Alaska Sept.2021

[big-mike]

Hello fellow cruisers

We are taking our first Alaskan Cruise. Since going to Alaska is so totally Different than a warm climate cruise I have some questions that I hope y'all can help with.

What didn't bring that you wish you had?

What did you bring that was not used

I'm assuming there will be 2 "formal nights" I'm guessing it will be the 2 Sea days

 

Thanks for you your input

Mike

[mexicobob]

You did not ask what to bring but, my suggestions.

Binoculars
Raincoats, hats, gloves 

Boots, if you plan on walking

Layers of warm jackets

 

There will be two "elegant" nights which most people ignored on the two Alaskan cruises I have been on.

 

VERY HIGHLY recommend going on a helicopter or airplane excursion in one of the ports. Experience of a lifetime. 

[csm5986142]

We did an Alaska cruise the end of August (several years ago) and it was unusually warm.  People were actually swimming in the outdoor pool at one of the ports.  Not a lot of people, but we seriously did not need jackets/hats/gloves.  Be sure to look up the 10 day forecast for your ports before you leave.

[tallnthensome]

Check out the Alaska forum. 

[vp1]

Just returned yesterday from the Miracle sailing (August 3-10) from Seattle to Alaska.  It was definitely cooler than I had thought, even though I was following the projected forecasts up until we left.  Did not see the sun for the 4-5 days we were in Alaska - that's really not all that unexpected, even in August.  Daily highs were probably about 60; the first sea day the high was maybe 50 with a strong breeze - wind chill was easily in the 30's sitting on the balcony...  

 

Saw lots of people in their newly purchased hats, jackets and sweatshirts after our first stop in Skagway... 🙂  I'd suggest packing one more layer than you might have originally thought.

 

~Bob

[Anyislandwilldo]

Yes, check out the Alaska Forums.  There are threads just for reviews.  I read years and years worth of reviews before we did our Alaskan cruise.  

 

Be prepared for any weather.  Dress in layers.  We did the train ride in Juneau and had jackets on and then when we got back to walk around town, it was 70 degrees.  We needed to take off our jackets.  

 

There is a wealth of info on those boards.  You are going to love Alaska!!  Enjoy your trip!!

[big-mike]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions

 

Mike

[skrufy]

On 8/10/2021 at 11:14 PM, mexicobob said:

You did not ask what to bring but, my suggestions.

Binoculars
Raincoats, hats, gloves 

Boots, if you plan on walking

Layers of warm jackets

 

There will be two "elegant" nights which most people ignored on the two Alaskan cruises I have been on.

 

VERY HIGHLY recommend going on a helicopter or airplane excursion in one of the ports. Experience of a lifetime. 

 

On 8/10/2021 at 11:25 AM, big-mike said:

Hello fellow cruisers

We are taking our first Alaskan Cruise. Since going to Alaska is so totally Different than a warm climate cruise I have some questions that I hope y'all can help with.

What didn't bring that you wish you had?

What did you bring that was not used

I'm assuming there will be 2 "formal nights" I'm guessing it will be the 2 Sea days

 

Thanks for you your input

Mike

Congrats, you’ll love Alaska. Alaska is a total casual cruise. The elegant night is non-existent. You might see some dressed up, but the majority will be in casual dress every night. As mentioned, check out the very informative Alaska videos dealing with what to wear/ bring with you. You did not say when you will be cruising. We have gone twice during the end of August to the middle of September and had two completely different cruises regarding weather. The first one we had rain, fog and overcast in every port. The second it was sunny and dry except for Icy Strait Point, it was overcast and drizzling all day. Layering and a good wind resistant jacket worked well. Don’t forget to always have rain gear with you. We are heading back in 2022, can’t wait.

[don't-use-real-name]

big-mike

 

I'm assuming there will be 2 "formal nights" I'm guessing it will be the 2 Sea days

 

You didn't say what cruise line you were taking -

OR

date of sailing ?

 

Some cruise lines like NCL have a freestyle dress code - none of this fancy formal dress stuff !

7 day cruises of other lines have usually one formal night

In any event unless dressing to the nines for a memorable photo opt -

dress-up is optional - some restaurants maybe restrictive on formal night 

[kochleffel]

In Alaska now. Bring a rain HAT in addition to a rain coat or jacket. A hat will keep rain out of your eyes, which a hood won’t.

 

If you need to wear glasses outdoors, also carry a microfiber cloth to wipe rain off the lenses when you go inside. I am serious about that.

 

Some sort of packable waterproof day bag to carry an extra warm layer, which you may want when on the water but which would be too warm on shore.

