Dates, ports and weather

[familycruzinnewbie]

i have a small FCC for Royal Caribbean that needs to be booked now for sail this year  i'm considering Alaska on Seranade of the Seas that goes to inside Passage Tracy Arm and Hubbard witn stops in Sitka, Juneau and Ketchican.  date options are july 24, aug 21 or Sept 18.  Thoughts ? thanks

[Heidi13]

Weather in Alaska is never guaranteed, but July/August would have a better chance of having better weather. The July cruise will have the most daylight.

 

Unfortunately, RCCL doesn't visit Glacier Bay, where you get local Rangers coming onboard and in more than a couple dozen visits, I've never failed to see the glaciers. Tracy Arm is often ice-bound, as I have only ever made it in once. Hubbard is impressive, but again you have a low chance of not getting in due to ice.

[karatemom2]

The August date might be nice if you are interested in wildlife. The salmon will be running then which is always cool and increases your odds of seeing bears at some of your ports. 

Edited April 15, 2022 by karatemom2

[5waldos]

Agree that the late September cruise would be the least desirable- very late in the Alaska cruise season and the weather can be quite iffy. Otherwise either date would be good- didn't realize that the salmon wouldn't be running until later in August- oh well, we are well and truly booked for end of July. 

[karatemom2]

26 minutes ago, 5waldos said:

Agree that the late September cruise would be the least desirable- very late in the Alaska cruise season and the weather can be quite iffy. Otherwise either date would be good- didn't realize that the salmon wouldn't be running until later in August- oh well, we are well and truly booked for end of July. 

 

They very well may be running later in July - the later you go the better the chances, it isn't an exact science. But by the end of July it should at least be getting rolling.

Edited April 15, 2022 by karatemom2

[5waldos]

32 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

 

They very well may be running later in July - the later you go the better the chances, it isn't an exact science. But by the end of July it should at least be getting rolling.

It would be fun to see them- great fan of the Brooks Falls web cams so seeing it IRL would be nice. Although we are pretty booked up- is it Ketchikan that has the salmon ladder? I remember clearly what it looks like but can't remember the town. 

Edited April 15, 2022 by 5waldos

[Ferry_Watcher]

Creek Street in Ketchikan?

[karatemom2]

The salmon can be thick at Creek Street during the peak of the run - it's great place to stand on the walkways and see them in the creek below. Another good spot is the Fish Hatchery in Juneau. When they are running you can fish off the bridge across from Creek street and on the docks adjacent to the Juneau Fish hatcher. One of my husband's favorite pastimes when we visit. We are going in May this year, so he will miss out!

[5waldos]

3 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Creek Street in Ketchikan?

Thats it. Thanks- now I need to see if we have any time in Ketchikan to see them. I suspect not, unfortunately as we have 2 excursions planned. But if possible we will go up and see them. 

[5waldos]

Oh yea! Just checked our second excursion and it includes Creek Street. Very happy- have seen the ladder several times but never during salmon season. So with luck by end of July they will be running. 

[familycruzinnewbie]

Thanks.  Are there things you can do in these ports like Ketchikan and Sitka without an excursion. 

[Northern Aurora]

28 minutes ago, familycruzinnewbie said:

Thanks.  Are there things you can do in these ports like Ketchikan and Sitka without an excursion. 

 

 

Both of these ports are easy DIY stops.  Their convention and visitors center websites are listed in the thread titled "2019 Resources ..." at the top of this forum index page.  The respective websites provide a number of ideas.

 

Ketchikan offers the Totem Heritage Museum (small fee), SE Alaska Discovery Center (small fee if you don't have a national park pass), and many folks also take their city bus out to either Saxman or Totem Bight.

 

Few ships tender at Sitka anymore.  The cruise dock is north of town and a free shuttle drops folks off at the Harrigan Centennial Center.  From there it is an easy walk along the waterfront to Sitka National Historical Park (called "totem pole park" by locals) or the Sheldon Jackson Museum (an auxiliary of the Alaska State Museum).  The Russian Bishop's house is "kitty corner" from the HCC.  And there will be vendors in front of the HCC offering tours to the Raptor Center and/or Fortress of the Bear.

 

 

 

 

[Heidi13]

10 hours ago, karatemom2 said:

 

They very well may be running later in July - the later you go the better the chances, it isn't an exact science. But by the end of July it should at least be getting rolling.

 

Completed 2 full Alaska seasons and then many additional, as a pax, and have seen the salmon running at Creek Street in early/mid July.

[karatemom2]

3 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Completed 2 full Alaska seasons and then many additional, as a pax, and have seen the salmon running at Creek Street in early/mid July.

