Alaska Cruisetour-August or September?
 

My husband and I are planning a cruiestour in Alaska next year. We wanted to go the end of August-first of September. Yet, all the books we have read and researching we have done, mentions that almost everything closes after Labor Day. Is this true? Has anyone had a problem cruisetouring in Alaska after Labor Day? How is the weather? Your help is appreciated. Thanks so much!

Me, too. I've been wondering the same things. Hope somebody out there has the answers.

Hi, Kimberley, <BR>There are still plenty of cruise opportunities in September. For example, see http://www.cruisealaska.com/cruiseplanner/#september for some sailings. <BR>The weather is changeable any time of the year but usually still quite nice in September. Of course it depends on where in Alaska (or at what altitude) one asks. Certainly it's less crowded.

WE WENT TO ALASKA ON THE SUN PRINCESS CRUISE LINE ON SEPTEMBER 7TH FOR A 7-DAY CRUISE. WE TOOK VOYAGE OF THE GLACIERS TOUR STOPPING IN KETHIKAN, JUNEAU, SKAGWAY. IT LEFT OUT OF VANCOUVER AND ENDED IN SEWARD. IT WAS OUR VERY FIRST CRUISE AND OUR FIRST TRIP TO ALASKA. BE SURE TO TAKE PLENTY OF RAIN GEAR. WE SAW THE SUN WHEN WE LEFT VANCOUVER. WE NEVER SAW THE SUN AFTER THAT WHICH WE WERE PREPARED FOR. EVERYTHING WE HAD READ HAD SAID IT WOULD BE RAINY. THE CRUISE WAS EXTRAORDINARILY NICE - GOOD FOOD AND PLENTY OF IT AND THE STAFF WAS VERY GOOD. THE SHIP WAS EMACULATE. EVERYTHING AS FAR AS I COULD TELL WAS OPEN. IN ALL OF THE STOPS ALL THE STORES AND RESTAURANTS AND ATTRACTIONS WERE OPEN. I HAD GOTTEN A PRESCRIPTION FOR THE PATCH IN CASE OF MOTION SICKNESS. MY HUSBAND DID NOT. HE HAD ONE NIGHT WHERE HE COULD NOT MAKE DINNER AND HALF THE SHIP WAS IN THE SAME SITUATION. AFTER WE GOT OFF THE SHIP IN SEWARD WE FREELANCED IN A RENTAL CAR. IF I HAD NOT DONE THIS I TRULY WOULD NOT HAVE FELT THAT I HAD SEEN ALASKA. WE DROVE FROM ANCHORAGE BACK DOWN TO SEWARD. WE HAD PLANNED TAKING THE KENAI FJORDS TOUR BUT EVERYONE WHO HAD TAKEN THE TOUR SAID THEY WERE SO SEASICK THEY HAD TO TURN AROUND. FROM SEWARD WE WENT TO HOMER WHICH WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR TRIP.WE WERE LUCKY TO HAVE A SUNSHINE DAY AND SAW THE RING OF FIRE. FROM THERE WE TRAVELED TO TALKEETNA IN HOPES THAT WE WOULD SEE THE TOP OF MOUNT MCKINLEY, BUT IT BECAME CLOUDY. HOWEVER IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION EVERYTHING WAS OPEN. I FELT THAT THE EXCURSIONS WERE VERY EXPENSIVE AS IS EVERYTHING IN ALASKA. WE TOOK THE TRAM IN JUNEAU AND THE TRAIN IN SKAGWAY. WE FINALLY DECIDED TO TAKE THE TEMPSCO HELICOPTER EXCURSION ALSO IN SKAGWAY WHICH I TRULY FELT WAS THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PROBLEMS WITH THIS AND PRINCESS NO LONGER WILL SELL THE EXCURSION BUT YOU CAN STILL DO IT ON YOUR OWN I AM SURE. APPARENTLY, ON ONE OF THE EXCURSION THERE WAS A WHITE OUT AND THE PARTICIPANTS HAD TO STAY ON THE GLACIER ALL NIGHT. NOT A PLACE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SPEND THE NIGHT. <BR>I HAD HEARD THAT DENALI WOULD BE CLOSED BUT IN LISTENING TO OTHER PEOPLE'S CONVERSATIONS I DON'T THINK SO. PRINCESS OFFERS EXTENTION TOURS FOR THAT REGION. SO DOES GRAY LINE. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE I WOULD MORE THAN HAPPY TO FILL YOU IN. JUST E-MAIL ME FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

AS FAR AS CLOTHING I TOOK A RAIN REPELLENT JACKET, SWEAT SHIRTS, GLOVES AND HAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT. AS YOU GET CLOSE TO THE GLACIER IT IS VERY COLD. WE HAD AN INSIDE STATEROOM. I WOULD DEFINTELY DO AN OUTSIDE STATEROOM IF I HAD IT TO DO ALL OVER AGAIN. THE REASON WHY I WOULD DO AN OUTSIDE STATEROOM IS BECAUSE WE ARE FROM MARYLAND AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET ACCUSTOMED TO THE FOUR HOUR TIME CHANGE. I WAS UP AT 4 A.M. WANDERING AROUND THE SHIP. AND WHEN ALL THE NIGHT TIME ACTIVITY WAS GOING ON I WAS ASLEEP IN MY STATEROOM. ONE THING THAT I DID NOTICE WHILE WE WERE RENTING THE CAR AND TRAVELING FREELANCE IS THAT THE HOTEL ROOMS STILL CONSIDERED THIS THEIR SUMMER SEASON AND HAD NOT DROPPED THE RATES. SO THEREFORE I BELIEVE SOME OF THE INFORMATION WE ARE LED TO BELIEVE IS NOT 100 PERCENT TRUE. IF YOU DECIDE TO DO ANY TRAVELING BY CAR BE SURE TO GET THE MILEPOST, IT IS DEFINITELY WORTH IT. WE SPOKE WITH AN "OLD SALTY" IN HOMER AND HE REALLY GAVE US SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT. THE BEST WAY TO SEE ALASKA IS TO RENT AN RV, TAKE A MONTH AND GO AT YOUR OWN PACE IF THAT IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE YOU JUST HAVE TO DEPEND ON THE WEATHER TO SEE THE MAGNIFICENT BEAUTY OF THE STATE. AGAIN, IF ANYONE WANT TO CORRESPOND WITH ME PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME