Leaving For Alaska! Help!

[harms081]

I know no one can predict the weather but for someone that has done an Alaskan cruise before could you please help me out? I will be sailing onboard the Radiance Of The Seas leaving this Friday and I have no clue what kind of clothes to pack. What will the average temperature be like? Should I pack mostly pants? Any help would be greatly appreciated! :D

[Adri204]

Do the layered look. Be prepared for Sun, rain, wind, cold, hot and everything in between.

 

Adri :)

[cruisetildawn]

I know no one can predict the weather but for someone that has done an Alaskan cruise before could you please help me out? I will be sailing onboard the Radiance Of The Seas leaving this Friday and I have no clue what kind of clothes to pack. What will the average temperature be like? Should I pack mostly pants? Any help would be greatly appreciated! :D

 

HI!

 

LAyers of EVERYTHING! I packed casual......vests t necks and pants. I took rain gear with pants as well.

 

Don't forget a formal dinner night....at least one.

 

Hope you have a GREAT time!:rolleyes:

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Layers, layers, layers will do the trick.

 

Don't forget at least one or two short sleeved shirts for warmer days and on board the ship.

 

Umbrella and rain poncho (dollar store) should also be packed. A hooded fleece or windbreaker will also be handy.

 

Have fun and enjoy Alaska on our favorite ship!!!

 

 

***

[NorbertsNiece]

I know you are going to have an awesome time. We are on the same itinerary in August. Layers is the way to go. Please post back here and let us know how the trip went :)

[rjm1cc]

You could have days that you go from long pants in the morning to shorts in the afternoon, thats why layers is the key. Pack as few outfits as you can. Just mix and match.

The key is to go to the dollar store and buy a fold up plastic rain coat. Keep that in your pocket and you will not have any rain. If you do get rain you will be ready. We take one on every trip.

I would also take a hat.

[ammaoftheseas]

Love this trip did it last year loved the ship and did land tour first.

We are from Florida and way overpacked

I wore jeans a lot with long johns under them (being a South Florida Gal)

I feel if I went again I would take a windbreaker and no heavy coat and layer

[startwin]

Pack some of everything! The weather is very unpredictable and layering is the way to go. Shorts and tee shirts, jeans and pants and tops, nice clothes for evening, couple of sweaters just in case. Light rain gear. You'll have a great time no matter what the weather.:)

[shopper77]

We went the end of July 2007,for 18 days, some of the best advice I got was to take gloves & a warm hat. They don't take up musch space. You will need them near the Glaciers. I also had on a turtleneck, sweater, and my winter coat and was still freezing, and I am from PA and use to the cold. Take lots of layers, and waterproof rain gear. Have fun and enjoy.

[Party Teacher]

We were in Alaska exactly a year ago. The day we were in Juneau, it hit 80 degrees! We were in capris and shorts and short sleeved shirts. We even got sunburned while hiking to Mendenhall glacier. However, the days we were in Glacier Bay, we had lined jackets, hats and gloves on! Be prepared for anything!

 

PT

[rubrrick]

My DW just got off of the Radiance repositioning cruise, and by far the worst day she experienced was in San Francisco.:eek:

 

Well, you are not going there.....so, as so many posters have mentioned, you need to be prepared for cold and rain, and sunny and HOT! The worst day she experienced on this last trip was in Skagway, where it was a day of rain. Every other day was either partly cloudy, or sunny.

 

Hubbard Glacier (and I wish I could have everyone look at a video posted on YouTube, by one of her friends, where there was a good 1/4 mile wide section of ice that caved, and created about an 8 to 10 foot wave that rocked the Radiance. When that much of the glacier fell into the water, Captain Klaus immediately let everyone know of the situation, and everyone watched the single wave come slowly toward the ship, till it finally hit and passed.) Maybe you will have the same experience....but I have been there 5 times, and the time that I was not with my DW, I should have been, to have experienced that one moment in time.

 

Enjoy your cruise. :)......Alaska is second to none, and the only thing that beats it, IMO, is either around the horn, or the fjords of Norway.

 

Rick

[lkdry]

I went in August, there were snow flurries.

[Oscar_the_Grouch's_Sis]

I was in Alaska May 15-18 (round trip from Seattle) stopped in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan - weather was great! Only 1 rainy day the whole week (Juneau)

 

With that said, you still want to dress in layers. It was quite cool when we were in Endicot Fjord (we got iced out of Tracey Arm) ... I went on the excursion that took 125 people on a smaller boat right up to the ice. I stayed outside the whole time and I was FREEZING! If you do something like this - it might be a good idea to bring hat and gloves and scarf JUST IN CASE. (It doesn't hurt anything to be prepared.) Don't know how much it has warmed up from a few weeks ago.

 

Inside the ship I wore a fleece jacket. Outside I wore a fleece jacket with a thermal lining. (It kept me DRY in the rain!!) ... I am pretty confident you wont need anything heavier than that.

 

ENJOY! Alaska is BREATHTAKING!!!

