What are some “must haves” to pack in your suitcase?

[PittsburghNative]

I’m looking for a check list of important items to not forget at home when I travel to Alaska in May. I read that some people bring clothes pins to keep the balcony curtains closed when it’s daylight at night (very cool tip!). What are some not so obvious items do you suggest packing? Right now, I know to not forget the following:

 

Backpack, waterproof jacket, waterproof gloves, waterproof hiking shoes, jeans, workout leggings, etc.

[dundeene]

Quite a few cruises under my belt in the last 5 years including a few to cold areas.

Meclazine, ginger chews, collapsible silicone water bottle, copy of my passport, a small flashlight (if the power goes out),  wool socks, Canadian cash for cabs etc in Vancouver, compact can of air freshener for cabin, a few safety pins, extra camera battery and card.

This should start off the conversation.  Also 2nd the curtain clips.  In northern Russia, during the white nights, we only had three hours of darkness each night.

[elrohir44]

I did my first Alaska cruise last August.  Some suggestions:

 

• Binoculars
• Water proof/resistant pants.  It will be raining and you will want to sit at some point.  A wet butt isn't pleasant.
• Umbrella on that note.
• Envelope with passport copies and return flight boarding passes.  My wife and I had such an envelope in each of our suitcases just in case.  Pre-printing your boarding passes reduces the hassle at the end of the trip.  I also printed out our cruise contract and related documents.  Also bring print-outs proving that you've paid for your excursions.  You never know if you'll need them.
• Some small bills (5s and 1s) to hand out as tips if that is your inclination.
• A good camera with an long optical zoom.
• Pack some warm weather clothes as well, especially if you will be hiking.  It should be fairly cool in May but strenuous activity will get you sweating if you're wearing all your layers.
• Sanitizing wipes to wipe down your room on embarkation day.  My wife does this religiously at every hotel room we stay in and it helps banish the thought of whose ass has been on that toilet seat before you, or what has been done with that TV remote.

A couple more tips for an Alaska cruise:

• Don't drink like you would on a tropical "relaxing" cruise.  A hangover will make your expensive and physically demanding excursions a lot less fun.  
• Take the stairs everywhere you go.  Burn every calorie you can.  Long walks around the promenade deck after meals helps too.
• Make sure you are outside or on an aft balcony during the Skagway sail away for at least a couple hours.  That was some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. 
• If you are going into Tracy Arm or Endicott Arm, the glacier explorer excursion is well-worth the money.  You will barely catch a glimpse of those glaciers if you stay on the ship.  Being on the small boats 1/4 miles from the face was amazing.  There is a good chance for some whale watching too on these boats.
• Mt. Roberts in Juneau has some nice and relatively easy hiking trails.  The tram seems pricey, but it is a lot cheaper than going on an excursion.  Just watch out for bears and steep drop-offs.  Parents we letting their little kids run all over the place up there where they could easily get hurt. 
• On that note, don't treat Alaska like Disneyland.  Nature doesn't care that you are on vacation.  If you go hiking or walking in the woods you are in the middle of nature, and nature will kill you if you give it the chance.  We saw so many people who seemed oblivious to the potential danger out there.  They weren't even supervising their very edible small children (literally toddlers) in the middle of bear country and next to 100-foot drop offs on the trails.  
• All the wonderful, fresh seafood you are looking forward to in the ports is just as expensive there as it is back home, if not more so.  Be prepared for that if you plan to eat in port.

That was more than a couple, but it's hard to stop once I get going.  Have a great trip!  We are going again in July on Island Princess.

Skagway Sail Away:

 

Hiking on Mt. Roberts, Juneau:

 

[FastestSnail]

A pair of undies from Forever21 or ZipperTheory.com and a toothbrush, lol.

[terrydtx]

One item, I haven't seen mentioned is heavy duty outdoors Mosquito repellent, Mosquitos and biting flies can eat you up on land. July and August are the worse months for them.

[Sue's Mom]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

One item, I haven't seen mentioned is heavy duty outdoors Mosquito repellent, Mosquitos and biting flies can eat you up on land. July and August are the worse months for them.

What is end May beginning June like please?

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, Sue's Mom said:

What is end May beginning June like please?

I have been told the worse is from Mid June to first frost in September. Only been there in July.

[Sue's Mom]

Thank you for the information and for the initial warning. We will take spray!

[Italy52]

We have taken numerous trips to Alaska and the one item that I always pack is sunscreen.  We spend a lot of time outside on deck and have experienced wind as well as sun burns.

[Coral]

Ear protection when at glaciers. I lost my favorite one yesterday during this awful cold spell.

[Tucker in Texas]

Not critical by a long shot but, If you like hot chocolate, bring some with you.  They charged for it when we were on the cruise.  I made lots of new-best-friends passing out packets.  

