Alaskan Cruise Packing...HELP!!

[cruisingkris01]

On July 18, I'm leaving for an Alaskan cruise. We're doing the 4 day land first and then the 7 day cruise, going north on the inside passage. I know what I'm taking for the land tour but I'm having a hard time figuring out what types of shirts to take for the cruise. I don't want to take too many long sleeved tops in case it's warm, plus they take up a lot of room in my suitcase, if I'm not going to wear them. I have quite a few short sleeved top ideas but some of them are more like tshirts and aren't nice enough for dinner. Do I take tshirt type tops to wear during the day (they're from Old Navy if that helps any) and nicer ones to wear at dinner or wear my nicer shirts during the day even though they would look odd under sweatshirts if it's cold out? It doesn't help that this is my first ever cruise so I have nothing to base my outfits on, except what my family members tell me they're taking. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thank you!!

[drewsky3]

The temperature inside the ship is normal. I saw a lot of people in jeans, capris, and even shorts. If you plan on being on the deck a lot, you need a windbreaker or light jacket. People were so varied with the main dining room attire. Some ladies had dress pants and nice shirts, some jeans and nice shirts, some dresses, some yoga pants. Yes, you heard me right. I wore jeans during the day and a light long sleeve shirt, or a short sleeved one with a light sweater. This way I could still go outside and not have to fetch a jacket. I would the. Just change shirts and shoes for dinner.

 

 

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[cj_one2000]

Hi, an Alaskan here [emoji4] for southeast Alaska cruises I highly suggest wearing layers, you can always take things off should the clouds part and you have sunny skies. Last week in Anchorage we had 78 to 85 degree weather so It can get warm. Hooded sweatshirts and a light rain jacket work great and jeans with leggings underneath are practical. If you're doing an excursion around water or wooded areas, a pair of rain boots will help but they are a pain/bulky to pack. Tshirts are good for the mild/warmer days. Alaskans are very casual so no need to impress people especially on land [emoji16]

[cruisingkris01]

drewsky3, how many shirts did you end up taking with you then? I thought I would take some short sleeved shirts for day, some for dinner, and some that can be for both. It will end up being way more then 7 but they're light, summer shirts. I'm also taking 2 sweatshirts in my checked luggage and a zip up sweatshirt in my backpack to take with me on the land tour part. I have a light jacket/rain jacket that will be in my carry on luggage and I'll take with me on the land excursions and just tie it around my waist if I have to. Would be so much easier if we were going to the Caribbean. LOL!

[cruisingkris01]

cj one2000, thanks for your help. We're traveling from Denali to Anchorage and then to Seward in one day so the weather will change drastically. Truthfully, I hope it's not that hot in Anchorage when we're there as I'll probably be too warmly dressed. Ugh, so many decisions.

[Leslie K]

Glad to see that I'm not the only one struggling with what to pack (my trip is mid August). I've been watching weather daily for several of our ports and Denali and it's quite a range. It's too much to pack clothes for touring daytime and nighttime on the ship like I do for the Caribbean. Especially since we have the flying weight limits and I usually drive to ports for my Caribbean destination cruises. I'm thinking a couple of short sleeve shirts, some 3/4 sleeve shirts in lighter and heavier fabrics and 1-2 long sleeve shirts, a sweatshirt and a water resistant anorak jacket though I'm uncertain whether to take the zip out lining or not. Of course once I start to pack that may change. And yes, I plan to wash and reuse shirts which I don't normally do when Caribbean bound.

[knittinggirl]

We've done Alaska several times. You'll need some short sleeve shirts for a couple days around Vancouver. But, mostly you'll need cold weather gear: long sleeves, jacket, knit hat, gloves, scarf, etc. I also bring a thermal vest on my cold weather itineraries. On Vision Class ships, you'll feel a wind tunnel on deck 8 around the Centrum, and I live in my thermal vest.

 

Also, bring a rain poncho as well. If you need it, you'll need it real bad. I got drenched on disembarkation day, and was sick for a week.

 

If you decide to travel light, they usually sell jackets on the ship. DH had to buy one once because his jacket got chewed up during embarkation. I had to buy a vest in Skagway one year, and Denali was very cold, but Princess Village had lots of jackets to sell.

