A group of us want to travel (maybe a cruise) to ALaska in July but some have heard that the flies are really bad making travel uncomfortable..any feedback?

It's not flies that are the problem, it's mosquitos, lots and lots of them.
If you can book your trip for late May, very early June, or early September, you shouldn't have a problem. We went late May, and the weather was gorgous!

I was there in July and I don't remember seeing any flies at all. Both at sea and in ports. There were mosquitos but they weren't a problem. The Rain in the problem, but don't complain about it to Alaskans. They don't like to hear whining about rain.

we rented an RV in Anchorage on JUly 1, 2002. THe first night we stayed outside the city in a state park. THe mosquitos were quite bad. 8 days later, we stayed at the same campground and there were virtually no mosquitos - the dragonflies had arrived and were feasting on them

Some people can catch a 100 lb halibut and then complain that a seagull pooped on their car.

Some people see whales, and sea lions, and otters and then complain that the boat didn't have a tv.

Some people go whitewater rafting in GLACIAL rivers and complain that the water was cold.

Some people watch bears feasting on salmon but will complain about the stench of rotting fish.

Some people will dine on one of the best campfire cooked meals while complaining about smoke in their eyes.

Most of Alaska has bugs, but none are poisonous. Much of Alaska has rain, but you're not going to drown. The rain keeps the bugs away.

Jor, you are right. Complaining about discomfort in a wilderness is sort of redundant.

Visiting Alaska means suffering the slight inconveniences to take in the awesome grandeur.

We are more than a spot on the map for the traveler to boast of visiting. We are in the wilds. And, the wilds come with wilds. Thorny bushes that rake the skin, squishy tundra that makes hiking tough, rotting fish feeding the seagulls that will make deposits on your car, excessive rains, excessive heat, bumpy roads, outhouses, etc. and etc.

We are also 2.5 times the size of Texas, have more coastline than the contiguos US combined, claim 17 of America's tallest 20 mountains, have over a million lakes and 100,000 glaciers, are home to three species of bear, countless caribou, and an overwhelming population of other animals....not counting the fish by the millions.

You take the bad with the good. And, when the good is so good, you don't much notice the bad.

We visited the end of July 2001 and don't remember any mosquitoes. We spent some lovely evenings sitting on an open porch while supper was being grilled. We were fortunate to have wonderful weather and rarely needed our rain jackets. My son said that this year, May has been the best month weather-wise.

We were all over the lower portions of Alask for July two years ago. There were few problems with mosquitos untill we got to Denali. We stayed in the Backcountry -- 90 miles into the park. It was impossible to hike in the tundra without full covering, including mosquito helmets with mesh (like a bee-keeper). This was even after covering ourselves with the strongest Deet made. (is that the right name?)

akvisnet, very well said. All of your points are valid and so true.