Best time to cruise · No regular sailings
Alaska cruises in December
No ships sail in December, when Juneau gets only about six and a half hours of daylight. Use the holidays to settle the big decisions for next summer: Seattle round trip or one way to Anchorage, whether to add Denali, and which glacier day matters most to you, Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier or Tracy Arm.
- No regular sailings
- Avg high 37°F
- 7 hrs daylight
Photo: Pat W. Sanders, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Alaska in December: No regular sailings
No ships sail in December, when Juneau gets only about six and a half hours of daylight. Use the holidays to settle the big decisions for next summer: Seattle round trip or one way to Anchorage, whether to add Denali, and which glacier day matters most to you, Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier or Tracy Arm.
Across Alaska cruise ports, December brings average highs around 37°F (3°C) and lows near 30°F, with about 10.6 inches of rain over the month and roughly 7 hours of daylight.
- Verdict
- No regular sailings
- Season
- Late April to early October; warmest and busiest June to August.
- Average high / low
- 37°F / 30°F
- Rainfall (month)
- 10.6 in
- Daylight
- About 7 hours
- Typical cruise length
- 7 nights; 10 to 14 days with a Denali land tour
How December compares with the rest of the year
- Jan: No regular sailings
- Feb: No regular sailings
- Mar: No regular sailings
- Apr: Shoulder season
- May: Good time to go
- Jun: Best time to go
- Jul: Best time to go
- Aug: Best time to go
- Sep: Good time to go
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: No regular sailings
- Dec: No regular sailings
- No regular sailings
- Shoulder season
- Good time to go
- Best time to go
Alaska weather in December
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F (°C) | 362 | 362 | 405 | 468 | 5412 | 6016 | 6519 | 6518 | 5915 | 5010 | 405 | 373 |
| Low °F (°C) | 29-1 | 28-2 | 31-1 | 373 | 457 | 5111 | 5613 | 5613 | 5010 | 426 | 331 | 30-1 |
| Rain in (mm) | 10.4263 | 7.0178 | 6.4163 | 5.9149 | 5.1130 | 4.7120 | 5.2132 | 7.2183 | 9.0230 | 11.0280 | 10.6269 | 10.6270 |
| Daylight (hrs) | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
December weather port by port
| Port | Avg high | Avg low | Rain | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juneau | 31°F | 24°F | 13.7 in | 6 h |
| Ketchikan | 37°F | 31°F | 10.7 in | 7 h |
| Skagway | 29°F | 20°F | 7.2 in | 6 h |
| Glacier Bay National Park | 37°F | 32°F | 19.1 in | 6 h |
| Sitka | 41°F | 38°F | 10.0 in | 7 h |
| Icy Strait Point (Hoonah) | 36°F | 31°F | 9.2 in | 7 h |
| Hubbard Glacier | 31°F | 24°F | 8.1 in | 6 h |
| Tracy Arm & Endicott Arm | 33°F | 24°F | 11.4 in | 7 h |
| Seattle | 45°F | 37°F | 8.0 in | 8 h |
| Vancouver | 40°F | 33°F | 12.1 in | 8 h |
| Victoria | 45°F | 39°F | 6.4 in | 8 h |
| Seward (Anchorage) | 35°F | 28°F | 11.6 in | 6 h |
Average daily highs and lows, 2015–2024, from NASA POWER, adjusted to sea level. Rain is the average monthly total.
Other great cruise destinations in December
- Caribbean in December
- Eastern Caribbean in December
- Western Caribbean in December
- Southern Caribbean in December
- Mexican Riviera & Baja in December
- Panama Canal & Central America in December
- South America in December
- Galápagos Islands in December
- Canary Islands & Atlantic Isles in December
- Antarctica in December
See every destination for December, with a port weather map →
Alaska in December: FAQs
Is December a good time to cruise Alaska?
Generally not: there are few or no regular sailings. No ships sail in December, when Juneau gets only about six and a half hours of daylight. Use the holidays to settle the big decisions for next summer: Seattle round trip or one way to Anchorage, whether to add Denali, and which glacier day matters most to you, Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier or Tracy Arm.
What is the weather like on a Alaska cruise in December?
Across Alaska cruise ports, December brings average highs around 37°F (3°C) and lows near 30°F, with about 10.6 inches of rain over the month and roughly 7 hours of daylight. Conditions vary from port to port and day to day.
When is the best time to cruise Alaska?
Late April to early October; warmest and busiest June to August.. The best months are usually June, July, August.
Where else can I cruise in December?
December is also a top month for Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, Southern Caribbean, Mexican Riviera & Baja.
Updated November 2026 by the BookMyDreamCruise editorial team. How we research and fact-check.
Sources: NASA POWER climate data.