early May Alaska advice

[hmg1215]

Due to my work schedule there are only certain times of the year that I can take a week vacation. I have time off week of May 9th. I always wanted to see Alaska so I am considering booking a week cruise around May 7.

How would be the weather at this time? I explored different threads and it seems that any time after mid May is better for travelling to Alaska.

Should I just disregard the weather consideration and go anyway? I read that some excursions and locations may not be available until mid-May.

We (my DH and I) are considering HA Westerdam sailing from Seattle May 7 (because includes Sitka) or HA Nieuw Amsterdam sailing from Vancouver same day. I read some posts indicating that sailing from Vancouver is better because of scenery?

Crown Princess sailing from Vancounver is also under consideration.

We want to book a balcony cabin, but I am concerned that at this late time good locations may be gone.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

[Crew News]

Due to my work schedule there are only certain times of the year that I can take a week vacation. I have time off week of May 9th. I always wanted to see Alaska so I am considering booking a week cruise around May 7.

How would be the weather at this time? I explored different threads and it seems that any time after mid May is better for travelling to Alaska.

Should I just disregard the weather consideration and go anyway? I read that some excursions and locations may not be available until mid-May.

We (my DH and I) are considering HA Westerdam sailing from Seattle May 7 (because includes Sitka) or HA Nieuw Amsterdam sailing from Vancouver same day. I read some posts indicating that sailing from Vancouver is better because of scenery?

Crown Princess sailing from Vancounver is also under consideration.

We want to book a balcony cabin, but I am concerned that at this late time good locations may be gone.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

 

We try to book HAL for the first cruise of the Alaska season to take advantage of the lower prices and probably the driest month of the Alaska cruise season. The only excursions on our cruised that are not be open are to Tracy Arm due to ice flows until later in May.

 

We are booked on the NA both for Apr 30 this year and the first cruise to Alaska in 2017.

 

Visit the HAL website to check for open verandah staterooms.

[cruisinfanatic]

Due to my work schedule there are only certain times of the year that I can take a week vacation. I have time off week of May 9th. I always wanted to see Alaska so I am considering booking a week cruise around May 7.

How would be the weather at this time? I explored different threads and it seems that any time after mid May is better for travelling to Alaska.

Should I just disregard the weather consideration and go anyway? I read that some excursions and locations may not be available until mid-May.

We (my DH and I) are considering HA Westerdam sailing from Seattle May 7 (because includes Sitka) or HA Nieuw Amsterdam sailing from Vancouver same day. I read some posts indicating that sailing from Vancouver is better because of scenery?

Crown Princess sailing from Vancounver is also under consideration.

We want to book a balcony cabin, but I am concerned that at this late time good locations may be gone.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

you can easily look up avg temps and rain fall. Anything else you read are guesses

[Cruise_More_Often]

We are on the April 30 cruise this year, too. This will be our fourth early May cruise, so I'd say it isn't too early to go. We love seeing the mountaintops still covered in snow, and we've had some wonderful weather.

[CowPrincess]

Due to my work schedule there are only certain times of the year that I can take a week vacation. I have time off week of May 9th. I always wanted to see Alaska so I am considering booking a week cruise around May 7.

How would be the weather at this time? I explored different threads and it seems that any time after mid May is better for travelling to Alaska.

Should I just disregard the weather consideration and go anyway? I read that some excursions and locations may not be available until mid-May.

We (my DH and I) are considering HA Westerdam sailing from Seattle May 7 (because includes Sitka) or HA Nieuw Amsterdam sailing from Vancouver same day. I read some posts indicating that sailing from Vancouver is better because of scenery?

Crown Princess sailing from Vancounver is also under consideration.

We want to book a balcony cabin, but I am concerned that at this late time good locations may be gone.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

 

IMHO if you can only go to Alaska in May, go :) I've done a number of early May trips and enjoyed each one. Just pack in anticipation of a variety of weather conditions. Which you would need to do anyway, no matter what time of year you go.

 

I'm watching two cruises on HAL from Vancouver for May, and both still have good choices of balcony cabins available. (I won't be in a balcony cabin, but have been watching them as well as the OV category -- which is what I will be in ....)

