Packing List for Alaska

[sgutt86]

So here's a question for past Alaska cruisers because I'm starting to panic a bit about packing.

I'm going to Alaska for the 1st 2 weeks of September. Other threads which comment on the topic of packing discuss more general ideas like make sure you dress in layers... and Alaska is more casual. Plus we are going to be spending 4 days in the Denali Parks first.

Does anyone have an ACTUAL packing list that they are willing to share? I think that would be most helpful. I'm worried about the wide range of temperatures that we could encounter and don't want my luggage to be over 50lbs!

 

Oh also, question about laundry, I've heard that the ships will have self-laundry and we should bring a roll of quarters. How much does it cost per load/dry and do you suggest bringing your own detergent or will they have some there?

 

Sorry if I missed this topic, I breifly tried to search for it, but didn't really see exactly what I was looking for.

 

Thanks!

Sydney

Edited July 14, 2014 by sgutt86
spelling

[seamanfs]

So here's a question for past Alaska cruisers because I'm starting to panic a bit about packing.

I'm going to Alaska for the 1st 2 weeks of September. Other threads which comment on the topic of packing discuss more general ideas like make sure you dress in layers... and Alaska is more casual. Plus we are going to be spending 4 days in the Denali Parks first.

Does anyone have an ACTUAL packing list that they are willing to share? I think that would be most helpful. I'm worried about the wide range of temperatures that we could encounter and don't want my luggage to be over 50lbs!

 

Oh also, question about laundry, I've heard that the ships will have self-laundry and we should bring a roll of quarters. How much does it cost per load/dry and do you suggest bringing your own detergent or will they have some there?

 

Sorry if I missed this topic, I breifly tried to search for it, but didn't really see exactly what I was looking for.

 

Thanks!

Sydney

We are leaving for Alaska on Aug 9th for 2 weeks on the Coral. Have no list as such but will bring layers as suggested, including polar fleece pull overs, long sleeve tees, rain coat and water proof hiking shoes (wear on plane), light weight polar fleece gloves and headband and a couple of cheap throw away folding ponchos each.We are doing only one formal night per 7 days and DH will for the first time bring long sleeve dress shirt, tie and dark pants-no jacket! Laundry is $2.00 to wash and the same to dry. Change machine in each laundry room or passenger services will give change. We bring our own Tide pods and dryer sheets but they are for sale by dispenser in the laundry room. Hope this helps and enjoy your cruise.

[karenj4546]

I don't have a packing list, but do remember that it cost $3-4 dollars to run a large load in the self-serve laundromat. I also pack both detergent and fabric softener sheets. I'm able to put 4 of those "pods" into a ziplock and then put that in an empty Aleve box which I then put into another ziplock bag. The sheets go into a separate bag, and do a good job at making my stuff smell nice.

As far as layers....I am taking long sleeve t's, a hoodie, a sweater (for formal nights, though it could work as a layer), and a windbreaker. I try to keep to black and white clothes with a few bright colors to spice things up. One formal for 2 nights (polyester, so it rolls up well).

[RetiredNTraveling]

Try the following link, as I found it quite useful! :D

 

http://www.alaskacruises.com/cruises/alaska-packing-tips.html

 

Don't overlook the highlighted box in the upper right hand corner! ;)

 

If traveling with a companion or spouse, divide your checked items into two (or more) suitcases. That way, if one is lost, you will both have some clothing to wear! Secondly, carry papers, passports, medicine and jewelry in your carry-on!

Edited July 14, 2014 by RetiredNTraveling

[custompcsys]

I can sum up packing for my Alaska cruise in one word.....layers! :) Bring things you can layer over another as you will encounter a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions. Also avoided my having to pack a ton of different weight clothing and outerwear.

[sept10dsm]

Aside from what the others have said, a rain jacket. I always have those strechy gloves packed as well, for any cruise!

[Cruise Raider]

Yes, layers as everyone says but do not forget your swimsuit and a tube of sunblock. Last year in early Sept, didn't put my jacket on once but did use that entire tube of sunblock. It was in the 70's and understand it can be in the 80's although that is rare, especially in Alaska.

 

We did take bug repellent towels. If the weather is decent, those mosquitos are out in full force anywhere there is water nearby. I am thinking in Ketchikan and Skagway by the stream and pond that you can walk by to get into town.

