Alaska 10 day July - Pack List

I noticed for various cruises there were some posts with suggested pack lists. I didnt see an Alaska one so thought i would ask? 10 days in July. Also how do you re circulate your dressy stuff. i saw one lady had a reversible dress soooo cool. To conserve space is it best just to bring one pair of dressy shoes and make it work. i always over pack and dont want to this time. any ideas would be great.

Alaskan cruises are not as "formal" as others....it's a bit more rugged!

I noticed for various cruises there were some posts with suggested pack lists. I didnt see an Alaska one so thought i would ask? 10 days in July. Also how do you re circulate your dressy stuff. i saw one lady had a reversible dress soooo cool. To conserve space is it best just to bring one pair of dressy shoes and make it work. i always over pack and dont want to this time. any ideas would be great.

We've cruised Alaska twice with land tours, both times 11+ days, in mid July & late August.

There are packing suggestions on the Alaska Port of Call boards. The trick is to layer. That way you do not need winter coats. We used jeans, t-shirts & sweat shirts, a fleece jacket, water resistant jacket and rain pants. A pair of low, water resistant boots and heavy socks for on land. I probably had another pair of shoes for day wear since my feet get tired of wearing the same shoes every day.

You can pick up very nice fleece in the ports. We purchased sweat shirts in Denali that we wore on the cruise and land portion. If your cruise includes glacier viewing, gloves and a head band or hat come in handy and take up very little room.

For dinner I had one pair of dressy shoes, a dress with jacket for formal night and 3 other dresses that I alternated on a 7 day cruise. My DH took a dark sports coat 1 dress shirt & 2 ties for formal night, slacks and shirts for other nights. The land portion was very informal.

We usually do tux & gown for formal night so this was under packing for us but Alaska was less formal than other cruises we do on Celebrity.

For shoes, I do one pair for going ashore that's water resistant, one pair for daytime onboard, and one pair for dressing up. I wear the heaviest pair on my flights.

For dinner, I do two formal dresses of a non-wrinkling knit, maybe a maxi dress or two (again, knit), and one pair of black palazzo pants with a few different knit tops. All of these things can be rolled tightly in the suitcase and come out ready to wear.

For daywear, a clean "dri-weave" undershirt everyday, then layers of thin sweaters, long sleeved shirts and/or fleeces that can be remixed and matched everyday. Two pair of jeans (one worn while flying to/from AK) plus one pair of wind pants rounds it out.

And I do have one reversible sweatshirt (stripes vs polka dots) that provides extra variety without taking up extra space/weight. :)

Layering is definitely the key to success! Also be prepared with a lightweight layer for warm weather! On our July Alaska cruise several years ago, it was 90 degrees in port! I had packed layers, but not a layer that was appropriate for a HOT day! I ended up wearing my "workout clothes" (gym shorts and tank top!) around Ketchikan with my pool shoes (flip-flops)! On our Glacier Bay day we had on every layer we brought with us PLUS wrapped ourselves in blankets as we sailed past the glaciers! We saw both extremes of temperature on that trip! It was a trip of a lifetime though! Amazing!

I totally agree...layering is the way to go.

I packed a pair of waterproof boots that I wore on the plane (we flew out of Seattle), a pair of flip-flops to use as shower shoes, and for the Spa and Jacuzzi, a pair of athletic for the gym, and one pair of black, low-heeled dressy shoes for each night at dinner both for casual and formal nights.

Be sure to pack warm gloves, hat and scarf for when you're out on deck in the cold. And of course a warm, water-resistant jacket or coat. Mine came down to my knees and kept me warm on shore excursions. I carried that on the plane and placed it in the overhead compartment.

I packed a couple a pairs of jeans that I wore with long underwear in port and a couple of pair of sweatpants for hanging around the ship. I packed two zip-up, fleece tops that I layered with long-sleeved underwear and a long-sleeved t-shirt. I also had several warm scarves, hats, and gloves. I get cold easily. Oh yeah, I also packed several pairs of warm socks.

The most important thing to pack for an Alaskan vacation is...the best camera and binoculars you own. We used our binoculars everyday to see some of the amazing water and land creatures from the ship's deck. I would never travel to Alaska without them. Actually, we bring them on all our cruises and always use them at some point while we're out on deck.