We like to cruise over July 4 and have been many times during that first week of July and generally find that either they aren’t quite running yet or the run is just starting. As I said it’s not an exact science. But certainly by the end of July odds are very good. 

[5waldos]

Do the running salmon bring bears into town by the ladder? 

[karatemom2]

2 hours ago, 5waldos said:

Do the running salmon bring bears into town by the ladder? 

We have never seen them in town in Ketchikan. But a few miles outside of town at Herring Cove we have seen bears a number of times when the salmon are running. Also saw a bear at Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau and a mama with cubs at Chilkoot lake in Haines once - both times in mid- August when the salmon were plentiful. 

[5waldos]

Herring Cove is off by the totem poles- yes? With lots of eagles next to what was once the canning factory? That would be good- we will be out there during our stop in Ketchikan.

 

We saw bears munching on dandelions driving up to the Yukon in Skagway. Big old sleepy bears munching away- reminded me of Ferdinand the Bull. They were only just coming out of hibernation and clearly not really awake. 

[MBP&O2/O]

14 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Completed 2 full Alaska seasons and then many additional, as a pax, and have seen the salmon running at Creek Street in early/mid July.

We are visiting / cruising late August next year so hopefully we will be OK. Scheduled to visit Hubbard and Glacier Bay! Should be good. First time to Alaska  ... apart from an airport transit at Anchorage flying from Japan to London which doesn't really  count!

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

We are visiting / cruising late August next year so hopefully we will be OK. Scheduled to visit Hubbard and Glacier Bay! Should be good. First time to Alaska  ... apart from an airport transit at Anchorage flying from Japan to London which doesn't really  count!

Haha, I've done the Anchorage bunkering stop a couple of times flying back from Japan.

 

If staying over in Vancouver pre or post cruise send me a note and we can get together for a beer. Our tentative plans for next summer are staying local after we get back from the World Cruise, possibly spending a couple of weeks in Victoria.

 

While cruise line are you booked with

[Ferry_Watcher]

12 hours ago, 5waldos said:

Do the running salmon bring bears into town by the ladder? 

According to our 'green trolley' driver, the bears are always in town on trash pick-up day.  ;  )

[MBP&O2/O]

8 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

While cruise line are you booked with

Seabourn .... Aug 25th 2023. 14 days round trip from Vancouver.

Date of arrival tbc.

Well into the future.....need the time to let the finances recoup 🙄

Edited April 17, 2022 by MBP&O2/O

[skrufy]

On 4/15/2022 at 9:44 AM, familycruzinnewbie said:

i have a small FCC for Royal Caribbean that needs to be booked now for sail this year  i'm considering Alaska on Seranade of the Seas that goes to inside Passage Tracy Arm and Hubbard witn stops in Sitka, Juneau and Ketchican.  date options are july 24, aug 21 or Sept 18.  Thoughts ? thanks

The July or August dates would be my choice. The Alaska season is shutting down in late September.

[familycruzinnewbie]

We’ve ruled out the September one but still looking at July 24 vs August 21. Hubby would prefer to lie on the deck in the Caribbean rather than bundle in the rain in Alaska. July is supposed to be drier, just not sure if significantly so. For inside passage, Tracey arm, Hubbard are there dates when these are better or not canceled for ice?  Thanks 

[5waldos]

1 hour ago, familycruzinnewbie said:

We’ve ruled out the September one but still looking at July 24 vs August 21. Hubby would prefer to lie on the deck in the Caribbean rather than bundle in the rain in Alaska. July is supposed to be drier, just not sure if significantly so. For inside passage, Tracey arm, Hubbard are there dates when these are better or not canceled for ice?  Thanks 

Doubt that there would be a lot of difference between late July and August. Also- climate change has made historic forecasts quite unreliable- what was once a predictable dry season may not longer be. Possible that there would be more extensive calving of the glaciers the later in the summer you go- which can make it difficult for even the catamaran trips up to the glaciers to get very close. Of course, that also might mean that you get to observe more and bigger calving. 

[Heidi13]

13 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Seabourn .... Aug 25th 2023. 14 days round trip from Vancouver.

Date of arrival tbc.

Well into the future.....need the time to let the finances recoup 🙄

 

Being a small ship, hopefully you will see the entire "Inside Passage", using the same route we did Alaska cruising back in the 70's & 80's, and I also sailed on the local ferries.

 

If she sails inside up the BC Coast plan for the entire 2nd day as scenic cruising. In the summer months we alternated N'bd & S'bd, doing the entire transit between the top end of Vancouver Island and Prince Rupert in daylight. Never tired of the scenery and some of the tidal challenges.