What to Wear on an Alaskan Cruise: Your Complete Packing List

Table Of Content

• Other Important Items to Pack for Your Alaska Cruise
• Lipstick-Sized Portable Charger
• Start shopping for cold weather clothing now, as winter gear may be on sale
• Dinners on the cruise ship
• It Can Be Very Cold In Alaska Or Sometimes It Can Be Very Warm
• Our Ultimate Disney Packing List: 9 Things You Absolutely Can’t Forget to Bring
• You don’t have to book your excursions through Royal Caribbean

Or, if your ship is doing a late-night stay in port, you might want to seek out the best place for king crab, wild Alaska salmon and other local delicacies on shore. Alaskans tend to dress for comfort at restaurants — even those with fancy menus. Norwegian has very few rules on what you must wear, but some clothing items are prohibited in the dining rooms and specialty restaurants. These items include swimwear, baseball caps, sun visors, flip-flops, and men's tank tops. Swimwear (with a cover-up or shirt) and footwear are only allowed in the buffet and outdoor casual dining spots. Even just sitting on the balcony of my Alaskan cruise was freezing.

Other Important Items to Pack for Your Alaska Cruise

I personally love leggings because they are warm and take up barely any room in my suitcase. And if it’s bitter cold, you can put jeans over leggings and have double the warm layers. You may think it will be too cold to swim but I actually used my bathing suit quite a lot. You’ll also want to add a comfortable pair of shoes for just walking around the ship. They are super comfy for airports and pretty much match with anything. My Alaskan cruise ranged from 85 degrees and sunny to bitter cold and freezing.

Lipstick-Sized Portable Charger

She does agree that there is a big problem with how people dress, as people simply don’t know how to pair clothes to achieve the perfect look. A small ship adventure cruise like Alaskan cruises can be the best choice for your next trip. These cruises go to fascinating ports and travel across the mountains that separate Alaska from Canada. Since summer is the busiest time for cruises to Alaska, taking a cruise in September is the best option.

Start shopping for cold weather clothing now, as winter gear may be on sale

Just keep in mind that when the weather is wet and you have plans to be outside, jeans are not what you want to be wearing. Instead, opt for waterproof hiking pants or something that will dry quicker. A flannel or winter coat with insulated boots is the perfect combination. In the summertime, shorts, leggings, tank tops, and athletic tops are perfectly fine. If you aren’t going hiking or on a boat, flip-flops are great to wear, too.

In fact, Juneau experiences some form of precipitation approximately 230 days a year. For women, this could include packing leggings and dark jeans as outfit staples. Leggings are extremely versatile for an Alaskan cruise; from active excursions to exploring an Alaskan town in the rain, you won't regret packing black leggings. If it's super cold, you can even layer 2 pairs of leggings for extra warmth. During these months, Alaska can get cold particularly when you’re out on the deck of the ship.

It Can Be Very Cold In Alaska Or Sometimes It Can Be Very Warm

All Your Questions About Taking a Child on an Alaska Cruise, Answered - Condé Nast Traveler

All Your Questions About Taking a Child on an Alaska Cruise, Answered.

Posted: Thu, 20 Jun 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Packing for this journey isn’t just about throwing clothes into a suitcase. It’s about curating a wardrobe that ensures comfort while reflecting the elegance of your surroundings. We’ll dive into the details in this guide, making sure you’re ready for whatever Alaska throws your way. You might also have the opportunity to see the breathtaking aurora borealis, a.k.a. the Northern Lights, a spectacular natural light display that colors the sky in a number of different hues at night.

Your ship might stock some, but you'll want your own for spotting whales, bears, eagles and other wildlife and for close-up views of glacial ice and other wilderness from the ship and on shore. If you plan to do a lot of hiking, you might want to bring a retractable walking stick for uneven surfaces. Packing for an Alaska cruise does not have to be a stressful experience.

I tried a Holland America cruise to Alaska. Here's what it's like to sail on this cruise line - Cruise Blog

I tried a Holland America cruise to Alaska. Here's what it's like to sail on this cruise line.

Posted: Sat, 10 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Beyond clothing, there are many things you’ll want to pack for your Alaskan cruise vacation. October weather is usually more chilly and rainy than the other months of the Alaska cruise season. Temperatures typically range from lows in the 30’s to highs in the low 50’s F. If you cruise to Alaska early in the season at the end of April or May, be prepared for the weather to be cooler than the summer months.

In order to not overpack, I chose this pair of shoes to bring for dinners. A good pair of classic black heels worked with a nice dress for formal night. Since you don’t want to have to pack too many shoes, stick with either sneakers, flip flops, hiking boots, or flats which can be interchanged between the gym, spa/pool, outdoors, and dinner. Make sure to check out that article too for all of those extras that you might otherwise forget. After you unpack, you can shove those suitcases under the bed for the rest of the trip. Just as Alaska’s weather can be unpredictable in terms of rain and snow, you may also encounter surprisingly warm weather, particularly in the peak summer season.

If you are going more north, however, it could easily require you to bring a warm jacket. While you can pick up many of the items on this checklist in certain parts of Alaska or even on the ship, they’ll likely be a lot more expensive. So I recommend traveling with everything you need right off the bat. This will also give you a better idea of how much suitcase space you’re taking up and how much extra space you’ll have leftover for souvenirs.

I bring two of the large size so, as I mentioned, I can pop my camera into one in case of rain. Whether you travel with a laptop or external drive, get in the habit of transferring and backing-up your day’s photos before you go to bed. If you already have a camera, think about bringing a zoom lens. To capture close-up images of the glaciers, wildlife foraging along the shore and on and on.

It works best when applied within 24 hours of the incident, but make sure you don’t use it on fussy fabrics like wool, silk, or leather. Forget Croc’s clunky (but comfy) clogs — the Croc Splash Sandals are small, strappy, and still super comfy to wear. The entire shoe is waterproof and can be submerged, so you can also go ahead and wear these in the shower.