 

An umbrella is nice if not provided in the room, although we always go in early Sept and have not had any rain. The time we left mid-Sept, it was coming down in buckets....nevertheless, a very awesome cruise. You will want to take rain gear just in case, a pair of waterproof gloves and plastic bags to put over your socks to get your feet dry, even in the event of your shoes getting wet.

Take a hat and ear muffs if your ears are sensitive to cold wind. Chances are you won't have to wear these but one or two days, if even at all, but it can be very cold near the glacier so you might be happy to have them on that day.

 

There are plenty of really good sales on cold weather / rainy clothing and accessories in Alaska -- especially in Sept, which is the end of their tourist season. I picked up a nice lined rain jacket for under $20 while up there last year.

[ggprincess2004]

Raingear, sunblock, sunglasses, excellent binoculars for each person, camera gear, warm gloves, hat, scarf, waterproof footwear, and then on the flip side, bathing suit, coverup, pair of shorts...........

 

What I do is map out day by day what is on the schedule - flying in, sea day, excursions, cruising Glacier Bay day, and figure out what I would choose to wear. Then I make sure the warmer layer is available. In Alaska, unlike most other destinations, jeans make the list for lots of things - horseback riding, hiking, float trips - lots of things. And then of course, evenings on board. This becomes a packing list in addition to the things we always take for a cruise - outlet expander, small extension cord, toiletries, electronics.....

 

We carry the Purex all in one laundry sheets in a ziplock freezer bag. Easy to pack, smell good, effective and easy to use. Also carry a small stain stick like Tide to Go or similar.

 

If you don't want to pack all the heavy stuff, leave room to take it home and plan to pick up a jacket or sweatshirt early on into your trip as a souvenier. And if you find you need a lightweight piece that you don't have - souvenier!

Edited July 14, 2014 by ggprincess2004
lack of caffeine

[Colo Cruiser]

Be aware that at times the self serve laundry will be closed in Alaska due to environmental restrictions. No way to tell when, they will just post a sign on the door. :(

[81Zoomie]

We toured AK on our own and then cruised south last year. It was 90 degrees in Denali national park and in the 40s and raining in Glacier Bay. We saw every range of precip and temperatures in between. Bring bug spray. The mosquitos were everywhere. If you are a light sleeper bring an eye mask. The ship curtains are pretty good at blocking the light, but not all land accommodations have blackout curtains.

[TM]

We have been to Alaska 3 times, all being in the month of July. Overall, we had very good weather, I did follow the layers rule and did have an all weather jacket that I did wear while cruising the glaciers as well as whale watching and doing the train ride. No boots, just leather tennis shoes and I was fine in them. For the most part I was in jeans or long pants with long sleeve tops but I did wear Capri pants several days as well. For me, cardigan sweaters with zip fronts were great, I could layer them over a variety of tees and basically that's all I would wear into port if we planned on just spending the day walking around, much lighter to carry if I wanted to remove it. My husband on the other hand, wore shorts the entire cruise, all 3 of them!

 

Alaska is beautiful, just relax and enjoy it. Not worth stressing over your packing because in the end, it all works out.

[Colo Cruiser]

My husband on the other hand, wore shorts the entire cruise, all 3 of them!

 

Husbands? :eek:

[Fuzzyape]

My husband on the other hand, wore shorts the entire cruise, all 3 of them!

 

Husbands? :eek:

 

Colo....LOL...I'm hoping she's talking about the 3 cruises :cool:

[TM]

Lol, yes multiple shorts on all three cruises. Easy guy to pack for!

[5326jan]

We just returned from an Arctic Circle cruise and it reminded me weather-wise of the Alaskan cruise. Layers with the bottom layer being a long underwear layer. Target has a line called Warm Essentials and is made by cuddl duds. It's silky feeling. You might have to wait closer to time to find it at target, but you should be able to buy Cuddl Duds online now. The top layer should be wind and rain proof. Bring hat and gloves and a scarf or neck warmer. The coldest day will be in Glacier Bay. On port days, in Alaska, we didn't need the under layers. By afternoon, we were in shirt sleeves.

