Alaska - First trip to Alaska/First cruise - what to expect?

Boy am I glad I found this forum! I've been avidly reading the threads, but still have a few questions.

Hubby and I are planning our first cruise, and also our first trip to Alaska, to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. (Also our first trip to Vancouver.) Although I started working on this trip 8 months ago, the only way I could work out using UA FF miles for the flights and Marriott points for the 4 nights in Vancouver was to book the cruise (on NCL) at end of August/first week in September. After reading several of these threads it seems like that may have been a serious mistake on my part, but what's done is done, and we want to enjoy our trip to the max - without spending a bunch of extra money, if possible.

We are doing the Vancouver/Ketchikan/Juneau/Skagway route. There are a bunch of things I would like to ask, but for now I have 3 questions:

1) How cold is it likely to be? Do we need to pack mostly winter clothes, or a mix?

2) How rainy is it likely to be? We have lightweight gore-tex jackets. Do we need more substantial rain gear?

3) What are the chances of seeing the Northern Lights at that time of year?

Any other advice gratefully accepted re: what to see, what to do, and what to avoid.

Thanks much,

Karen

Karen, you need to do layers. If you already have Gore-Tex you know about such things. I don't think you need winter clothing as such, but I would take a pair of gloves, hat and other comfort items.

You picked a great time to go to Alaska. The tourist mobs will have thinned out!

You are not going very far north, but if you have clear skies at the north end of your trip (are you flying out of Anchorage?) you have a chance of seeing the Northern Lights as there will be darkness in fairly normal hours for such. I have seen the Northern Lights above Anchorage after Labor Day. Also on the flight out of ANC.

The climate in Southeast is different than that of Anchorage. That said, the first week or so of September is typically one of my favorite times of the year. It's still warm enough to get out and play, the crowds have thinned, and there's often a crisp note in the air that I find invigorating. You may instead find it "cold."

I would expect daytime highs in Southeast to be in the low to mid-fifties during that period, although it can always be warmer or cooler. Temperatures are usually cooler on the open sea and can edge toward cold when you're parked next to a glacier. Layers are a good plan. Shoes you can walk in are also a good idea (because I saw a woman on the Coastal Trail in spike-heeled sandals.)

I would bring a mix - you will be miserable if you bring your heaviest winter clothing, because the weather is nothing if not variable here. It's not out of the realm of possibility for there to be a 70 degree day (http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/DisplayNORMS.asp?AirportCode=PAJN&SafeCityName=Juneau&StateCode=AK&Units=none&IATA=JNU) during your trip, but there's also a good chance you'll see a lot of rain.

You might see the Northern Lights. We think of them as a winter phenomenon, because it's dark enough to see them then, but they're actually most active at the equinoxes (http://www.pfrr.alaska.edu/aurora/faq.htm#season), so it's possible. The UAF Geophysical Institute has a fantastic aurora forecast page (http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/) you might check out as your trip gets closer. I wouldn't plan on definitely seeing them, but I wouldn't rule it out, either.

Finally, if you have time in Skagway, the White Pass & Yukon Railroad (http://www.whitepassrailroad.com/) is a lovely excursion that you can book directly with the operator. In Juneau, I like the Timberline Bar & Grill at the top of the Mount Roberts tramway (http://www.alaska.net/~junotram/Information_Center/information_center.html), heading out to the Mendenhall Glacier (http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/districts/mendenhall/), or just tooling around town on a bicycle.

I hope you have a lovely time - and stay warm, dry, and well-fed as you explore Southeast.

The climate in Southeast is different than that of Anchorage. That said, the first week or so of September is typically one of my favorite times of the year. It's still warm enough to get out and play, the crowds have thinned, and there's often a crisp note in the air that I find invigorating. You may instead find it "cold."

I would expect daytime highs in Southeast to be in the low to mid-fifties during that period, although it can always be warmer or cooler. Temperatures are usually cooler on the open sea and can edge toward cold when you're parked next to a glacier. Layers are a good plan. Shoes you can walk in are also a good idea (because I saw a woman on the Coastal Trail in spike-heeled sandals.)

I would bring a mix - you will be miserable if you bring your heaviest winter clothing, because the weather is nothing if not variable here. It's not out of the realm of possibility for there to be a 70 degree day during your trip, but there's also a good chance you'll see a lot of rain.

You might see the Northern Lights. We think of them as a winter phenomenon, because it's dark enough to see them then, but they're actually most active at the equinoxes, so it's possible. The UAF Geophysical Institute has a fantastic aurora forecast page you might check out as your trip gets closer. I wouldn't plan on definitely seeing them, but I wouldn't rule it out, either.

Finally, if you have time in Skagway, the White Pass & Yukon Railroad is a lovely excursion that you can book directly with the operator. In Juneau, I like the Timberline Bar & Grill at the top of the Mount Roberts tramway, heading out to the Mendenhall Glacier, or just tooling around town on a bicycle.

I hope you have a lovely time - and stay warm, dry, and well-fed as you explore Southeast.

Thanks for the great advice!

We are planning to do the rail trip in Skagway. I booked it through the cruise line because I didn't know any better.

We are flying into and out of Vancouver, so we won't get any farther north than Skagway. Sounds like the northern lights are unlikely, but possible?

My husband always overpacks, so I'll just tell him to bring every piece of clothing he owns, and he'll be covered, weather-wise. We both have good Asolo hiking shoes (me) and boots (him), so I think I'll leave the spike-heeled sandals at home.

