Alaska veterans: list your 5 must have's for Alaska cruise.

[Chat Noir]

Something else I find handy:

 

A copy of the ship's deck plan torn from the brochure. It is much more indepth than the handout given upon boarding, and I learn the ship so much faster and easier with it.

[plenox]

1. Open Mind (there is no one right way to have a vacation)

 

:)

 

Good suggestion!

[deadzone1003]

1. Two cameras - one ultra-zoom for serious picture taking and one compact to carry with you all the other times.

 

2. Rain Gear

 

3. Waterproof light hiking shoes like Merrell's

 

4. Binoculars

 

5. Wool Glove liners - not as warm as a pair of gloves, but it will allow you to use your camera and binoculars without having to remove the liners.

[Norcal Cruiser]

I brought a film camera last week.On our whale watching trip with Harv and marv and our sea plane trip with Michelle from Island Wings I had people with digital camers telling me how great it was that I had a film camera with a zoom lens.Their cameras showed the shots they took immediatly but I picked up my pics last night and they are fantastic.A film camera doesn't experience the delay a digital camera does.I'm sure I'll update to a digital soon but don't feel you have to.Pack good waterproof walking shoes and plan on layering your clothes.Bring a commuter mug so you can have a big cup of coffee or cocoa.Pack a warm hat for the glaciers .Have a great trip!We sure did!:)

[gambit57]

I brought a film camera last week.On our whale watching trip with Harv and marv and our sea plane trip with Michelle from Island Wings I had people with digital camers telling me how great it was that I had a film camera with a zoom lens.Their cameras showed the shots they took immediatly but I picked up my pics last night and they are fantastic.A film camera doesn't experience the delay a digital camera does.I'm sure I'll update to a digital soon but don't feel you have to.

 

Just curious, but what delay are you talking about?

[gambit57]

Never mind. Mentioning zoom lens had me thinking SLR, and the digital SLRs are just as fast as the film ones so I got all confused.

 

The new point and shoot digitals are getting much better in the shutter lag dept. You can always check a site like cnet.com to see how fast a particular camera is. If you need an excuse to upgrade, Alaska's scenery and the vast number of pics you'll want to take is a great excuse.

[Singinman]

Nothing to add to the list but some commentary on all of the above.

 

Positive attitude is everything. If you do not have it, stay home. Our first Alaska cruise started off badly. We were greeted with the news that we would miss two ports because the ship could not travel at normal speed. Our new best friends kept us on an even keel and once we landed in Skagway Alaska took over and everything was fine.

 

Layers and rain gear. On our first cruise we had water resistant jackets. What a joke. On our second trip, we had gortex wind and rain shells with hoods. We stayed dry in pouring rain. Get one big enough to fit over several layers with room left over to cover your camera. Gortex jackets can be found for less than $100 these days. My layers for normal May/June cold include long sleeve wool undershirt, flannel long sleeve shirt, polar fleece pull over and the gortex jacket. Mix and match as needed for expected temperature. Rule one is do not leave the ship without the gortex. Alaska can go from sun to pouring rain in about five minutes. The feet get the comfortalble shoes and wool socks. The head gets a wool cap.

 

Camera gear. Even for a point and shoot, 2GB is not enough. You need about a gig a day. Double that for SLR. For wildlife 450mm equivalent to 35mm SLR is the minimum requirement. If you have that you will want 600mm before you come home. Laptop is good but not required. Check with your cruise line-most ships have a photo lab that will download all your pics to a CD. Last time we checked, the going price was about $40 per CD. You take your card in and they download it and keep the CD to add future pics until it is full. Its a great service and may beat carrying a laptop for some folks.

 

Shoes. Amen to all of the above. Sore feet can ruin a cruise with or without a postive attitude. My wife had difficulty finding shoes that fit. I told her this time that she had up to $300 to find the right shoes. That seems to be the going price to have a mold taken of your feet and get a custom made pair of walking shoes. Its that important.

 

One more thing, Alaska weather is a crap shoot and you cannot blame the cruise line for the weather, you can only be prepared for what you get.

 

As the preacher said, "Prepare for the worst. Hope for the best and take cheerfully what comes."

