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.
Calm waters disturbed only by the flick of a whale's tail
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!
Look out for moose, the largest members of the deer family
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.
Breaching Orca Whale
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 people assisting you have traveled with many of these companies or done the very same trip in the past. That kind of experience in invaluable when selecting a trip for yourself.
Sue Stephens
2 months ago
Mary has kept in regular contact and prepared me for everything so far
Michael Sinner
2 months ago
Very prompt responses. Erin found us the trip we were looking for and gave us good advice.
Nancy Brown-Koeller
2 months ago
I don’t have the words to describe it but the last week has been one of the best I can remember. 6 days of adventure in South East Alaska including trekking through lush rain forest, sitting in silence listening to glaciers calving, up early to see the northern lights, kayaking and stupidly swimming in iceberg frozen waters ! (That actually hurt).
Animal sightings including black and brown bears, Minke and hundreds of Humpack Whales, porpoises, sea lions, mountain goats, harbour seals, bald eagles, salmon and more birds than I can count. Wonderful friends and connections made. A huge shout out to Trevor and his totally amazing crew on the Admiralty Dream whose energy and enthusiasm made this most incredible experience.
DAVID JAMES
3 months ago
From the initial booking all the way through the trip, this was by far our favorite trip. Small boat travel is the only way to see a location. The excursions were so much more than I could explain. The locations were remote and awesome.
