Ladies: ? Re: Wearing Capris (AK in May)

[kctwinmommy]

kctwinmommy, I am wanting to bring a couple sweaters, too - as well as a about 2 sweatshirt jackets and a sweatshirt or two. That type of clothing just takes up room, no matter what, so I will have to pare those choices down a bit. I am, unfortunately, one of those "what if I need this", or "how do I know what I am going to FEEL like wearing?", or "what if I spill something on this and can't use it after that?" :rolleyes:

 

Yeah, I tend to over pack a bit too! LOL! We're going in July though, so I'm hoping we get maybe a couple of moments where it's a little nicer. But we're also doing the glacier helicopter tour, and other cold things, so I know I need a lot of different things. I had a 4 day conference in Boston one year, in November, and I had to bring my large suitcase because I had to bring "just in case" clothes! LOL!

 

This will be the first time I'm bringing dressy pants and long skirts too, for dinner. We also did the unassigned dinner (forget the technical name for it), because we didn't want to be tied down to a specific time on this trip. I'm still not totally sure what I'll be wearing for the formal nights, but it will definitely be different than the Caribbean! ;)

[jonsmom]

I am also interested in what to pack, but for mid-August.

 

Any suggestions - no formal nights for us ...lol

[sherryf]

I am also interested in what to pack, but for mid-August.

 

Any suggestions - no formal nights for us ...lol

 

What you pack is the same no matter when you go - layers! You should be prepared for a wide range of weather on any trip to Alaska.

[luvstocruzok]

We cruised with Carnival at the end of July two years ago. Nobody was in any type of spring or summer clothes on our ship. I saw a lot of active wear, leggings, light weight jackets and jeans during the days. Even the formal night were very casual compared to a Caribbean cruise. There was a lot of north face, hoodies etc. Even in July, the ship is cool and if you go outside, it is very cold. We loved it! I recall thinking that next time I went, I would bring several light weight jackets to wear inside the ship and layer on the excursions. If your excursion is on the water, it will be cold. I wore jeans, t shirt, denim jacket, hoodie and a light weight rain coat on top. It was perfect for the weather. Formal nights, I wore black slacks and a nice shirt. Alaska cruises are very informal. Hope this helps.

[kctwinmommy]

We cruised with Carnival at the end of July two years ago. Nobody was in any type of spring or summer clothes on our ship. I saw a lot of active wear, leggings, light weight jackets and jeans during the days. Even the formal night were very casual compared to a Caribbean cruise. There was a lot of north face, hoodies etc. Even in July, the ship is cool and if you go outside, it is very cold. We loved it! I recall thinking that next time I went, I would bring several light weight jackets to wear inside the ship and layer on the excursions. If your excursion is on the water, it will be cold. I wore jeans, t shirt, denim jacket, hoodie and a light weight rain coat on top. It was perfect for the weather. Formal nights, I wore black slacks and a nice shirt. Alaska cruises are very informal. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks! I was getting that vibe from a few other people as well. I mean, on Caribbean cruises, I wear sundresses to dinner every night, with fancier dresses on formal nights. But for Alaska, I was planning more long skirts and dress pants. Considering what I've seen go in general for formal nights these days, I'm not going to stress too much about it. ;)

[rotchill]

We cruised in July last year. and had above average temps. Ketchikan was 80 and Skagway was in the 70's. There were definitely people in shorts and capris on our cruise. Also Seattle was 90 at sail away. The jacket I took I only wore once. We also had dry weather. You really need a mixed bag of clothes for Alaska, you just never know.

[judyzoo]

We cruised in July last year. and had above average temps. Ketchikan was 80 and Skagway was in the 70's. There were definitely people in shorts and capris on our cruise. Also Seattle was 90 at sail away. The jacket I took I only wore once. We also had dry weather. You really need a mixed bag of clothes for Alaska, you just never know.

 

What part of July were you there?

[jonsmom]

Has anyone looked at weather.com for a 10 day forecast before departure?

