What to pack for Alaska Cruise

[dkbeyer]

My husband and I will be going on the inside passage to alaska in a few weeks.  I know nothing is definite and I might not get an answer to this but we have never cruised before nor have been to alaska.  I understand the weather has been really warm this summer.  It is hard to tell if the weather will continue this way by the time we go on our cruise.  I don't want to over pack but also want to have the correct items of clothing along.  We are planning on a whale watching trip in Juneau along with a glacier.  We also will be going on a Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles Cruise in Ketchikan in Icy Straits will be doing an Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search.  If anyone has done any of these tours, was it warm on the tour or colder.  Any suggestions or hints would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

[OldBoot]

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/&share_sfid=33&share_fid=24703&share_type=sf

Try here.

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[OldBoot]

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/&share_sfid=33&share_fid=24703&share_type=sf

Try here.

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

That didn't turn out as hoped. There is a Ports of Call message board. Alaska has its own spot there.

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[dkbeyer]

Thanks for the information.  Looking forward to our first cruise.

[Lost Professor]

2 hours ago, dkbeyer said:

My husband and I will be going on the inside passage to alaska in a few weeks.  I know nothing is definite and I might not get an answer to this but we have never cruised before nor have been to alaska.  I understand the weather has been really warm this summer.  It is hard to tell if the weather will continue this way by the time we go on our cruise.  I don't want to over pack but also want to have the correct items of clothing along.  We are planning on a whale watching trip in Juneau along with a glacier.  We also will be going on a Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles Cruise in Ketchikan in Icy Straits will be doing an Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search.  If anyone has done any of these tours, was it warm on the tour or colder.  Any suggestions or hints would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Check out this thread on this forum
  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2659138-packing-tips-for-alaska/

 

[happymom52003]

Layers are key!  We just returned from Alaska, and it was definitely the warmest trip we've had there, however any excursion on a boat, such as whale watching, will be colder when the boat is in motion even if the temps are warm.  For example....we did whale watching and then a hike at Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau.  On the whale watching boat I had on a short sleeve base layer, a fleece, and my rain/wind jacket as well as a fleece hat.  But for the hike, I had to shed all layers down to my short sleeve shirt.   To avoid overpacking....keep in mind that the layers next to your skin are really the only ones that you need multiples of (I only took two short sleeve and two long sleeve base layers).  One fleece layer and one rain/wind jacket will be fine.  I also wore the same pair of water resistant pants on all three excursion days (I had packed two). 

[dkbeyer]

Thanks for this information. This helps a lot.

 

 

[skrufy]

On 8/11/2019 at 7:09 PM, dkbeyer said:

My husband and I will be going on the inside passage to alaska in a few weeks.  I know nothing is definite and I might not get an answer to this but we have never cruised before nor have been to alaska.  I understand the weather has been really warm this summer.  It is hard to tell if the weather will continue this way by the time we go on our cruise.  I don't want to over pack but also want to have the correct items of clothing along.  We are planning on a whale watching trip in Juneau along with a glacier.  We also will be going on a Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles Cruise in Ketchikan in Icy Straits will be doing an Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search.  If anyone has done any of these tours, was it warm on the tour or colder.  Any suggestions or hints would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Congratulations on your first cruise. You will not be disappointed, Alaska is an amazing journey. There are Alaska packing tips all over the internet. We did Alaska the last two years, the end of August, we had really good weather and comfortable temperatures. The other was at the beginning of September and we had lots of overcast,       rainy weather and very cool temperatures. 

Layering is the way to go. The weather could be cool in the morning and nice and warm in the afternoon or visa versa. Bring rain gear, gloves, hat, and maybe a scarf. A compact

backpack of tote for your layered cloths. Good pair of walking shoes is a must. The glaciers have temps in the high 30s. Whale watching and wildlife watching could be chilly.  A fleece jacket works well with layering.

FYI, Alaska cruises are very casual. A strict dress code is not enforced, formal nights are really a casual night.  You can still dress up if you like. 

 

[masterdrago]

1 hour ago, dkbeyer said:

Thanks for this information. This helps a lot.

