Table Of Content
If you cruise to Alaska in June, you can expect warmer and drier temperatures, fewer children onboard, increased wildlife sightings, and more cruise offerings. Another thing to keep in mind when deciding the best month for your Alaskan cruise is wildlife viewing opportunities. Be sure to pack high-quality rain gear for excursions along with warm, layered clothing and a hat and gloves. There are many different salmon runs and other fish coming in during the summer, and June is one of the best months for fishing in Alaska.
You don’t have to book your excursions through Royal Caribbean
In late June, the bears make their way to the Russian River (near Cooper Landing). There’s a nice wheelchair accessible boardwalk and path where you can watch the fish jump from the falls. This isn’t a guaranteed bear sighting location, but if you’re passing through this time of year, it’s worth a stop (actually, it’s worth a stop even if it’s not late June). Greatland does an 8 hour tour with roundtrip transportation from Anchorage. Most people are surprised to learn you can go dog sledding (also called dog mushing) in Alaska in June.
What to Pack for An Alaskan Cruise: A Complete Checklist - Travel + Leisure
What to Pack for An Alaskan Cruise: A Complete Checklist.
Posted: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 21:11:15 GMT [source]
Winter in Alaska—December Through March
Dinner in the Main Dining Room is a traditional part of any cruise experience, but think twice before selecting your dining time. Whether you’re cruising with an elaborate mirrorless camera or just your cell phone, it’s hard to take a bad photo of somewhere as beautiful as Alaska. Alaska’s landscapes are spectacular, so you’ll want to brush up on your photography skills before your cruise. Planning to book cruise add-ons like drink and specialty dining packages? One must-do before you board an Alaska cruise in 2024 is to pre-purchase these add-ons. One of our favorite “tricks” when planning an Alaska cruise on Royal Caribbean is to take advantage of cheap last-minute sailings.
Other Posts You May Enjoy:
If bear viewing is high on your bucket list and you are traveling on a bigger cruise ship, look for a float plane excursion that will take you to where the bears feed. July and August are considered peak seasons to cruise to Alaska for good reason. These are the months when all good things combine to create the optimal Alaskan experience. June is a smart choice for cruisers who don’t want to travel during peak season but want more opportunities. May is a practical choice for Alaskan cruisers who are on a limited budget but want to have slightly warmer and drier weather and more chances to see wildlife. Your views will likely include snowy mountains, but they are gorgeous nonetheless.
Reserve entertainment ahead of time, and stick to shows early in the week
This multi-day solstice celebration features a polar plunge into the Bering Sea, a 5k race with a gold nugget prize, a parade, a river rafting race, and even a midnight softball game. June brings the summer solstice and in Alaska, that can mean 20 hours or more of daylight. Which can be the absolute dream for anyone looking to extract the most out of their adventure in the 49th state. For me, working in Alaskan reality tv generally means, if the sun is up our cameras are rolling. So June in Alaska equates to long days with a heavy camera on my shoulder, but hey, thats what whiskey is for.
How to See the Northern Lights from Anchorage, Alaska
As you can see, the temperature hovers around 50F – 67F, although we have days in the 70’s too (what a treat!). Here are some of the typical average temperatures across the state (data retrieved from NOAA NWS). The best thing you can do is plan for rain and be delighted when it doesn’t rain.
You’ll Also Love
But spring, when Alaska awakens from a long winter, is also another favorite time to cruise Alaska. Snow is present in the mountains, driving hungry bears down to the coast for a meal. Small ships, which can sail close to the shore, take advantage of these springtime encounters.
Alaska cruise packing list: What to pack for a cruise up north - The Points Guy
Alaska cruise packing list: What to pack for a cruise up north.
Posted: Wed, 17 Apr 2024 17:15:00 GMT [source]
The average rainfall in Juneau during the month of April is 2.77 inches. Although the rain isn’t convenient, it is the reason for the lush vegetation you enjoy. Mosquitoes are the worst in June and July, so be sure to have some Deet on hand. I’ve tried a lot of different mosquito repellants over the years and you just can’t beat Deet. If you’d rather not have to spray something, a good alternative is a Thermacell.
May is one of the best times to visit Alaska for dry weather, fewer crowds, and lots of wildlife. We’ve put together this Alaska cruise weather guide to help you find the best time to cruise to Alaska. It’s not uncommon to wake up to a hot sunny day, only to find it cold and raining 10 minutes later. You’re not alone if you’re worried about how cold it gets in Alaska or which month is best to avoid the rain. The weather in Alaska is unpredictable and can change at a moment’s notice.
September is one of the last months of the cruise season in Alaska and it is also one of the coldest, with temperatures staying in the low to high forties on average. As the month advances, the temperatures drop lower and lower, and the nights and early mornings can be bitterly cold. When traveling from Vancouver in the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska, the waters are mostly protected and provide smooth sailing. If ports include Anchorage, Seward, or Whittier, cruise ships must cross the Gulf of Alaska, which has notoriously rougher waters. Every Alaskan cruise includes at least one glacier viewing stop.
Although the service comes with a small fee in addition to any airline baggage fees, it offers unparalleled convenience for travelers. Dreading transporting your luggage from the cruise terminal to the airport check-in desk? Royal Caribbean and the Port of Seattle offer a luggage valet service, which allows you to bypass standard airport check-in. One of my favorite Alaska cruise “hacks” is to utilize Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s luggage valet service.
Although your cruise itinerary might say you arrive at 6AM on disembarkation day, this does not mean you can get off your ship at 6AM. It takes time for your ship to dock, get cleared by local authorities, and prepare for disembarkation. If all goes to plan, you could start disembarking by 7AM, but unexpected delays could cause a later disembarkation time. Have a question or looking for advice about the best time to visit Alaska?
Since the state gets such dramatic swings in sunlight throughout the year, we celebrate both the lightest and darkest days each year. Summer solstice occurs on June 21st and there are many events happening around the state. If you plan to fish, be sure to get all the different licenses you’ll need.
The summer solstice, on June 20th, brings the peak of daylight hours where some parts of the state experience 24 hours of sunlight. For me, these extended daylight hours can encourage tv producers to keep filming longer than they should; but for you, they can fuel endless adventure possibilities. Cast your line into the marvels of an Alaska summer by cruising in August. As you sail into each port of call, delight your taste buds in the delicacies of Alaska’s waters. Donning subtle notes of the sea, the silver salmon is one of the most sought-after fish and just so happens to be most fruitful this time of year. With lows in the upper 40s and highs of around 60, you’ll feel refreshed and eager to explore the captivating wonders of Alaska.
Girdwood, about an hour south of Anchorage, offers a fantastic sled dog tour with Alpine Air. We’ve taken guided helicopter tours with them and they are simply the best. If you plan to do some serious hiking, expect a lot of trails to have mud and snow at higher elevations, especially in early June. But even casual hikers will run into some muddy spots at lower elevations.
No comments:
Post a Comment