Alaska Packing List

[Love.II.Cruise]

We are going 7/1-7/8 roundtrip NCL from Seattle and I'm wondering if warm clothes are really that necessary??? I'm looking at Weather.com and for the next 10 days I see upper 50s-upper 60s at Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. The lows seem to stay in the 50s.

 

It's hard for me to believe gloves and thermals are in order but maybe I'm wrong? I hate to be unprepared. I will continue checking the weather as we get closer to the sail date. I don't have gloves or thermal underwear so I will need to purchase these before we leave. We do have a balcony though and we will want to use it so maybe out on the sea it will be nice to have some added warmth?

 

Thanks!

 

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best! Layers, layers, layers. ;) You can always shed layers if it is warm, but you can't add layers if you don't bring them (well, unless you decide to do some shopping).

[sherryf]

We are going 7/1-7/8 roundtrip NCL from Seattle and I'm wondering if warm clothes are really that necessary??? I'm looking at Weather.com and for the next 10 days I see upper 50s-upper 60s at Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. The lows seem to stay in the 50s.

 

It's hard for me to believe gloves and thermals are in order but maybe I'm wrong? I hate to be unprepared. I will continue checking the weather as we get closer to the sail date. I don't have gloves or thermal underwear so I will need to purchase these before we leave. We do have a balcony though and we will want to use it so maybe out on the sea it will be nice to have some added warmth?

 

Thanks!

 

A hat and gloves are nice on glacier viewing day, when it can be quite chilly on deck. Other than that, you should be fine with layers. I've never felt that thermals were necessary. Unless you are from a hot place (Florida, Arizona, etc.) and totally not used to the cold, you shouldn't need them.

[Gig103]

Highly support the power strip, no matter what cruise one is on.

 

I have one of these and it is indespensible on all domestic vacations (It won't work with a plug adapter due to the surge circuits):

 

Belkin Mini Surge Protector w/ Dual USB

 

The twin USB ports are great for cell phones, freeing up three spots for other chargers. And the whole thing can swivel to fit into most spaces. It's not as "Mini" as you might think thought.

[Alaskanb]

We were on a May 23 NB sailing.

I was really surprised at how valuable these things were to have along:

Silk thermal undies (cami and long-johns)--so light and wonderful on chilly days;

A light weight scarf (used as an accessory, kneck protector, and a quick head cover);

Rain pants when we were on a whale watch trip in the rain;

Smartwool socks (used them every day--not itchy at all!);

Fleece zip-up jacket under a waterproof top jacket.

Wished I had taken a fleece headband as my forehead would get chilly.

I lived in black knit Zenergy pants (Chicos) that had a zip pocket--perfect for ship card. My go-to item was a black knit cardigan....

[Pittypatbr]

Am wondering this as well- will I freeze in the MDR if I wear sandals to dinner?

 

And how necessary are bear bells? We plan to visit Mendenhall Glacier and do the one hour Nugget Falls hike around 6pm. Where do I even get bear bells? Do they have them at Dick's Sporting Goods?

 

Loving the packing advice!

 

In the MDR it is quite comfortable for sandals and usually for sleeveless dresses. You may want to take a light shawl if you get chilled easily.

 

I don't think you will need bear bells on the Nugget Falls hike at Mendenhall. There are a lot of people walking around!

[am2]

In the MDR it is quite comfortable for sandals and usually for sleeveless dresses. You may want to take a light shawl if you get chilled easily.

 

I don't think you will need bear bells on the Nugget Falls hike at Mendenhall. There are a lot of people walking around!

 

Super... thank you!

[indigosails]

Am wondering this as well- will I freeze in the MDR if I wear sandals to dinner?

 

No. The temperature is a balmy 70 degrees inside.

 

And how necessary are bear bells? We plan to visit Mendenhall Glacier and do the one hour Nugget Falls hike around 6pm. Where do I even get bear bells? Do they have them at Dick's Sporting Goods?

 

You will not need bear bells. If you are in the woods, just make noise so you don't surprise any bears.

 

Loving the packing advice!

Hope this helps

[Catocop]

We were on a May 23 NB sailing.

