mkleggs

LESS rain than in 'high season' for a start. More snow at the lower elevations (most relevant if you head up into the hills from Skagway - snowbanks beside the road). Layers are still key in May but more for temperature variance than for rain compared to say August. Search for +layers +Alaska on the boards and you'll find many suggested packing lists but basically you need to fit outfits into your luggage that enable you to handle anything from the lowest to the highest temps you'll face statistically in your ports - which is a broad range - and at least 10 degrees lower than that to account for wind chill and glacier cruising days.

 

 

 

Leaving your heavy coats at home - these are only good when it is both wet AND cold - and bringing layers enables you to wear just the top (wind/rain) shell if it's wet but warm, add an extra middle warmth layer like a fleece underneath if it's wet and cold, and just wear your base layer (the sort of clothes you might wear on a warm day) if there's no wind or rain.

 

 

 

If you don't live somewhere that layering is already something you do and have to actually buy some stuff, get cheap stuff - a fantastically expensive breathable shell is ideal if you need it every year, but if you don't already need one settle for a cheap non-breathable. You don't have to camp out for days - at worst you'll be in weather for a few hours at a time then coming back to a nice warm ship to change & dry your clothes. If you're a hot weather climate person, you will almost certainly want gloves, a scarf, and a hat - cheap acrylic 'wool' versions will roll up small and weight very little - but even on a pretty warm May cruise you'll likely feel them worth the few bucks spent when you're trying to stay out on deck the whole time you're in Glacier Bay for example. I'm also a fan of long underoos - while less easy to change in and out of than rain pants that go on top, on a glacier day or any "it will obviously stay chilly today" occasion they keep you warm even better being right next to your skin and they don't make the annoying crinkly zip-zip-zip if you're moving around.

Thank you for your detailed response. It was very helpful.

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Hi Folks, this will be our 5th cruise, first Alaskan. I know its off season, it'll will probabaly be cold and likely wet. Have any of you done an Alaskan cruise in mid may? I know the weather can vary so much but what can we reasonably expect for conditions?