Alaskan Cruise Packing List

Click this Link for a Printable Packing List

Compared to the Caribbean cruises we’ve been on, the dress code on our Alaskan cruise seemed much more informal.  There were a lot of people wearing jeans, less jackets for men and dresses for the ladies.  In fact, we tended to wear the same clothes from our port adventures in the dining areas. 

Before we left for our trip, we visited Sierra.  It's part of the TJX family of brands (TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods) and offers the exact type of clothing we were looking for.  Brands such as Columbia, Merrill, Spyder, and The American Outdoorsman fit the bill.  I purchased half a dozen plain, colored t-shirts.  They weren't the sporty dry-fast shirts you might be used to, though.  These were much softer and thin. 

As a reference, we traveled the first week of June.

Staying Dry is Key

Water conducts heat away from the body 25X faster than air so being dry is essential.  You should expect rain, drizzle, mist, (snow!) during your Alaskan cruise.  Here’s a list of what we brought to keep us dry.  Bear in mind, water resistant isn’t the same as waterproof!

• Waterproof shoes or boots – Since we didn’t do any “off-roading” these stayed clean and were appropriate for our evening wear.
• Rain Jacket – Essential and make sure it is large enough that it will fit after you’ve added a couple of layers underneath.  Mine had a hood which I’d recommend. 
• Quick Dry pants – These pants were thin, so they weren’t the warmest.  Had it been any colder, I would have wished for some long underwear to put on first.  Choose neutral colors so you can re-wear these throughout the trip.  I had four pairs of pants.  Jeans would be fine UNTIL they get wet, so save the jeans to wear on board.

·         Optional would be an entire rainproof suit.  Thankfully, this wasn’t necessary on our trip.

Layers is a Close Second

Every day I’d put on a T-shirt, sweatshirt, and then either the rain jacket or coat (or both).  This was sufficient to keep me warm and dry.  Having a backpack to remove (or carry) extra layers as needed is a good idea.  Plus, it’s handy to carry any purchases you might make while exploring the shore.  Depending on the styles of T-shirts and long-sleeved shirts, you can probably wear these in the dining room.  My shirts had no design and coordinated with my pants, and this is exactly what I did each night.  Also, because I wasn’t a sweaty mess, I could re-wear some of the outer layers multiple times. 

•   T-Shirts (white, colored, or designs) - 7

•  Long-Sleeved shirts - 3

• Sweatshirts - 2

• Coat (I used this mostly when on the deck of the ship while we were moving) -1

• Stocking cap/hat

• Gloves – 1  

Other Clothes You Need 

Don’t forget that you’ll be on the ship a good part of the time where it is warm and dry.  Plan to re-wear or pack more clothes for your time onboard.  There were people wearing shorts, but it was far less common than being in the Caribbean.

· Warm socks – 7-9 pairs

·  Underwear / bras – 9 / …and I don’t know about bras, ladies.  

·  Sleeping Clothes (PJs, sweats, shorts, gown)

·  Comfortable shoes

·  Bathing suit – I don’t like cruise ship pools in the first place and certainly wasn’t getting in when the air temp was 55 degrees!

·  Outfit to wear home.  Pack this separately in a smaller, zippered case.

·  **Some ships do have formal dress requirements in certain dining rooms or on certain nights which mandate that men have slacks and a collared shirt (or jacket) and ladies have a dress, gown, or pants suit.  Double-check your itinerary and plan accordingly if you want to attend these engagements.**

Just for Alaskan Cruises 

Here are some items that make sense for Alaska. 

•  Binoculars or spotting scope

• Waterproof dry bag

Some Other Things You Should Bring

A lot of this stuff isn’t cruise-specific but are things we try to bring on all our trips. They are items you might need and while it’s possible to buy while traveling, will likely cost double what you’d pay at home.

· OTC meds – Tylenol, Advil, Sudafed, anti-diarrhea meds

· Sunscreen (we used a stick just for our face)

· Bug Spray (we didn’t use any in Alaska)

· Nail clippers

· USB charging port and cords