Alaska Packing List?

[Becoming]

I don't remember for sure but we probably spent a couple of hours or a little less...and that included time in the gift shop. It was a rainy, yucky day when we were there or we might have stayed longer. You can drive through the park and see many of the animals, but we took time to get out and walk up to the fence enclosures. I had fun taking photos of the animals, but it is basically a zoo.

 

We had a BOGO coupon for the entrance fee so saved a little on our visit. I just checked the website (https://www.alaskawildlife.org/) and see that the cost has gone up a little...it is now $15/person.

 

Thanks for your input! I was looking at tours and need to investigate some more. I'm cruising in July so I have some time to finalize everything.

 

Patti

[lynn2002]

We are in Alaska on a 14 night cruise at the beginning of August. I presume we still take layers with us for outdoors but what do you wear whilst on the ship? I have previously only done Mediterranean cruises in the summer, so during the day/evenings I wear summer clothes with sandals, and dress up for gala nights.

 

What sort of clothes should I take for the Alaska trip in August for on board the ship?

[TheCalicoCat]

When the ship is moving, there will be a "breeze." (Just something to think about - personally in those conditions, I am more comfortable with a jacket/gloves - now if you plan on staying inside looking through the windows...)

 

layers (wicking for near your skin, cotton will hold moisture & make you cold.)

Jeans take forever to dry & are heavy

 

As for the coat layer, I'm bringing a 3 in 1 jacket (faux down inner/rain jacket outer - it is my winter coat), so I can have a raincoat without the warm layer, etc.

 

hat, scarf, glove

 

I am a serial over-packer & have tried to pare down my list, but I will give in to my inner tendencies & pack what I want instead of what I need, so I can't help with numbers of pants/shirts.:D

[Becoming]

What sort of clothes should I take for the Alaska trip in August for on board the ship?

 

I'm wondering the same thing. Do folks stay in their casual wear for dinner? Do you need a sweater every evening inside the ship? I'll be cruising in mid-July.

 

Patti

[shadesofgrey]

This topic has me stymied as well. The "average" high will be in the 50s. Well, I live in the northern plains. It's always windy, but if the temps get to the 50s in Feb, I will throw on sandals and go coatless. Most of us do. If the daytime highs were to dip to the 50s in late May or June, we'd all put on coats. I'll be the hot mess, inappropriately dressed for whatever the weather will be...

[mapleleaves]

This topic has me stymied as well. The "average" high will be in the 50s. Well, I live in the northern plains. It's always windy, but if the temps get to the 50s in Feb, I will throw on sandals and go coatless. Most of us do. If the daytime highs were to dip to the 50s in late May or June, we'd all put on coats. I'll be the hot mess, inappropriately dressed for whatever the weather will be...

 

That's the whole point of LAYERS (and a small daypack) .... you're prepared for anything. If the day starts off cold, wear your sweatshirt and jacket, and if it heats up take off the outer layers and put them in your pack. Or VV.

 

Sandals are not something I would wear while exploring various ports or taking excursions. I prefer a sturdy walking shoe when I'm walking around. Plus there's uneven ground, curbs, wooden piers, and lots of tourists not watching where they're going....

[GMRPHRN]

Great thread! Thanks for all the posts. I was wondering about the ship, also. I normally cruise Caribbean and we are in shorts and t-shirts on the ships during the day. Is this still the case as long as you are not on deck? Or maybe leggings and long-sleeve t-shirts are a better choice. Sailing May 30th. Thanks again.

[Momma_Bear]

Ok, clarification needed. I'm from Alabama and the only hat I own is my "Red Hat Society" hat that is purely for fun. What kind of hat do I need to purchase for my cruise to Alaska in May and trip continuing to Denali on June 1st?

 

 

That was funny!!! I'm a Red Hatter, too!

 

 

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[Sparling]

All great ideas! We are sailing in July! Hoping less rain and warmer temps!!

 

 

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[vacationlover_mn]

I realized that I have very few tees... however I have a ton of cute underarmour style workout shirts in long and short sleeves. Think this would make a good base layer?

 

 

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[Sparling]

I realized that I have very few tees... however I have a ton of cute underarmour style workout shirts in long and short sleeves. Think this would make a good base layer?

 

 

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I would think so. I am planning on something similar as I don't like to be cold.

 

 

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[Herfnerd]

I realized that I have very few tees... however I have a ton of cute underarmour style workout shirts in long and short sleeves. Think this would make a good base layer?

 

 

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Yes - moisture wicking is a good thing. Not fun wearing a sweaty cotton tee when its cold.......