I was really surprised at how valuable these things were to have along:

Silk thermal undies (cami and long-johns)--so light and wonderful on chilly days;

A light weight scarf (used as an accessory, kneck protector, and a quick head cover);

Rain pants when we were on a whale watch trip in the rain;

Smartwool socks (used them every day--not itchy at all!);

Fleece zip-up jacket under a waterproof top jacket.

Wished I had taken a fleece headband as my forehead would get chilly.

I lived in black knit Zenergy pants (Chicos) that had a zip pocket--perfect for ship card. My go-to item was a black knit cardigan....

 

I went June 1-8, when the highs were predicted to be 50 some days, 60 others.

 

Did wear silk thermal undies that morning watching glaciers, as well as gloves, fleece sweater, and windbreaker. Never used my ear muffs or down vest.

 

Did not bring rain pants but had quick-drying zip off pants from R.E.I. These were to double as shorts but I never got warm enough to need them (I came from Maryland where it was 90 degrees).

 

Wore wool socks two days: glacier viewing day and when I took the super-high speed Eagle Wings whale watch out of Victoria. They provide heavy jackets, rain pants, gloves, knit caps, and sun glasses but I was glad I had the socks and silk undies.

 

Wore sandals (heels) with hose and a sleeveless dress a gauzy shaw/scarf, (scarf was $10 from Target) in the MDR.

 

The power strip is essential, in my humble opinion.

[JaniceB]

One thing I wish I had brought was rain pants. It was so windy and rainy in Ketchikan that I didn't get to walk around and enjoy much because I didn't want to get wet and then cold. I had a rain jacket but even a long poncho would have been better. You really couldn't use an umbrella because of the wind.

[AKman2495]

They say that a good alternative to bear bells is loud singing.....

[SweetP2]

Don't forget highlighters (for marking up daily planners onboard), sticky notes (for leaving notes for your cabin steward or cabin mates), deck of cards, bingo daubber (if you play).

 

Love using Sticky Notes when cruising. We leave notes for friends, each other...and we always use fun shaped Sticky Notes - like star shaped...we put on each sticky note what we want to do on the cruise, stick them to our vanity mirror...and each evening we will remove the ones we accomplished that day, talk about what we want to do tomorrow!

 

SP

[ChillKat]

I wore and was comfortable in slacks/skirts with short sleeve and sleeveless blouses and a light jacket/sweater to wear over them when needed. I tried to pack things that I could mix and match so as not to pack too much. DH wore khakis and polos. Capris would be fine if you are staying inside as well as your sleeveless tops/dresses.

[ChillKat]

Essentials for packing-*multiplug power strip as mentioned

3 highlighters & magnets for ship patter (1 color for

me, one for DH and 1 for both!).

If you are doing laundry-roll of quarters, dryer

sheets, Tide pods (easy to pack) laundry

detergent

Rechargeable batteries for cameras (you will take

lots of pictures and if you videotape you chew

up batteries quickly) and a easy to pack charger.

Extra memory cards or something to download your

pictures to.

Travel size air freshener (for tiny bathroom you

share with husband (nuff said)) or for musty hotel

rooms.:p

Zip lock baggies (lunch, quart, and gallon size) -

came in handy for many things from taking cookies

from the buffet for later snack to keeping stubs,

brochures together.

Medicines including motion sickness medicine for

small boat or plane excursions if you are prone to

that.

Chapstick.

Addresses and stamps if sending postcards.

Cross body messenger bag for excursions or small

backpack.

Comfortable waterproof hiking shoes.

Travel pack disinfecting wipes and tissues.

Some foreign currency if you are going to be in

another country during your cruise.

 

And as mentioned: Binoculars 10x42 is a good size, waterproof,

fogproof.

Rain jacket/pants and or quick dry pants.

Layers especially for being out on deck or small

boat excursions.

Sunglasses

 

Optional: Tripod for camera (we used ours on ship and land)

E-reader

Collapsible lunch bag.

Lanyard for cruise card.

Ear plugs for light sleepers (we never were

awakened by noise and didn't need them).

 

Did not need: Duct tape.

Clothespins for shower curtain (ours had weighted

magnets to keep it from clinging).

Shower caddy or soap caddy. (Our shower had an

ample space for our travel size toiletries).

Bug spray (we saw the giant mosquitos but they

did not bother us, however they might like you

better!).