 

Keep in mind that Alaska at sea level weather is a lot like Colorado at 8,000 feet. May get warm during the day, but then it cools down at night. Skagway summit looked & felt like Colorado above 10,000 feet. We were so glad we brought our jackets.

Edited June 27, 2016 by knittinggirl

[nativetexan]

All good tips so far! We've been several times and my best suggestion is to layer, I used a short sleeve shirt, 1/4 zip jacket and then a waterproof windbreaker with a hood. There were times when I added ear cover and gloves for standing out watching the glaciers, terrain, etc.

 

It's not the cold that got me - it's the wind and the rain. It will rain - a lot. Might be a drizzle or a downpour! Ketchikan gets almost 150 inches of rain a year! WOW!! Seward and Juneau get over 70 inches. A rain poncho was mentioned but I prefer a waterproof windbreaker. Umbrellas were of no use and annoying to dangerous with so many people in a small area.

 

The final variable is your activity level. We hiked Laughton Glacier in Skagway and it rained almost the whole time. Wet and chilly. We also hiked Exit Glacier in Seward and it was cool and sunny.

 

Love love love Alaska!! You'll have a great time!!

[knittinggirl]

Umbrellas were of no use and annoying to dangerous with so many people in a small area.

 

Love love love Alaska!! You'll have a great time!!

Alaska & West Texas both think umbrellas are useless. I never had an umbrella turn inside out until I moved to Texas. But I still keep one in the car. Rain ponchos are great for slipping over a backpack. Just have someone pull it out of the backpack and slip it on. We were always told to turn them inside out to stick it back in the pack, so the contents don't get wet. Once back in your cabin, spread it out to dry.

[awestover89]

Hi, an Alaskan here [emoji4] for southeast Alaska cruises I highly suggest wearing layers, you can always take things off should the clouds part and you have sunny skies. Last week in Anchorage we had 78 to 85 degree weather so It can get warm. Hooded sweatshirts and a light rain jacket work great and jeans with leggings underneath are practical. If you're doing an excursion around water or wooded areas, a pair of rain boots will help but they are a pain/bulky to pack. Tshirts are good for the mild/warmer days. Alaskans are very casual so no need to impress people especially on land [emoji16]

 

:D Haven't seen many Alaskan's on the boards :)

 

Layers is by far the best advice, the weather can change a lot. I'm spending most of my time in shorts and T-Shirts right now around Anchorage, we've had some really warm days recently.

 

We took my brother-in-laws on the Radiance Alaska cruise last month and probably spent half the days in shorts and t-shirts, and the other half in jeans. We brought a light fleece jacket and a waterproof wind breaker, only ended up needing the rain jackets in Ketchikan, and the fleeces when we did Exit Glacier and Mendenhall Glacier. Even if the weather is nice the wind coming off of glaciers can be rather chilly, so a jacket is always a good idea when going near a glacier.

 

If you are doing any hiking, pay attention to the listed difficulty, and increase it. One of the first things we learned when we moved up here is what an Alaskan calls a moderate hike would probably be considered difficult in the lower 48.

[Dori Saltzman]

Hi cruisingkris01. Check out our article, Top 10 Must-Pack Items for an Alaska Cruise!!

[Doug S]

My one garment that was most useful was a medium weight rainproof coat/ski jacket that came with a very comfortable fleece liner that could be worn on its own. We went over last July 4 and it was unseasonably warm and dry, so most excursions I only needed that light fleece over a t-shirt, and often even took the fleece off. Took a mix of long and short sleeve shirts, and more slacks/jeans and fewer shorts than our usual Caribbean cruises.

 

Even on such a warm cruise we were glad on a few occasions to have some light gloves and hats/scarves. Balcony was a bit chilly on the glacier runs. I admit I did overpack a bit because I didn't know what to expect, but if it had been colder, as it usually is, I would have hit the mark about right.

 

We did a few days in Seattle before and after, but made sure our hotel had laundry facilities, so we could do a few loads in our down time and lighten the packing load.

[cruisingkris01]

Thanks everyone! It sounds like it's hit or miss with Alaskan cruises and the weather. Hopefully I'll pack accordingly. I'm mostly concerned about the weight limit.

