Testing the Waters with Dori: Late Season Alaska Cruising

Late last month, I headed to Alaska onboard Discovery Princess for Avoya Travel’s national conference. It was my sixth time sailing to Alaska, but my first late-season trip. While I knew to expect cold, rainy weather (something you should always be prepared for when visiting Alaska), there were other differences from peak season cruises I hadn’t quite anticipated.

I wasn’t the only one surprised by the differences. On a few of occasions I chatted with cruisers who had been to Alaska before. But, like me, they’d previously cruised to the Last Frontier during the summer months, and were a bit surprised by how different this sailing was. Another couple I talked to had chosen a late-season sailing because he’d been hearing about how wonderful Alaska cruises are and wanted to save some money by coming at the end of the season.

Saving money, fyi, is one of the main reasons to do a late-season cruise. The savings can be significant. A mid-July 2024 seven-day Northbound cruise on Sapphire Princess starts at $2,321 for a balcony cabin. A late September 2024 seven-day Northbound cruise on Discovery Princess (including Glacier Bay scenic cruising) starts at $1,297 for a balcony. That’s over a thousand dollars in savings.

Fewer kids onboard is another pro of late-season cruising. Just know, a late-season cruise won’t be entirely child-free. Younger kids that are easily pulled from school, home-schooled kids, and international kids might be onboard.

One last reason some people try a late-season Alaska cruise is for a chance to see the Northern Lights. We were told we might have a chance one night of our sailing, but it ended up being too cloudy to see anything. Yes, there’s a chance in September to see the Northern Lights but it’s not a common occurrence and not a good reason to choose a late-season sailing.

Rough Seas, Canceled Ports
This should have been an obvious one for me. There are many destinations where off-season cruising means more volatile seas and Alaska is one of them. Yet, when the captain of Discovery Princess came over the PA system to advise us we’d be sailing through waves of up to 19 feet, I was caught by surprise. Thankfully, I never get on a cruise ship without Bonine, but the first night and day at sea were some of the rockiest I’ve experienced, and there were plenty of passengers out of commission for the day.

Rough seas aren’t just an inconvenience. In many cases, they can mean missed ports of call. Majestic Princess, which departed Vancouver on Sept. 16 (we departed Seattle on Sept. 24) was forced to skip its Hubbard Glacier viewing, while Sapphire Princess was forced to skip Ketchikan on Sept. 25 (the day before we visited). Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas’ ended up nixing four out of five ports the week of Sept. 18, also due to bad weather.

Canceled tours
It’s not only port visits that might get canceled due to bad weather. Even if you make it into port, excursions might be axed. On our day in Juneau, just about half of all excursions were canceled due to high winds including all whale watching, sea plane excursions, kayaking, zip lining – basically everything that was outdoors.

For most people that left Mendenhall Glacier, but with the cruise line’s own excursions already booked up, the couple of off-the-boat operators became the only option – for a premium price. We paid $75 for a “city tour” and RT bus transfer to the glacier. (Trying to get an Uber was also a no go. As soon as we picked an available Uber someone else has already snatched it. Uber also wasn’t listing prices, which meant it had implemented surge pricing, so it may very well have been even more expensive.)

Empty ports, closed businesses
One aspect of late-season cruising I was looking forward to was the empty ports. On each of our days in port, we were the only ship. No interminably long wait for the Fish House in Ketchikan. No sharing Mendenhall Glacier with 10 other coaches full of cruisers.

What I didn’t anticipate is that not all the store owners stick around as the crowds drop off. During our Klondike excursion, we arrived at the suspension bridge one day before it closed. (A last Klondike cruise excursion was planned for the following week, but it wouldn’t be including the bridge.) In Carcross, also in the Klondike, several of the cute little chalet-style shops were already closed for the season. Most of the stores in Ketchikan and Juneau were still open but much of the merchandise was depleted with some things only available in less popular sizes (think lots of 4X and 5X t-shirts).

Bears galore
One positive note, if you’ve got clients who are dead set on seeing bears in Alaska a late-season sailing is perfect for them. With salmon season coming to a close, the rivers are full of fish. While many have already died off after spawning, there are plenty of slow-moving salmon to get a hungry bear ready for the winter. I talked to several cruisers – including my own sister – who got to see lots of bear on their excursions.

Inappropriate clothing…
Ever heard the expression, there’s no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing? Apparently, there were quite a few cruisers onboard who forgot this truism. Most people came prepared for the cold, but the rain caught more than a few without a way to stay dry. Even with an umbrella or poncho it was nearly impossible to stay dry on our days in Ketchikan and Juneau. It’s hard to appreciate the majesty of the Nugget Falls at Mendenhall Glacier, when your socks are soaked through.

None of the above is to say, advisors shouldn’t send clients to Alaska for a late season cruise. We still had a great time. The weather for our day in Skagway (we went to the Yukon that day) was pretty good and cruisers we talked to that did the White Pass train raved about the fall scenery.

Late-season Alaska probably isn’t the best for someone new to Alaska, who wants to see everything the state has to offer. It’s especially not good for anyone considering an Alaska cruise a once-in-a-life experience. There are never guarantees in Alaska, but clients have a much better chance of seeing it all during the summer.

If you do have clients willing to give it a late-season Alaska cruise a try, be prepared with a list of things they should be prepared for so there’s no disappointment.

Did I miss anything? Have you done a late-season Alaska cruise? What surprised you? If you haven’t, would you? Email me at dsaltzman@travelmarketreport.com and let me know!