If you are planning an Alaska cruise, but not sure when to go, this video is for you. We break down all of the factors like weather, price, and wildlife sightings to help you decide the best time to take an Alaska Cruise.
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BEST TIME TO CRUISE TO ALASKA
0:00 Introduction
1:00 When You Can Cruise to Alaska
1:45 Optimal Weather Conditions in Alaska
4:18 Cheapest Month to Cruise Alaska
5:45 How to Avoid Crowds on an Alaska Cruise
6:45 Best Time to See Wildlife
8:24 Best Time to See Northern Lights
When considering the best time to take an Alaska cruise, the answer is not as clear cut as you would think. There are several factors you need to consider when selecting the best time of year to cruise to Alaska.
For those looking for the best weather conditions, a cruise in mid-July to mid-August is the safest bet. Although, the driest month of the year in the Alaska cruise season is May. So, those looking to stay dry might consider earlier in the season.
Similarly, cruisers who want to save money on an Alaska cruise should consider cruising during the shoulder seasons. The months of April/May and September/October will offer the lowest cruise fares. However, there could be fewer wildlife sightings. Plus, the weather can be more variable during those times. Although, sailing later in the season gives cruisers a chance at seeing the Northern Lights.
For those looking to see wildlife, there really isn’t a bad time of year to cruise to Alaska. However, the peak season for sightings of creatures like bears and bald eagles tends to be mid summer.
Learn More About the Best Time of Year to Cruise to Alaska:
ttps://eatsleepcruise.com/best-time-of-year-to-go-on-an-alaskan-cruise
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Alaska is one of the top cruise destinations
for many it's on their bucket list But unlike the Bahamas or Caribbean cruises
Alaska's a seasonal Cruise region so when you Visit the area is extremely important
if you are thinking of taking Alaska Cruise then this video is for you as we
Wade through all the factors you need to Consider to help you decide when is the
best time to cruise to Alaska up next Thank you welcome aboard Cruisers I'm Don
B from eat sleep Cruise where we help you Plan the perfect Cruise so you can see the
world one port at a time now the wife and I are big fans of Alaska cruises and
Lucille to Alaska several times with A couple different cruise lines as well as at
different points in the Alaska cruise season So we're going to walk you through all
of the things you need to consider when Picking when the best time of year to
go to Alaska is for you and your family Now for starters you can't sail to Alaska at any
time of year you want it's actually a seasonal Region and the Alaska cruise season generally
runs from late April to early May through the End of September some Cruise Lines pushing that
boundary out until the first few weeks in October Still even within those few months there are
several factors to consider when picking when You should go on Alaska cruise among the factors
that might impact that decision are the weather Cruise fair prices the potential to see wildlife
or the Northern Lights as well as the crowd So you'll soon discover the answer to this
question isn't as cut and dry as you may think Speaking of which when considering when you should
go to Alaska weather conditions are another Factor You need to consider so let's start there when
planning your Alaska cruise you probably have Several questions about the weather like what
months of the warmest what month is the driest Now of course you're seeing some beautiful
pictures of Southeast Alaska unfortunately Though the summer months in Alaska are not always
bright and sunny in fact the weather during the Alaska cruise season can be rather wet now of
course this isn't a perfect science because Weather conditions aren't constantly changing but
historically one benefit of traveling early in The season is reduced precipitation historically
May is the driest month of the Alaska crew season Less rain is good especially for those selfies but
the weather also tends to be cooler earlier in the Season but on the flip side if you're looking for
the warmest weather then mid July to mid-august Is when you'd want to go still you can expect
temperature swings of 25 degrees or more in one Day you could wake up to freezing temperatures
and by the mid-afternoon be in the mid 60s During our Alaska cruises in July and August we've
even had weather upper 70s to near 80 degrees Now if you're looking to squeeze as much
sightseeing in as possible the months of June and July have the longest daylight hours
during this time of year the sun doesn't set Until around 10 pm these extended periods of light
make viewing the surrounding scenery Sailing In
And Out of ports even more appealing when taking
everything into consideration average temperatures Rainfall amounts and hours of daylight it is
true that the best time to Cruise Alaska for the Weather is the month of July but as you soon will
see with great weather comes some other challenges Now it is true if you wait till later in the
season you are rolling the dice a little bit On the weather the rain and cold conditions could
impact things such as shore excursions for example We've had shore excursions canceled in September
due to the wet icy conditions later in the season Also means less animal sightings because they've
already set up for hibernation of course this is Just a general Trend we've cruising Alaska near
the end of the season twice now and lucked out With the weather and still saw a good amount of
Wildlife even sailing in July or August it's been Hit or miss we actually sailed to Alaska twice
in 2021 in Late July into early August only a Few weeks apart in one week had Sunny warm
weather and the next week rainy cool weather When it comes to price Alaska cruise fares
