Hi there!
Is May too early for an Alaska cruise?!
Well, surely it depends on what you’re looking for.
For example, it seems like May is still early for whale watching.
I still did see whales in May in several cruise ports, but it seems summer is more prime whale watching in Alaska.
And that goes for basically all wildlife.
Prime wildlife watching in Alaska seems to be in the summer.
So if wildlife watching is priority number 1 for you during an Alaska cruise, then May might be too early for you.
But otherwise…
If you are after Alaska landscape, then May can be a perfect time for an Alaska cruise!!
😍😍😍 Is May a good time to go on an Alaska cruise? With a higher chance of views like this in Glacier Bay National Park, I would say so!
Before I left for my early season Alaska cruise, I had gotten the impression from reading things online that you actually have a better chance of better weather in May.
And, that is basically what happened.
The vast majority of my time in Alaska in May, there was good weather.
I was not really surprised, since I expected good weather by going to Alaska in May. 😂
So I was a bit confused when there were locals in several of the cruise ports who made it sound like good weather was unusual, even in May. 🤔
I asked a Glacier Bay National Park ranger about this, and she indicated that May in Glacier Bay tends to be one of the months that is more dry and sees more sun, so maybe I was just reading about Glacier Bay. 🤔
In any case, when I went to Alaska in May, the weather on the vast majority of Alaska days was pretty good.
Even Ketchikan, which the internet will tell you is always rainy, was sunny the 2 times I went in May.
And the one pretty terrible weather day I had in May, it was actually pretty funny because it was the first Alaska day I had, and it was super rainy, super windy, and super cold!
And so… it was like a perfect “welcome to Alaska!!!” 🤣
So I guess it’s true.
Anything goes in Alaska!
And that includes Alaska in May!
As “they” say, weather can change quickly in Alaska!
Pictures of Alaska in May
Of course, every year is different since it’s all weather dependent.
But here is what an Alaska cruise in May looked like in 2023!
- May 2: Hubbard Glacier scenic cruising sea day
- May 3: Icy Strait Point
- May 4: Juneau
- May 5: Skagway
- May 6: Glacier Bay National Park scenic cruising sea day
- May 7: Sitka
- May 8: Ketchikan
- May 15: Ketchikan
- May 16: Juneau
- May 17: Skagway
- May 18: Glacier Bay National Park scenic cruising sea day
- May 19: College Fjord scenic cruising sea evening
- May 20: Whittier
I did 2 Alaska cruises in May:
May 2: Hubbard Glacier scenic cruising sea day
👆 1:40pm on Hubbard Glacier day in May.
👆 12:09pm
Another thing to consider for an Alaska cruise in May is that it might still be too early in the season to reach some spot because of ice.
It seemed like it was questionable if we were going to make it to Hubbard Glacier.
I think the captain had announced that our cruise ship was the first of the Alaska cruise season to go to Hubbard Glacier, so there were no ice reports.
But, we ended up being able to make it to Hubbard Glacier!
There was ice, but it wasn’t enough to keep the cruise ship from reaching Hubbard Glacier!
And, the ice on the way to Hubbard Glacier made it look really pretty!
Cruising to Hubbard Glacier means cruising through Yakutat Bay and Disenchantment Bay to get to Hubbard Glacier.
👆 12:34pm
👆 12:35pm
👆 1:27pm
👆 1:29pm
👆 3:20pm
👆 3:21pm
👆 3:35pm
👆 3:55pm
May 3: Icy Strait Point cruise port
My plan for Icy Strait Point cruise port:
- morning: Icy Strait Point whale watching tour (Icy Strait Point Whale Adventures) 8:45am to 11:45am
- afternoon: Walk around Icy Strait Point on my own
Early May seems to still be early for whale season, so I wasn’t even sure if I’d have a chance to see whales.
The day before, it seems like they saw quite a few whales, but on the day I went it seems like there weren’t as many.
That’s okay, because I had managed my expectations since May wasn’t prime whale watching season in Alaska.
At the very least, it was boat ride in Alaska in May!
Still, I did get to see a whale tail pretty close from the boat, and it was my first time seeing a whale tail like that, so that was the highlight of the whale watching tour in Icy Strait Point!
👆 Whale watching tour during an Alaska cruise at Icy Strait Point cruise port. It looks better in person! While not prime whale watching season in Alaska, you still have a chance to see whales in Alaska in May!
