Table Of Content
- Book Your Alaska Cruise Vacation
- Day Alaska Round-Trip Seattle: Glacier Bay, Skagway & Juneau
- The Best Time to Cruise Alaska for Wildlife: Springtime (late-May through mid-June)
- What is the Best Month to Cruise Alaska?
- How to see the northern lights in Alaska?
- Alaska Wildlife Guide: Chena Hot Springs Northern Lights Tours
Norwegian Cruise Line kicks off the 2024 Alaska cruise season when Norwegian Bliss sets sail on a weeklong, roundtrip itinerary from Seattle; she will be the only ship sailing in Alaska the first two weeks of spring. Balcony cabins are still available on the season’s inaugural sailing at a discounted fare of $1,029 per person. We sailed roundtrip from Juneau, and while I’ve visited the capital city during the busy summer months, I found the restaurants, bars, and shops much less crowded, reliably filled with locals for the most part. On the water, we rarely passed any other ships or boats, aside from fishermen out for their catches. Alaska is a special place to cruise because it’s very different from standard tropical cruise destinations.
Book Your Alaska Cruise Vacation
When the northern lights do appear, "more than likely the ship will turn off most of the exterior lights," Weber says. "But you can prepare as soon as you board the ship by scouting out the darkest spot outside, and up top on the ship." That may be away from the ship stairways and public rooms. Seeing the northern lights on a cruise isn’t guaranteed (although at least one cruise line, Hurtigruten, does issue a guarantee for certain cruises. See below). But you will increase your odds of seeing the northern lights by being in the right place in the Arctic Circle at the right time.
27 First time Alaska cruise tips (2024) Cruise.Blog - Cruise Blog
27 First time Alaska cruise tips ( Cruise.Blog.
Posted: Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Day Alaska Round-Trip Seattle: Glacier Bay, Skagway & Juneau
You can book nonstop flights to Anchorage year-round from major U.S. hubs (like Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Portland), so you can get here in just a few hours—no passport required. The Geophysical Institute also recommends Haystack Mountain and Ester, Wickersham and Murphy domes on its website. Chena Lake Recreation Area is a popular place to look for reflections in the water (you can park your car near the jetty). At nearby Chena Hot Springs Resort, you can even watch the show from an outdoor hot tub. By day, try your hand at either cross-country skiing or ice fishing through pre-drilled ice holes.
The Best Time to Cruise Alaska for Wildlife: Springtime (late-May through mid-June)
This family-owned, fly-in luxury wilderness lodge is 200 miles north of Fairbanks and 60 miles above the Arctic Circle. Stays are all-inclusive and exclusive — they only accept one group at a time. Go dogsledding, snowshoeing, or scan the skies for the northern lights. The lodge’s huge picture windows make it easy to keep a lookout for the aurora from a warm, comfortable interior. Whether it be spring, mid, or late summer, you will witness incredible wildlife, explore spectacular scenery, and have once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
What is the Best Month to Cruise Alaska?
The sun alternates between a high activity cycle and low activity cycle every eleven years or so. Watch the Kp-index, an aurora activity indicator to find out when conditions are ideal. If you are planning a trip to Alaska, make sure you have a tour guide for you upon reaching the state. They will know remote and off-beaten tracks with less ambient lights from where the lights can be seen prominently. You can increase your chances of seeing these lights by booking yourself multi-day viewing packages as well. These packages come with meals and overnight stays at remote lodges or homestays, built specifically for viewing the northern lights so that you can gaze at them all night long in your luxury.
If you're going to be in Fairbanks, however, you have excursion choices to make. The Northern Alaska Tour Company runs round-trip van tours 60 miles north of Fairbanks to the town of Joy for an increased chance of seeing the northern lights. And 1st Alaska Tours runs nightly trips to Chena Hot Springs 60 miles north and to Murphy Dome, one of the highest peaks in the Fairbanks area, which has a 360-degree view of the horizon. Alaska's northern lights season is between late August and late April, peaking in March. However, the season is defined more by its long, dark nights than by solar activity.
Alaska Wildlife Guide: Chena Hot Springs Northern Lights Tours
Read on for average Alaska cruise prices, things to do in Alaska and everything else you'll need to decide which is the best month to cruise Alaska for you. Denali National Park is another good option in early spring or fall, as it’s far enough north and free from light pollution. If the stars align and the conditions are ripe for the show, try to find a clear viewing path, free of buildings and forest and face north, as that’s where activity starts.
Best Time of Year to See the Northern Lights in Alaska
As August winds down, fall colors explode across the mountains, giving you gorgeous landscapes to explore by ship, train and foot. Down south, the waters around the southwestern and southcentral regions of Alaska teem with ships visiting Kodiak Island, the Aleutian Islands, Prince William Sound and Katmai National Park. The Borealis is composed of solar particles shooting into the magnetic field of the earth and appear more than 60 miles above the earth's surface. Natives have believed the lights have a mystical force or even marked the appearance of spirits who have passed on. Onboard dining is a highlight, with meals crafted from locally sourced, sustainable ingredients.
New to cruising
Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, a photography enthusiast, or simply someone captivated by the beauty of celestial displays, an Alaska cruise will provide you with an unforgettable experience. Welcome to the enchanting world of the Northern Lights, where nature puts on a breathtaking light show like no other. If you’re seeking an unforgettable experience, look no further than an Alaskan cruise to witness the spectacle of the Aurora Borealis. Alaska, with its vast wilderness and clear skies, offers some of the best opportunities to catch a glimpse of this mesmerizing phenomenon. The warming weather even allows cruise ships to penetrate Arctic waters, giving you the opportunity to see polar bears on Wrangel Island.
By choosing the right time of year, monitoring solar activity, and selecting an optimal cruise route, you can maximize your chances of experiencing this magical natural phenomenon. To maximize your chance of witnessing the northern lights, get off the boat and join a land excursion to Fairbanks. The aurora season in Fairbanks lasts from the end of August to April and the lights can be seen four out of five nights if the sky is clear. One of the benefits of sailing to Alaska later in the year is that it increases the chance of seeing the breathtaking Northern Lights, as these are much more likely to be witnessed during the fall and winter months.
Planning your trip during periods of high solar activity, when the sun is generating more charged particles, increases your chances of experiencing a more vibrant and active display of the Northern Lights. To help you select the ideal time for your trip, the following guide will introduce you to weather and attraction differences between the months. Then we’ll wrap up by answering some frequently asked questions about Alaskan cruises — the best time to see whales and northern lights, the best time for salmon fishing and similar queries. Although the full viewing season spans from March to September, you'll have the greatest chance of witnessing the Borealis' emergence in September, when skies are so much darker than during the summer cruise season.
As the most discerning, up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel, Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse, offering both inspiration and vital intel. We understand that time is the greatest luxury, which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal, a drink, or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world. Aurora Borealis (also known as the Northern Lights) are magical bands of neon green light that spontaneously burst and dance in the sky. Specifically, it occurs within the Northern Lights zone (at latitudes 65 to 72 degrees). October is one of the wettest months in Alaska, so prepare for low clouds and rain.
An unobstructed sight of the Northern Lights is relatively rare, which makes it even more remarkable when you do have the opportunity to witness this phenomenon. We’ll provide you with comprehensive information on how to see the Northern Lights during your Alaska cruise. The northern lights, or aurora borealis, aren’t predictable, but they are more likely to display during high solar activity cycles.
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