Alaska Cruise Packing Checklist – What to Pack for an Alaskan Cruise

How do you pack for an Alaskan cruise? That’s the query. When packing for our first Alaska cruise we needed to do some critical pondering. Since then, we’ve taken two different Alaskan cruises plus a cruise to Antarctica and Greenland, so we’ve got discovered quite a bit about packing for polar areas. When touring to Alaska you need to be ready for each sort of climate. Like different cruises, there are formal nights and cocktail evenings, however in Alaska, days are extra informal and the dinner apparel is extra relaxed. Alaska climate modifications shortly, so you will want layers to tackle and off as wanted.

What To Pack For An Alaska Cruise

Packing for a cruise trip to Alaska is totally completely different than a Caribbean cruise. Caribbean cruises are straightforward to pack for. Throw in swimwear, beachwear flip-flops, and some good outfits for evenings and you might be good to go. When cruising to Alaska, you should have a mixture of scorching climate and chilly climate, so it’s good to pack layers.

Climate in Alaska may be unpredictable, starting from heat and sunny to chilly and wet, typically throughout the similar day. Additionally, onboard the ship, you’ll have a mixture of informal and formal occasions, and you might be collaborating in shore excursions that transcend strolling excursions. You may end up on a zodiac or kayak in the midst of a Fjord.

We’ve taken three completely different Alaska cruises and our newest took us down the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia on the Nieuw Amsterdam ship by Holland America Cruise Line. This ship supplied the right mixture of luxurious with journey, however it makes packing slightly extra concerned since you’ll need journey and activewear, but in addition some formal and good informal clothes. Don’t fear, we’ve created the last word Alaska Cruise Packing listing so you can be comfy and look good.

We’ve got additionally taken a cruise to Alaska with Princess Cruises and UnCruise. Princess Cruises is similar to Holland America Cruise Line, however if you’d like extra of an expedition cruise on a small ship to Alaska, try our expertise with UnCruise.

Alaska Cruise Packing Suggestions – Layering

When packing for an Alaska cruise, you will need to take into consideration layering. Southeast Alaska may be very heat throughout the cruise season, however you might be nonetheless going to be cruising Arctic waters near glaciers and icebergs so that you’ll need each shorts and t-shirts with a mixture of thermal layers and waterproof clothes.

Layered clothes: The climate in Alaska can change quickly, and layering will help you adapt to various situations. Take into account packing T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, and jackets. Waterproof Pants that convert to shorts are an important choice for Alaska as you possibly can change shortly.

Additionally bear in mind, if you’re cruising early or later within the Alaska cruise season, the climate will likely be cooler, so pack some heat wool socks and a heavier sweater on your mid-layer.

On Deck

Even when the solar is shining, there will likely be a really cool breeze. Standing on the deck it would be best to have windproof and waterproof layers with a hat and gloves.

You’ll need to be comfy so you possibly can actually soak up the fantastic thing about this once-in-a-lifetime scene. (don’t be that man in shorts coming out for less than 5 minutes as a result of he was too chilly)

On Shore

On land, it may be simply as unpredictable. When stopping at completely different Alaska cruise ports, you’ll encounter fully completely different climate and shore excursions.

The climate can change shortly all through the Alaska cruise season and it may be surprisingly moist within the summertime. Juneau could also be scorching and balmy whereas Ketchikan could possibly be wet and chilly. The truth is, Ketchikan is among the wettest locations in North America. So, you’ll need to have an outer layer that’s each windproof and waterproof, you’ll need a mid-layer to maintain you heat on chilly days, however you’ll additionally need summer season garments for the odd stunning, and balmy day.

Alaska Cruise Packing Guidelines

So, now that we perceive the unpredictability of the climate in Alaska, here’s a listing of advised objects you might need to pack on your Alaska cruise.

When packing for Alaska, understand that you want layered clothes, waterproof outerwear, heat clothes, formal apparel, and informal apparel and most significantly don’t overlook comfy footwear. Plus, simply since you are in Alaska, doesn’t imply you received’t be swimming or having fun with the recent tub, so be sure that to pack a showering go well with!

Waterproof Jacket

An outer waterproof layer is crucial if you wish to get pleasure from your Alaskan cruise to the fullest. We’ve turn out to be large followers of Fjällräven and this Fjallraven Excessive Coast Jacket shouldn’t be solely wind and waterproof, it appears good as properly. So whether or not you’re going on a forest hike or sitting in a historic saloon, you’ll look nice.

