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 

 Alaskan Cruise on Princess Cruise Line

The Alaskan cruise season runs from early May to early October and most all cruise lines have some sort of itinerary available.  We chose Princess for a couple of reasons.  First, we'd never sailed with them and if you know anything about our agency, we value first-hand experience with the products we sell in order to guide our clients.  Princess also had an interesting itinerary that fit our schedule.  If you don't choose an itinerary that is round-trip between Seattle, you'll most likely fly into or out of Canada at one end of your trip.  This means you'll be required to have a valid passport.

Royal Princess docked in Skagway, AK

Our trip was early June on the Royal Princess for a 7-Day Inside Passage with Glacier Bay.  Before we stepped foot on the ship, we spent a little time in Seattle, WA.  I strongly encourage cruise clients (regardless of where you're cruising from or to) to arrive at the port at least one day early.  I have another blog on the reasons so I won't go over them again.  Please check this link out for more info.  I also prepared a short blog about Seattle, WA as well.    

Weather and Packing

With a great amount of our leisure time spent in tropical climates, one of the most challenging aspects of our trip was packing.  We just didn't know what to bring.  Most of the port cities we visited are part of the largest temperate rainforest in North America.  We were expecting daily rain and clouds, so having clothes that would dry fast was important.  

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.  I got three or four pair of pants and a hooded, rainproof jacket.  

Something that surprised me as compared to Caribbean cruising was the ability to reuse outfits over the course of the trip.  Since the temps were mild, our clothes weren't disgusting at the end of the day after exploring each port.  I'd layer a t-shirt, long sleeve, and possibly a sweatshirt with a pair of quick-dry pants and waterproof shoes.  We'd carry a backpack with stocking caps, gloves, and rain coats just in case.  Here is a complete list of my clothes as well as other odds and ends I took. Coming Soon!

If you purchase quick-drying clothes, even if you're unfortunate enough to be soaked, you'll still get a couple of days from each outfit if needed.  While there was a formal night on our cruise, in general, we didn't see people getting as dressed up for dinner.  Often, we'd wear the same outfit we'd worn during our port adventures to dinner that night.  I highly value comfort over being fancy!

What I Enjoyed the Most on the Ship

Balcony Room

I truly think you'd regret being on a ship without a balcony.  The ability to step outside my cabin to the brisk, salty-fresh air as the ship glides by snow-capped mountains and dense forests is not to be underrated.  Technically, we had a mini suite, not a traditional balcony room.  The MS offered us a bit more cabin space and a seating area.  Check out a video of our room on YouTube.

Music and Comedy

A couple of the activities I like when I cruise is live music and comedy.  Both were a hit on this ship.  The Trawlermen is a UK-based folk band who did some amazing covers of more contemporary rock songs.  Our comedian was solid, offering both family and adult-themed shows.  It was a bit disappointing they didn't move him to a larger venue for his adult-themed show since it filled rather quickly.

Food and Drinks

The food on the ship was decent but I do concur that the pizza on board was a step above what you'd expect for cruise pizza, heck even most restaurant pizza, too.  Like with most cruises, I don't elect to pay extra for specialty dining so we stuck with the included provisions as well as our two free "casual meals" that came with our beverage and wi-fi package (Princess Plus).  

Seafood pizza at Alfredo's

The pizza at Prego Pizzeria was fantastic with three choices of topping that rotated daily.  Alfredo's Pizzeria was how we spent one of our casual meal credits.  They had many basic varieties (very similar to Prego) with the option to pay extra to upgrade.  I was disappointed there was an upcharge to get more pizza topping choices since this was already an "upgraded" meal.  The Trident Grill, located next to Prego, offered grilled hamburgers that were top-notch.  I'd have happily had burgers and pizza the entire trip.

Excursions

Each port of call has something to offer.  We b

Not a photo from my trip....

ooked a whale watching excursion with Harv & Marv's before we arrived in Juneau.  It included round-trip transportation from the port to Auke Bay, the boat journey to search for whales, and a brief stop to get a photo with Mendenhall Glacier in the background.  We saw whales but none breached like in the photo below.  We also saw orcas (killer whales), seals, and sea lions.  

Gateway to the Yukon

I'd have to say that my favorite experience of the trip was the White Pass and Yukon Route train excursion in Skagway.  This 2.5-3 hour round-trip trip was a highlight of my trip and helped satisfy a need to see some areas away from the ports.  If possible, arrive early at the loading point for the trip and ask, encourage (,...beg!) to be on the last car.  It offers a premium vantage point to take photos and videos of the experience.  Here is link to YouTube to see a clip of our train experience.

With our time before or after our excursions and while in Ketchikan where we had nothing planned, we just walked the streets, visiting shops and taking in the sites.  There is plenty of cruise port shopping for those who need an ulu knife, sweatshirt with your choice of a bear, salmon, or whale, or birch syrup.  They have plenty of  other cool stuff, too. 

What I'd Do Differently

Land Cruise Tour Combo

I did love the 7-day cruise but would have really enjoyed some time before the trip having more experiences on land.  With the exception of a quick blur of fur running into the weeds, I never saw a bear, sigh.  While I don't fancy myself as an intrepid hiker, I'd have loved to have a bit more wilderness exploring.  When considering any sort of land cruise combo, you have to keep in mind that you not only are you adding cost to your vacation, but most every land cruise tour originates or terminates with a Canadian port.  This means you'd have to have a current passport in order for us to book this sort of trip for you. 

"No Kings...Crab"

One restaurant I saw repeatedly while researching Alaskan cruises (and saw both locations in Juneau) is Tracy's Crab Shack.  The location closest to the port is reportedly very busy when the ships come in but a short walk toward Juneau (10-12 minutes) finds you their less busy 2nd location with the same quality everyone raves about.  I do kick myself for not splurging and getting a mess of crab legs...  

Double-Check Those Next Day Flight Options

The last thing I would consider, and this will definitely depend on your home airport, would be staying one post-cruise night to take advantage of an early morning, non-stop flight home.  The trip back to Indy was tumultuous at best and involved flight delays at SEA-TAC because some yahoo mentioned the "B-word" while on his plane, mid-air text and emails between with our airline to switch to a later flight in Chicago, and a sprint through the airport by some of the party (...thanks Ted, Andy, Brendan, and Emma) to check-in at our connecting gate while the rest of the party ambled along.  

Most all AK cruises have a brief stop in Vancouver, Canada

Honestly, this is from the Canadian Pavilion from Epcot ;)

The front of the train from the back of the train.

White Pass and Yukon Rail with the Royal Princess in the background

Blue sky and snow-capped mountains

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