 

 

I put our packing guide and beginning planner at 
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2656006-planning-report-pre-cruise-rci-excursion-plan/

 

[masterdrago]

On 8/11/2019 at 7:09 PM, dkbeyer said:

My husband and I will be going on the inside passage to alaska in a few weeks.  I know nothing is definite and I might not get an answer to this but we have never cruised before nor have been to alaska.  I understand the weather has been really warm this summer.  It is hard to tell if the weather will continue this way by the time we go on our cruise.  I don't want to over pack but also want to have the correct items of clothing along.  We are planning on a whale watching trip in Juneau along with a glacier.  We also will be going on a Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles Cruise in Ketchikan in Icy Straits will be doing an Exclusive Wildlife and Bear Search.  If anyone has done any of these tours, was it warm on the tour or colder.  Any suggestions or hints would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Overpacking is, IMHO, a drag but you might consider looking at forecast and historical averages at  https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/hoonah-ak/99829/september-weather/331726

[moneeman]

Good suggestions above.  Everyone says it, and it is true.  Layering is key.  We went in late July, so the weather was a bit warmer than you will likely experience.  But probably not a whole lot different.  Lows ranging from low 40's to low 50's, and highs from low 50's to 70.  Yes, they had a heat wave a few weeks ago, but that won't happen in September.  Perhaps it's easier for guys, but I was very comfortable with the following:

 

- long-sleeve t-shirt (my base layer - I had several)

- fairly heavy sweat shirt

- Columbia zip-up jacket that I could wear with or without the sweatshirt

- light-weight rainproof jacket

 

I had every layer on at Hubbard glacier, and when we were dogsledding on the glacier.  Otherwise, I had combinations of the other layers, but generally did not need both the sweat shirt and the zip-up jacket at the same time.

 

Have a great trip!

[Anita Latte]

Layers are the key...and to clarify the layers...generally, this is the advice you can find.

 

1. Base layer. This is the layer that is closest to your skin. Some places call this the comfort layer. This is what you would wear under ideal conditions with the temperature. Could be a tee shirt, short sleeved or long. Could be normal cotton, could be smart wool. 

 

2. Warmth layer. This is what you add to combat the early morning or late evening chill. Or wind chill. Or shade chill. Fleece. Sweatshirt. Sweater. Pullover. Vest. Puffy jacket. Whatever works for you keeping in mind what you have for your base layer. Depending on your style and cold tolerance, you may bring one or two warmth layers. Maybe a long sleeved one and a vest style. Or maybe a really warm one (puffy jacket) and a sort of warm one.

 

3. Protection layer. This is the waterPROOF and/or windproof layer. The layer you need to protect you from inclement weather. You don't necessarily want your warmth layer and your protection layer to be an all in one. There are times when the temperature is fine but it's raining...

 

Your day in AK could be like this...you wake up and it's foggy, but not raining. There's a chill in the air. Supposed to be a high of 70 but it's only in the 50s. You wear a tee shirt and a fleece pullover. You take your rain coat in a daypack because it's a RAIN FOREST. You're walking around, going in and out of shops, or headed down Nugget Falls trail...your getting warm, so you ditch the fleece. You made it to Nugget Falls and just standing around...the wind picks up and the sun goes behind a cloud...you put your fleece back on. It starts raining on the way back to the visitor center...out comes the rain coat.

 

You get to the visitor center and it's plenty warm inside...take off fleece and rain coat. Walk around in tee. It's still raining outside but the wind has died down a bit...so you forget the fleece and just put on the rain coat for the ride back to the ship.

 

The layer dance is what you do in AK. Fortunately, as someone else said...you pick a lot of base layers...one or two warmth layers...and likely one protection layer. Anything on the water will have a real feel that is cooler than the temperature...the wind chill is real on land too because it generally comes from the water or the direction of ice fields and glaciers, so either way...wind chill can be quite cool...and various areas can be extremely windy (Skagway...read about what that name means).  

[dkbeyer]

Thank you for all this information