Wardrobe Advice on Princess Cruise To Alaska

[door60]

We booked our Alaskan cruise on The Coral Princess for August. I understand there are 2 formal evenings, but I also understand that Alaska cruises are less formal than others. What is appropriate attire for men & women?

Also, are packable down jackets a good thing to bring, or are they overkill?

Thank you in advance.

[gambit57]

It's super windy on deck, especially at night. Definitely bring jackets. Layers especially.

 

Jacket with a collared shirt is enough. Tie will look more normal, but nowadays, you don't necessarily need it. For women, even blouse and pants is fine assuming they're on the dressier side. Some people do go full on tux and ballgown. Think a nice night out at a fancy restaurant where the waiters are in tuxes.

 

Princess still has British traditions and customs, so it's on the more formal side. Not that big a deal though.

[wolfie11]

As long as you are dressed nicely, there shouldn’t be a problem. Men seem to get by with a nice sport jacket and tie and women in a dressy pant suit or a nice dress. No jeans.

 

I would not bring a down jacket. They are not very windproof and wet down doesn’t insulate.

[gambit57]

https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women/ultra-light-down-collection/seamless-parka

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0738FYXZY/ref=twister_B0738GBGXP

 

A lot (most?) of the packable down jackets nowadays are water resistant. Perfect for layering, and perfect for Alaska cruises.

[Tyskie]

We travel Princess frequently. About 4 years ago, our men stopped wearing suits and about 2 years ago they stopped wearing jackets. They do wear dress pants, dress shirts and ties.

 

We gals wear anything from cocktail dresses (short) to cute summer dresses and/or dress pants with a dressy top.

 

You will see very dressy to cruise chic. I have heard that Alaska is more casual but can't comment on it since we'll be on the Coral in June for Alaska.

 

I have found that dressing for dinner has become more relaxed in recent years.

[2552phxcrzr]

Waterproof and windproof top/bottom layer essential IMHO. Makes all the difference to how comfortable you are on the ship on outdoor decks or on land/excursions when/if there is wind and/or rain.

[centralcalicruzer]

I did not find our Alaska cruise to be any more casual on formal nights than our other cruises, but I did see more people in jeans and sweaters on casual nights than in the Caribbean. I feel like on port days more people just went straight to dinner in what they wore in port, not necessarily sloppy or grubby, just a little more casual than other cruises. We did see lots of long gowns and suits on formal night, I was kind of surprised but it may have been because we sailed from San Francisco and there were a lot of people on board who drove to port.

[mytime53]

I did not find our Alaska cruise to be any more casual on formal nights than our other cruises, but I did see more people in jeans and sweaters on casual nights than in the Caribbean. I feel like on port days more people just went straight to dinner in what they wore in port, not necessarily sloppy or grubby, just a little more casual than other cruises. We did see lots of long gowns and suits on formal night, I was kind of surprised but it may have been because we sailed from San Francisco and there were a lot of people on board who drove to port.

 

It may, as you surmise, because it was from San Francisco. We've done 2 one way between Whittier and Vancouver, 2 years apart, opposite directions. Both cruises had the least formal attire of any formal nights of any cruise we've been on.