Would May Be OK?

[DnA2010]

My mother has decided that she wants to see Alaska- given my husband and I have cruised before, and I do love planning trips, I have been tasked with seeing if this is viable and within a small-ish budget (she doesn't want us to have to put out much as far as dollars)

 

Our group- my family: husband and I (mid/late 30s), 12 year old, baby who would be 8 months in May

My sister's family- her and husband (late 30s) and their baby who will be 8 months in may

My 66 year old mother

 

I have established from my starting to research on here that we want to do a return trip which includes Glacier bay- other than that I'm not sure which other ports are of interest- with the babies and all we won't be doing any crazy excursions.

 

I'm starting to find that summer bookings are quite expensive and quite booked already.

I started considering being a bad parent and letting our 12 year old miss a week of school as considering booking in May as the prices seem a LOT better-

 

So- will the weather be ok for glacier viewing? Will there still be a few kids on the ships for daughter to have fun with? Any advantages other than price in May? Disadvantages?

[zdcatc12]

We went in May in 2010 and loved it. The weather was great. We could actually see the tops of all of the mountains in Glacier Bay (the naturist on board said that only happens 4-5 trips a year). The weather was great the whole time, it never rained. The only down side is that there is not a lot of wildlife out then, if that is what you would like to see. We saw a lot of eagles and sea otters, not much else. We are going in late June this year, hopefully we will see a bit more wildlife and it will be light longer. Plus, though it was more than the May fare, it was still less than the July/August fares.

[Crew News]

We have been to Alaska many times in May and found the weather to be far less rainy than other months. There is still a chill in the air and a bit of snow still on the higher peaks. May is also the time for baby wildlife to start experiencing life in Alaska. The baby humpback whales are especially playful in May.

 

[CaribbeanIsland]

I would look at a cruise after May 13th or so. May is a great time to see Alaska on a ship. The main disadvantage is that you can't go on bear excursions.

[snowmc]

May is a wonderful time to cruise Alaska. It is typically drier than the summer months...may be a bit chillier though. Layers are super important. Other benefit of May....most schools are still in session, so you will have fewer kids onboard. Not that I'm against them, but it does make for a "calmer" cruise.

[cruis'n sus'n]

We have booked the NCL Pearl for May 28, at a good price...Check it out...We will be bringing our 12 yr old grandson...Getting excited!!!

[martincath]

We've always cruised Alaska in May - driest weather during 'cruise season' so statistically likelier to have clear views for good photos. Snow on mountains always adds a little je ne sais quoi for us too. Not quite as long daylight evenings as late June, but about an hour longer than the other shoulder season in September.

 

As far as temperature goes - I'm not sure who actually first said it, but it's wise advice regardless: "There's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong outfit." Since in May you're never going to have to worry about a REALLY hot day, it's actually easier to pack for with no need for shorts, sandals etc. unless you are very well-adapted to chilly weather. Layers (base, mid, and water/wind proof top), gloves, hat, scarf, done.

 

The big downsides of may don't apply to you, since you've already chosen a Glacier Bay RT cruise. If you were doing a cruise & tour, better to be in Denali etc. later in the season as things may not be fully open in May. If you were cruising Tracy Arm, you'd be at more risk of missing it due to ice.

 

Edit - as to kid missing school, mindful travel is a great educator. If your school doesn't issue topical homework, there are many online educational resources from which you can download projects focused on Alaska (history, environment, wildlife, ethics of resource exploitation/cruising/tourism), ships, navigation etc. that you could annoy your 12yo who thought they were getting an extra week off school with;-)

[SuperCrewBear]

My mother has decided that she wants to see Alaska- given my husband and I have cruised before, and I do love planning trips, I have been tasked with seeing if this is viable and within a small-ish budget (she doesn't want us to have to put out much as far as dollars)

 

Our group- my family: husband and I (mid/late 30s), 12 year old, baby who would be 8 months in May

My sister's family- her and husband (late 30s) and their baby who will be 8 months in may

My 66 year old mother

 

I have established from my starting to research on here that we want to do a return trip which includes Glacier bay- other than that I'm not sure which other ports are of interest- with the babies and all we won't be doing any crazy excursions.

 

I'm starting to find that summer bookings are quite expensive and quite booked already.

I started considering being a bad parent and letting our 12 year old miss a week of school as considering booking in May as the prices seem a LOT better-

 

So- will the weather be ok for glacier viewing? Will there still be a few kids on the ships for daughter to have fun with? Any advantages other than price in May? Disadvantages?

