Thread: Is Mid May too early?

We are two weeks before you and are currently living in Texas. We are going to risk it!

Originally Posted by SailKeyWest

Ouch, I researched the weather in SW Alaska before choosing my cruise and saw that May was one of the months with the least amount of rain, so chose it (it was also a good deal cheaper). We ended up choosing May 19 as our embarkation date. Please say that this was not a horrible choice?

It was NOT a horrible choice! On average that (late May and early June) is the driest part of the cruise season. Early May is on average too cold to cruise IMO, but this year it was spectacular. On average, September is cold and very wet, but I just spent 13 of 14 days on the Radiance in sunshine. Averages don't always work, but your odds are still very good.

Murray

Murray, thanks for the info. You experience the weather up there first hand so if anyone should know, it is you.

We spent four years in Minnesota so we know what real cold is like. Give me enough layers and I can take anything (well, within reason of springtime weather!)

Thanks for the info Murry, much appreciated. I was wrong about the date, we are leaving May 21, even better.

Are you from Alaska?

Sail, Look at his address - YT. He is not from Alaska but right next door, the Yukon Territories!

Ok, just got back yesterday from a 10-day roundtrip from SF to Alaska. This was my 2nd Sept cruise but this was the last one of the season and the previous one was the second to last cruise of the season. Last time we had beautiful weather at all ports except Ketchikan where we had downpours and drizzly at Glacier Bay. This time we had beautiful weather in Ketchikan and showers in the other ports. After we left rainy Skagway (snow from the Canadian border on up to the Yukon), the capt decided to outrun a terrible storm so he cancelled Tracy Arm. We had 20-30 ft swells in the early morning hours.

My first cruise to Alaska was the last week of May and had good weather at all ports. There was some drizzles in the morning in Ketchikan but cleared to sunny skies by noon. So if I were to make a choice, I would definitely choose May. More snow on the mountaintops and more daylight.