 

Curious as to how accurate it may be.

[Melozone]

I always do but it is just a guide. It's weather and it can change.

[mlbcruiser]

luvtocruzok and kctwinmommy, I think I have faith in what you have said about dress on formal nights. It seems more in keeping with my experiences in the past, depending just a bit on where we were cruising. (And yes, I have done both Celebrity and Princess cruises, among others, an am just mentioning this since the poster mentioned those particular lines. However I've just never cruised AK.) Though I always appreciate people taking the time to reply, thought I'd share a couple of the replies I got in Jan. when I asked a ? about dress on AK cruise formal nights. I like to find out as much as possible before we cruise to a new destination, but the 2 posts in italics below were not what I expected, I guess:

 

 

Groan... Here we go again.

 

Same dress code as any other Princess cruise. (I wonder why people always ask if things are different for Alaska. )

 

Now I will step aside a bit for the flood of "entitled" people who don't want to follow the dress code.

 

 

 

I can reply to the poster above's question: Because the destinations are very casual themselves. More so than many other destinations.

 

Actually, I don't think I'd agree with all points in the following post, just based on my own 40 cruises, which includes cruises on both Celebrity and Princess(none to AK, though - but soon!) and several other lines.

 

 

 

I know of no cruise line with a policy of varying dress code by region or date.

 

Celebrity has replaced evenings with a suggested dress of "formal" with one of "evening chic" (whatever that means). On all ships, all parts of the world, all seasons. Your "friends" have gotten the facts of the matter well garbled.

 

A seven night Alaska cruise on Princess will have two formal nights. As will all other seven-to-thirteen night Princess cruises, on all ships, all parts of the world, all seasons.

 

And with less and less differentiation between the mainstream cruise lines these days, Princess sticking with an evening dress code that has more or less always functioned satisfactorily is a good thing.

 

 

 

So, as is often the case, differing opinions on the same issue sometimes, but I'm going with the opinions of those of you who have posted on THIS thread. And thank you!!

 

It is definitely a certainty that we can't count on any particular type of weather on an AK cruise, no matter what month. I'm going to be watching the forecast, and will definitely have along medium gauge rain ponchos and rainproof jackets, plus umbrellas and spray waterproofing on my shoes (and more!). I'm of that opinion based on reading posts and talking to acquaintances who have had rain and/or fog about every day of their cruise, and others who had nothing but sunshine! Same goes for mosquitos. People have said the mosquitos (and rain) get worse from late June on while others who have cruised in July, Aug. and Sept. didn't encounter ANY mosquitos and little to no rain. Mother nature does what she wants. So that is why I will likely overpack! ;)

[kctwinmommy]

luvtocruzok and kctwinmommy, I think I have faith in what you have said about dress on formal nights. It seems more in keeping with my experiences in the past, depending just a bit on where we were cruising.

 

You're welcome! And it's too bad others have to give such a snotty response.

 

The first cruise we went on, MSC cruise line, was very different!! I would guess about 50% of the guests on board were from Europe, so they had a different opinion of what was to be worn at times. There were a lot of different things on that cruise!!! :eek: There was even a couple who wore the exact same thing every day, wife wore the same mumu and the husband wore the same plaid shorts and striped shirt - EVERY single day!! Dining room, on the deck, etc... I have no idea why!

 

I think part of why people are so questionable on what to wear is because you already have to pack so much for this trip. I mean, I didn't bring a single pair of closed toe shoes on our last cruise. This time I need to bring boots, dress shoes, sandals. Plus the various clothes I want for layering. I just want to pack as efficiently as possible!

[rotchill]

What part of July were you there?

It was the 1st week of July. 3rd to 10th

[judyzoo]

It was the 1st week of July. 3rd to 10th

 

Thanks; that's not far from the time that we'll be cruising, so perhaps we'll also experience warm weather -- or perhaps not. Apparently one never knows!