[Snit13]

We spent about 2 months in Alaska roaming about and then cruised back to Seattle. As has been stated cruise ship temp is controlled for the most part. Needed warm outerwear for balcony viewing. However, it was hot, hot, hot in May and I mailed warm weather clothing back home because we got tired lugging it. We were as far north as Fairbanks which was hot with no A/C.

 

I always go with layering so you can take it off if warm and put it back on if cool.

 

Enjoy your cruise and don't worry about what you wear. Just make certain you have a wonderful time.

[waterbug123]

I'm also taking 2 sweatshirts in my checked luggage and a zip up sweatshirt in my backpack to take with me on the land tour part. I have a light jacket/rain jacket

 

If you're trying to save space/weight, then don't take 3 sweatshirts. They take up a lot of room, and you really don't need 3. You'll wear them over something else, so it's not like they'll get sweaty and can't re-wear them. I'd limit it to 1.

 

When we did an Alaska cruise a few years ago I took an all-weather jacket, 1 fleece pullover and a thin, light-weight fleece vest. Some of the days ended up being warmer, so the lightweight fleece vest over a long sleeve tee was perfect. Some days I needed the full fleece pullover, and we had one really rainy day when I was glad to have packed the all-weather jacket.

[Rosy1013]

Hi cruisingkris01. Check out our article, Top 10 Must-Pack Items for an Alaska Cruise!!

 

I found the link useful. Thanks for posting!

[LeeW]

Hmm. First time cruiser.... Keep in mind that you WILL likely buy some clothes in Alaska and in ports. So you probably need fewer casual clothes. You ARE going to need an extra suitcase anyway (tuck a light duffel inside your regular suitcase and you can carry this onboard a flight). Or, bring tape and a box and mail stuff home from one of the post offices. Dirty clothes make great packing for souvenirs but post office may be out of tape and prepaid boxes.

 

Am having a bit of a problem with cruising north after the land part of the tour, though :)

[Desert Cruizers]

When we cruised out of Quebec this past Oct, we had to plan for 40's & 50's the first half of the cruise up to 80 so that was challenging. We wore levies during the day, short sleeve blouse and was prepared with a sweatshirt and medium weight jacket, not bulky and did fine as long as it had a hood. Next year we will be doing a TA from Copenhagen through Iceland and plan to layer. Since we come from a warmer climate I am not buying heavy winter clothes we will never wear again.

Edited June 30, 2016 by Desert Cruizers

[cj_one2000]

When we cruised out of Quebec this past Oct, we had to plan for 40's & 50's the first half of the cruise up to 80 so that was challenging. We wore levies during the day, short sleeve blouse and was prepared with a sweatshirt and medium weight jacket, not bulky and did fine as long as it had a hood. Next year we will be doing a TA from Copenhagen through Iceland and plan to layer. Since we come from a warmer climate I am not buying heavy winter clothes we will never wear again.

 

 

What are levies? Do you mean Levis as in jeans?

[waterbug123]

Hmm. First time cruiser.... Keep in mind that you WILL likely buy some clothes in Alaska and in ports. So you probably need fewer casual clothes. You ARE going to need an extra suitcase anyway (tuck a light duffel inside your regular suitcase

 

:confused::confused::confused:

Unless you intend to buy 2 or 3 t-shirts in every port you visit, I can't imagine buying so many clothes in port than one would need an extra suitcase.

[awestover89]

:confused::confused::confused:

Unless you intend to buy 2 or 3 t-shirts in every port you visit, I can't imagine buying so many clothes in port than one would need an extra suitcase.

 

On our first cruise we ended up needing to buy an extra suitcase on board and we only bought like 4 shirts and a few souvenirs, but our suitcase was also over packed to begin with.

[Desert Cruizers]

Levies or jeans same thing. It took a few cruises to finally start reducing my packing. Now regardless if it is a 7 day 2 week or longer, I packs no more then 5 evening ladies slacks, blouses I can wear with the 5 slacks, couple dressier ones for formal, then everyday slacks or shorts depending on where we are cruising. I limit my shoes to two evening shoes, couple pair day time shoes. Over packing is easy to do and I tend to over pack blouses.