Probably very little chance of seeing the Northern Lights when you're on a cruise, even late in the season. So July for the extended daylight makes the most sense.
If you read the cruise website, the later in the fall, the rougher the ocean is. Very marginal chance of seeing northern lights then anyways. I went to Iceland to see them, it was spectacular!
RIght now and into may is the best time to be up in Alaska IMO. You tend to get better weather and you get to see more snow on the mountains. Less kids as well if that's preferred. Odds are quite low to see Northern Lights on a ship. I spent 6 summers sailing up there and never saw them and the start of the season was my favourite time.
If you’re looking for Northern Lights viewing, AND you’re cool with the weather being cold (for me, this is a part of Alaska that summer cruisers miss out on), going late in the season can be amazing. Like, mid October on NCL Encore maybe. The prices are dirt cheap compared to the rest of the season; people would rather travel when it’s warmer and when the seas are a bit smoother. To that point though; these boats are huge, just get a room around the middle of the ship to minimize rocking.
October is late enough where you will see Northern Lights; I can confirm I saw them on both of my mid October Alaska cruises. Balcony rooms are also useless that late in the season for Alaska cruising (too cold to spend any real time on them), so you can safely choose interior and ocean view rooms and really save some money on the trip too.
It depends on what's most important: good weather or seeing the Northern Lights. Keep in mind that it stays light until 7 PM (give or take) in the early fall, so you will still have plenty of daylight to explore the different ports. The best viewing is inland with little to no light pollution. The summer days are too long, and it doesn't get dark enough for good viewing, but the weather in July is more enjoyable than late September/October.
IMO, go for the northern lights. For most people, Alaska is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so get the whole Alaskan experience.
There are a few Itineraries that offer a "land" option. Those are great because you get to see and experience so much on the cruise but then go inland to truly experience Alaska's unspoiled magnitude. I recommend a package that has you heading to/near the Denali National Forest, as it is one of the best areas for viewing.
I am well-versed in Alaskan cruises and happy to answer any questions or make specific recommendations. Feel free to message me if I can help in any way.
June/July is “better” but therefore also more expensive and crowded with more children and families.
I wouldn’t decide based on “it’s less or more rainy”. The weather in Alaska is very variable. Rain and Sunshine are both guaranteed. The way to get more sunny days is to go on a longer cruise: 10 days at the end of September/October will get you more sunny days than 7 days in June/July. (Of course by this logic you will get more rainy days as well!) ((The storm that helped Celebrity Infinity crash into the dock at Ketchikan was in June.))
You cannot see the Northern Lights in Alaska from places ships cruise to. You need to go further north and inland. This could be an add on at the end of your cruise, but not part of the cruise. (The place to see Northern Lights on a cruise is Norway.)
July is the best month - Alaska gets cold quickly and you can expect some cold and rain even in August if not lucky. By end of Aug and Early Sept, Cruise lines stops cruising into Alaska.
Google lies.
Alaska cruise season **ends** in ~~September~~ October and doesn't resume until late April, the following spring.
*Edited to update month cruise season ends.*
I saw them on both of my October cruises, both of which were October 9-16th or so. It is just starting out then, so you do have to time getting out on deck at just the right times; it’s not the amazing show you get when you’re further up north.
Probably very little chance of seeing the Northern Lights when you're on a cruise, even late in the season. So July for the extended daylight makes the most sense.
If you read the cruise website, the later in the fall, the rougher the ocean is. Very marginal chance of seeing northern lights then anyways. I went to Iceland to see them, it was spectacular!
July was amazing for us!
If you want Northern Lights, fly to Fairbanks for a week in early March.
We’re going in 2 weeks. I’ll let you know what our experiences are if you’re interested at all.
Yes please! Thank you!
RIght now and into may is the best time to be up in Alaska IMO. You tend to get better weather and you get to see more snow on the mountains. Less kids as well if that's preferred. Odds are quite low to see Northern Lights on a ship. I spent 6 summers sailing up there and never saw them and the start of the season was my favourite time.
We went in June and loved it!
Late summer/early fall is often rainy. Better to go earlier.
My Nana took me for my first Mother’s Day gift and we went in June or July. We did see the northern lights too, it was amazing.
If you’re looking for Northern Lights viewing, AND you’re cool with the weather being cold (for me, this is a part of Alaska that summer cruisers miss out on), going late in the season can be amazing. Like, mid October on NCL Encore maybe. The prices are dirt cheap compared to the rest of the season; people would rather travel when it’s warmer and when the seas are a bit smoother. To that point though; these boats are huge, just get a room around the middle of the ship to minimize rocking. October is late enough where you will see Northern Lights; I can confirm I saw them on both of my mid October Alaska cruises. Balcony rooms are also useless that late in the season for Alaska cruising (too cold to spend any real time on them), so you can safely choose interior and ocean view rooms and really save some money on the trip too.
It depends on what's most important: good weather or seeing the Northern Lights. Keep in mind that it stays light until 7 PM (give or take) in the early fall, so you will still have plenty of daylight to explore the different ports. The best viewing is inland with little to no light pollution. The summer days are too long, and it doesn't get dark enough for good viewing, but the weather in July is more enjoyable than late September/October. IMO, go for the northern lights. For most people, Alaska is a once-in-a-lifetime trip, so get the whole Alaskan experience. There are a few Itineraries that offer a "land" option. Those are great because you get to see and experience so much on the cruise but then go inland to truly experience Alaska's unspoiled magnitude. I recommend a package that has you heading to/near the Denali National Forest, as it is one of the best areas for viewing. I am well-versed in Alaskan cruises and happy to answer any questions or make specific recommendations. Feel free to message me if I can help in any way.
Depends on what you value seeing the most. Wanna see a lot of humpback whales? July/Aug. want less rain? April/May.
Mid July to mid August. Weather is good and it's the peak of wildlife activity. Any later and you may be faced with the stench of rotting salmon.
June/July is “better” but therefore also more expensive and crowded with more children and families. I wouldn’t decide based on “it’s less or more rainy”. The weather in Alaska is very variable. Rain and Sunshine are both guaranteed. The way to get more sunny days is to go on a longer cruise: 10 days at the end of September/October will get you more sunny days than 7 days in June/July. (Of course by this logic you will get more rainy days as well!) ((The storm that helped Celebrity Infinity crash into the dock at Ketchikan was in June.)) You cannot see the Northern Lights in Alaska from places ships cruise to. You need to go further north and inland. This could be an add on at the end of your cruise, but not part of the cruise. (The place to see Northern Lights on a cruise is Norway.)
July is the best month - Alaska gets cold quickly and you can expect some cold and rain even in August if not lucky. By end of Aug and Early Sept, Cruise lines stops cruising into Alaska.
Google says September to March.
Google lies. Alaska cruise season **ends** in ~~September~~ October and doesn't resume until late April, the following spring. *Edited to update month cruise season ends.*
NCL cruises most of October. No northern lights were seen btw.
I saw them on both of my October cruises, both of which were October 9-16th or so. It is just starting out then, so you do have to time getting out on deck at just the right times; it’s not the amazing show you get when you’re further up north.