best time to cruise

[Bluestar01]

Hello:

Experienced Alaskan cruisers, please advice best time to cruise Alaska, looking for 2017. Cruising with families of school aged children. We love the activities the ship has to offer on board during our sea days, pools, slides, etc, hence was curious whether we'll be able to do those during Alaska cruise or is it too cold.

 

Thanks

[CruiserBruce]

If you look down the board, you will see this topic is discussed almost every day.

 

Yes, later June to mid August is warmer. But the weather in Alaska changes every hour. I could tell you our cruise last week was warm, and next week you will be in your warmest cloths most waking hours.

 

Many ships have pool roofs that close, allowing a better chance of swimming no matter what the weather.

[Budget Queen]

Your list would need to be narrowed down to inside covered pools. Make that list and see what you come up with. THEN if you want more information- list the selection and you can get the itinerary details

 

I listed some specifics of the various time frames, somewhere- yesterday- determine if any of that applies to you?

Edited July 19, 2016 by Budget Queen

[madigan008]

just finished land/sea on HAL was told by a park ranger who boarded at glacier bay, june is the best time. dont know if the kids will be out of school by then

[TheCalicoCat]

Hello:

Experienced Alaskan cruisers, please advice best time to cruise Alaska, looking for 2017. Cruising with families of school aged children. We love the activities the ship has to offer on board during our sea days, pools, slides, etc, hence was curious whether we'll be able to do those during Alaska cruise or is it too cold.

 

Thanks

 

I saw people in the hot tub & kids in the pools... Far more people just looking over the rails at the scenery.

 

"Best time" that is personal... Obviously not at the beginning or end of the season because of school, right? (But that is "the best" time for other people - they think there will be few kids, more snow on the mountain tops, less crowded ports, cheaper cruise fare, etc.)

 

Best for us next year is late July/Early August because we want to take bear excursions - you may have no interest whatsoever is n seeing bears (or paying accordingly to be able to see the bears) so that isn't "best" for you.

 

Is fishing your thing - then you might what to check when you can fish for the type you'd like to catch.

 

Whale Watching & the railroad are available on 99% of the cruises so don't choose based on those activities.

 

Another "best" that you do not appear to be including is a cruise that goes into Glacier Bay - it is a world heritage site for a reason & in my opinion should not be missed.

 

Finally, try not to choose the vessel over everything else there is to consider. (The slides may be closed, it may be to rainy to swim/use the hot tub, etc.)

[Sequim88]

Another factor might be whether you're planning a one-way to/from Vancouver or a round trip such as from Seattle. The R/T from Seattle routes go outside Vancouver Is. and May/June can still be influenced by the winter low pressure area over the Gulf of Alaska making the water a little rougher sometimes. By mid-July high pressure usually sets up along the coast (as it is now) so less waves and the wind is often off-shore so could be very smooth.

 

Weather in Seattle has been typically spectacular for several weeks now - except for a few record hot days anyway. So from either Seattle or Vancouver the odds for drier and warmer days are best in August/Sept. Farther north is less predictable.

 

The one-ways go inside Vancouver Is. and have more of the calmer Inside Passage so time of year is not a factor for ship motion. But with a group the airfare is more on a one-way with one flight leg to/from Anchorage. Bottom line is R/T go in August for better pool weather, one-way probably June with a covered pool.