 

I took my first cruise ever to Alaska last year in May. I had done a lot of reading and pondering and May was the month I decided worked for me. Though you will have kids with you one of the things I figured out on my own is that most kids aren't out of school yet - our ship had a small handful of kids that I saw - I'm guessing 20-25 max. Being at the first of the season the locals in the shops and such aren't worn out from endless herds of tourists - they are probably very glad to see you after a long winter. I researched the weather and statistically May is one of the drier months of the year - though that's never guaranteed. So, I can't imagine going any other time. We had nice weather, was the first or only ship in port all but a couple days. We had a very good experience. I have another one booked for May 2018 - May 2017 is going to be a two week road trip of the Alaskan interior beginning and ending in Anchorage. :D

 

Here are a few samples of our May '16 cruise - don't be afraid of May! Good Luck!

 

 

 

 

[mamasylvia]

I sure hope May will be ok! lol (see sig)

 

For pricing, are you considering May 2017 or May 2018?

 

If May 2017, watch for price drops around 45 days before sailing. Not guaranteed (nothing is in cruising) but they happen often.

 

Also, watch for the 3rd/4th sail free promo on NCL. Last October, when I booked, I chose this cruise BECAUSE we could take our adult children with us in our cabin. It will be cozy but a wonderful family vacation. As of today, it IS one of the free perks you can choose from, but only on selected cruises - May 21 is the last sailing of the Pearl it applies to until September. You don't mention how many rooms you are planning for your group, but if you will be putting 3-4 in a room, that perk could save you some serious bucks.

[diane.in.ny]

I've sailed twice to Alaska and both times in May.

 

Glorious weather both times.

[Coral]

I love sailing in May. Gorgeous!

[DougH]

For me Mid May to Mid June is the sweet spot. Long daylight hours and generally drier overall. I'm sailing again this year on a B2B the last part of May.

Here is what I've sailed so far, 6 of these were B2B's but I only counted once.

 

May 8 cruises

June 3

July 1

Aug 3

Sept 2

 

Worst weather I had was on one of the Aug and one in Sept.

[DnA2010]

Thank you all! Your thoughts have been very helpful!

[SadieN]

My mother has decided that she wants to see Alaska- given my husband and I have cruised before, and I do love planning trips, I have been tasked with seeing if this is viable and within a small-ish budget (she doesn't want us to have to put out much as far as dollars)

 

Our group- my family: husband and I (mid/late 30s), 12 year old, baby who would be 8 months in May

My sister's family- her and husband (late 30s) and their baby who will be 8 months in may

My 66 year old mother

 

................

 

 

Ideas to save money

 

Insides or Ocean View cabins do save money. Need to figure out if the babies can nap anywhere or need a quiet place. If so, then might get a balcony so the babies can sleep and the adults can enjoy the outdoors. Could get a mixture of cabins Ocean View/Inside, Balcony/Inside etc.

 

Grandma and the 12yo can share a cabin. The savings on the fourth person doesn't make up for the single supplement she will incur when sailing in her own cabin.

 

Usually it's cheaper to fly to Seattle. Take land transportation to Vancouver if necessary.

Always best to arrive the night before. Never know what will happen.

 

Check out the various cruise line boards for info. Look on the Family board for info about cruising with infants.

[JT1962]

If you haven't booked yet, Royal Caribbean had a Balcony Guarantee for $ 1,248 as of yesterday on their 9 night one way from Vancouver to Seward on May 17. It was actually cheaper than an Outside and less than $ 100 more than an Inside.

[mamasylvia]

But Royal doesn't go to Glacier Bay

[JT1962]

But Royal doesn't go to Glacier Bay

Just did a quick search and Holland America and Princess both have itineraries with Glacier Bay for similar prices as the RC trip. $ 1,200 for Balcony and less than $ 700 for Oceanview and Inside. Of course those are 7 day vs 9 days for the RC cruise. I guess it depends on which is more important to the party going - Glacier Bay or 2 extra days.

[love2cruiseseattle]

Hi SuperCrewBear:

We are going in late May and wanted to find out from you based on your pictures that there is a possibility to see bears? We like to take pictures and are interested in knowing what wildlife we could see.

Also where did you take the bear picture?

Thank you in advance!!

