last cruise to Alaska in Sept

[krazy4kruisin]

Who has cruised the last cruise in Sept to Alaska. Looking for pros & cons. I have never cruise to Alaska and was thinking about the last cruse as I heard that the foliage is pretty. Could I see a lot of animals & whales at this time?

All input is appreciated.

[POA1]

We took the Volendam on the 2nd to last cruise a few years ago and had fantastic weather. We missed the foliage, though. Since we were heading home to Maine, that was a non-issue.

 

Alaska weather is really kind of a crapshoot. The last year we went, the "high season" was glooy and rainy while the shoulder season was nice on both ends. There is so much to see in Alaska, that unless you get a whole week of fog, you won't be disappointed. Have fun!

[krazy4kruisin]

When do the trees change in Alaska?

[ctsally]

A few years ago we were on the last cruise ship in Alaska at the end of September. It was wonderful. There were far fewer people at the port shops and everything was on season close out sales.

 

Any time one goes to Alaska the weather is "iffy". The weather cooperated with us and it was a fantastic cruise in every way.

[solocanadian]

It rained all 7 days. Not much wildlife. The only fall colours are yellow. You need sugar maples for colour and there aren't any on the West coast.

[Krazy Kruizers]

One time we cruised Alaska in September the weather was cold and rainy. The leaves had just started to change.

If there is a particular size you need in clothing -- you may be out of luck. DH wanted a new Alaskan lined jacket -- XL was sold out everywhere.

Regular items ulu's and small totem poles were plentiful.

[TiogaCruiser]

One time we cruised Alaska in September the weather was cold and rainy. The leaves had just started to change.

If there is a particular size you need in clothing -- you may be out of luck. DH wanted a new Alaskan lined jacket -- XL was sold out everywhere.

Regular items ulu's and small totem poles were plentiful.

 

Same for us- only XX and above was left except for one size small I snagged. But the prices were fabulous...... Really nice jackets for $15

[TiogaCruiser]

It rained all 7 days. Not much wildlife. The only fall colours are yellow. You need sugar maples for colour and there aren't any on the West coast.

 

Gail, you made me smile. You sound like my Yankee family. We thought the intense gold/yellow was spectacular (especially against the mineral rocks). (If I said I preferred it I'd likely get shaken off the family tree....)

 

We only saw the color change in anchorage area and the Yukon above Skagway. Not sure if the same trees that change grow further south in quantities???

 

The down side for September is less daylight and basically cruising from port to port in the dark. We felt we saw way more earlier season. But that is our focus (to be outside and viewing) and not the ship activities.

[ksqueak]

Who has cruised the last cruise in Sept to Alaska. Looking for pros & cons. I have never cruise to Alaska and was thinking about the last cruse as I heard that the foliage is pretty. Could I see a lot of animals & whales at this time?

All input is appreciated.

 

 

We did this a few years ago. Cold and rainy was what we experienced. Although I will also say, it didn't rain all day, there were periods without it. And some parts of the day were sunny. Still a wonderful trip, we just learned to layer. As others have said, sales everywhere but limited selections some places. Got tired of hearing "you're our last tour for the season". And, yes, I'd do it again.

 

I've got pictures of mostly orange and yellows where foliage was changing. Still the landscape is beautiful.

 

We did land and cruise, saw nothing but animals in Denali - too many to keep count! Also saw wild orcas and dolphins on the way to Vancouver. did the whale watching tour in Juneau and saw lots of humpbacks. Seems like the heat keeps the animals at bay.

 

I'd go have fun and take warm clothes :-)

Edited March 18, 2014 by ksqueak

[visagrunt]

If you're going to go to Alaska during a shoulder season, I recommend May rather than September, because of daylight.

 

In May, you are less than 7 weeks from the solstice, and you will have daylight long into the evening, which is delightful for cruising the inside passage, and for evening departures from Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan.

 

In September you are less than 3 weeks from the Equinox, and you will have far less daylight.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

We did the last cruise n September on the Zuiderdam two years ago and loved it. Less people. Weather was cool but little rain - as others have said, weather in Alaska can change so quickly. Don't recall seeing fall foliage and I think the whales have already begun to go south. Scenery is always lovely and I love the odor of the air (since we live in the desert, that is a real treat). But the days are shorter.