Sunscreen (we were covered up by clothes,

may need it for your face - I use

moisturizer/foundation with spf 15).

Hamper (we used a carry-on piece of luggage to

put our dirties in and rolled it to the laundry room

and back).

Eye masks (you can pull your curtains closed)

Negative attitudes-positive ones went a lot farther

to assure a fun trip!

 

I know this was long but tried to think of all the things that were helpful to us!! Have a great time! We did!!!

[raylene5]

Essentials for packing-*multiplug power strip as mentioned

3 highlighters & magnets for ship patter (1 color for

me, one for DH and 1 for both!).

If you are doing laundry-roll of quarters, dryer

sheets, Tide pods (easy to pack) laundry

detergent

Rechargeable batteries for cameras (you will take

lots of pictures and if you videotape you chew

up batteries quickly) and a easy to pack charger.

Extra memory cards or something to download your

pictures to.

Travel size air freshener (for tiny bathroom you

share with husband (nuff said)) or for musty hotel

rooms.:p

Zip lock baggies (lunch, quart, and gallon size) -

came in handy for many things from taking cookies

from the buffet for later snack to keeping stubs,

brochures together.

Medicines including motion sickness medicine for

small boat or plane excursions if you are prone to

that.

Chapstick.

Addresses and stamps if sending postcards.

Cross body messenger bag for excursions or small

backpack.

Comfortable waterproof hiking shoes.

Travel pack disinfecting wipes and tissues.

Some foreign currency if you are going to be in

another country during your cruise.

 

And as mentioned: Binoculars 10x42 is a good size, waterproof,

fogproof.

Rain jacket/pants and or quick dry pants.

Layers especially for being out on deck or small

boat excursions.

Sunglasses

 

Optional: Tripod for camera (we used ours on ship and land)

E-reader

Collapsible lunch bag.

Lanyard for cruise card.

Ear plugs for light sleepers (we never were

awakened by noise and didn't need them).

 

Did not need: Duct tape.

Clothespins for shower curtain (ours had weighted

magnets to keep it from clinging).

Shower caddy or soap caddy. (Our shower had an

ample space for our travel size toiletries).

Bug spray (we saw the giant mosquitos but they

did not bother us, however they might like you

better!).

Sunscreen (we were covered up by clothes,

may need it for your face - I use

moisturizer/foundation with spf 15).

Hamper (we used a carry-on piece of luggage to

put our dirties in and rolled it to the laundry room

and back).

Eye masks (you can pull your curtains closed)

Negative attitudes-positive ones went a lot farther

to assure a fun trip!

 

I know this was long but tried to think of all the things that were helpful to us!! Have a great time! We did!!!

 

Thanks ChillKat!!! Your list is very helpful! Can I ask, when did you go on your cruise? Was it cold? I didn't plan on buying/taking waterproof pants but maybe I should? I will be sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast :)

[Tamiblonde]

I wore and was comfortable in slacks/skirts with short sleeve and sleeveless blouses and a light jacket/sweater to wear over them when needed. I tried to pack things that I could mix and match so as not to pack too much. DH wore khakis and polos. Capris would be fine if you are staying inside as well as your sleeveless tops/dresses.

 

Thank you for your MDR advice!

[am2]

They say that a good alternative to bear bells is loud singing.....

 

I'd tell that to my 8 year old daughter, but although her singing would scare off the bears, it would scare off the rest of us, too!

[sully108]

In the MDR it is quite comfortable for sandals and usually for sleeveless dresses. You may want to take a light shawl if you get chilled easily.

 

I don't think you will need bear bells on the Nugget Falls hike at Mendenhall. There are a lot of people walking around!

 

so happy to hear I can wear my sandals in dining room .. :D

[dhmom99]

We've taken several Alaska cruises.

 

Here is a short list:

 

1) Binoculars! Make sure you pack a relatively good pair. The ones you get on the ship are pretty cheap

 

2) Umbrella!! I saw some pretty good storms.

 

3) Water proof rain gear, a light jacket will do with a rain hood.

 

4) Swimsuit for the jacuzzi/pool

 

5) Semi-Formal clothes for Formal nights. Alaska is not as formal as say Europe.

 

6) Mosquito Repellent if touring mid summer and inland. There are relatively few Mosquitoes on the coast, nor in May and September.