[planmaker]

I'm glad to hear oppinions from a couple of floridians here. I also take hoodies for evenings on ships even in the carribean. I read that light rain gear would work for early June, but now I think that was not taking into consideration people that are used to 90 degree weather in the spring.

 

 

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Edited April 18, 2016 by planmaker

[kctwinmommy]

Thanks; that's not far from the time that we'll be cruising, so perhaps we'll also experience warm weather -- or perhaps not. Apparently one never knows!

 

And it's funny because my parents went about 10 years ago, in May, and they have pictures sitting on the deck in their bathing suits one day it was so warm out! LOL! So it really is an unknown with this!

[mlbcruiser]

kctwinmommy, maybe I need to be about 50% more like the people who wore the same thing everyday, lol! Actually, I read a report on this site once written by someone whose luggage got lost (airline, I think). They didn't have backup clothing in their carryon. The ship let them have something like a jogging suit combo (pants and top) or something like that from the ship's store. Everyone on the ship knew what the deal was and it became a big joke -with the pax and cruiser(s?) sharing the humor. I don't recall what ended up happening but I think the luggage didn't catch up with them for several days. The poster made the best of it. Id LIKE to think I would, but not sure how far my humor would go in that situation!

 

We are just capris if the weather gets really warm. The long underwear I normally have used for skiing is coming along, though, for sure, though!

[kctwinmommy]

kctwinmommy, maybe I need to be about 50% more like the people who wore the same thing everyday, lol! Actually, I read a report on this site once written by someone whose luggage got lost (airline, I think). They didn't have backup clothing in their carryon. The ship let them have something like a jogging suit combo (pants and top) or something like that from the ship's store. Everyone on the ship knew what the deal was and it became a big joke -with the pax and cruiser(s?) sharing the humor. I don't recall what ended up happening but I think the luggage didn't catch up with them for several days. The poster made the best of it. Id LIKE to think I would, but not sure how far my humor would go in that situation!

 

We are just capris if the weather gets really warm. The long underwear I normally have used for skiing is coming along, though, for sure, though!

 

Yeah, it could have been a case of lost luggage, but these clothes were obviously their own, not from the shops on board. I know for me personally, I would have bought a few things of my own on the ship, or somewhere else. But again, who knows why they did this. I know some people save their whole life for a trip like we did! It was a 12-day cruise, Panama Canal and 5 other ports, plus a cancelled one. I never saw them actually interact with other people on the ship either, not sure if there was some language issues, as I said a good portion were from European countries. In fact, there was a large percentage that were staying on the ship and sailing back to the Europe after our cruise.

[mlbcruiser]

I agree that various nationalities or groups of people tend to dress a bit differently on some of the cruises we've been on, too. Some may be quite flamboyant (esp. in the evenings) while others' the opposite. Oh, I'm sure the moo-moo couple on your cruise likely hadn't lost their luggage but I just mentioned that story I read because I was thinking how funny (and awkward :o) it would be to have to wear such a casual outfit everyday and even to dinner on a cruise! Hope I never have to!

[Lulubelle45]

I did Alaska in August and lucked out with amazing capri wearing weather! Only day i had my jeans on was the Glacier, just had a pullover sweater and shed the jacket. Dressy capris were fine in MDR on non formals, just not yoga pants that some try to wear as capris

[KathShe]

We cruised with Carnival at the end of July two years ago. Nobody was in any type of spring or summer clothes on our ship. I saw a lot of active wear, leggings, light weight jackets and jeans during the days. Even the formal night were very casual compared to a Caribbean cruise. There was a lot of north face, hoodies etc. Even in July, the ship is cool and if you go outside, it is very cold. We loved it! I recall thinking that next time I went, I would bring several light weight jackets to wear inside the ship and layer on the excursions. If your excursion is on the water, it will be cold. I wore jeans, t shirt, denim jacket, hoodie and a light weight rain coat on top. It was perfect for the weather. Formal nights, I wore black slacks and a nice shirt. Alaska cruises are very informal. Hope this helps.