[boneslides]

We just got back on Sunday!! Had a great time. Here's my list:

 

1. Rain gear. I bought over sized ponchos that allowed us to wear weather/temperature appropriate layers with room left over to cover camera and binoccular bags and purses. Easy to fold up to pack and store. Best $6.00 investment I've ever made!!! (WalMart sporting goods department in the camping gear!)

 

2. Comfortable, water-proof shoes/hiking boots. I ended up buying a pair of comfortable, lace up leather walking shoes with a non-slip sole (on sale) and spraying them a couple of times with the silicon waterproofing spray. Total cost: <$30.00...dry and comfortable feet...priceless!

 

3. Invest in a good quality camera that meets your needs and learn how to use it BEFORE you go.

 

4. Wish I had brought a folding umbrella (can you tell the theme for the week was RAIN?!!??)

 

5. An open mind and a positive attitude. Both will enhance whatever the cruise/ports/weather throws at you. Be prepared to really experience the experiences and embrace the surprises that come along. You cannot prepare for every contingency...go with the flow and see where it takes you...you may be very pleasantly surprised!!!

 

[*6 A requirement for us when we go again will be to have another cabin with a balcony. We had an aft cabin on the Noordam and spent a great deal of time ehjoying the views from the balcony all week long.]

 

(For what it's worth, I never used the highlighters, over to door storage bag, power strip or corkscrew recommended on other lists. There was more than enough storage room for hubby and I, and plenty of hangars supplied in the closet.)

 

Enjoy Alaska...it is a truly awesome place!!!:D

[Kuffam]

Another use for the lap top is being able to watch DVD's or play games.

[qiangf2]

Another use for the lap top is being able to watch DVD's or play games.

 

Yep, I like to watch some movies on laptop before sleep.

[Harley3801]

.

I was glad I took my iPod. It was great to listen to music when I went walking on deck . . . .

 

I also copied a few books on CD onto it . . . . It was nice not to have to lug a book on the plane . . . I just plugged myself in. There were a few lazy hours when I just needed to sit and get away from it all . . . it was great to sit on deck, watch the scenery & listen to a book.

[gg3]

I brought a film camera last week.On our whale watching trip with Harv and marv and our sea plane trip with Michelle from Island Wings I had people with digital camers telling me how great it was that I had a film camera with a zoom lens.Their cameras showed the shots they took immediatly but I picked up my pics last night and they are fantastic.A film camera doesn't experience the delay a digital camera does.I'm sure I'll update to a digital soon but don't feel you have to.Pack good waterproof walking shoes and plan on layering your clothes.Bring a commuter mug so you can have a big cup of coffee or cocoa.Pack a warm hat for the glaciers .Have a great trip!We sure did!:)

 

I took a really "great" film 35 mm with zoom to Alaska in July. I got a lot of super shots........until we went bear watching at Anan Creek. You could not use a flash there, so I turned mine off and took some of what l thought were upclose and personal pictures of our trip of a lifetime. Every shot was dark and barely distinguishable........because I did not know that I needed to adjust my zoom differently (ignorance, pure ignorance.....no excuses). Anyhow, if I had had a digital, I would have seen immediately on the first shot, that I needed to do some adjustments. I have seen some fabulous shots from folks with digitals with zooms, like Photodoodles. Some of the best Alaskan shots ever on this board. When we ret. home and got back our crummy photos, we immediately invested in a digital and they are absolutely the most fun. So yes, while I agree that 35 mm can get superb shots, you sure have to know your stuff and understand all the light conditions since you don't get that quick peek at what you just shot. This was our third trip to Alaska and the only time I have ruined my shots, but it won't happen again. I think there is definitely a place for both types in Alaska. gg

[gazingm42]

I have different lists for Alaska vs other cruises. While I am a HUGE camera

guy. I currently am pushing 20,000 pictures on my Nikon. But I no longer

huff my laptop around the country side, memory cards have gotten too

cheap these days.

 

 

1. Good quality spotting scope on tripod. If you have a balcony it nice to keep setup and view the wildlife etc.

 

2. Good rain gear that has gore tex and will quickly dry.

 

3. Camera and Memory cards.

 

4. Bug spray

 

5. Hiking boots or very good shoes. We found nice trails at the top of the

tram in Juneau.

 

Have Fun!

