What is the experience for going on a cruise to Alaska this week? 
Does the rainy weather prevent you from enjoying the visit?  Do tours
still operate in this climate?  Thanks.

Hello Jean1234, and thank you for this question that brings back so
many happy memories for me.  I can answer your question from personal
experience, and also with some information on the web.

First, my husband and I traveled this same week to Alaska aboard the
Fairsea in 1988.  In fact, it was the last scheduled cruise of the
season for the Fairsea.  We left from Seattle and stopped in Valdez,
Seward, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Victoria, on a 10-day itinerary.  Yes,
first of all I can tell you it rained.  The crossing from Seattle to
the gulf of Alaska was rough, and many passengers were seasick.  The
ones who weren't used the seasick patches that are available. 
Certainly the weather had a lot to do with this.  In fact, we only had
one day where we didn't see rain, and that was in Victoria. That
doesn't mean it rained every minute of every day, often the weather
would clear, and we'd have several hours of cloudy sunlight after a
rain storm, a wonderful setting for spectacular photographs.  Despite
the rain, the trip was FANTASTIC, and no one seemed to mind the
inclement weather, the passengers all seemed to have a wonderful time.
 One of the great things about traveling this time of year is the
towns are relatively empty, and you have the shops and tours to
yourself.

Yes, they also do tours.  We did bus tours in Valdez, Seward, and a
self-walking tour in Juneau and Ketchikan, but they were still running
tours. Usually, if the cruise ships are still running, there are tours
available.  However, after doing the tours, I think I would rent a
car, get a map from the local visitors center, and take off on my own,
rather than be part of the "herd" on a tour.  That way, you can spend
as long as you want, not "15 minutes and we're off to the next stop." 
The ship will have a list of all the tours available in each city you
visit, and will certainly help you sign up for them. ;-) (I think they
get a commission on what they sell.)

That said, here are some other references for you.  I don't know where
you'll be stopping on your cruise, but I would certainly recommend you
go.  Sure, you'll probably get wet, but it's part of the real Alaska
experience, it rains there quite a bit, especially in the southern
panhandle.  We hiked a rain forest in Juneau in the pouring rain, and
only saw one other person on the trail, and it was exceptionally
beautiful to see the forest in its real natural environment.

Another plus, you can see the salmon spawning in the rivers and
streams, we saw tons of them, bright red from the spawn, and also the
trees are turning, and it is fall in the high country, absolutely
breathtaking in the surroundings.

So, I personally would say "go for it!" If rain doesn't bother you,
you'll have a wonderful time, and get to see the Alaska that most of
the tourists don't get to see.

OK, now here is some other information from the web for you:

Fall in Fairbanks
http://pamelajoy.com/fairbnks.html
Here's some information on fall in inland Alaska.

Time of Year
http://www.matnet.com/~mckinley/page4.html
Here's another spin on the fall weather in Alaska.

Cruise Talk
http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/ubb-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=6
Here's a bulletin board where you can find out other cruisers
experiences.

Fall Colors
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/~mahoney/Photos/landscapes/Fallcolours.html
Here's just a small sample of what you can expect to see in the way of
fall colors.

Current weather in Alaska
http://climate.gi.alaska.edu/weather/current/current_map.html
Click on this map and you can see what the weather is in the area
you'll be visiting.

NOAA Alaska Weather
http://www.arh.noaa.gov/
Here are forecasts and conditions from the National Weather Service.

Search Strategy Used:
"alaska weather"
://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=%22alaska+weather%22&btnG=Google+Search

"fall season" +alaska
://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&q=%22fall+season%22+%2Balaska&btnG=Google+Search

I hope this answers your question, and if you would like any
additional information, please let me know before you rate my answer.
Thank you, and have a GREAT trip, wish I could join you! ;-)
nvwriter-ga

Excellent information from personal experience.  Great sites were
recommended.  Very pleased with the answer.  Thanks.