Fleece Midlayer

Even in the midst of summer season, it may be cool, so having a wise mid-layer is a good suggestion. I discovered that I wore my mid fleece layer on a regular basis, so having one which doubles as mid-layer however can also be trendy sufficient to put on by itself is a good concept and Fjällräven has decisions for males and Ladies’s Fleece.

Puffy Jacket

On the water, you might need to go for one thing slightly hotter than a fleece mid-layer. We love our Canada Goose Hybridge puffy coat, however it’s costly. Dave additionally has this Marmot puffer jacket and it really works nice. Put on it below your windproof and waterproof jacket or into city, both approach, it appears traditional. Purchase it on Amazon right here.

Trekking Pants

Whether or not you’re taking a whale-watching tour, mountaineering to a glacier, or strolling by means of city, trekking pants are nice for an Alaska cruise. We like these Fjällräven Pants as a result of they appear like 1,000,000 bucks whereas nonetheless having sturdiness, breathability, and fast dry of efficiency put on. See it on Amazon right here.

When you don’t have waterproof pants a minimum of plan to have waterproof ones as a result of there’s nothing worse than being damp and moist. When you don’t have waterproof pants, these mountaineering trousers are light-weight and quick-dry.

Trekking Shirts

A superb trekking shirt can double as good informal eveningwear. This trekking shirt by Fjällräven is breathable and wicks away moisture for extra adventurous excursions and actions whereas trying adequate to put on to the restaurant at night time. You should purchase it right here.

Climbing Boots

When you plan to do plenty of glacier excursions, canine sledding, mountaineering within the Tongass Forest, or heading out on zodiacs, we extremely advocate waterproof mountaineering boots. We’ve got additionally used waterproof footwear in Alaska. These waterproof boots are our go-to. Sporting mountaineering boots offers you correct ankle assist for uneven terrain, and when touchdown on a glacier or going canine sledding, you possibly can placed on some wool socks and keep toasty heat.

Waterproof Footwear

You don’t must pack heavy mountaineering boots. If you’re strolling round city or on the ship, these work high quality as properly. We’ve even worn simply waterproof footwear on excursions like whale watching since we aren’t going into any muddy areas, however it nonetheless could also be moist on the boat. When you aren’t doing main actions, waterproof footwear will likely be sufficient.

We like Merrill model and Moab 3 waterproof mountaineering shoe is what we put on and it’s a superb all-around shoe that can preserve your toes heat and dry.

Devices and Gear for Your Alaska Cruise

Binoculars

You’ll seemingly see wildlife like eagles, whales, and bears, and binoculars may help you get a more in-depth look. Even you probably have a zoom lens, binoculars will actually assist benefit from recognizing wildlife and taking in the fantastic thing about glaciers and icebergs up shut. We like these Tasco binoculars.

Digicam There will likely be loads of stunning landscapes to {photograph}. We go into digital camera gear additional beneath, however bear in mind it would be best to have greater than your smartphone in Alaska. You’ll need a zoom lens to seize wildlife and a large angle lens to seize the large glaciers and landscapes.

Lanyard for Cruise Ship Card

When happening a cruise, you should have a cruise card that you just use to buy all the things. Even you probably have an all-inclusive package deal, you will want to swipe your cruise card. We discovered {that a} lanyard works nice to carry our playing cards so we don’t have to hold round a again whereas on board. This package deal affords 4 waterproof lanyards and baggage tags.

Magnet Hooks

There are by no means sufficient hooks in cruise cabins and when cruising in Alaska, you’re going to have extra sweaters, jackets, and layers hanging round. Magnetic Hooks are an important concept as cruise ship partitions are fabricated from steel. You’ll be able to put them on a wall and dangle your garments out of the best way with ease.

Espresso Mug

A refillable mug is a should when on a cruise. Until you might be ordering a specialty espresso (or have a package deal) you’ll be utilizing the small mugs at eating places. With a mug, you possibly can replenish your espresso and carry it across the ship with you. We’ve got discovered this to be invaluable for espresso or tea drinkers. This customized insulated espresso mug is nice for carrying on the ship because it captures the journey.

Hanging Organizer

Bogs may be small on a cruise ship and we love this hanging toiletry bag. We put all the things in it and it retains our toiletries clear and out of the best way. We merely dangle it on the again of the door or on the magnifying mirror when in use. When completed we are able to zip it up and retailer it away. See extra particulars.

Lanyard for Cell Telephone

When on a ship, I actually love having a security hook on my cellphone or digital camera. This waterproof floating case is common and can preserve your cellphone dry whereas having it safely hooked up to your neck or wrist.

