NCL Alaska Cruise August 2016

[haileyymariee]

Sailing with NCL on my very first cruise ever. We are heading to Alaska from Seattle on the 7 day cruise the second week in August. Has anyone cruised to Alaska before in August and if so what should we expect to pack in terms of warm clothing or shorts and t-shirts. I'm from Florida, and have only ever seen snow once so I'm not quite sure what to expect!

 

Any tips anyone has will be greatly appreciated. Along with any meal recommendations from the cruise!

 

I've seen posts about freestyle daily, does anyone have a picture example of what their freestyle daily looked like? What kind of deals they were running?

 

Thank you all very much! Only 83 days until my first ever cruise!

 

Hailey

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[dexddd]

We sailed mid-August on the Star a few years ago. The answer pretty much anytime of the Alaska season for cruising is the weather can vary quite a bit. Dress in layers and have rain gear of some type.

[GORDONCHICK]

Since you are from FL, you should pack long pants - more than I would if I were going in the same time frame. You would think the temps chillier than I would. But your best bet is to plan on using thin layers, possibly a waterproof shell, but you should also pack some shorts. Check the weather forecasts before you go of your ports and adjust accordingly. We were there at the end of May last year, and it was in the high 80s, low 90s in the port - that's quite warmer than it usually is there for end of May.

 

Pack a hat and gloves for glacier viewing days. Take binoculars and lots of camera memory if using a camera.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[Budget Queen]

You need a wide range of attire, including a lined jacket, hat and gloves, sweatshirt.

[Manbo]

We did this cruise in May and I wore shorts and a sweat shirt half of the time.

It should be warmer in August but rainier. So grab a rain jack and pack jeans!

 

As for tips, I can offer two:

We saw more whales at Icy Strait Point then the whale watching excursions did! I would recommend saving your money.

We also did an awesome kayak excursion in Sitka, saw more bald eagles and other wildlife than I could ever imagine! Highly recommended!

It was a great trip!:)

[haileyymariee]

Thank you to everyone that has replied to this thread, I appreciate you all taking the time to respond and have loved reading your responses.

 

I have a rain jacket and some more winter gear ready for the cruise , thinking that I might need to bring some shorts and tank tops as well if it's in the 80-90s in port!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[shadowmeboy]

Thank you to everyone that has replied to this thread, I appreciate you all taking the time to respond and have loved reading your responses.

 

I have a rain jacket and some more winter gear ready for the cruise , thinking that I might need to bring some shorts and tank tops as well if it's in the 80-90s in port!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Make sure to check out the Alaska board for more info. Here is the link. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55

 

Also, if you need some ideas on things to do in Seattle, check out my pictures from our adventures in Seattle post cruise. Here is the link:http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2355797&page=4

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Two of my Alaska cruises were in August, and the weather was quite different for both of them. On the first one it was cool (50s most of the time) with a sprinkling of rain here and there. On the second, it got as high as 80 degrees. As you can see, we really can't tell you what it'll be like when you go! As others have said, take a variety of clothing and wear layers that you can take off if the weather warms up. Also, be prepared for rain.

 

Have a great cruise!

[atomax]

@haileyymariee: As a newbie cruiser, you should make sure to join your sailing's Roll Call and go to the Meet and Greet (M&G). There will be other people on the ship at the same time; many will have already researched tips and excursions to do on-shore.

 

The M&G is an opportunity to meet the folks on the Roll Call on the ship, and oftentimes there will be senior officers there as well.

 

You can find the link to your Roll Call in the upper left hand corner under the Cruise Critic logo (assuming you're on a laptop/desktop).