[GinnyHoppa811]

What kind of shoes do people wear on the ship during the day? I was thinking of getting a pair of vibram's new wrap shoes and working on our vacation would be extra justification for them. We'll be going in June

 

 

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[Floridapenny]

What kind of shoes do people wear on the ship during the day? I was thinking of getting a pair of vibram's new wrap shoes and working on our vacation would be extra justification for them. We'll be going in June

 

 

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I wear Vibram Five Finger Bikilas as my everyday shoes, and plan to bring them on my cruise. However, I also plan to bring regular running shoes to wear during excursions. I have no idea what people normally wear.

[ckb104]

What kind of shoes do people wear on the ship during the day? I was thinking of getting a pair of vibram's new wrap shoes and working on our vacation would be extra justification for them. We'll be going in June

 

 

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I've heard that those vibrams are really comfy, which is what you will want. I plan to take my sneakers and a pair of black flats that will be good to walk a lot in, but will also work for dressy shoes on formal nights. I'm more about comfort than fashion. :D

[GinnyHoppa811]

I'll definitely have my sneakers too and maybe my fuzzy ugg boots for warmth but the vibrams are pretty comfy. I don't like the five finger but the new furoshiki style is very tempting.

 

 

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[vacationlover_mn]

This is my most angsty packing trip ever. I think I’m going to end up waaaay overpacking :)

 

 

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[reallyitsmema]

This is my most angsty packing trip ever. I think I’m going to end up waaaay overpacking :)

 

 

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Don't stress over it! You are from Minnesota, so you are used to cold. You know what your cold tolerance is since you deal with cold all winter, just pack for what you need, not what others say you need.

 

We sailed Radiance last week and weather was in the 50's in most ports, high 40's and very windy in Skagway. We saw people dressed for the 20's of deep winter, while we are used to the colder weather of a Boston winter and were in short sleeves and a fleece. We also each had a Columbia waterproof jacket that we layered over if it was raining, which it did a lot, or if we were out on a boat. Many were in jeans but we had Duluth Dry on the Fly pants or similar Columbia pants. I did wear a warmer, long sleeved shirt, fleece and my jacket for our Glacier Wind whale watch and was glad I had a scarf and gloves too. We had people dressed for a blizzard on that trip too and they stayed inside the whole time because they were too cold. We wore waterproof, low hiking boots for the whale watch and also our walk at Mendenhall Glacier. We wore sneakers otherwise as we had rain everyday, but never an all day heavy rain, just scattered showers.

 

Just think about what you have planned and pack accordingly. We packed really well for our port days and our land tour prior to the cruise. We way overpacked for nights on the ship, should have taken about half of what we brought as we never went to the MDR.

[OCSC Mike]

we are used to the colder weather of a Boston winter and were in short sleeves and a fleece. We also each had a Columbia waterproof jacket that we layered over if it was raining, which it did a lot, or if we were out on a boat.

 

Just think about what you have planned and pack accordingly. We packed really well for our port days and our land tour prior to the cruise. We way overpacked for nights on the ship, should have taken about half of what we brought as we never went to the MDR.

 

My wife and I were just discussing packing (we leave next Tuesday) and pretty much settled on this exact plan. While we've been in Orlando for about 18 years, we grew up outside of Philly and are fine with the cold. You should see the Floridians run for jeans and jackets when it dips below 70. :) We'll just probably bring a few more long sleeve tops since the current forecast for a good portion of our 10-day pre-tour seems like it might be a bit warm for a fleece or hoodie depending on how early we start our day. They should double for ship-wear as well. As I mentioned in other threads, we don't do the MDR either and you helpfully convinced me not to worry about dressing up for the DL so I'm not bringing very much "cruise-only" clothing at all.

[reallyitsmema]

My wife and I were just discussing packing (we leave next Tuesday) and pretty much settled on this exact plan. While we've been in Orlando for about 18 years, we grew up outside of Philly and are fine with the cold. You should see the Floridians run for jeans and jackets when it dips below 70. :) We'll just probably bring a few more long sleeve tops since the current forecast for a good portion of our 10-day pre-tour seems like it might be a bit warm for a fleece or hoodie depending on how early we start our day. They should double for ship-wear as well. As I mentioned in other threads, we don't do the MDR either and you helpfully convinced me not to worry about dressing up for the DL so I'm not bringing very much "cruise-only" clothing at all.

 

We never saw JD turn anyone away in the DL because of how they were dressed. I think he has moved to the CL lounge, so not sure who will be in the DL. WJ was good for dinner, they have a theme each night and it is usually posted on the sign with the hours of the WJ. They had Shanghai night, American, Indian, Backyard BBQ, Italian, Seafood and one other theme I don't remember.