Refillable Water Bottle

Reusable Water Bottle: Staying hydrated is essential, particularly once you’re lively and it’s an effective way to have water readily available whereas on a cruise as an alternative of continually needing to buy water.

Backpack or Daypack

A small day pack could be very helpful for carrying objects throughout shore excursions. We advocate a water-proof pack as it might probably rain quite a bit and if you’re going to do whale watching or different excursions on the water, this can preserve your valuables secure from splashing. Buy it right here.

Sun shades

Sun shades and Sunscreen: The solar may be surprisingly robust in Alaska, particularly when mirrored off of snow and water. We love the traditional Aviators by Rayban. However the reality is, I simply put these in as a result of they’re what I put on, any sun shades with correct UV safety will work.

Chapstick and Hand Moisturizer

The fixed change in Alaska climate may be robust in your pores and skin and lips. We love this travel-size Burt’s Bees necessities equipment that

Jewellery Organizer

As we talked about above, Alaska cruises aren’t as formal as Caribbean Cruises or different cruises around the globe, however there are nonetheless formal nights and you’ll costume up as a lot as you want. To spruce up cocktail attire or formal apparel, I really like having a selection of jewellery, and preserving it organized is vital, particularly when staying in small cabins. Having storage and group is vital. See it right here.

Beauty bag

Similar to my jewellery case, I like having my make-up and lotions organized. Having all of it in an organized place makes preparing straightforward. Test it out on Amazon.

Packing Cubes

Packing Cubes have turn out to be a staple for all our travels. They preserve clothes and kit organized and we use them for storing laundry as properly. When you’ve traveled with packing cubes, you’ll by no means return. Buy them right here.

Hygiene and Disinfectant

In at the moment’s world of cruising, everybody could be very conscious of cleanliness. Holland America Line (and different cruises equivalent to Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean for that matter) are very conscious of hygiene and preserving passengers secure with servers handing out meals and plastic boundaries overlaying the buffet.

However it’s nonetheless a good suggestion to pack a number of journey necessities for hygiene and cleansing. We like having this Antibacterial Spray – Lavender Scent readily available and Journey Measurement Lysol Disinfectant Wipes all the time turn out to be useful.

Electronics packing listing for Alaska Cruise

We feature plenty of electronics. However we’ve outlined what we expect most individuals ought to carry and can really feel comfy with to seize these wonderful moments and keep linked. We’ve rounded up sure issues which can be particular for an Alaska cruise. 

Belkin Mini Surge 

You’ll want to have your individual a number of shops to plug your electronics in as charging is restricted in cabins. This Belkin has two USB ports and three plugs, so you possibly can cost a number of electronics whereas solely taking over one plug within the room.

Transportable Laborious Drive

You’ll want to retailer your photographs nightly. I’ve seen folks lose their cameras on an Alaska cruise and all of their reminiscences went proper into the water. This Samsung transportable exhausting drive is so tiny, you’ll barely discover it in your carry-on and it holds 1 terabyte of reminiscence.

iPhone

We’re iPhone customers and the iPhone 14 Professional does an important job getting images and video on the fly. It has a superb zoom to seize wildlife and a 6.1-inch Tremendous Retina XDR show that includes At all times-On and ProMotion plus a 48MP Most important digital camera for as much as 4x larger decision.

Transportable Energy Financial institution and USB Transportable charger

A transportable charger is a staple in our journey gear irrespective of the place we go. I preserve this in my bag always so I can cost my iPhone, cameras, and GoPros. Think about working out of battery whereas on an tour and also you see one thing wonderful like a bear feeding on salmon. I by no means have to fret when I’ve a conveyable charger with me. Purchase it right here now.

Digicam Gear for Alaska Cruise

An Alaska cruise is a visit of a lifetime and a spot that you could be solely go to as soon as. You want greater than an iPhone on your digital camera gear for an Alaska cruise. You want a minimum of a zoom lens for wildlife and a wide-angle lens for landscapes. I’m a Sony man, so I’ve a full listing of digital camera gear that I take with me on my travels, however listed below are some fundamentals you want for an Alaska cruise.

Digicam Physique

We use an entire Sony System for journey and find it irresistible. I exploit a Sony A1 however that’s ridiculously costly and never wanted if photographing isn’t your job (or you probably have cash to burn). A superb choice for a extra reasonably priced Mirrorless digital camera is the Sony A7R IV. The dynamic vary and the decision of this digital camera will seize Alaska’s breathtaking landscapes fantastically.

Listed here are some really helpful objects to enhance your digital camera for this journey:

Lenses

Large-angle Lens: For capturing sweeping landscapes and expansive views from the deck of the ship. One thing just like the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM or the Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM could be superb.