 

Thank You luvstocruzok... We have a group of 8 going and none of us are bringing "formal" clothes. We will probably not go to dining room those nights... Pizza or something else...or just eat early and hope we miss the crowd in dining room!! Ladies will be wearing slacks, and nice tops. Men shirts and dress pants and a tie. I do not think any men are even bringing a sport jacket.. But 1 will probably have one. We will be going in Mid June. Shoes are always a problem... But think I will just bring 2 dressy flats, waterproof tennis shoes, Regular tennis shoes, and a pair of flat comfy shoes? I am stressing big time about what to bring. I hate packing for any trip! I always bring too much...JUST IN CASE I am a slob and spill stuff on my clothes! I have a few things for layering and long sleve tee shirts I can wear under clothes, jeans.. I guess capris? We have 54 days to go and I have been a total stress mess thinking what to pack!!!:eek::eek:

Edited April 20, 2016 by KathShe

[katbur2]

So glad you're all here. I'm not worried about how to dress for excursions but am curious about the temperature on the ship. I'm a sandals and sundress gal and I'm trying to figure out if the ship is going to have the heat on or ac or is it going to vary day to day? Live in NC and 1st Alaska Cruise.

[auntjoy036]

Katbur2, Mom and I did the Inside Passage route round trip from Vancouver last July. The ship (HAL Noordam) kept the temperatures comfortable, but it was not balmy like a southern summer. Most days on the ship I wore a tank top and lightweight cotton cardigan. Other posters tout the superiority of wool or cashmere, but I'm from Atlanta so I never buy any sweater heavier than cotton. I hope this helps.

 

Vicki

[love2driveinct]

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of these responses... we are sailing in late June and I was also wondering how to pack (and how to help my kids pack).

 

We are from New England, so my cool-weather wardrobe includes mainly tall boots over skinny jeans, cords, or leggings. I just don't think I can pull that look off in June, seems like too much of a stretch. :p

 

I don't own any regular slacks or khakis -- never found any that fit well. So I guess on the ship I'll be wearing skirts, dresses, and cropped pants/jeans (if the weather allows). My go-to for excursions will be regular jeans and sneakers or barn boots. I do have a lot of active wear (nice yoga pants, leggings, hoodies etc), and it sounds like, from one of the previous posts, that is commonly worn around the ship.

 

I went on an Alaska cruise when I was young -- going to check my photo album now to see what I was wearing. The fashion choices of 1993... lol.

[KathShe]

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of these responses... we are sailing in late June and I was also wondering how to pack (and how to help my kids pack).

 

We are from New England, so my cool-weather wardrobe includes mainly tall boots over skinny jeans, cords, or leggings. I just don't think I can pull that look off in June, seems like too much of a stretch. :p

 

I don't own any regular slacks or khakis -- never found any that fit well. So I guess on the ship I'll be wearing skirts, dresses, and cropped pants/jeans (if the weather allows). My go-to for excursions will be regular jeans and sneakers or barn boots. I do have a lot of active wear (nice yoga pants, leggings, hoodies etc), and it sounds like, from one of the previous posts, that is commonly worn around the ship.

 

I went on an Alaska cruise when I was young -- going to check my photo album now to see what I was wearing. The fashion choices of 1993... lol.

 

I am just the oppisite! I have only Slacks, Capris and jeans! I have a skirt or 2.. But never wear them. That means dress shoes! :p I don't know why I worry so much. I know I do not have a sweatshirt hoodie..but planning on buying one in Alaska somewhere.. Maybe on ship?? I always cruise to Caribbean....and Caribbean clothes just do not seem to fit in for Alaska! hahaha :D

I probably will bring 1 pair of shorts? Oh I get stressed everytime I think of what to bring!! :eek: Whatever I decide..I am sure I will wish I brought something I purposely left home! :o

Edited April 25, 2016 by KathShe

[Lulubelle45]

Google images or youtube videos of cruises to AK in June and see what people are wearing