[PittsburghNative]

I appreciate everyone’s comments! I would have not thought about bringing several items mentioned. If there are any more suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

[iheartminniemouse]

We bring magnet hooks to hang on the walls for hats, jackets, binoculars and anything else we can keep off the desk and other surfaces.  Makes grabbing a hat and lanyard easy when walking out the door.

Barb

[CoW mAn]

I wouldn't be so concerned with waterproof but I guess that depends on what you plan on doing. For me the most critical thing was a full zip fleece
 

 

[diesel1973]

If you plan on hiking, think about purchasing bear spray when up there.  Just don't try bringing it home on the plane!

[Anita Latte]

We went to Alaska end of June, beginning of July.

 

1. waterproof camera. I purchased a decent enough, rugged style point and shoot waterproof camera just for our Alaska trip. I spent about $250. The ability to just put that camera in my pocket and not worry about it in any kind of weather was a serious plus. I also had a lens cloth since the camera didn't have a covered lens when it was off...another must have. 

 

2. hat with a brim. If your waterproof jacket has a hood, then that may be good enough for most weather. You might want a warm hat, I had one and I wore it several times...but I also wore a water resistant ball cap, which was excellent for the rain...especially light rain. Makes picture taking much easier and seeing much easier if it is raining.

 

3. sunglasses. If it is sunny, the light on the water and/or glaciers/ice is rough business. You NEED sunglasses, preferably polarized.

[Kellybc]

Anita, I ran across your trip report from the Millennium last summer when I was first researching our upcoming cruise this June on the Viking Orion.  So much great information on all aspects of the trip.  I looked it up again, and appreciated it even more as my trip is closer to reality.  I recommend anyone heading to Alaska (the cruise was Vancouver to Seward) check it out.  It's long, detailed and has lots on what to pack. 

[ProfCruise]

For me, on my first cruise to Alaska I was FREEZING on scenic outdoor viewing days (cruising Glacier Bay, etc).  I had a layer of warm fleece over a sweatshirt and a waterproof jacket, gloves, hat and was still FREEZING.  On my two subsequent Alaska cruises I brought a giant ankle length thick puffer coat with hood.  It looks ridiculous, but it kept me outside enjoying the magnificent beauty while most others (in all their layers) had gone in complaining of cold.  Dress WARM.  Like for the coldest of Pittsburgh winter days (I'm from Pittsburgh too!  South Side Flats).  That's my best advice. 

 

Have fun!  I hope you'll report back with your experience. 

[lynne2fl]

what time of year were you there?

[PittsburghNative]

On 2/7/2019 at 10:12 AM, ProfCruise said:

For me, on my first cruise to Alaska I was FREEZING on scenic outdoor viewing days (cruising Glacier Bay, etc).  I had a layer of warm fleece over a sweatshirt and a waterproof jacket, gloves, hat and was still FREEZING.  On my two subsequent Alaska cruises I brought a giant ankle length thick puffer coat with hood.  It looks ridiculous, but it kept me outside enjoying the magnificent beauty while most others (in all their layers) had gone in complaining of cold.  Dress WARM.  Like for the coldest of Pittsburgh winter days (I'm from Pittsburgh too!  South Side Flats).  That's my best advice. 

 

Have fun!  I hope you'll report back with your experience. 

 

I just thought of a good item to pack and wanted to share with the forum. Hand warmer packets.

[Crew News]

Leave the clothes pins at home and use a pants hanger with the clips to keep your curtains closed.  After 15 cruises to Alaska, you will not find a mosquito until late June. 

 

The weather in May will be chilly in the monring and warming during the day so wearing layers is imporant as well as a backpack to hold the layeres that you remove during the day away from the ship.

 

Bring a 220V to 110V adapter with several outlets to take advantage of those European outlets that can power your dual-voltage items (laptop, phones, headphones).  In addition, bring a multiple outlet AC adapter (without cords) to plugin multiple items in a single outlet.

 

Small LED flashlight to find things in the dark without waking everyone else in your stateroom.

 

Polarizing filters for your camera to eliminate the glare of snow and water.  Microfiber cloth to dry your camera lens in the rain.

 

Lightweight long underwear for those long whale watching excursions on fast-moving boats.

 

First aid items, e.g bandaids, aspirin, bonine, ace bandage, that will be very expensive if obtained on board.

 

Zipoloc bags for storing snacks in your room.

[ProfCruise]

On 2/11/2019 at 4:33 PM, lynne2fl said:

what time of year were you there?

 

July the first time.  Also been twice in September. 

[Ferry_Watcher]

On 1/31/2019 at 4:18 AM, terrydtx said:

One item, I haven't seen mentioned is heavy duty outdoors Mosquito repellent, Mosquitos and biting flies can eat you up on land. July and August are the worse months for them.

I recommend Repel Mosquito Wipes with 30% Deet.  The wipes are very easy to travel with.