[Randyk47]

The weather in September can be anything from spectacular to downright miserable and there's virtually no way to know until it happens. Lived up that way for 20+ years and wore everything from shorts and t-shirts to parkas and sweaters even during the heart of summer. As for fall colors....not exactly what that part of the world is known for. The vast majority of trees are evergreens and, in fact, there are large areas where unless man has planted them there are no deciduous trees so no leaf changing.

[Globaliser]

Who has cruised the last cruise in Sept to Alaska. Looking for pros & cons.

With the warning that this is based on one September cruise in Alaska, a pro: fewer mosquitoes.

[lstrong]

I was on the last cruise of the season 2013. Last ship through Glacier Bay, last ship to Ketchikan, etc. I would not recommend it, we encountered some severe storms and huge seas, but as others have said weather is luck of the draw. I preferred my May and June sailings where the days were much longer/it really never got dark and there was beautiful snow in the mountains.

[Shmoo here]

Our first cruise in Alaska was the last cruise of the season (for all cruiselines) Sep 18-25. Our second cruise was the first week of June 3-9.

 

Weather-wise, the only difference between the two was, as noted by PP, more daylight on the June cruise than the September one. The temperatures and rain situation was basically the same, in the low to mid 50s most of the week, with drizzly rain in Glacier Bay and Juneau.

 

Also, you won't see many fall colors while along the coast, there aren't the right kinds of trees for that. But the day we took the train from Skagway into the Yukon we had lots of colors.

 

With the Sep cruise, we hit MANY end-of-season sales both in port and onboard, so wound up with many more souvenirs than we had planned on.

 

All that being said, we'd take either Sep or June again.

[Travelbug 2]

Did Alaska last sailing a few years ago. Horizontal rain and very cold. Would not do it again. :eek:

[kangforpres]

Alaska Fall foliage can be seen if you go interior, on the coast it will just be wet, green and cool or cold. There is also a greater chance of an early winter storm in the Gulf of a Alaska, basically Alaska has 2 seasons Winter and Summer so a storm in September is more or less the start of the Winter Storm season.

 

Better cruise prices, less people but less daylight and a chance of not having any sunny days if you stick to the coast. I've done it in September and it was beautiful but it's not for everyone, I just prefer off-season anywhere compared to the crush and anxiety of high-season.

 

-Paul

[jtl513]

On a last-of-season C-T we had a beautiful, warm day in Fairbanks followed by 9 days of rain/snow/cold. Would not go so late again. We saw some moose and wolves at Denali, but nothing after that except eagles.

Edited March 18, 2014 by jtl513

[YubaSutter]

Who has cruised the last cruise in Sept to Alaska. Looking for pros & cons. I have never cruise to Alaska and was thinking about the last cruse as I heard that the foliage is pretty. Could I see a lot of animals & whales at this time?

All input is appreciated.

 

Last cruise to Alaska is great. Found lots of sales in port and the ship heavily discounted t shirts and hoodies.

[Mary Ellen]

Our very first cruise was the last Alaskan cruise of the season. As others have said, the weather can be 'interesting'. We had 40-ft seas when leaving Sitka. Just like a lot of things in life, you roll the dice, you take your chances.

[EagleRocker]

We did a two-week cruisetour (second and third weeks of September 2007) and had glorious weather every single day except one, and even then, it was just a bit of drizzle in Juneau and was pleasant. Almost every day was sunny and warm-ish; some of us got tans and sunburns ;) But you could go mid to late September this year or another and have cold and rain - you never know. We did not see a lot of foliage color (some in the Denali area). Definitely less snow. Very light crowds and no mosquitos.

[krazy4kruisin]

Thank you to all replies! I appreciate you taking time to share you experiences

with me.

[goleta]

Who has cruised the last cruise in Sept to Alaska. Looking for pros & cons. I have never cruise to Alaska and was thinking about the last cruse as I heard that the foliage is pretty. Could I see a lot of animals & whales at this time?

All input is appreciated.

 

I did the last cruise to Alaska back in the 90s on the Ryndam. We had great weather with nearly 80 degrees in one port. We were never really cold but did need a jacket in the morning and some afternoons and while whale watching. We had sa torm coming out of Glacier Bay and we really rocked and rolled. I had no problem with it but some did.

I don't remember much about the fall colors but we did see a lot of whales and wildlife.

It was a great cruise.