How much daylight in September

[cruiseforus]

I’m looking at a Cruise this September out of Seattle. It’s doing to inside passage for a few hours 6:30 to 10:30 PM. I picked this cruise because I really want to do some of the inside passage, but now I’m wondering if it will de daylight or if it will be dark. If it will be dark then I might have to rethink this particular cruise. 
 

thanks for any help. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

Generally speaking, no ship sailing from Seattle actually sails the Inside Passage, which is sailing between Vancouver Island and the Canadian Mainland.  Ships from Seattle will sail on the west side of Vancouver Island which is open seas.

 

Sunset around September 10, is 7:30 PM.

Edited June 30, 2022 by Ferry_Watcher

[CruiserBruce]

Google search sunrise/sunset Juneau, for the day you need, for example September 15.

[cruiseforus]

I agree, most Cruises sailing from Seattle don’t do the inside passage, however this one does. It’s actually listed in the itinerary.  It lists the day and the times of sailing the Inside Passage 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM.  That’s why I am considering booking this one. But then I thought of the times it lists and if it’s dark, then it really won’t be the same and I’ll look into something different. 

[JT1962]

A Google search of sunset times for September 15 show sunset at around 730 in Vancouver and at 7:05 in Ketchikan. That would give you about an hour of daylight during the times you listed.

[don't-use-real-name]

OK this cruise does sail the INSIDE PASSAGE ? -

 

Sailing northbound ? or southbound ?

 

Canadian Inside Passage mainland side of Vancouver Island

 

The southern (Strait of Georgia) is a wide open stretch of water - sailing northward

there would be amble daylight until reaching the Campbell River (Seymour Narrows)

At that point sunset would begin to occur and diminishing light - going further north

the Johnstone Strait would be in twilight darkness.

 

With open water twilight is extended - in narrow channels (straits) lessor so.

 

Sailing southbound the reverse of lighting daylight and the Strait of Georgia in dusk.

 

Something seems a bit out of wack here with that 4 hour timing envelope 6:30-10:30pm

It takes much longer than 4 hours to transit the whole Inside Passage - more closer to

12-15 hours

[Ferry_Watcher]

@cruiseforus, can you let us know which ship you are sailing in September?

[nini]

After a bit of research, I did not find any Alaska cruise leaving from Seattle that sails on the east side of Vancouver Island. More up north, the waters are also called the "Inside Passage" for naming the itineraries.

[cruiseforus]

Celebrity Solstice Leaving Seattle Sept 2. Day 5 Inside Passage

[CruiserBruce]

4 minutes ago, cruiseforus said:

Celebrity Solstice Leaving Seattle Sept 2. Day 5 Inside Passage

Yes, it does say that on the website. But the map of the itinerary doesn't show true Inside Passage. I seriously doubt you will be in the true Inside Passage.

[cruiseforus]

The will be our 1st trip to Alaska.  I know nothing about Alaska or the inside passage except it’s supposed to be beautiful. It’s crazy they can list it as part of the itinerary and not really go there. Not right!

[SightCRR]

Very similar to getting on or off in Anchorage when the reality is 1.5 to 2.5 hr drive to the port departure point. 

sightcrr. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

20 minutes ago, cruiseforus said:

The will be our 1st trip to Alaska.  I know nothing about Alaska or the inside passage except it’s supposed to be beautiful. It’s crazy they can list it as part of the itinerary and not really go there. Not right!

Sorry that we had to be the ones letting you know about not truly sailing the Inside Passage.  I think it's a generous use of marketing by the cruise lines to describe the itinerary.  That said, the Solstice is a beautiful ship, and you should thoroughly enjoy sailing on her.  Once you have been to Alaska, you will want to return.  it's just so beautiful, and there is so much to see.

[don't-use-real-name]

From one of my previous posts about the Inside Passage - - -

 

INSIDE PASSAGE - any passage with - land - island - something between you and the open

Pacific Ocean.

Commonly the passage between Vancouver Island and the Canada mainland is what folks

think is the Inside Passage - true it is - BUT there are also inside passages in the southeast

panhandle of Alaska (USA).

Ships sailing out of Seattle see the Alaska inside passageways - those sailing out of and

returning to Vancouver see the Canadian one which is spectacular because of its narrowness -

almost can reach out and touch land in passing.

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, cruiseforus said:

The will be our 1st trip to Alaska.  I know nothing about Alaska or the inside passage except it’s supposed to be beautiful. It’s crazy they can list it as part of the itinerary and not really go there. Not right!

 

Technically the Inside Passage extends from south of Seattle all the way up the coast to Skagway. The cruise line marketing depts take some liberties, stating "Inside Passage" cruising, if they use any of these channels, even briefly.

 

Unfortunately, the Inside Passage is not consistent the entire length. As others have mentioned, Johnstone Strait between Vancouver Island and the Canadian mainland, is fairly narrow and very scenic. Further north in BC, the scenic Inside Passage continues with Lama Passage, Princess Royal Channel and Grenville Channel.

 

Sadly, the mega ships do not use the northern portion of the BC Inside Passage, as we did weekly, when I worked as Navigator for 2 seasons in Alaska, sailing out of Vancouver.

 

Your Seattle based ship will sail up the Pacific Ocean, only entering one of the channels to access the ports of call. Most of these channels are much wider than the Inside Passage in Canadian Waters.

 

Darkness will also depend on the weather, but expect it to be getting dark around 20:00 in early September. I recall we used to lose about 1/2 hr of daylight every week in September