 

We were gone for 15 days, sounds like you are at least 17 days. We ended up with more bags than we originally planned but it all worked out in the end, especially after I had one bag lost and was missing for basically our whole stay in Denali.:eek: Happy packing!:D

[OCSC Mike]

Lost bag? Yikes! We’re only bringing one big suitcase each (plus a backpack) so if we lose a bag we’ve got problems, lol. We’ll be gone for like 18 days. Planning to do laundry in Girdwood a few days before embarkation, slightly before the halfway point but we have more free time there than we do in Seward.

 

Thanks for the WJ info. Looking forward to the themes as long as my wife finds stuff on the nights that aren’t her thing (not sure she’d eat a single Indian dish outside of naan bread, lol). Most of the others should be fine though. Since we’ve gone off-topic, did they have any cook-to-order stations (pasta, wok, etc)? That was her best WJ experience, on Freedom a few years ago. Picky eater’s best friend is picking your own ingredients.

 

Seriously, thanks once again for the info. You keep managing to touch on the only subjects I had questions about. We are going to Alaska for the sites & activities, I swear, but assuming I survive the 10 days in land my wife planned, I’ll be ready for my usual cruise comforts which as you can tell are food & DL drinks. :)

[puppycanducruise]

If you're concerned about a bag going missing (and most of us are), remember to cross pack. Half of your stuff goes in your travel partner's checked bag, and half of their's goes in yours. That way, if one bag is delayed, you still have half of your clothes. Just don't pack shirts in one bag and pants in another, pack complete outfits in each bag.

[reallyitsmema]

Lost bag? Yikes! We’re only bringing one big suitcase each (plus a backpack) so if we lose a bag we’ve got problems, lol. We’ll be gone for like 18 days. Planning to do laundry in Girdwood a few days before embarkation, slightly before the halfway point but we have more free time there than we do in Seward.

 

Thanks for the WJ info. Looking forward to the themes as long as my wife finds stuff on the nights that aren’t her thing (not sure she’d eat a single Indian dish outside of naan bread, lol). Most of the others should be fine though. Since we’ve gone off-topic, did they have any cook-to-order stations (pasta, wok, etc)? That was her best WJ experience, on Freedom a few years ago. Picky eater’s best friend is picking your own ingredients.

 

Seriously, thanks once again for the info. You keep managing to touch on the only subjects I had questions about. We are going to Alaska for the sites & activities, I swear, but assuming I survive the 10 days in land my wife planned, I’ll be ready for my usual cruise comforts which as you can tell are food & DL drinks. :)

 

Yes, they had cooked to order stations each night. I had trouble finding something on Indian night too, but they did have a few other things.

 

The lost bag was a pain, it was lost on the land tour portion of the trip. The bag was checked off as leaving Pike's Landing but never made it to the room in Denali Park Village. Unfortunately, it had the clothing we had planned on wearing on our rafting excursion and our ATV excursion. We had cross packed and had other options, but we had planned on specific jackets for our ATV excursion since we knew they were going to get muddy. We ended up having to wear our Columbia jackets and I spent an hour getting all the mud off them so we had them for the rest of the trip. Hotel claims my bag was delivered to an empty room in a building not open for the season yet.:rolleyes: All the other bags from our coach went to one building but this one bag went to an empty building, crazy story that I don't believe.

 

We had cross packed, one bag for the cruise that we never opened until the ship, one bag for the cruise tour, but we also ended up with 2 21 inch rollaboards. Had we packed less for the ship, we could have reduced by probably one bag.

[OCSC Mike]

Thanks for the WJ info, that made my wife happy. Sorry to hear about the bag nightmare. That story doesn't sound right to me either.

 

Might as well keep this thread hijacked... We're actually staying at Pike's our first two nights (first night getting in kinda late and will just go to bed since we're going to the North Pole early the next morning). How was it?

[reallyitsmema]

Thanks for the WJ info, that made my wife happy. Sorry to hear about the bag nightmare. That story doesn't sound right to me either.

 

Might as well keep this thread hijacked... We're actually staying at Pike's our first two nights (first night getting in kinda late and will just go to bed since we're going to the North Pole early the next morning). How was it?

 

Pike's was fine, older, themed hotel. Room was clean, had a window air conditioner and a fan. They offer a shuttle for $5 round trip to downtown. There is a breakfast buffet that you can get either continental or hot. I think it was $12.95 and $19.95 or close to that. They have coffee in the lobby for $1 and whole fruit at the register of the buffet for $2 a piece, only cut up fruit on buffet.

 

We ate at the restaurant next door once and the food we had was good. They are just getting into the swing of the cruise tour season and service was very slow, they said it was there first busy night.

 

Lots of tours running out of there so gets really noisy when the bell hops were doing bag pull at 6am. Maybe they have been spoken to by now but they were all having loud conversations as they did their work.