 

 

I took my first cruise ever to Alaska last year in May. I had done a lot of reading and pondering and May was the month I decided worked for me. Though you will have kids with you one of the things I figured out on my own is that most kids aren't out of school yet - our ship had a small handful of kids that I saw - I'm guessing 20-25 max. Being at the first of the season the locals in the shops and such aren't worn out from endless herds of tourists - they are probably very glad to see you after a long winter. I researched the weather and statistically May is one of the drier months of the year - though that's never guaranteed. So, I can't imagine going any other time. We had nice weather, was the first or only ship in port all but a couple days. We had a very good experience. I have another one booked for May 2018 - May 2017 is going to be a two week road trip of the Alaskan interior beginning and ending in Anchorage. :D

 

Here are a few samples of our May '16 cruise - don't be afraid of May! Good Luck!

 

 

 

 

[SuperCrewBear]

Hi SuperCrewBear:

We are going in late May and wanted to find out from you based on your pictures that there is a possibility to see bears? We like to take pictures and are interested in knowing what wildlife we could see.

Also where did you take the bear picture?

Thank you in advance!!

 

I'd say there is a good chance you will see a bear! I'm absolutely not an expert but if one takes a bear viewing type excursion I would think those folks will know a very probable spot to see one/some. The pic I posted was a bit of a cheat: I took that at Fortress of the Bear in Sitka. My main intention was showing pics of how nice the weather was in May. From what I understand the Fortress bears do hibernate but they were wide awake and having a great time the day we were there - it's a pretty cool place if you stop at Sitka. The following pics are absolutely NOT a cheat. We were coming back from Emerald Lake, somewhere around Fraser, and there this guy was foraging right near the highway. We stopped for a few minutes and I took these. A completely random encounter and we weren't even trying. It was on May 8th last year - with you going later in May I'd say you have an even better chance of seeing bears somewhere. Good luck! :)

 

 

 

 

 

[martincath]

^Did you have a filter on there, or is that actually a ginger bear? Never seen one quite that shade of Scottish Islander before!

[SuperCrewBear]

^Did you have a filter on there, or is that actually a ginger bear? Never seen one quite that shade of Scottish Islander before!

 

No filter. I used a Canon S100 point & shoot. The sun was very bright, that could be why the fur looks lighter than usual.

[Budget Queen]

Hi SuperCrewBear:

We are going in late May and wanted to find out from you based on your pictures that there is a possibility to see bears? We like to take pictures and are interested in knowing what wildlife we could see.

Also where did you take the bear picture?

Thank you in advance!!

 

 

As noted this was a captive bear in Sitka. Sorry, but you are too early for wild bear tours in May. Only place on the inside passage that I have occasionally seen bears is on the drive on the South Klondike Highway and pure luck. I've done this every year for at least the last 15, no where near 100% of the time. Now if you were going to Denali, very good chances of bear sightings there.

[Budget Queen]

I'd say there is a good chance you will see a bear! I'm absolutely not an expert but if one takes a bear viewing type excursion I would think those folks will know a very probable spot to see one/some. The pic I posted was a bit of a cheat: I took that at Fortress of the Bear in Sitka. My main intention was showing pics of how nice the weather was in May. From what I understand the Fortress bears do hibernate but they were wide awake and having a great time the day we were there - it's a pretty cool place if you stop at Sitka. The following pics are absolutely NOT a cheat. We were coming back from Emerald Lake, somewhere around Fraser, and there this guy was foraging right near the highway. We stopped for a few minutes and I took these. A completely random encounter and we weren't even trying. It was on May 8th last year - with you going later in May I'd say you have an even better chance of seeing bears somewhere. Good luck! :)

 

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May- is not an overall favorable time, to make the claim it is a "good" time to see bears in the wild. There aren't going to be any tours running like you may be suggesting. It is pure chance on the South Klondike Highway- with a lot of people not seeing any bears. You were lucky on your first trip to Alaska. :)

[Budget Queen]

- May 2017 is going to be a two week road trip of the Alaskan interior beginning and ending in Anchorage. :D

 

Here are a few samples of our May '16 cruise - don't be afraid of May! Good Luck!

]

 

 

An additional comment for general information. Traveling mainland Alaska in May, is not ideal for Denali. I'd suggest - generally, it's of significant advantage to extend the trip several days into June, and put Denali at the end of the trip. It's a big advantage to get to at least Eielson in Denali Park, which opens June 1. Consider a schedule adjustment, if you are there that closely to June.

[SuperCrewBear]

An additional comment for general information. Traveling mainland Alaska in May, is not ideal for Denali. I'd suggest - generally, it's of significant advantage to extend the trip several days into June, and put Denali at the end of the trip. It's a big advantage to get to at least Eielson in Denali Park, which opens June 1. Consider a schedule adjustment, if you are there that closely to June.

 

I've had reservations for the Tundra Wilderness Tour on June 8th for a good while.