As another poster remarked...Alaskan cruises are the most casual of all cruises...even more so than Caribbean ones. As least that's been my experience. There's not a lot of people staying up late as almost everyone has an excursion everyday that leaves in the early AM. Alaskan cruises are all about the excursions so be sure to book your favorite ones early as they fill up quick.

In the evenings I wore long skirts. One was a denim pencil skirt that I wore two nights with two different v-neck, cotton knit, long-sleeved sweaters w/a lacy camisole underneath that I wore belted with a wide belt and my black shoes. On the two dress up nights, I wore a long, black, tiered, skirt with long-sleeved dressy, sequined sweaters, and my black shoes. On the other three nights I wore a maxi skirt and/or black palazzo pants with long-sleeved, lightweight cotton sweaters. I jazzed all my outfits up with pretty costume jewelry.

I hope this helps. :)

Whatever you pack...I hope you have an awesome cruise!:D

The packing mantra for Alaska is..

Be an Onion

(dress in layers)

Hi,:) I am leaving for Alaska next month....total days away 8, rather than

10.....It will be my 4th time there but it has been 6 years:eek:.....I agree

with the layering suggestion.

As for evenings? As you can see, everyone has their own opinions about

what to wear. I pretty much dress the same in the evenings on every

cruise...I have 2 pair of black sandals, one is more dressy but both

are lightweight and will probably alternate them.....I have dressy slacks

and nice tops for non-formal nights (along with a long skirt or 2)...all

materials are a matte jersey.....no wrinkles and they pack up very small.

Formal night....long skirt and pretty top or I may decide to pack a long

dress I haven't worn in a while....it is red and I love it:D

Daytime.....I have cargo pants I love.....sneakers and socks, long

sleeves, sweaters and I just ordered a new jacket...:).......this

is a picture of it.....quilted fleece.:)

I love this look, Lois. Love the color. You'll be stunning!

.

Hi Karen, thank you.:)

Karen, I got my jacket today:D:):D....I LOVE IT:).....it is a little

big but I am fine with that because I can wear a sweater underneath

without any sizing issues......I wear a large/xl (depending on the item)

Well, I got an XL in this jacket....I think a large would have fit but might

have been a bit "too snug".....if that makes sense......I wanted some

extra room.......oh, and I LOVE the color....it is vibrant and feels

sooooooo soft:)

^ Aww sweetie, sounds amazing. You'll be toasty warm and layered too - perfect for whatever weather we encounter on our cruises. :)

I just booked my 10 day Alaska cruise yesterday, but have also been researching in the last week or two regarding clothing.

Done the Caribbean and Grand Med cruises before....

Our first 5 cruises were drive to port.....my husband told me we could NEVER fly to port due to those darn luggage restrictions...

I made it to Europe twice for 12 days, but I did use both luggage and a carry-on...

As a lark, last summer I challenged myself and used my carry-on only....to the Carribbean...but I was able to choose tons of lightweight clothes...

the ONLY reason my dress sandals and super light weight gown went in my daughters luggage was she had a lot of room and weight...so less ironing.

On to Alaska....now

We each had one free checked bag.on the flight I booked...so a bit challenging due to layering clothing weight...but confident I could do it...

BUT then I upgraded our seats and we each got an extra free checked bag...

TWO FREE CHECKED BAGS EACH...yikes....

So, now I basically can bring the kitchen sink....hahahaha...but of course do not want to....but if I end up with a carry-on- it WILL get checked...

I found a pair of boots in my closet that will be perfect...just going to waterproof them.....

One thing I did realize...for off the ship layering a zip open layer is best than a sweatshirt or heavy pullover.....so I have a beautiful fleece my daughter gave me I will use for Glacier Bay scenic cruising...but not off the ship

.

I just pulled out a backpack for off the ship in a color my husband or I can carry...that will be his laptop bag for the plane...

Since luggage can get lost, the one item that we will both take on plane is our outer layer that is waterproof.....Cause it would irritate us to have to buy something like that...

I always make sure the gowns I do buy are super light weight- so they are lighter than a lot of my dresses.....and definitely lighter than a top/pant option....