👆 While May doesn’t see as much bear activity in Alaska, there are still bears near the Icy Strait Point cruise port!
May 4: Juneau cruise port
My plan for Juneau cruise port:
- morning + lunch: Taku Lodge Feast & 5-Glacier Seaplane Discovery with Taku Lodge Wings Airways (Princess shore excursion) 9:30am to 1pm
- afternoon + evening: Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls on my own
👆 Mendenhall Glacier from the visitor center.
👆 Nugget Falls Trail in Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area in Tongass National Forest.
👆 Nugget Falls in Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area in Tongass National Forest.
May 5: Skagway cruise port
My plan for Skagway cruise port:
- morning: White Pass Rail & Klondike Highway (Princess shore excursion) 8:15am to 12pm
- afternoon: Glacier Discovery by Helicopter with Temsco Helicopters (Princess shore excursion) 2:15pm to 4:15pm
May 6: Glacier Bay National Park scenic cruising sea day
👆 8:58am
👆 9:34am
👆 9:36am
👆 10:02am
👆 10:06am
👆 10:14am
👆 11:05am: Margerie Glacier
👆 11:09am: Will you be able to see a glacier calving in Glacier Bay National Park at Margerie Glacier?!
👆 2:46pm
👆 2:46pm
👆 2:52pm
May 7: Sitka cruise port
My plan for Sitka cruise port:
- morning: Sitka marine wildlife tour with Sitka Sound Tours
- afternoon: Sitka National Historical Park on my own
- see more: Things to do in Sitka
👆 Sea lions on a wildlife watching tour during an Alaska cruise at Sitka cruise port. It looks better in person!
May 8: Ketchikan cruise port
My plan for Ketchikan cruise port:
- morning: Totem Bight State Historical Park on my own
- afternoon: Misty Fjords National Monument seaplane tour with Island Wings
- late afternoon: Creek Street on my own
/end Alaska cruise #1 in May! Read about it: Alaska cruise from Vancouver
Next, Alaska cruise #2 in May!
May 15: Ketchikan cruise port
My plan for Ketchikan cruise port:
- morning: Ketchikan snorkeling tour with Snorkel Alaska
- after tour: Saxman Park totem poles on my own
- see more: Ketchikan excursions
👆 Sailing out of Ketchikan cruise port.
May 16: Juneau cruise port
My plan for Juneau cruise port:
- morning: Juneau whale watching tour (Princess excursion)
- afternoon: Mendenhall Glacier Lake canoe + hike with Liquid Alaska
👆 Driving from the Juneau cruise port. View from the back of the shuttle.
👆 A whale was spotted. Will it appear again?!
👆 Amazing view of a whale!! 😱😱😱 While not prime whale watching season in Alaska, you still have a chance to see whales in Alaska in May!
👆 Spot the sea lions!
👆 Mendenhall Glacier tour guide.
May 17: Skagway cruise port
My plan for Skagway cruise port:
- Yakutania point hike on my own
- Skagway dog sledding on a glacier + helicopter tour with Temsco Helicopters (Princess excursion)
- see more: Things to do in Skagway
👆 Norwegian Encore cruise ship sailing away from Skagway cruise port.
👆 10:18pm
👆 10:37pm
May 18: Glacier Bay National Park scenic cruising sea day
👆 9:56am
👆 Norwegian Encore cruise ship sailing away from Margerie Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park, a few minutes before 10:30am.
👆 The reality of what it’s like on the open deck on Glacier Bay National Park day! 😂 See more of the public viewing areas on the Majestic Princess cruise ship. (10:47am)
👆 Or you might be able to find a quiet spot where fewer people are! (11:31am)
👆 Glacier Bay National Park rangers leave the cruise ship on the small boat! (2:56pm)
May 19: Sea day with evening of College Fjord scenic cruising
Another gloomy day in Alaska in May!
But it was the first real bad weather day I had since that very first Alaska day!
May 20: Whittier disembarkation day
My plan for Whittier disembarkation day:
- get off the cruise ship as late as possible (9:30am)
- 26 glacier boat tour during the day
- evening train from whittier to anchorage
/end Alaska cruise #2 in May! Read about it: Vancouver to Anchorage cruise
And that’s a bit of what you might see if you go to Alaska in May!
Read about my May Alaska cruises:
HAPPY CRUISING ALASKA IN MAY!
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