Travel Factory Blog
Alaska. . . . The Land Of The Midnight Sun!!!
That title certainly does not apply to this time of the year, it’s really dark during the winters up in the 49th state. But, during the summer, 18-20 hours of sunlight is commonplace. That was the one thing that really amazed me on my first trip to Alaska back in the mid-90s; we’d go to bed at 10:30PM, and the sun would still be coming through our bedroom window. It’s really not that bad though, in a day or two you are used to it, and glad that it is that way; it certainly gives you more time to do things.
People are always asking me about the “best” time to go, so I have to qualify my answer. If they mean the least expensive time, it would be the first couple of departures in May and the last departure in September. The highest cost for a trip up there is during the July to mid-August timeframe.
If, on the other hand, you mean best weather possibilities, then it would be the July to mid-August. That’s the reason the cruise lines, tour operators, and hotels increase the prices at that time. But, my opinion is that it is worth it to go at this time because the weather is generally just beautiful; 70-75 degrees for the high, 55-60 for the lows, with very little rain except in Ketchikan and Juneau.
Another question folks ask about is will their children have a good time. I like to tell the story about an 8-year old who after traveling with us for the 12 nights on land and cruise, when I asked him about his experience said, “Mr. Berry, that was better than DisneyWorld”. Another testimony from a writer in the Dallas Morning News told about asking his 11-year old nephew who had experienced the cruise ship, train, and plane ride what he liked most; his most vivid memory was the helicopter ride to the Mendenhall Glacier.
This is a good illustration that the Alaska cruise experience is a great vacation adventure for all ages, and for the most part, for those with a variety of physical conditions. My wife and I have been hosting a group for the past 18 years to this beautiful, fascinating frontier area of the United States and we have never had anyone who demanded their money back. . .in fact, many of them have opted to return, some several times.
Our trip this year covers the first two weeks of July, July 1-13, 2013. You can read about the details on our website; www.thetravelfactoryabilene.com.
We use Princess Cruise Line and they usually take away my group inventory by the first week of January, but this year they have given me until January 27 to try to sell the rest of my rooms. Princess would like to have the space back as quickly as possible so they can sell them at a higher price, so we hope our listeners who might be interested will help us disappoint them. Come on by our office at 4150 Southwest Drive, Ste. 120 or call us at 325-698-1421 or toll-free 800-760-4040 for more information.
When you subscribe to the blog, we will send you an e-mail when there are new updates on the site so you wouldn't miss them.
