt like I missed a lot of scenery due to the after sunset traveling. Otherwise, it was great. If I go again, I'd like to go earlier in the year. 

[Coral]

1 hour ago, HS2BS said:

May is early in the Alaskan season, so expect temperatures to be on the “cool” side. Some of the excursions might be limited by lingering snow and ice. Coral has an indoor pool which is nice when the weather outside isn’t. It is smaller than the Caribbean Princess, but ver nice(we did Alaska aboard the Coral, but in July).

Fall will offer warmer weather, and the colors of the foliage will add to your sightseeing, but expect greater crowds.

We happen to be booked on the Ruby(rt) out of San Francisco during August(also an 11 day cruise) in 25.

 

Hal

On the flip side, some excursions in September may also not be going. For example - snow on glaciers would have melted so taking a helicopter to a glacier to go dog mushing stops in August.

 

I prefer May but have never gone this early in May. May is my first choice of when to go.

Edited March 20 by Coral

[Thrak]

We have cruised Alaska in early May, late May, June, and early September and have had good weather for each and every cruise. There is simply no way to tell what the weather will be. Early May can be problematic if one wants to do the Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali as the road can be closed part way up and one may only get a partial trip. However, the road is currently closed part way up as the entire side of the hill slid down and took the road with it. There are plans for a bridge to span that gap but it will take time.

[Arizona Wildcat]

Hmmmm.  Drove a fishing boat and there is little difference if you are going to do a land tour.  Many things not open in either May or September.   Just more daylight in May.

If I were to go back I would do a week long land tour on my own.  ANC to Denali and Fairbanks then loop through Glenallen back to ANC. Late May or early September.   That is the best part.  Then cruise south.  

FWIW, There is little in Whittier and Seward is wonderful and worth 2 nights.   Kenai Fjords tour better than anything offered in the ports; thus I usually cruise Celebrity out of Seward.

[charliedalrymple]

We did mid-May on Coral and it was perhaps our best cruise ever. The weather was perfect--though I would note that many of the locals mentioned how "lucky" we were with the weather. We loved the smaller ship for that particular itinerary.  Nothing we wanted to do was closed.

[jaspersmommy]

We have cruised to Alaska in late May, early August and early September. We had a little more sunshine and definitely had warmer temps in both May and August. There was slightly more rain in September.  To be honest though, there wasn’t a significant enough difference in weather on those cruises to make it the determining factor when booking a future cruise. Oddsare you will have more rain in September.  However, when you are only there for a few days you could easily end up with weather that is different from the norm for that time of year.  
 

My timing preference for future Alaska cruises is late May to late June.  The biggest reason is the amount of daylight. In September, it got dark early.  It seemed that it was dark most of the time we were at sea (except for sea days).  We were blown away by how much more scenic the May cruise was, because it stayed light until quite late.  The August cruise also allowed us much more scenic cruising than did the September one. The increased daylight hours in May and August translated into more wildlife viewing too.  
 

We didn’t notice any differences in what was open in ports during those months. However, if you decide to go to Denali or on excursions that take you to higher elevations, there could still be snow if you go early in the season. 
 

I hope this helps!  Good luck. 

 

 

[XBGuy]

We have taken multiple AK cruises in late April/early May and have been the second or third ship to arrive that season in several of the ports.  We have found a few businesses (a candy store and two restaurants) in Skagway that had not yet opened.  That is understandable because Skagway is much more dependent on cruise tourism than, say Ketchikan or Juneau.

 

We have also taken multiple September cruises.  Some have complained, here on Cruise Critic, that store inventories are low late in the cruise season, but, on the other hand, many storers are trying to reduce their inventory and, so, offer attractive sale pricing.  I can say that that the "depleted inventory" problem hit me once.  One of our regular stops is the fudge store in Skagway.  We were once there the last week of the cruise season, and they had no mint fudge (my favorite.)  Happily, they did have plenty of Mrs. XBGuy's favorite--Peanut Butter/Chocolate.