So..I am excited to pick and sort my clothes....and be free of shoe restrictions....if I want to...

Bernadette

I have a similar fleece but it a CRAZY bright yellow....

I got it for bike riding in cool weather..

I washed it after my trip to Colorado in February, put it away and forgot about it!

..it really is comfortable- you will love yours....

I appreciated you posting the pic as it will get suddenly warm here and stay warm and fleece will be way off my radar...

so I am trying to gather stuff in one place

for my cruise now...

Bernadette

Although no expert, I just wanted to mention that the Summer of 2015 is predicted to be extra warm & dry for the Pacific NW and Alaska. All of that layering will be perfect for glacier day. But please be prepared for hot weather. Could be hot, could be warm, could be cool, could be cold. Just be prepared.

I went to Alaska early May 2004 and only brought one short-sleeved t-shirt. Ended up wearing it almost every day because they were having a heat wave.

That is all. :D

Although no expert, I just wanted to mention that the Summer of 2015 is predicted to be extra warm & dry for the Pacific NW and Alaska. All of that layering will be perfect for glacier day. But please be prepared for hot weather. Could be hot, could be warm, could be cool, could be cold. Just be prepared.

 

I went to Alaska early May 2004 and only brought one short-sleeved t-shirt. Ended up wearing it almost every day because they were having a heat wave.

 

That is all. :D

Hi Sandy, I appreciate the information.....I will be checking the

weather before I leave......I was hoping it would be cool:eek:...I don't

want to have to pack for warm and cold weather....as for only

wearing 1 t shirt?..YIKES!........that does not sound good......1

short sleeved shirt every day?:confused:.....

LOL Lois! I think for you, leaving very soon, it'll be alot cooler than the OP leaving in July. We're actually going to have snow in the mountains this weekend :eek: - we're at 20% of normal snow pack right now so this won't really help much.

So maybe you only need 2 short-sleeve tops? They'd work with the layering anyway on the cooler days. I'm horrible about layering though.

LOL Lois! I think for you, leaving very soon, it'll be alot cooler than the OP leaving in July. We're actually going to have snow in the mountains this weekend :eek: - we're at 20% of normal snow pack right now so this won't really help much.

 

So maybe you only need 2 short-sleeve tops? They'd work with the layering anyway on the cooler days. I'm horrible about layering though.

Ahhhh...ok.....:D...I am going to pack the way I originally planned

then:)

When we were in Alaska I brought a waterproof jacket for $20. It has a hood and I just love it. I still wear it all the time.

When we were in Alaska I brought a waterproof jacket for $20. It has a hood and I just love it.

Yes, I am taking my waterproof windbreaker that I got at the Van Heusen outlet store. A pretty scarf to accessorize and I am good to go.

about having a few hot weather items, just in case....

so I am trying to pick a few items that can layer well, and will pack some shorts.....

I was in Colorado in February, expecting very cold.....and got high 60's.....

I was on Hurricane Sandy cruise and knew since we were headed north instead of Bermuda- to take some warmer clothes. People who did a back to back were FREEZING....

Weather can be so unpredictable...

Bernadette

Wow! Lots of great tips here. I am starting to pack for our cruisetour leaving Vancouver May 9th and I worry about not having something I need :-)

We went to Alaska last May. The main things we wore cuddle duds, jeans, fleece, water/wind resistant jacket, gloves, ear muffs. On the ship I wore leggings and tunics or long shirts with scarves. I brought 1 cocktail/ semi formal dress. Get polarize sunglasses! I had hiking boots(we hiked) flats and sketcher like shoes for leggings. Figure out hairstyles for wind blown hair, lol. I hand washed leggings and tank tops/under shirts and hung in bathroom to dry.

Wow! Lots of great tips here. I am starting to pack for our cruisetour leaving Vancouver May 9th and I worry about not having something I need :-)

Hi:)...I am sailing May 8th....hope you have a great cruise:D....and

I wouldn't worry...well, I don't worry about it. I am not starting to

pack though.....still have a couple of weeks before I do that......I do

have some things laid out on the bed in the spare bedroom but as

for packing? Nope.....not yet.