 

7) Comfortable hiking/walking shoes for excursions

 

8) A Good Camera!!

 

9) A Good Attitude!!

 

a very essential list

[ChillKat]

Raylene5,

 

We just went at the end of May-beginning of June. Temps averaged 40's - 50's, but ranged between 30 - 80! (that's why layering is so important!). We used our rain pants on two boat excursions (Juneau and Kenai Fjords) and our floatplane trip to Misty Fjords, in Ketchikan, and on deck watching for the whales on the ship (very cold out on deck!) Twice, we wore our long underwear underneath, and glad we did! The rest of the time we wore quick dry pants or khakis/jeans depending on what the weather looked like and were fine. Hope that helps! Sorry to take so long to get back to you!

[ChillKat]

Sorry, Raylene5,

I posted instead of hitting reply to your post. See my post a little further down.

[ChillKat]

Also, I found Sierra Trading Post a good resource for rain pants and silkies as well as out of season clothing with great clearance prices - just not sure how much they have left at this point but worth checking in to. How much warm stuff and rain gear you take depends on how much time you will spend outside. The ports do tend to be rainy.

[raylene5]

Also, I found Sierra Trading Post a good resource for rain pants and silkies as well as out of season clothing with great clearance prices - just not sure how much they have left at this point but worth checking in to. How much warm stuff and rain gear you take depends on how much time you will spend outside. The ports do tend to be rainy.

 

Thanks! Yeah, we do plan on spending a fair amount of time outside. I was able to find some really nice thermals at REI on clearance for both my husband and me so that was good. Now I'm just trying to decide on buying rain pants and wool socks. We just moved to the Seattle area from Phoenix so I'm sure I will get use out of those items around here anyway. I will check out Sierra Trading Post...thanks!

[Pittypatbr]

I got several pair of smart wool socks from Sierra Trading Post and they were great. I also got some long sleeve shirts with sun protection and ventilation panels for myself and my husband on sale for a great price there that were perfect. They were great for layering. I picked up rain suits for us at Wal-Mart and Big Lots very inexpensively, which was great because we didn't use them! I bought them for the pants, but even on the whale watching trip we didn't need them.

 

I was surprised at the great prices on jackets and fleeces all along the cruise route. I thought they would be MORE expensive, but instead they were much less than I could pay back in the lower 48. So you can always add more layers if you need them.

[ttnc4me]

I got several pair of smart wool socks from Sierra Trading Post and they were great. I also got some long sleeve shirts with sun protection and ventilation panels for myself and my husband on sale for a great price there that were perfect. They were great for layering. I picked up rain suits for us at Wal-Mart and Big Lots very inexpensively, which was great because we didn't use them! I bought them for the pants, but even on the whale watching trip we didn't need them.

 

I was surprised at the great prices on jackets and fleeces all along the cruise route. I thought they would be MORE expensive, but instead they were much less than I could pay back in the lower 48. So you can always add more layers if you need them.

Was your Sierra purchase online or B&M? How recently were you able get the rainsuits? What was the general price for jackets along the route?

I'm afraid of not being able to find the right winter clothing here in FL for my kids since it's June.

[ChillKat]

I purchased online, Sierratradingpost.com. They usually have a percentage off the sale/clearance price if you purchase a certain amount. They still have rain pants and jackets so you can compare - not sure about the socks. Check out the reviews about fit/quality from purchasers, it helps. Hubby forgot his jacket for our Kenai Fjords boat tour so we had to purchase one at an outdoor shop across the street. I, too was surprised at the prices in Alaska. His was $35 for a very nice lined rain jacket with hood. There were other ample jackets for a little less, too. I thought we would have to dish out more. We didn't look at anything else in the way of warm clothes because we had everything with us. We live in the warm south, too so didn't have a lot of stuff but purchased everything we needed around February at the end of the winter season for clearance prices, just shopped around for the best prices/selection. Hope that helps. Don't stress too much about the clothes, you won't need but maybe one pair of rain pants each, definitely a lightweight rain jacket, a few quick dry pants and maybe one or two fleece pullovers or vests because you can rewear these and should only need them a few times. Everything else you can just layer. And hopefully you will have blue skies and comfy temps and won't need them at all! Either way you will have a great time!