 

Sorry - just went to read other comments. I pretty much just said what everyone else did:o

 

rubrrick, what happened in San Fransisco? Just curious. (I'll be doing the repo cruise next May :D )

[rubrrick]

I was in Alaska May 15-18 (round trip from Seattle) stopped in Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan - weather was great! Only 1 rainy day the whole week (Juneau)

 

With that said, you still want to dress in layers. It was quite cool when we were in Endicot Fjord (we got iced out of Tracey Arm) ... I went on the excursion that took 125 people on a smaller boat right up to the ice. I stayed outside the whole time and I was FREEZING! If you do something like this - it might be a good idea to bring hat and gloves and scarf JUST IN CASE. (It doesn't hurt anything to be prepared.) Don't know how much it has warmed up from a few weeks ago.

 

Inside the ship I wore a fleece jacket. Outside I wore a fleece jacket with a thermal lining. (It kept me DRY in the rain!!) ... I am pretty confident you wont need anything heavier than that.

 

ENJOY! Alaska is BREATHTAKING!!!

 

Sorry - just went to read other comments. I pretty much just said what everyone else did:o

 

rubrrick, what happened in San Fransisco? Just curious. (I'll be doing the repo cruise next May :D )

 

 

San Francisco........nothing but rain and wind! It was just one of those days!!:rolleyes:

 

Rick

[klingoncruiser]

Have a great time. We will be spending over 3 weeks there this summer. What a wonderful place Alaska is. As others have said, layer to fit the weather. Leave he big coat at home. It will rain at some point, but ignore it and keep going.

[Ohunion Cruzers]

And... If you forget to pack something, chances are pretty good that you can buy it there. Umbrellas came in very handy on our trip to AK.

[mbcormier]

I was in Alaska in May 09. Was 80 and sunny out when we left Vancouver. never saw the sun again till we got off the ship in Whitter. But never once worn a jacket. It was 60 out the three days we were in ports and i worn just a long sleeved shirt and rolled them up. It was a fine mist when it did rain but not for a long time so didn't need rain gear. I went on top of the mountain in Juneau and it was 55 had on a long sleeve shirt rolled up and there was about 4 feet of snow still up there was great. The coldest day we had was in Glacier Bay NP but i still didn't have on a jacket while on the open decks looking at all that ice.

[Pinkkong]

Definitely bring an earband or a hat, and gloves for the glacier days.

[MSgirl cruiser]

You could have days that you go from long pants in the morning to shorts in the afternoon, thats why layers is the key. Pack as few outfits as you can. Just mix and match.

The key is to go to the dollar store and buy a fold up plastic rain coat. Keep that in your pocket and you will not have any rain. If you do get rain you will be ready. We take one on every trip.

I would also take a hat.

 

Just returned last Sat. from Alaska, differant ship, but layering was the key and mix and match... I took a hooded lightweight raincoat and waited and bought a lightweight fleece jacket there... since I live in the south, I took pantyhose to wear underneath my jeans and long pants... it worked perfectly... At Juneau, and after Mendenhall Glacier tour, when got back in town had to go to restroom and take them off ..... it had warmed up and was sunshine!!!! Beautiful day every day, cool morns and warm days... Sitting on balcony had to wear long pants, gloves and light fleece on day and then shorts and T-shirt another day... Layering is the key!!! Also bought earband in Alaska....

Enjoy, it is awesome... it was our first trip and hope it wont be last!!!

[Sixtynifty]

I am going on my first cruise to Alaska in July. I thank everyone for their comments on how to pack! Certain that it is going to be a challenge not to overpack. We are on a land tour after the cruise. Has anyone done this? Do you need to pack a separate suitcase for the land part or can you still have everything in one big suitcase?

I am looking forward to viewing Alaska! Know it is beautiful!

[Ohunion Cruzers]

I am going on my first cruise to Alaska in July. I thank everyone for their comments on how to pack! Certain that it is going to be a challenge not to overpack. We are on a land tour after the cruise. Has anyone done this? Do you need to pack a separate suitcase for the land part or can you still have everything in one big suitcase?

I am looking forward to viewing Alaska! Know it is beautiful!

 

Yes. Pack a "Carry-On" type case for the land portion (one per person). All of your large cases, from the cruise, will remain locked on the bus. The driver will tote your smaller case to and from your room each night.

[Sixtynifty]

Thank you! I appreciate the information!:)

[SusanC67]

whenever I travel, no matter what the destination, I always check the weather reports and averages for the time I want to travel.

 

www.theweatherchannel.com

 

This will give you the forecast for your travel time and show you what to expect temp wise and precip, etc.

[CruisinDawn]

I am going on my first cruise to Alaska in July. I thank everyone for their comments on how to pack! Certain that it is going to be a challenge not to overpack. We are on a land tour after the cruise. Has anyone done this? Do you need to pack a separate suitcase for the land part or can you still have everything in one big suitcase?

I am looking forward to viewing Alaska! Know it is beautiful!

They will hold your suitcases you don't need on the bus. What we plan on doing is getting a little laundry done on the ship, repacking what we need on the land portion in one suitcase so we don't need to lug it all in and out each stop. Not long now!!

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[Aussie One]

What will the weather be like in September ? all replies welcomeif if i book radiance of the seas is it worth booking a balcony if the weather is crook thank you