WITH ALL THE HELP..I'm still confused!!!!

[eeniemeenie]

we are leaving saturday, for our adventure to vancouver and the serenade of the seas cruise. i am now in the process of packing and must say i am more confused thn ever. i read about people that leave the dinner table to rush out on deck to see passing sites and wildlife. rushing out on the call of announcements to see passing sites etc. i am basically packing regular summer and mid season clothes to wear onboard to lunch and dinner. i have included two ponchos and two umbrellas and two jackets with zip out fleece linings (that's one for each) i am taking one pair of jeans each and one fleece top for me and a light weight wool sweater for my husband. a few short sleeve shirts for him and two long sleeve. tee shirts, one or two long sleeve tees. one pair of sneakers each and the rest summer shoes to go with my outfits. is all of this appropriate or not? how can you be on the ship in capris or long white pants and a shirt with shoes and no socks and then be able to rush out on deck and be outfitted for the weather out there? what am i missing here...not in my packing necessarily but in my thinking of how it is on board this cruise? help ,today and tomorrow are packing days.

[CruiseIsGood]

i read about people that leave the dinner table to rush out on deck to see passing sites and wildlife. rushing out on the call of announcements to see passing sites etc.

 

In three cruises, I have never seen anyone leave the dinner table to rush out on deck for views. I'd say about 80 percent of the passengers weren't even outside for Glacier Bay because it was raining.

[BabySis]

RELAX!!!! It's a cruise!! You'll be fine and won't miss a thing!! Your clothes are a perfect combination and in June our weather was absolutely crystal clear and short sleeve weather. An incredible journey.

[gg3]

we are leaving saturday, for our adventure to vancouver and the serenade of the seas cruise. i am now in the process of packing and must say i am more confused thn ever. i read about people that leave the dinner table to rush out on deck to see passing sites and wildlife. rushing out on the call of announcements to see passing sites etc. i am basically packing regular summer and mid season clothes to wear onboard to lunch and dinner. i have included two ponchos and two umbrellas and two jackets with zip out fleece linings (that's one for each) i am taking one pair of jeans each and one fleece top for me and a light weight wool sweater for my husband. a few short sleeve shirts for him and two long sleeve. tee shirts, one or two long sleeve tees. one pair of sneakers each and the rest summer shoes to go with my outfits. is all of this appropriate or not? how can you be on the ship in capris or long white pants and a shirt with shoes and no socks and then be able to rush out on deck and be outfitted for the weather out there? what am i missing here...not in my packing necessarily but in my thinking of how it is on board this cruise? help ,today and tomorrow are packing days.

 

 

E-Knee - During the day in Alaska, we wear jeans, or jogging pants, or windsuits, with tees and a jacket if it is windy or cooler. Temps stay around 52 or so outside on the ship. We never take umbrellas because we have rainjackets with hoods (no free hands to hold up umbrella) when carrying binnoculars, cameras, etc. If you are going on an excursion where you think it will be colder throw on a fleece jacket. I did see folks in shorts and capris and even sandals - even near the glaciers, but they were miserable. Some folks do wear capris and shorts on the ship, esp. on sea days, but in town and on excursions, you are safer with jeans, tees, flannel shirts, etc. since the temps are pretty cool and layering is the key. All that to say, we are from the south so temps in the 50-60 range are jeans weather to us - not shorts. I might add that as soon as we finish supper every evening, we go back to our cabin and change into comfy clothes - jeans, tennis shoes, etc. gg

[emma2u]

Like the previous poster I have never seen anyone rush out of the dining room. :) Don't worry, if you need more warm clothes the ships gift shop and the ports all have lots of sweatshirts tee's etc. I usually pack a bit lighter knowing I want an Alaska sweatshirt.

I often just carry a sweater into dinner with me and wear closed toed shoes, but most of the time we go change into jeans after dinner.

We were on the Serenade last summer and you will love her! What cabin are you in?

[Troy1_98]

On the Celebrity Mercury we did have a rush... but it was to the rear window of the Dining Room. Just as the late seating dinner began on the last formal night a pod of Orcas began jumping just behind the ship. It was like the Captain flipped the switch for a 1 minute display.

 

Our cruise was in late May and most of the viewing was done from inside the ship.

 

You sound like you have packed perfectly. Remember, The cruise lines and the shops along the way sell everything you might need if you should decide you want something more.:)

[eeniemeenie]

emma2u

 

 

we are in cabin 9256

 

we do not have rain jackets...only ponchos...however it's not too late to buy them if it's a better idea. we just got ponchos from walmart, i can return them if it's not the right thing . where do you get light weight rain jackets this time of year that are inexpensive...don't want to make a big investment since i doubt we will use them again. i did not see any at walmart. the point about the umbrellas is well taken...i imagine we will be carying lots of stuff along.

[gg3]

For hooded rain jackets - check out your local Target, K-Mart, or I found a great bargain at Marshall's. You don't need a heavy one, because if it is chilly, you can wear a tee and flannel shirt, or fleece vest or jacket. We saw them all over Juneau when we were shopping, so you could just wait and get one there - really cheap. gg

[Budget Queen]

You need more than one pair of jeans. And perhaps look at more "fall" clothes than summer. You do need a WIDE range of attire for Alaska and a good number of visitors are not prepared. I suggest you may want to consider a knit hat and gloves too.

 

You also are better off if interested in scenery, wildlife, to park your self out on deck for a timeframe. With any announcements for wildlife, many times you are way too late by time you get out. There are areas that have better opportunities than others. I spend all my sailing time out on deck, but very few passengers do. Inquire of the ship naturalist when the likely areas are being sailed.

[Peggi]

Also look on line at sierratradingpost.com...we got shoes that can get wet for kayaking and waterproof jackets...during one of those summer downpours here (in Washington, DC) we learned two of our jackets were water resistant, not waterproof and it is miserable to get that wet! Also, for the same reason, we'll each take a pair of nylon pants. Wet jeans are the pits and take forever to dry.

[Budget Queen]

Very very true on the above jeans comment. I never take them myself and greatly prefer lined wind pants and leggins. Key is quick drying, jeans are too bulky, tend to get and stay damp and take forever to dry. I also always do laundry at least one on the cruise, most often in port in Skagway, with a rental car even easier, since usually a long port day.

Greatly cuts down on bulk. :)

[nho9504]

rain pants help too.

 

During our Kenai Fjord cruise, it was so cold outside (despite first week of August) that the only persons that can stay on deck and get good viewing of Humbacks and Orcas were us - we both had rain gears - it did not rain, but it help tremendously to keep us warm with plenty of layers underneath. Husband said he never put on these many clothes and these many layers in his whole life. The only things we sorely missed were the knit hats, especially for husband whose hairs were so thin. You lose lots of body heat from the top of your head, trust me.