Telephoto Lens

Telephoto Lens: To seize wildlife at a distance, think about a lens just like the Sony FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS. When you want much more attain, the Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5–5.6 GM OSS is perhaps a good selection.

To see extra about journey pictures gear and my full digital camera gear listing, see these articles beneath.

GoPro Hero 11 Black

We by no means journey and not using a GoPro and the GoPro Hero 11 Black is the most recent mannequin. GoPros are good for capturing photographs and movies when on the water or when doing any adventures. If you’re going dogsledding, doing a glacier touchdown, or kayaking, you want a GoPro. Nonetheless, I exploit my GoPro quite a bit when filming, even strolling round city.

GoPro Hero 11: A water-resistant digital camera is extremely really helpful. Likelihood is you can be out whale watching, zipping round Fjords, or just out on the deck within the rain and we by no means journey and not using a GoPro.

Dave’s Alaska Cruise Garments

Now that you’ve an summary of the necessities for packing for Alaska cruises, we need to break down precisely what we introduced with us. You don’t want to decorate up at night time in the event you aren’t planning on reserving specialty eating places or becoming a member of the formal nights, however we are saying, “You’re on a cruise, why wouldn’t you get your fancy on for a night?” So we’re going to incorporate formal costume and dressing for land excursions for each women and men.

For Evenings

• 1 darkish go well with
• 1 Dinner Jacket or Vest
• 2 costume shirts to combine and match with fits.
• 2 ties
• 2 informal/costume pants
• 3 good shirts for dinners
• 1 pair of costume footwear

For OnBoard

• 1 pair of denims
• 3 shirts
• swimsuit
• 1 set of exercise garments
• 2 pair shorts
• 2 t-shirts
• 1 pair flipflops
• 1 pair of informal footwear or sneakers

For On Land

• 2 pairs of waterproof or waterproof trekking pants
• 1 pair of mountaineering footwear or mountaineering boots (Waterproof or a minimum of water-proof)
• 2 trekking shirts

Outer Layers

• Wool Hat
• Waterproof jacket
• mild pair of gloves
• Buff

Deb’s Alaska Cruise Garments

For Evenings

Alaska cruises are usually extra relaxed (formal attire-wise) than different cruises. They aren’t strict on costume code and also you don’t want to decorate up quite a bit. However there are formal nights and in the event you splurge on one of many specialty eating places you might need to costume up. For me, a part of the enjoyable of happening a cruise is with the ability to costume up so I packed cocktail attire and excessive heels in addition!

• 2 cocktail attire
• 2 informal attire
• 2 pairs of costume pants
• 2 blouses
• 2 pairs of costume footwear

On Board

• 2 informal shirts
• swimsuit
• flip flops
• 2 sarongs
• 1 set of exercise garments
• 1 pair of yoga pants

On Land

• Fleece jacket
• 1 pairs shorts
• 2 T-shirts
• Waterproof Jacket
• Gloves
• Wool Hat
• 1 pair denims

Extra Packing Suggestions for an Alaska Cruise

The Above listing of packing for an Alaska cruise is particularly for a cruise portion down southeast Alaska. That is the primary route most cruise strains take and the route we took on all three of our Alaskan cruises.

It appears nearly inconceivable to pack mild for such a visit. It was a troublesome activity cutting down our luggage to incorporate 1 suitcase every.

However general we had been fairly pleased with our packing decisions. With just some changes, you should have the right packing listing for Alaska by studying from our expertise.

Last Ideas

An Alaska cruise requires slightly extra planning than a Caribbean Cruise or perhaps a European River Cruise with regards to packing. You want many extra layers and you actually need to consider waterproof and waterproof clothes.

You additionally need to be comfy understanding within the gymnasium, hanging across the indoor swimming pool, sitting within the lounge having fun with espresso or a glass of wine, and looking out good when going to see a Vegas-style present.

Packing for our Alaska cruises was positively a studying expertise for us. However the one observe we’ve got is you don’t have to fret about overpacking. That is the one time we are saying, it’s okay to carry an excessive amount of.  All of your baggage is taken care of for you so you possibly can carry extra baggage.

When you get off the aircraft, you by no means have to fret about carrying it once more after which you might be in a single cabin all through your cruise, so you possibly can unpack and revel in. So carry what you need and have a selection of clothes. Half the enjoyable of happening a cruise is dressing up. Notice: Simply make sure you examine together with your airline for baggage limits. The one factor you might have to fret about is having to pay for extra baggage.