 

Regarding the weather, I can't say there is much difference.  It will be cool--especially, on sea days and scenic cruising days.  So, bring a jacket.  I have to laugh at the macho guys who insist that they have to wear short every day, but they can't last more that a minute, or so, on the promenade deck.  We've encountered fog or light rains on both early- and late-season cruises.  Then there was one guy who complained that it was cold when he left the hot tub.  (Well, duh.)  Yes, there is noticeably more snow in the spring.

 

I have no opinion about the ship.  We have no experience with either of the ships you are considering.  However, we have taken five different ships on six AK cruises, and not once has the ship affected our experience.

 

Bon voyage.  I am envious.

[Cruise Raider]

We’ve cruised up in Alaska nearly every month of the year and early September is our favorite month to go although, I would easily go at any time in the spring, summer or fall months.  
The absolute best weather we had was in late July but early Sept has come in as a close second.  It’s always beautiful up north.  No matter what you pick, I don’t see you being disappointed.  
 

Edited March 21 by Cruise Raider

[nasa1974]

We did Alaska twice. Both times late May. Evening temps in the upper 20's to low 30's. Day time temps could reach the 50's to 60's. We even had a snowball fight at the Mt. McKinley Lodge on our second trip.

Everyone gave some great information.

The one thing I would suggest is do the land portion first. This can be hectic with transportation (to and from lodging) and excursions. Then you get on the ship and kick back and relax.

Also, if you decide to go in May make sure you have hat and gloves not just for the evenings on land, but you will need them on the ship as well and dress in layers. It can get very uncomfortable out on deck.at times.

Good luck and enjoy.

[BamaVol]

We have only been once and that was September.  Weather was warm at times, never frigid.  We did get to observe a salmon run in Ketchikan. T-shirts on the ship were closed out at $5 each, which was nice.

[westcoaster]

Everyone is going to have their own experiences with the weather, but if you look at averages, then May is much drier in Alaska than September.  Compared with May, average September rainfall is 65% higher in Ketchikan, more than 2.5 times higher in Juneau, and nearly 5 times higher in Anchorage.  As others have noted, May also has much longer hours of daylight.

 

And the Coral Princess is a much better ship for Alaska than Caribbean Princess.

[Donwoods123]

We have been to Alaska many times in Princess, including in May and September.  Two years ago we went at the end of September and the weather was good (but pretty windy) except in Glacier Bay where it was so foggy that we could barely see Marjorie Glacier.  We went back the following May and the weather was glorious.  As noted above, there are no guarantees on the weather any time of the year.

 

I agree that you can get great values in the stores in September as they are trying to sell their remaining inventory.

 

One thing to consider is that if you are going to visit Endicott Arm, the ship may not be able to get close enough to see the glacier if there is considerable ice in the water.  In that case, September would be better.

 

One time in Sepember, we were able to see the Northern Lites from our balcony the last night on the way from College Fiord to Whittier (port for Anchorage).

 

I also agree that May is a little early to see Bears and salmon.

 

Alaska is amazing any time of the year.

[Cruise Raider]

10 hours ago, Donwoods123 said:

We have been to Alaska many times in Princess, including in May and September.  Two years ago we went at the end of September and the weather was good (but pretty windy) except in Glacier Bay where it was so foggy that we could barely see Marjorie Glacier.  We went back the following May and the weather was glorious.  As noted above, there are no guarantees on the weather any time of the year.

 

I agree that you can get great values in the stores in September as they are trying to sell their remaining inventory.

 

One thing to consider is that if you are going to visit Endicott Arm, the ship may not be able to get close enough to see the glacier if there is considerable ice in the water.  In that case, September would be better.

 

One time in Sepember, we were able to see the Northern Lites from our balcony the last night on the way from College Fiord to Whittier (port for Anchorage).

 

I also agree that May is a little early to see Bears and salmon.

 

Alaska is amazing any time of the year.

The northern lights would be absolutely amazing. 
 