 

 

For non-clothing suggestions, bring binoculars for each person! We took an insulated mug for coffee and packets of hot chocolate mix. Bring a nightlight or flameless candle for the bathroom. (Even though it's light most of the night, it's dark in the bathroom and who wants a bright light in the middle of the night??? :eek:)

 

Before our Alaska cruise/cruise tour I read a series of murder mysteries by Sue Henry. It is the Jessie Arnold series.

https://www.goodreads.com/series/40987-alex-jensen-jessie-arnold

They all take place in Alaska and are chocked full of Alaskan history and culture! You'll learn about the gold rush, iditarod, inside passage, etc. The books are a quick read and the history is woven through the plot. They would be appropriate for a young adult, no sex or violence... other than a murder! :p I wouldn't consider them Nobel Prize contenders, but they were a fun read. :)

 

Enjoy your cruise and remember that the planning/preparing should be almost as much fun as the doing! :D

[GeezLouise1]

So here's a question for past Alaska cruisers because I'm starting to panic a bit about packing.

I'm going to Alaska for the 1st 2 weeks of September. Other threads which comment on the topic of packing discuss more general ideas like make sure you dress in layers... and Alaska is more casual. Plus we are going to be spending 4 days in the Denali Parks first.

Does anyone have an ACTUAL packing list that they are willing to share? I think that would be most helpful. I'm worried about the wide range of temperatures that we could encounter and don't want my luggage to be over 50lbs!

 

I see that folks are making wonderful recommendations. We just disembarked from a wonderful cruise to Alaska and back. Glacier Bay is indeed very chilly. We used those little hand warmer packets that are available in running stores. They pack small and hold heat all day. Rain gear is absolutely necessary - we had rain jackets, rain pants and I carried an umbrella too. Rain in Ketchikan and Juneau both! Layers work well. Have fun, it is an amazing trip!

[LaurieHoffman]

While I don't have a packing list I brought just the right amount of clothes.. I brought two pairs of jeans and that was perfect. I brought 3 long sleeve sweaters and a warm jacket I never ended up wearing. Also a rain jacket - more of a shell only with hood which was perfect over my sweaters. Around the ship you don't need to dress to warm as it is climate controlled.

While in ports I dressed mostly in jeans, a long sleeve sweater and brought my rain shell with me. I was actually hot many days.

I did do two loads of laundry so I was able to bring less clothes and went home with clean clothes too. $2.00 for washer/$2.00 for the dryer. There is a change machine in the laundry rooms so if you have ones you should be OK. Formal nights are more casual that other cruises I have been on and we had anytime dining so I could wear my outfits more than one day. I brought a black pair of slacks and changed out my shirts for dinner times.

[Red Rose 66]

Any suggestions on the brand, strength, etc of binoculars to buy?:confused:

[Thrak]

Any suggestions on the brand, strength, etc of binoculars to buy?:confused:

 

Binoculars discussed in THIS thread

[peety3]

I just returned from a week on the Grand. Here's what I remember:

 

1 "Seattle Cool" jacket (i.e. for 40-50 degree weather, reasonable wind-breaking abilities)

1 "Seattle Mild" jacket (i.e. for 50-60 degree weather, more breathable and not rainproof)

1 Ski cap

1pr "glove liners" (so I could still work my cameras)

4 polo-style shirts (including the one I wore on/off the ship), just right or possibly 1 too many

2 long-sleeve t-shirts (just right for excursions)

4 undershirts (just right or maybe 1 too few)

1 dress shirt, pants, tie, sport coat (just right)

1pr Dockers pants (just right; dummy me didn't wear them as many times as I "should" have)

3pr jeans (1 designer, 1 good, 1 not-as-good) [just right]

9 undies (maybe 2 too few to account for naps or times when you want to change ALL of your clothes because you're freezing)

4 colored handkerchiefs (my nose runs a lot) - maybe 1 too few

3 white handkerchiefs - 1 too many

3 belts (because I don't have the "right" belts to get away with 2)

3pr shoes: one pr running shoes, one pr "mild" hiking boots, one pr black Skechers which can suffice for dressy nights while also working with dockers or jeans

9pr white socks (1 too few)

2pr black socks (just right)

 

This worked fine on a one-week Seattle RT Alaska, which included two "heavy" days (one was truly "aggressive): on day 4, we had the Tracy Arm small-boat excursion (running shoes, heavier jacket) and a Juneau "Photo Safari" whale watch/glacier "hike" excursion (hiking boots, lighter jacket) with a nearly full clothing change between to help warm up, after day 3 in Ketchikan with a floatplane to a bear watch then a nap then whale watching from the ship in the evening before & after dinner.