I know this is the Alaska forum, but if anyone has tips on what to see in Vancouver, that would also be very welcome!

Thanks,
Karen

Karen, although I still own hiking boots, I don't travel with them and wear hiking shoes instead. I love being chilly and even cold but then again I lived a great deal of my life in the Far North and intend to retire in Alaska.

Do not buy your McRoberts tram tickets on the boat. There is no advantage to doing that. Wait until you are in Juneau and can judge the weather before you separate yourself from your money.

I adore Vancouver! That said there is a Canada topic under this general part of FT. Good advice there!

I wish you luck seeing the Northern Lights. They still thrill me.

Don't forget to go out on deck after dark to look for them.

My husband always overpacks, so I'll just tell him to bring every piece of clothing he owns, and he'll be covered, weather-wise. We both have good Asolo hiking shoes (me) and boots (him), so I think I'll leave the spike-heeled sandals at home.

That might be a little extreme - just make sure you each have an outfit or two that you won't be miserable in if the weather does finally warm up. Or plan to buy souvenir Tees at one of your ports of call.

Pants + tee/shirt/fleece/rain jacket will give you the option to add or subtract as needed without packing your entire closet. Add in a close-fitting cap (like a toque) and gloves and you'll be better prepared than many I see wandering through downtown. (Then again, I've been known to show up to work looking like I'm about to set off on a hiking trip at any moment - and I work in a professional office setting.)

Plan for rain, cool temperatures, and the possibility of a sunny day and you should be in good shape.

I highly second all of the advice on layering that you received here from others. I have traveled on 3 cruises to Alaska, various times of the year, including the last cruise of the year in late September, and you just do not know what to expect. The year we went in September, we were in shorts in Juneau. However, any visits to glacier areas (Tracy Arm, Glacier Bay), are much more enjoyable if you bring a good pair of gloves, scarf, and hat. No one else has mentioned this so I will bring it up. Depending on where you are from, it can seem VERY cold in Alaska. I am from the Pacific Northwest, so when it hits 70, we pull out the swimsuits and head to the beach. So, Alaska has never seemed that cool to me. However, my experience on the cruises in Alaska has shown me that not everyone has the same threshold for cold, especially those from Florida, California, etc.

The other thing you might want to "expect"....one visit may not be enough. We went in 2005 for a "once-in-a-lifetime" trip to Alaska and realized that we had only seen the tip of the iceberg (pardon the pun. :eek:). We have been back every summer since (getting last minute or very good deals on the cruises) and find something new to discover every time. Our next trip will include a lot of time on land. It is a magnificient part of the country with amazing wildlife, scenery, and waterfalls (my favorite). Enjoy your trip!

With regards to your clothing ... I'd suggest staying away from anything cotton, at least for your tee shirts. Cotton pants (like jeans) may not be a good choice either. Cotton, when wet, takes a long time to dry, and you'll feel miserable (and colder) if you've got cotton clothes on. Look into convertible pants which are nylon ... they can be found in most outdoorsy stores like REI, EMS, Gander Mtn, etc. (look online too at Campmor). WalMart and Target sell a polypro tee shirt for under $10 (short sleeve) which works well with layering. I'm not sure if they have the long sleeve ones though but again, check online.

Most importantly ... get off the boat as much as possible!! Alaska is best seen when you're not on a floating hotel!

Thanks again for all the great suggestions. I live in WV, but I am a pretty cold-loving gal, so temps in the 40s-50s will be fine for me.

I hadn't thought about special pants - I was planning on jeans. Thanks for the advice on the convertible pants/non-cotton T-shirts. (I'm not sure I own any T-shirts that aren't cotton.) I also have some lightweight wool/cashmere sweaters that I thought would be good for layering - do you think they will work?

And if we catch the Alaska "bug" and have to go back 3 or 4 times, that would be OK with me!;)

Thanks,
Karen

Wool is good ... holds warmth even when wet.

and you'll catch that "Alaska bug" ... and when you return, head for the interior and check out all that it has to offer. Or head to the Kenai (Homer is one of our favorite places) and explore.

Personally I think Alaska is seen best when you're not constricted by a tour company thing ... do some research and head out on your own ... you'll be surprised how much those tours miss!

We did the inland seven day cruise on Celebrity "Infinity" in August 2005. It was also an anniversary cruise and was a gift from our daughters, who also came with their families. The weather was most unusual in that we never used either the cold weather or rain gear we had packed. The temperature was constantly in the mid 70s F. and clear. We had perfect views of the glaciers and sea life. Despite the advertisements, the food was nothing to rave about. It could not even begin to compare with that we had as first class aboard the French Line of years ago. Personally speaking, I would recommend a ten day cruise rather than seven days, as it requires some time to become truly familiar with the ship. Have a wonderful anniversary and enjoy the trip!

We just got back. Flew into Fairbanks, train thru Denali to Anchorage, bus to Alyeska, bus to the ship, cruise to Vancouver.

I would highly recommend two things in Vancouver:

VanDusen Botanical Gardens. The place is beautiful, the maze is neat, and the food in the restaurant is outstanding.

http://www.vancouver.ca/parks/parks/vandusen/website/index.htm

Capilano Suspension Bridge. Probably one of the most unique things we've ever done. The "Adventure In The Trees" (or whatever it's called) is a lot of fun.

http://www.capbridge.com/

We found that Vancouver's rapid transit system got us to both these places very quickly and very cheaply. Getting to the Capilano bridge requires a ferry ride with free bus transfer. VanDusen is two buses, again with free transfer.

Both of these are well worth doing!