fluctuate considerably depending on a few factors Pricing can range wildly depending on the
cruise line itinerary and time of year Thus when determining the best time to produce
Alaska in terms of pricing you need to know About the shoulder season this is a term used
to describe the beginning and end of a seasonal Cruise regions as with most seasonal Cruise
regions the shoulder season is when prices Tend to be the lowest so if you're looking to save
money the best time of year to Cruise Alaska would Be early in the season late April to early May or
late in the season September into early October Besides having lower fares you'll have
created choices for cabins and score The perfect midship balcony at a lower cost
if you travel towards the end of the season You might be able to score some great deals
on souvenirs too as many local shops are on Sales to get rid of merchandise before closing
for the season of course other considerations Like your cruise departure point round trip
versus one-way routes type of shore excursions Airfare and more need to be taken into
account when budgeting for your Alaska cruise Besides some shark surgeons being canceled are not
offered when sailing later in the season we have Lucked out finding reasonably priced flights
and hotel stays during this time of year of Course you should do a little homework first
just to ensure any cost savings you get on the Cruise Fair aren't wiped out by paying extra for
things such as your flights or other added costs Further if you're looking to avoid the crowds we
highly suggest you skip cruising it in the middle Of the season especially July the busiest time of
year for cruises to Alaska usually coincide with The warmest weather and summer break if you Cruise
during this period be prepared to share Alaska With thousands of other Cruisers now this isn't
only true about how many individuals are on your Cruise ship but it also has to do with how many
ships will be in Port if you take advantage of Alaska cruises during the shoulder season they'll
not only save money but you will avoid the crowds
Especially families in April and May kids are
usually still in school and they're usually back To school by September the number of families
and kids will also of course vary based on the Cruise line and the cruise ship you choose popular
Mega ships are Brands like Norwegian Cruise Line And Royal Caribbean will inevitably have more
families on board and hence feel more crowded Besides a Scenic snow-capped mountains fjords
and Glaciers you're probably traveling to Alaska To see some Wildlife too many will tell you
that anytime during the months of May through September is the best time to Cruise Alaska to
see wildlife while in general when compared to the Winter months that's true some months are better
than others for viewing some types of Wildlife if You're a whale lover you will have the opportunity
to see a variety of different species of whales on An Alaska cruise the most common whales in
the region are the massive humpback whales While they are found in the Gulf of Alaska during
the entire crew season you have the best chance of Spotting pods during the months of June and July
it is true that most whale watching tours will Guarantee a whale sighting but they won't tell
you what types of whales you'll see or how many If bears are what you're looking to discover on
an Alaska cruise then traveling from late June Through early August will increase your likelihood
of seeing these creatures especially if you take Towards it apart from either Juno or Ketchikan
and again we can talk from first and experience As we did a bear watching tour in Ketchikan
in early August and it was fantastic Luckily bald eagles are around throughout
the entire crew season in various stages of Development you can head to the chill cat Eagle
Preserve to see the world's largest collection Of bald eagles early in the season Eagles
will be preparing their nests during Peak Crew season they'll be caring for their young
and later in the season late August through September you might get lucky enough to see
adult Eagles teaching their young ones to fly Another benefit of sailing towards the end
of the Alaska cruise season is a chance to See the Northern Lights the Aurora season is
generally from the end of August until mid-april Typically you have a better chance of seeing the
Northern Lights further north in Alaska as cloudy Skies are common in Southeast Alaska still you
could get lucky during the Alaska crew season The sun sets the earliest in September the skies
are the darkest making for the most ideal viewing Condition on our September cruise we were told
to be on the lookout for the Northern Lights on Two separate nights but honestly we never did see
them but there's always next time as we warned you Earlier there's really no clear-cut answer to the
question what is the best time to cruise to Alaska We've sailed there four different times now
and have encountered a variety of weather Seeing diverse wildlife and been able to see
the amazing glaciers but there have been times Where it's rained multiple days and the weather
has impacted itinerary and we weren't able to See some glaciers we've also gone on tours that
have guaranteed sightings and not seen wildlife
Not to mention sailing in different months
of the year can actually cost you thousands Of dollars more for the entire trip still for US
Sailing during the shoulder season has been the Best mix of price and experience But ultimately
only you can make the decision on when the best Time to travel to the region truly is for you and
your family now don't worry if you're looking for More Alaska cruise planning advice we're here
to help we have our expert Alaska cruise tips Video right here on YouTube where we share our
expert tips from everything from planning a cruise Packing how to save the most money as well
as making the most of your time on board And ashore our expert Alaska cruise tips
will ensure your cruise is smooth sailing