I have a funny story about Alaska.  One year, we went with friends in mid to late Sept out of Seattle.  It was one of my favorite cruises of all time but the weather was atrocious.  We were out there in the worst conditions but there were just certain things that couldn’t be done.  The Captain disallowed going out on any and all open decks one day with the winds being 100 MPH and in the inside passage, no less.  So many of the passengers and even some of the crew were sick.  On the day we went to the glacier, we tried to tough it out on deck as we had an inside cabin and there was sleet hitting our faces with such force, it just stung any area of skin that was uncovered, which wasn’t much.   
Fast forward to the following year, albeit two weeks earlier in September and we took pictures and sent them to our friends that were with us the previous year. The photos were of us in our bathing suits the day we were at the glacier.  😆 

Their only response was, ‘No way!’.  
 

[XBGuy]

WOW!!!!  @Cruise Raider's storm was very exciting.  Much more serious than anything we have encountered.

 

I will tell my own somewhat humorous story.

 

I should have mentioned to the OP, @larrybritt, that one of the possible negatives of early season Alaska cruising is that you might beat the migrating whales up there.  In 2018 we took a Los Angeles-Alaska cruise that embarked the last week of April.  Mrs. XBGuy who is always on the alert for wildlife was disappointed that we did not see many whales.  Just to reassure readers who might be contemplating and early season Alaska cruise, we did, in fact, see whales from our balcony.  In fact there was an awesome exuberant breach just off our balcony as we were leaving Ketchikan.  

 

In 2019 we booked the same Los Angeles-Alaska itinerary that left a few days earlier than the 2018 cruise.  In the weeks just prior to the cruise, Mrs. XBGuy expressed concern that we might beat the whales up there.

 

One of our regular embarkation day routines is to sip sparkling wine on our balcony as we leave the port.  So, there we were happily sipping our wine and, of course, were excited about our cruise,  From the dock the ship proceeded through a channel to a somewhat open area.  This area is still not open ocean, because there is a breakwater that protects the harbor.  We were in this open area between the channel and the breakwater when we both spotted a disturbance no more than 50 yards off our balcony.  Whaddaya know?  It was a grey whale. Grey's spend the winter in Mexico and summers in Alaska.  I assume that this guy was somewhat behind schedule.  Technically, we hadn't even left the harbor and we had already seen our first whale.

 

[Cruise Raider]

@XBGuy .. that is phenomenal!  
My DH is almost always the ones to spot whales but when we were traveling down to Mexico a couple of months ago, I saw one breach and he missed it.  It was so exciting!  

[karatemom2]

2 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

@XBGuy .. that is phenomenal!  
My DH is almost always the ones to spot whales but when we were traveling down to Mexico a couple of months ago, I saw one breach and he missed it.  It was so exciting!  

 

This story reminds me of our very first trip to Alaska. My daughter was just 5 at the time and we were on a whale watching excursion on a larger boat. First time ever to see whales, and they we were finally on a good pod, when my little angel desperately had to use the bathroom. Being the good Mom I am, there was no way I was letting her go alone in a strange environment on this boat full of other people, so I accompanied her to the loo, and as I was helping her I heard screaming and cheering outside, not once - but then again! I rushed her as fast as I could and came out to my husband and son excitedly telling us how a whale had breached right in front of the boat - not once, but twice!! I love that little nugget more than life, but I was so mad at her at that moment! 🙄

 

Luckily we have had the joy of seeing whales breach in Hawaii and Mexico in particular many times since that fateful day. But I never her let her forget the day she made us miss our first whale breach while the boys got to gloat!!

[Oceansaway17]

18 hours ago, westcoaster said:

Everyone is going to have their own experiences with the weather, but if you look at averages, then May is much drier in Alaska than September.  Compared with May, average September rainfall is 65% higher in Ketchikan, more than 2.5 times higher in Juneau, and nearly 5 times higher in Anchorage.  As others have noted, May also has much longer hours of daylight.

 

And the Coral Princess is a much better ship for Alaska than Caribbean Princess.

YES YES YES I agree.  Snow still on mountains for nice photos in May and best is 3rd week or 4th.  Sept can be miserable with fog and drizzly weather.   

I found June to be almost perfect.