Alaskan cruise season is May through September with July and August being the highest season attracting the most travelers. Convention holds that the best months to cruise Alaska are July and August when the temperatures are at their highest and the weather is generally sunnier. However, the best time for Alaska cruises depends on your personal preferences. As all the locals know, the Alaskan weather is defined by its unpredictability, with sunny days turning suddenly stormy—and vice versa, so be prepared for all types of weather on your Alaskan cruise.
Alaskan cruise weather, temperatures, and rainfall by month:
Month
Low
High
Rainfall
Jan
20.7°F
30.6°F
4.8 inches
Feb
23.5°F
34.3°F
4.0 inches
Mar
27.8°F
39.5°F
3.5 inches
Apr
33.4°F
48.1°F
3.0 inches
May
40.1°F
55.7°F
3.5 inches
Jun
46.1°F
61.6°F
3.3 inches
Jul
49.2°F
64.3°F
4.1 inches
Aug
48.3°F
63.1°F
5.4 inches
Sept
43.8°F
56.1°F
7.5 inches
Oct
37.7°F
46.9°F
8.3 inches
Nov
28.9°F
37.6°F
5.4 inches
Dec
24.4°F
33.0°F
5.4 inches
Best Times of the Year for Alaska Wildlife Viewing
Summer may be prime travel time, but there are also advantages to taking an Alaska cruise during the shoulder seasons of May, June, and September. Though the weather may be somewhat cooler and wetter, the tourist crowds are smaller, the mosquitoes fewer, and the daylight hours more regular, with no midnight sun to interfere with one’s sleeping patterns.
The spring months are prime for spotting moose (particularly in the Kenai Peninsula) and Dall sheep as they move down the slopes for better grazing, while September is ideal for sighting humpback whales, spawning salmon, and caribou migrating to their winter feeding grounds. July and August are also prime months in terms of wildlife viewing. Brown bears come out to fish along the rivers during these months, and moose can be seen feeding in lakes, ponds, and along rivers from spring throughout the summer. Also be on the lookout for seals and dolphins, which are easily seen from the deck of your ship. And of course, one cannot forget about the whales!
Fortunate travelers may have the chance to see beluga whales or even one of the three pods of orcas that frequent Alaskan waters in the summer. Then there are the one thousand humpback whales that spend their summer feeding in southeast Alaska, and those on a cruise in July or August have a good chance of seeing them as they traverse Frederick Sound. As summer shifts to fall, some of these massive beauties stop in the waters near Sitka to build up their food reserves before heading south to the tropics.
Alaska has it all: glaciers, wilderness, whales, wolves, forests, rivers, eagles, and mountains, all combining to create a stunning experience for those on an Alaska cruise. Long days of sunlight and relative warmth make summer a perfect time to travel to America’s largest state.
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.
Jennifer Howard Schroeder
1 day ago
Kevin got right on our request and had us booked within the week
Linda Cummings
2 days ago
The info on the website was laid out very well. I did some comparisons with other tours and found Adventure Life met a lot of what I wanted in an Antarctica trip at the cheapest price. Requested a quote on Claudia contacted me right away. She answered a lot of questions the I had via email even though she offered to discuss via phone call. I’m more of an email person so appreciated how she accommodated that and answered all my questions. And when I was ready to book, she quickly got the ball rolling with getting our spots reserved on the trip my friend and I wanted. Thanks again, Claudia!
Hazel Araza
2 days ago
(1) great information on the website and throughout all the "materials." (2) Jane Packer is great: knowledgeable, responsive, takes a personal interest and tone, seems to care about the customer as a person not a sale.
Larry Bethune
2 days ago
great people doing a wonderful job to make our voyages happen.