What is the best carnival cruise to go on?

I am interested in an Alaska cruise for the next season. What is the best time to go & what cruise is best?

• There will be about 7 people going. I know there are a lot of options out there. I am interested in a sea/land tour too. I want opinions on what is the best Alaska cruise to go on and ...show more

• Answer:

  To be honest, I lived in Alaska and never cruised there, so I can not speak intelligently on what cruise line is best to take there. As to the best time of year to go, it really depends on what your intentions and interests are. Every major cruise in Alaska travels through SE Alaska, so my answer will be based on that. Here are the factors I can think of: Weather: The weather in SE Alaska is unpredictable. Though the cruise ships sail through September, I would avoid September if you are looking for the best weather. I have seen it rain every day for months in SE Alaska, so be prepared. June through early August is probably your best bet for nice weather. Fishing: If you plan on fishing during your cruise on an excursion, timing is very important. Salmon come in “runs”, that is they head to freshwater streams in groups around certain days. King Salmon tend to head toward fresh water from late April through May (King Salmon are the least predictable. They can be caught in the ocean or the streams all summer long). Sockeye (red) Salmon head for the streams roughly from early May to early June, hitting the streams by June (the Sockeye run seems to happen quick. Some places do not allow them to be fished from beaches). Dog (Chum) and Pink (Humpy) Salmon run from roughly the end of June to late August, hitting the streams in late July and early August. Coho (silver) Salmon run from late July to mid September, with mid August usually being the peak of the run. The dates are from my experience in Juneau and will vary slightly from city to city. If you have a big interest in charter fishing, try and contact the charter company in advance to seek their advice. Bears: Bears tend to be seen with the salmon runs. The salmon runs in the streams tend to be heaviest in August and September. If you are interested in taking a excursion to see bears, that would be the best time (there used to be a charter to Pack Creek on Admiralty Island in the Juneau area that always see lots of bears). Other Wildlife: Other wildlife is unpredictable. Eagles tend to be everywhere and usually hang out along the coast line and where fisherman hang out (they eat the scraps). Whales are around all summer long, but usually require a special excursion. I have rarely seen one close to land, at least in the Juneau area. Sea lions tend to hang out around boats and around islands away from the mainland (you would probably see them if you go see the whales). If you are lucky (or unlucky), you may see deer and bears while hiking trails, but this is very rare. If you are hiking by yourselfs, bears tend to avoid humans, but talk loudly, clap your hands, sing, or wear bells on your clothes so bears know you are in the area. They may attack if surprised (I’ve hiked more miles of trails and more mountains than I can remember, and I have yet to have a bear bother me). Shopping: A large majority of the tourist shops in all the ports close down for the winter. Because of this, the month of September tends to boast many sales in these shops as they are trying to get rid of their inventory for the year. This is just something to keep in mind. I wish you happy sailing. There really is not bad time to visit Alaska, as long as you are prepared. Be prepared for cool weather (mid 60’s to low 70’s) and fine, misty rain. I’d recommend carrying a rain coat (or a waterproof wind breaker or waterproof coat of some kind) and dressing in layers. The weather can warm up quickly when the sun comes out and cool off quickly when it is cloudy. If you go fishing on the open water, it can get cold in a hurry. It seems that the smaller the boat, the colder the fishing trip (when I would go out on a 16 ft open Aluminum boat, I dress like it was winter. Once you get out in the wind, rain, and water spray, there is no way to warm back up). Large boats tend to be warmer (not sure if it is because they usually have an area out of the wind or there is enough room to walk around and move). There is a good website on cruising at http://www.cruisecritic.com that also has message boards and various articles about cruising. You might find some of your answers on there.