Alaskan Fog - Fall Weather

[tcdcruiser]

I've cruised AK a few times all with relatively great weather, but I've heard that by Aug/Sep the inside passage get lots of fog. Is that true? Certainly know that my mileage may vary.

 

Happy Holidays

TCD

[PennyAgain]

I wouldn't say a lot of fog. You pay your money and you take your chances in September. If you find a cruise with the right price and the right ports for you, give it serious consideration.

[Budget Queen]

Sept can have more rain and cold. A given, is the lessening daylight. By second week, it's dark at 7pm on the Inside Passage.

[Keith1010]

You just never can predict what the weather will be like in Alaska so I would let your schedule and the itinerary dictate this.

 

On our last visit to Alaska in 2009 we were there in August and will be there in August again in 2011. We also sailed other times of the year.

 

Keith

[Yukon]

You just never can predict what the weather will be like in Alaska ...

 

You CAN, however, work the odds. Late May and early June give you the best odds of avoiding rain. It doesn't always work, but that is what has happened the most in the past.

 

In September 2010 I took the September repositioning cruise of the Radiance, fully expecting that we'd get almost constant rain. Instead it was sunny for almost the entire 14 days. If you look at the odds and expect what history tells you to expect it's one thing but to book a September cruise expecting sun is just setting yourself up for disappointmnet.

[Keith1010]

You CAN, however, work the odds. Late May and early June give you the best odds of avoiding rain. It doesn't always work, but that is what has happened the most in the past.

 

In September 2010 I took the September repositioning cruise of the Radiance, fully expecting that we'd get almost constant rain. Instead it was sunny for almost the entire 14 days. If you look at the odds and expect what history tells you to expect it's one thing but to book a September cruise expecting sun is just setting yourself up for disappointmnet.

 

I know all about odds.

 

I will still stick to what I said.

 

Figure out the date(s) that work best for ones schedule, and pick the itinerary that works best as well.

 

We have had a wonderful time in Alaska on each and every cruise whether it is sunny or rainy.

 

And it is amazing how the weather has ranged in the same month year over year or even day to day on the same voyage.

 

Keith

[Glaciers]

We've only experienced fog once on an Alaska cruise or while on the ferry. The fog was in Wrangell Narrows and actually added to the journey. If fog was a frequent issue there would be more comments regarding it.

[Yukon]

I will still stick to what I said. Figure out the date(s) that work best for ones schedule, and pick the itinerary that works best as well.

 

We have had a wonderful time in Alaska on each and every cruise whether it is sunny or rainy.

 

I'm glad that the weather doesn't matter to you, but as the number of queries about weather here show, a LOT of people want to go when the weather is the "best" (whatever that means to them - to me it means "dry"). Most people have huge flexibility in the dates they can go, and even a specific itinerary is the best for them they can double up by picking the best odds for good weather. I've been on ships when it rained so heavily that hardly anyone even got off the ship. The itinerary was what got me onto the September Radiance sailing - beyond that we just got very, very lucky. I just want to encourage people to not book a September cruise on the recommendation of 3 people who posted here that they had great weather in September.

 

Murray

[Toyz711]

the sounds of all the ship's fog horns are great to listen to. in '06, our cruise had rain and a lot of fog. since it gets dark at 7pm, the fog didn't get in the way of anything, just some early morning photo ops. watching the sun come up over a early morning fog bank was really beaufitul.

did have 2 nights that we couildn't see over the rail of the balcony, solid fog. but then we had sleet, while on whale watching. we were prepared and had a great family cruise. but extremes can happen.

[Keith1010]

I'm glad that the weather doesn't matter to you, but as the number of queries about weather here show, a LOT of people want to go when the weather is the "best" (whatever that means to them - to me it means "dry"). Most people have huge flexibility in the dates they can go, and even a specific itinerary is the best for them they can double up by picking the best odds for good weather. I've been on ships when it rained so heavily that hardly anyone even got off the ship. The itinerary was what got me onto the September Radiance sailing - beyond that we just got very, very lucky. I just want to encourage people to not book a September cruise on the recommendation of 3 people who posted here that they had great weather in September.

 

Murray

 

What I am saying is that weather can vary day to day, week to week, month to month and year to year. We have been there the same month on other cruises more than once and each time it was quite different and that was in June and July. No one can predict.

 

Yes September can be a problem and I remember some on this board telling people never to go in September and then as you have correctly noted September was quite good.

 

One never knows. And it seems that in the past several years that the historical patterns in many parts of the USA and even around the world are not what they used to be. So, we may be in a new era when it comes to the weather in Alaska.

 

Now you are entitled to your view and I can express my view without someone saying the weather doesn't matter to you or to me. What I did say is that weather in Alaska is highly unpredictable and I stand by that.

[Yukon]

Now you are entitled to your view and I can express my view without someone saying the weather doesn't matter to you or to me. What I did say is that weather in Alaska is highly unpredictable and I stand by that.

 

BUT there are people whose cruise would be ruined if they counted on sunny weather and they instead got rain every day. They can improve the odds of getting good weather by watching history, just the same as they can avoid getting shot by watching historic violence patterns. Random weather, random violence, but more of the bad of each at certain periods and in certain regions.

[Keith1010]

BUT there are people whose cruise would be ruined if they counted on sunny weather and they instead got rain every day. They can improve the odds of getting good weather by watching history, just the same as they can avoid getting shot by watching historic violence patterns. Random weather, random violence, but more of the bad of each at certain periods and in certain regions.

 

What I have tried to say throughout this thread is that weather is become far less predictable and that history doesn't mean as much as it once did.

 

So I think this is one that we can agree to disagree.