[dhmom99]

Thanks a lot for those wonderful inputs. DH does have a laptop and he likes to take with him every time we go on our vacation. It seems binoculars are important for Alaska cruise. It is definitely on my wishlist for this Christmas. :):p

[dancingfish]

1) Backpack-- great for stashing maps, tour tickets, camera, water whatever and still having your hands! (My family laughed at me when I pulled it out of the suitcase day one-- but had no problem stashing their hat and gloves in it all week)

2) comfy slippers-- nothing better than slipping on some slippers and sitting on the veranda with hot chocolate watching the scenery go by!

3) Good waterproof walking shoes/boots

4) Good camera with Zoom lens! There are alot of wonderful long distance shoots to be taken in Alaska and your point and shoot just won't do them justice!

 

5) Dollar bills for tipping! A good attitude!

 

I too never needed an over the door shoe rack or extension cords-- but I can tell you the number one item in my suitcase was a pair of black pants!! I wore them on causal nights and semi formal nights!!

[Ktoo]

1) A good fleecy with hood. (DH packed like 20 pairs of khaki's and no fleece, what was he thinking?)

 

2) Two pairs of solid walking/walking shoes (waterproofed)

 

3) A small first aid kit and blister kit (includes moleskin, blister block, special blister bandaids). Blisters can ruin a vacation faster than anything else (speaking from experience)

 

4) About double the amount of memory you think you'll need for digital picture in whatever form you prefer it (stick, laptop, etc). Whatever you think you need, guaranteed it won't be enough

 

5) Personal large size coffee cup so you don't have to deal with bitty cups of coffee

[Jenbo57]

I spent hours on our veranda with my maps of the Inside Passage! They were great for trying to figure out exactly where we were, what landmarks we were looking at, etc. Plus, they both had a wealth of historical and cultural information, as well as info about the wildlife along the way. We're going up again in May, and I'll be sure to bring them along again!

[mstrylvr]

I spent hours on our veranda with my maps of the Inside Passage! They were great for trying to figure out exactly where we were, what landmarks we were looking at, etc. Plus, they both had a wealth of historical and cultural information, as well as info about the wildlife along the way. We're going up again in May, and I'll be sure to bring them along again!

 

Sounds really handy! Where did you get your map(s)?

[vbmom87]

I I had people with digital camers telling me how great it was that I had a film camera with a zoom lens.!:)

 

We have a digital camera with a zoom lens. However, for Alaska I think we will also get a small pocket digital camera. You don't always want to be carrying around the bigger camera.

[vbmom87]

While just started my research on Alaska cruising, I am wondering what are the top 5 must have's extra for Alaska cruise. When I say "extra", I mean some non-critical items that can be left home, but will be very nice to bring along. One example will be digitical camera. Any others? Thanks

 

This has been a very helpful thread. Thanks for starting it.

[Jenbo57]

Sounds really handy! Where did you get your map(s)?

 

One of them came with a book I bought called "The Alaska Cruise Handbook", by Joe Upton; the other I bought separately. I got them both from either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. I think I preferred the map that came with the book, but they were both a valuable source of information.

[dhmom99]

This has been a very helpful thread. Thanks for starting it.

 

This community is great as everybody shares experience and knowledge. It will help a lot for my planning.

[swansonia]

Everyone's lists are great...I have one tiny addition that made my trip more enjoyable....A sleep mask...or "blinders" as my DH calls them. Really long days in AK and they helped me sleep better...More on the land portion than the cruise...They can be found in Walmart near the luggage with other travel acesssories and they are small and inexpensive. As one poster stated above....twice the memory cards you think you will use....Every moment is a photo-op!!!!

[Singinman]

Cheap rain gear is great for emergencies, but has one drawback. It does not breath. If you get hot, you can get as wet from the inside (sweat) as you can from the outside. With goretex, sweat evaporates naturally.

[jacksan1]

Cheap rain gear is great for emergencies, but has one drawback. It does not breath. If you get hot, you can get as wet from the inside (sweat) as you can from the outside. With goretex, sweat evaporates naturally.

 

A good point about breathable rain jackets. Sierra Trading Post (www.sierratradingpost.com) has a lot of closeouts at great prices. I bought my Columbia rain jacket (breathable but not Gore-Tex) from them before the last Alaska cruise for $40, and it worked great!