 

Sitka is really lovely. But the trip from Vancouver to Alaska is more scenic as that one sails between the mainland and Vancouver Island. The itin from Seattle sails on the west side of Vancouver Island, so it is mainly open ocean for the first day and last day of sailing.

[Cruise_More_Often]

. . . Sitka is really lovely. But the trip from Vancouver to Alaska is more scenic as that one sails between the mainland and Vancouver Island. The itin from Seattle sails on the west side of Vancouver Island, so it is mainly open ocean for the first day and last day of sailing.

I should have mentioned this also. We always cruise from Vancouver because of the route between Vancouver Island and the mainland. You can spend the last day of your cruise relaxing on your balcony enjoying the stunning scenery.

 

Let us know which cruise you choose.

[CowPrincess]

I should have mentioned this also. We always cruise from Vancouver because of the route between Vancouver Island and the mainland. You can spend the last day of your cruise relaxing on your balcony enjoying the stunning scenery.

 

Let us know which cruise you choose.

 

I did my first sailing from Seattle last year on the HAL 14 day cruise. It was surprising how "open ocean" it was :) Fortunately for me, I've done a few sailings from Vancouver that went to Sitka (those don't seem to be readily available now)

[hmg1215]

I really appreciate it. I will concentrate on Vancouver sailing and will not worry about weather. After all, I live in New England where weather can change in a heartbeat. We had heavy snow this morning and it's sunny and balmy 41 right now. Unfortunately, none of the Vancouver sailings include Sitka but maybe another time.

thanks again! Happy sailing, everyone!

[TheCalicoCat]

Due to my work schedule there are only certain times of the year that I can take a week vacation. I have time off week of May 9th. I always wanted to see Alaska so I am considering booking a week cruise around May 7.

How would be the weather at this time? I explored different threads and it seems that any time after mid May is better for travelling to Alaska.

Should I just disregard the weather consideration and go anyway? I read that some excursions and locations may not be available until mid-May.

We (my DH and I) are considering HA Westerdam sailing from Seattle May 7 (because includes Sitka) or HA Nieuw Amsterdam sailing from Vancouver same day. I read some posts indicating that sailing from Vancouver is better because of scenery?

Crown Princess sailing from Vancounver is also under consideration.

We want to book a balcony cabin, but I am concerned that at this late time good locations may be gone.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!

 

While it is probably not ideal, if it wasn't possible then it wouldn't be offered.

We loved our Vancouver round trip.

[azevedan]

Went went the first week of May on a cruise and did a great showshoeing excursion above Skagway. Took the railway up, snowshoed around. Best excursion of that trip!

[rvorcruise]

With the non-winter we had, and the incredibly early Spring (records being broken across Alaska almost every day - it hit 55 in Talkeetna yesterday), early May could be quite amazing.

[Bklynbill]

one thing no one has mentioned yet is that when you go to Alaska that early there are far fewer ships docked with you in port. These are very small ports and there is a huge difference between one or two ships in port and having four. It can be very nice feeling more like you have the place to yourself.

[K.T.B.]

My first Alaskan cruise was early May. Day-time temps were in the mid-40's to low 50's while sailing. Glacier Bay was upper 30's. Ports differed, but they were no cooler than upper-50's, with Juneau being upper-60's. It rained twice (first day out as we sailed the inner passed and in the morning in Skagway). Most of the time it was sunny with some cloud coverage.

[hmg1215]

With the non-winter we had, and the incredibly early Spring (records being broken across Alaska almost every day - it hit 55 in Talkeetna yesterday), early May could be quite amazing.

 

That sounds so great! Unfortunately work interfered and my planned week vacation got trimmed to 3 days :mad: We will be going to NYC instead.

Maybe next year... sigh...

[Ashland]

May is also our favorite time to cruise Alaska...and we can choose anytime.

[eclue]

We've been in mid May and twice in late August - going again this year in Mid May.....we have been blessed with sunny skies - great weather on all past trips so we are hoping that the 4th time is a charm!!

eclue