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If you're happy with a couple of historic tours and a guided hike, you could likely budget $500 or less per person for shore excursions in Alaska. But if once-in-a-lifetime Alaska experiences like helicopter rides and flightseeing in Ketchikan are more your speed, you'll need to triple that amount -- or more. Due to unpredictable weather, though, there’s a risk of shore excursions being cancelled -- especially boat and helicopter tours.
Book Your Alaska Cruise Vacation
On either end of your sailing, you can tour on your own or book a cruise tour that combines a cruise and a land tour, which usually runs three to seven nights. Almost all Gulf of Alaska cruises visit to Hubbard Glacier and spend some time scenic cruising in College Fjord. There are numerous factors you need to consider for a cruise to Alaska, including the best time of year, costs, itineraries, which line to choose and which destinations matter most to you.
How To Pick The Best Time of Year to Cruise to Alaska
They are quite an awe-inspiring sight to see as they travel in pods, breech, and feed. Because they don’t migrate, you have a great chance of viewing these 1000+ pound, 10-foot-long animals on rocks near the shorelines as you cruise. Many cruise lines also have limited early cruise ships departing for Alaska in April. Norwegian Cruise Lines has the first departures of the season in early April from Seattle. Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Edge sets sail for the first time in Alaska this year and has four six- and seven-night itineraries in September, starting at $599 per person.
When to book an Alaska cruise
For a lot of cruisers, mid-June through mid-July is the peak season, because of optimum weather and daylight. Solo travelers don't always have to pay double to cruise Alaska on their own. Several Norwegian Cruise Line ships feature cozy studio cabins designed and priced for one person, and the 4,004-passenger Norwegian Bliss offers 82 solo rooms on its round-trip Seattle cruises to Alaska. When cruise lines send a fleet of ships to Alaska for the summer, the older, smaller ships tend to offer more reduced prices than you'll find on the lines' larger and newer ships.
According to T+L A-List travel advisor Ashton Palmer, the Alaska cruise season is short (typically from May to September) and availability is limited, which is why travelers should plan their sailings six to eight months ahead of time. Several cruise lines also offer land extensions (sometimes called “cruisetours”) to make the experience as seamless as possible. For nearly 30 years, UnCruise Adventures has embarked on voyages with a mission to provide its guests with an enriching adventure travel experience that inspires an appreciation of local cultures and the natural world. Founded in Alaska in 1996, the company has a strong pretense in The Great Land with seven-, 12- and 14-night itineraries that set sail April through September. Whichever itinerary you choose, you can be sure to have a plethora of adventurous excursions at your fingertips, right from the ship. One day could find you paddleboarding in the morning and hiking in the afternoon, or maybe kayaking and taking a skiff out later in the day to try and spot wildlife.
It can be hard to figure out which cruise ship will deliver your idea of a "bucket list" experience in The Last Frontier. Sign up for our monthly newsletter, Under the Midnight Sun, with the latest updates about new multi-day tours and day trips from Alaska Tours. For those embarking on their first Alaska adventure or with limited time, we recommend two outstanding options. The Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise and the Spring Wildlife Alaska Whale Watching Cruise in Ressurection Bay provide an excellent overview of Alaska’s breathtaking scenery and wildlife.
Best small ship
Another thing to keep in mind when deciding the best month for your Alaskan cruise is wildlife viewing opportunities. Alaska is still gaining sunlight as the Summer Solstice approaches, so you’ll experience longer days during your May cruise. Because of its latitude, Alaska experiences extremes in daylight in the summer and darkness in the winter. Be sure to pack high-quality rain gear for excursions along with warm, layered clothing and a hat and gloves. However, it’s important to remember that this area is part of the world’s largest temperate rainforest. Holland America Princess, and Royal Caribbean have Alaskan Inside Passage cruises departing from Vancouver at the end of April.
My (Somewhat) Disappointing Alaska Cruise on the Grand Princess - Upgraded Points
My (Somewhat) Disappointing Alaska Cruise on the Grand Princess.
