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Gulf of Alaska sailings — especially those in late August and September — can encounter rough seas in the gulf portion of the voyage. For these itineraries, you'll need to fly into or out of Anchorage and take a train or bus to/from the cruise departure ports, which can take an hour or two. You can book the transportation on your own or through your cruise line. Popular Inside Passage ports of call include Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Haines and Skagway. Enjoy two glacier-viewing experiences on our top-rated 7-day cruise. Alaska cruisetours combine our top-rated Voyage of the Glaciers cruise with three to ten nights on land exploring Denali National Park.
Dive Into Alaska Traditions on Your Next Cruise Royal Caribbean Cruises
Although the weather will likely include more rain, you have a better chance of viewing the Northern Lights, which might outweigh this drawback. You also might see fuzzy harbor seal pups and sea lion pups (born in June and July) warming themselves on rocks with their mothers. Add high-powered binoculars to your Alaska packing list to ensure that you get to see all of the wildlife possible. By the end of August, the sunrise and sunset times in Alaska are pretty close to “normal” times for most states in the USA.
Real Alaska from local Alaskans
Navigating the chilly waters during your cruise to Alaska becomes an adventure in itself, where the crisp air invigorates your spirit, and the beauty of the winter world unfolds at every turn. Wildlife is more elusive, yet the chances of spotting a majestic bald eagle or a curious seal are heightened in the peace of the season. An Alaska winter cruise becomes a canvas painted with the delicate strokes of nature, offering a rare glimpse into the quieter, more contemplative side of this wild frontier.
The Complete Guide to Alaska Glacier Viewing
You can also find one-way repositioning cruises between Southern California ports (Los Angeles and San Diego) and Vancouver at the beginning or end of a ship's Alaska cruise season. Most sail along the Inside Passage, a maritime route along the state's southern coast (and into British Columbia and Washington state) that weaves around the area's thousand islands. Some venture farther north into the Gulf of Alaska; these are often one-way cruises that begin and end at the ports near Anchorage. If you want to see landlocked areas, such as Denali National Park, you can tack a cruise line-operated tour onto the beginning or end of your sailing for a seamless land and sea vacation. It's easier than fumbling with multiple train, bus, ferry and hotel reservations to cobble together the same trip on your own. One of the key reasons to cruise Alaska versus taking a land tour is to visit destinations along the Inside Passage that you cannot reach by road.
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As you voyage into the Inside Passage, enjoy one of the best ways to explore the fjords, small towns and natural landmarks with your favorite people. To truly enjoy an Alaskan cruise, cruisers can visit from April to October when daylight hours, weather and wildlife are better. Explore Alaskan cruises and learn more about each fun-filled trip to the 49th state. You’ll also see whales; the Inside Passage is a great place to spot humpbacks and orcas. Look out for bald eagles perched in the trees, steller sea lions spread out on rocks, and cute sea otters bobbing in the water.
Try a sourdough bread bowl filled with salmon chowder for a hearty lunch. Find the most Instagrammable places for your next vacation cruise to Alaska. Come discover the prettiest spots to take pictures with our travel photo guide. Brilliance of the Seas makes it impossible to feel bored during a vacation! These top things to do onboard this beloved cruise ship make it a fan favorite for many.
What is an “End of Season” Alaska Cruise?
We know the destinations you'll be visiting and what there is to see, do and experience. We offer you a variety of excursions to choose from, in every port you'll visit. You can visit Alaska without a passport on a closed-loop sailing (one that begins and ends in the same U.S. port). Be sure to bring your passport if you plan on crossing the border from Skagway into Canada's Yukon Territory -- or exploring any Canadian port of call. Cruising in September will give you the highest chance of viewing the Aurora Borealis on an Alaskan cruise. You won’t want to miss this indescribable sight, so watch for clear night skies and set an alarm to go on deck (or on your balcony) for potential middle-of-the-night Northern Lights shows.
Please visit our most frequently asked questions page on cruise preparation, transportation, safety and security, and more. Alaska is a dream destination for most, but it’s a paradise for photographers, with dramatic and diverse landscapes and abundant wildlife. With more than 30,000 bald eagles in the state, Alaska is one of the best places to spot these majestic creatures. Sail one-way between Vancouver and Seward or Vancouver and Seattle, and you’ll see a stretch of Alaska’s forested coastline against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and lichen-draped forests. Cruise on the Wilderness Explorer expedition vessel through Misty Fjords, a waterway that ancient glaciers carved out of the rugged landscape. If your itinerary includes stops in Anchorage, Seward, or Whittier, you might experience rougher seas as you cross the Gulf of Alaska in September.
The 9 Roughest Seas In The World For Cruise Ships - Cruise Blog
The 9 Roughest Seas In The World For Cruise Ships.
Posted: Thu, 14 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
What to Expect on an Alaskan Cruise in September
If you look at data for communities like Skagway and Sitka, the seasonal changes are even more dramatic (in temperature for Skagway and rainfall for Sitka). So the “end of season” window in Alaska is from mid-September through the end of October; an “end of season” Alaska cruise is any cruise that departs in mid-September or later. This is also what I typically consider the late autumn/early winter season. For more information, visit our hotel packages and pre- or post-travel arrangements.
Head to Kenai Fjords National Park in Seward for a whale watching tour. There's nothing like seeing these behemoths hurl themselves out of the water, to splash back into the sea. Don't pass up an opportunity to watch these giants feed and play in the water.
To search for the Big Five—grizzly bears, wolves, caribou, Dall sheep, and moose—extend your vacation with a Cruisetour and a visit to Denali National Park. Cruising to Alaska in September has many benefits of the peak season (milder weather and good wildlife viewing) with less expensive prices and fewer tourists. We have more Alaska cruise port departures featuring Glacier Bay National Park than any other cruise line. All Alaska cruises include one or more glacier-viewing days, and you’ll get closer to ‘the giants’ on ships perfectly sized for the Great Land. The beauty of the land and its immense history; the thrill of seeing bears, moose and bald eagles; and the mysteries of the surrounding marine life will astound you. It's a trip worth taking the time to plan and doing right — because who knows if or when you'll make it back to the Last Frontier.
Planes are plentiful in Alaska, where they're a common form of transportation across the state. Charter a helicopter or fixed-wing flightseeing tour at Juneau and get an unforgettable perspective of the mountains and glaciers of this vast landscape. In this post, I promote travel to destinations that is the traditional lands of many Alaska Native groups, including the Aleut, Athabascan, Haida, Inupiat, Tlingit, and Yuit peoples. With respect, I make a formal land acknowledgment, extending my appreciation and respect to the past and present people of these lands. To learn more about the peoples who call these lands home, I invite you to explore Native Land. I actually love this timing for Alaska cruises, and they have many of the pros that end of season Alaska cruises do (like lower costs and fewer crowds).
Other Alaska cruise highlights include Juneau; remote Ketchikan, and historic Skagway. With over 27,000 glaciers, Alaska is one of the best places to see these majestic pieces of nature up close. Join an adventure of a lifetime aboard the Aleutian Ballad, as seen on Discovery Channel’s - The Deadliest Catch. Furthermore, Cruise Critic makes no guarantees for availability of prices advertised on our site.
