clothing for begiinning or middle of May

[flcraigs5]

We have only done cruises to the caribbean and we are from Florida so I am clueless on what type of clothing we will need for Alaska - 7 day cruise. Any help would be appreciated

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'm also in the early thinking stages of this, going in early May 2012.

 

We are lucky since we live in a cold climate, so we won't have to purchase much.

 

Depending on what part of Florida you live in, I would imagine that you have jackets and sweaters for cold weather? If so, I'm thinking that you can get by with what you own, perhaps adding mittens, scarf and hat. I do know that it's all about layering.

 

But I am hoping you will get lots of concrete advice. Thanks for starting the thread.

[LindaKE]

We went the 2nd week of May, 2003. We're from Mobile, AL, plus I get cold easily. That year the highest temps were mid 40s with a constant, strong, cold wind. We froze. Recent cruisers report warmer weather than we had, but weather is a gamble whenever you go.

 

Since then I've learned to dress in layers. Many light layers are warmer than 1 or 2 heavier layers. When we go back this summer, I plan to take panty hose or tights (You know how hot they are during the summer.), Cuddle Duds, wool pants (warmer than cotton or jeans, especially if you get caught in Alaska's rains), a turtle neck, wool seater, and a 3-in-1 jacket. The jacket is warm (and layered) and allows for removing 1 part if it's warm, making it versatile, and also, less likely to be wasted in AL in the future. With layers, you can add as many as as you need each day, then shed as it warms up. Gloves, scarf and a hat make a big difference. I used these tips on our Canada / New England cruise which had unusually cold weather, almost what we had in Alaska, and wasn't nearly as miserable as I was before in Alaska.

 

There's lots of discussion of warm wear. Just do a search on this board.

[AkSusan]

The advice for coming to Alaska is layers no matter when you come with the last one being a waterproof coat either with a hood or a waterproof hat. That way you don't have to mess with an umbrella and sometimes if the wind is blowing the umbrella just isn't worth it's wait.

 

Also, for glacier days make sure you have hat and gloves.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[Traveller20074]

I thought May and June were the 2 months least likely to rain and be cold, but what do i know? :D

 

 

I went May 9th last year on the pearl and it was sunny in Seattle, sunny everywhere else, except it rained a little in Skagway. They said it was "Alaska cruising at it's finest" I didn't wear the raingear or the waterproof boots I brought. I just wore normal clothes. I didn't even wear the long underwear I brought. But....probably will bring this this coming May when we go again. I won't be bringing the boots though lol

[happylady]

We have only done cruises to the caribbean and we are from Florida so I am clueless on what type of clothing we will need for Alaska - 7 day cruise. Any help would be appreciated

 

We're from South Florida where our normal winter gear (up until last year due to an unusual cold winter) was a long sleeve shirt! :D So, I totally understand!

 

We'll be cruising in late May and have been collecting winter gear for a few months. Both my DH and I had a hard time finding a decent waterproof jacket, so we resorted to the internet. We both found nice jackets online, him at Cabela's and me at Bass Pro Shops. Neither jacket was over $45.

[LindaKE]

I thought May and June were the 2 months least likely to rain and be cold, but what do i know? :D

 

They may be the less likely, but that doesn't mean it won't rain. It's my understanding that some locations, like Ketchikan, have rain almost every day. When we went before in May, we had sunny weather everywhere but Ketchikan, but I've read reviews where it rained the whole trip, some of it downpours.

[judynorth]

After our first Alaska cruise we invested in Gore-tex jackets for both of us. Our water resistant jackets were a joke! We got light weight jackets and layer them over warm clothes. It was a great investment which we carry on every cruise and also use frequently here in Virginia. They are light enough to use in the summer when it rains and in the winter over a warm jacket when it rains. My jacket came from the LLBean outlet and cost about $80 and worth every penny. The thing about Gore-tex and its generics is that it is not only waterproof but it is also breathable so you don't get wet from your sweat. In Alaska we wear the jacket over a polar fleece with a hooded sweatshirt and turtleneck if needed. IMHO, a breathable, waterproof jacket is the most important item for Alaska. Of course, warm socks, gloves, and ear covering are nice particularly on glacier days and comfortable shoes for everyday.

 

Here we are at Hubbard Glacier on a sunny day in early June in our Alaska gear:

 

 

And here we are in the rain and wind:

 

[2little time]

As others have said, layering is what you want to do. It will be cold on the decks and add rain to that and you are miserable without a water resistant jacket. I like the Landsend squall jackets as they are fleece lined and water repellant on the outside. Gloves and ear warmers will also make you more comfortable. :)

[PennyAgain]

You need a hat. A warm head helps to keep the rest of your body warm. I happen to make my own hats (knit) but there are plenty for sale in the stores now.