[Cleggy]

Just a quick reading suggestions for Alaskan cruisers.... Dana Stebenow...the Kate Shugak series.....you feel part of the Alaskan park life (although there are murders involved in the books!) excellent read!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Nancyquilts]

Just a quick reading suggestions for Alaskan cruisers.... Dana Stebenow...the Kate Shugak series.....you feel part of the Alaskan park life (although there are murders involved in the books!) excellent read!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

We like her stories, and anything by Sue Henry is also good.

[lah3185]

The only jacket I took was a rain jacket that had lots of pockets and long enough that I was able to sit on the bottom instead of a wet seat. I took a sweatshirt and bought a sweatshirt. For dressy nites I took dressy pants and two matching tops. (You could still wear them for the regular nights and be just a little dressy, which works!) I took two pairs of jeans and did laundry once on the ship because I had a 5 day land tour after. one pair of pajamas. binoculars. camera appropriate for what you want to see (there are other threads about cameras in Alaska.) socks and underwear whatever you feel comfortable with-if you have to you can wash some out in the bathroom and hang them up. sunblock and bug spray (I didn't use them last Sept, but I would still take them because you know everything is bigger in Alaska!) The coldest was the morning going into Glacier Bay (wore my hat, hood,gloves, raincoat, sweatshirt, long sleeve underwear and jeans and hiking shoes.) I took 3 pairs of shoes-hiking shoes which I wore on most tours as they are a little warmer, tennis shoes for comfort and the lowest profile dress shoes I could find. (Beware that if you wear them on deck, you may slide.) I brought a camera card for each stop we made. (didn't want to take any chance in losing all of my pictures and it made it easy afterwards to organize my pictures). Chargers for camera/batteries, Kindle so I didn't need to bring more than one book and I put books about some of the ports on it, so I could look at them. I brought just enough meds for the trip and two extra days and used little plastic containers for any face products so I could just jettison them when I was done before I left on the plane. Hopefully this helps. I am going to Alaska again next year and I met friends on the roll call that are now friends for life. (Travelled solo)

[SkystheLimit]

I just returned from a week on the Grand. Here's what I remember:

 

1 "Seattle Cool" jacket (i.e. for 40-50 degree weather, reasonable wind-breaking abilities)

1 "Seattle Mild" jacket (i.e. for 50-60 degree weather, more breathable and not rainproof)

1 Ski cap

1pr "glove liners" (so I could still work my cameras)

4 polo-style shirts (including the one I wore on/off the ship), just right or possibly 1 too many

2 long-sleeve t-shirts (just right for excursions)

4 undershirts (just right or maybe 1 too few)

1 dress shirt, pants, tie, sport coat (just right)

1pr Dockers pants (just right; dummy me didn't wear them as many times as I "should" have)

3pr jeans (1 designer, 1 good, 1 not-as-good) [just right]

9 undies (maybe 2 too few to account for naps or times when you want to change ALL of your clothes because you're freezing)

4 colored handkerchiefs (my nose runs a lot) - maybe 1 too few

3 white handkerchiefs - 1 too many

3 belts (because I don't have the "right" belts to get away with 2)

3pr shoes: one pr running shoes, one pr "mild" hiking boots, one pr black Skechers which can suffice for dressy nights while also working with dockers or jeans

9pr white socks (1 too few)

2pr black socks (just right)

 

This worked fine on a one-week Seattle RT Alaska, which included two "heavy" days (one was truly "aggressive): on day 4, we had the Tracy Arm small-boat excursion (running shoes, heavier jacket) and a Juneau "Photo Safari" whale watch/glacier "hike" excursion (hiking boots, lighter jacket) with a nearly full clothing change between to help warm up, after day 3 in Ketchikan with a floatplane to a bear watch then a nap then whale watching from the ship in the evening before & after dinner.

Great post. Thank you for the specific info.

[CobbClan]

Double check your specific ship for laundry options. Hal's Oosterdam doesn't have a self service laundry, for example.