Posted: Fri, 05 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The best time to view this dramatic display is mid-July to mid-August, though you can take wildlife excursions to bear hangouts at any time during cruise season. Summer break, which is peak cruising season, is an ideal time for families to go on an Alaska cruise. Depending on your family’s interests, you’ll want to decide whether to book earlier or later in the season, since there can be a difference in weather and activities between the end of June and mid-August. Alaska’s location at the far northwestern corner of North America and its two-season weather of long, cold winters and short, intense summers make it a unique cruise destination. Cruise ships have a short window in which to safely navigate through the ice that may still be present in Alaska’s waterways during the first part of the cruise season. The fact that the Alaska cruise season is just five months long, from May to September, makes it important for you to know all the ins and outs of Alaska cruising so you can choose the best time to sail.
These are the months when all good things combine to create the optimal Alaskan experience. Weather is a pretty big consideration when it comes to booking an Alaskan cruise. If you have a low tolerance for cold weather, cruising Alaska during the warmest months of July and August is a better choice. June is a smart choice for cruisers who don’t want to travel during peak season but want more opportunities. You’ve got about a 50/50 chance of getting rained or snowed on during excursions. You’ll be very happy if you purchase a quality raincoat and pack clothing you can add or remove in layers.
Restaurant prices in Alaska can be high, but a cruise bundles meals, accommodations and transportation into one price that, with sales, can be cheaper than you'd think. Popular destinations include Denali National Park (for wildlife viewing) or Talkeetna (best place for Denali views and cool eats). Cruise tour land packages are also available to spots like Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula and Canada's Yukon Territory. An Alaska cruise from Seattle will visit the Inside Passage but tends to favor the open (and frequently bumpier) Pacific Ocean. Sailings from Vancouver tend to traverse more of the Inside Passage and spend a full day sailing this scenic region. September offers the best possibility for cruisers to catch the Northern Lights in Alaska.
Book a fishing trip to try your hand at catching salmon or halibut, or go out crab fishing for a glimpse into that type of work. Look to UnCruise Adventures, Alaskan Dream Cruises, Hurtigruten and Lindblad Expeditions for the best adventure cruises. One-way Gulf of Alaska itineraries are the best option for Alaska touring, as they begin or end in Alaska. The advantage of small ships is that they're more nimble than big ships, putting destinations like the Alaska Native village of Kake, the Wrangell Narrows and other tiny inlets within reach. Cruises through Alaska's gulf also tend to pass through the Inside Passage, with typical stops including Sitka, Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. Some will also call on more off-the-beaten-path ports like Icy Strait Point and Haines.
Juneau averages 15 days of rain in June, reaching 21 days of rain by October. In Anchorage and the northern part of the state, the rain often turns to “termination dust”—i.e. While you’re on the boat, you’ll enjoy delicious and local cuisine, with many of our cruises offering fine-dining options.
Guided skiff tours will take guests in search of Alaskan wildlife in remote bays and secret coves. Look to the early and late sailings of the season if you are a bargain seeker. Choose a May or June sailing for drier weather and fewer mosquitos; summer is the best time to cruise to see abundant marine life and birds. Finally, you'll find some round-trip San Francisco itineraries — usually 10 or 11 nights long — as well as longer sailings between San Francisco and Vancouver. They want to admire its rugged beauty, seek out wildlife (such as eagles, bears and whales) and learn about its Native cultures and gold rush history.
In other words, Alaska can be one of the more affordable bucket-list destinations to reach by ship, especially when compared to other remote cruise destinations like Antarctica and the Galapagos. An Alaska cruise costs anywhere from $500 to $8,000 or more during high season. Cheaper fares can be usually found on mainstream lines like Royal Caribbean and NCL, while Cunard, Disney and Seabourn will be more expensive. October is one of the wettest months in Alaska, so prepare for low clouds and rain. Alaska weather in October is manageable if you pack the right gear and protective clothing.
The seven- and nine-day itineraries sail roundtrip from Seattle, and a recent search found fares more than 80% off published fares, starting at $499 per person. Not only is school back in session in September, which means fewer crowds at ports, but the chances of seeing the Northern Lights return, especially if combining your cruise with a land tour that takes you further north into Alaska. Fall is also mating season for wildlife, so expect to see some friskiness. When planning your cruise, the weather should be a consideration for many shore excursions.