 

So far the only thing I brought that I haven’t needed was a waterproof camera for a raft trip that was canceled because the water was too high.

[AKJonesy]

Bring a fleece hat and some kind of gloves for the glacier stop.  It will be cold regardless of the other weather in SE AK.  

 

[Love being Mimi]

On 8/12/2021 at 9:48 AM, Anyislandwilldo said:

Yes, check out the Alaska Forums.  There are threads just for reviews.  I read years and years worth of reviews before we did our Alaskan cruise.  

 

Be prepared for any weather.  Dress in layers.  We did the train ride in Juneau and had jackets on and then when we got back to walk around town, it was 70 degrees.  We needed to take off our jackets.  

 

There is a wealth of info on those boards.  You are going to love Alaska!!  Enjoy your trip!!

Where would I find Alaska forums?

 

[AKJonesy]

1 hour ago, Love being Mimi said:

Where would I find Alaska forums?

 

You are fine right here.  I didn't read anything about you asking for a review of something so I don't know what people are talking about and I don't know why people are directing you to a different forum when you are asking general questions.  I would also go to your roll call group for your specific sailing and specific date so that you can connect with people specifically for your ship and date to Alaska.  Here is the link to the Roll Calls.  You didn't say which cruise line.  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/20-roll-calls/

Edited August 27, 2021 by AKJonesy

[gottagoacruzn]

On 8/10/2021 at 9:14 PM, mexicobob said:

You did not ask what to bring but, my suggestions.

Binoculars
Raincoats, hats, gloves 

Boots, if you plan on walking

Layers of warm jackets

 

There will be two "elegant" nights which most people ignored on the two Alaskan cruises I have been on.

 

VERY HIGHLY recommend going on a helicopter or airplane excursion in one of the ports. Experience of a lifetime. 

Yeah, what Bob said, "Don't forget the binoculars." Thats very important!!!

[Love being Mimi]

16 hours ago, AKJonesy said:

You are fine right here.  I didn't read anything about you asking for a review of something so I don't know what people are talking about and I don't know why people are directing you to a different forum when you are asking general questions.  I would also go to your roll call group for your specific sailing and specific date so that you can connect with people specifically for your ship and date to Alaska.  Here is the link to the Roll Calls.  You didn't say which cruise line.  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/20-roll-calls/

I'm on carnival, sept 14th.  Just didn't know if I missed something.  Looking for new post of what it's like.  I've already went to roll call.

[Anyislandwilldo]

Love being Mimi, did you find the  Alaska reviews on Cruise Critic?  Here is the link for the 2019 trip reports.    

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2658452-2019-trip-reports/

 

[raspberry ridge]

When packing gear make sure you have considered your feet.Waterproofed trail shoes or hikers with change of socks can make your whole day better!  If your cruise line cabin does not have them a clothesline for drying damp items is really helpful. Magellans carries them as I imagine Amazon would too.You can use magnetic hooks on your cabin walls for hanging it or just for extra hanging for hats and ponchos. Layering is essential as others have said.If you layer you should not need a heavy parka. Think base layer, shirt,  fleece or hoodie, and waterproof/wind resistant layer (ideally long enough to cover your sitter!!) .That is way more flexible and better suited to changeable weather and nobody wants to pack a bulky parka. You can bring a "puffy" vest if you are someone who chills easily. It is generally wet in September so staying dry is key. The ship can be cool in the evening as well so a wrap or sweater is nice to have then. I love dressing up for formal night and have worn full length gowns even in Alaska in the past but I'm also cruising there in Sept and the most I'm, thinking I will dress up is sparkly earrings and wrap this time around! Bon voyage.

[Jasukkie]

I'm another first timer to Alaska, on Ovation on 9/10. Looking at the long range weather forecast, umm, does it rain all day every day in every city in Alaska? JK, I know, sometimes it snows. Hopefully we will get some level of visibility through the rain. I once cruised to Canada in the thickest fog I've ever seen. I can still hear the foghorn.

 

Do they generally run excursions in the rain? We've got the usual Alaska stuff, whale watching, White Pass railway. I have waterproof pants, boots, raincoat. It looks like there is an inside area on the whale watching boat if it gets bad. I'm bringing lots of layers, hopefully everything fits in one bag. This is a lot harder to pack for than the typical tropical cruise.

[geoherb]

They will run most excursions rain or shine. The exception is flightseeing ones that may be grounded if the weather is too bad.

 

I was on the Majestic Princess last week. It rained every day. We saw small patches of blue sky a couple of days. I had a great time in spite of the rain. On previous cruises, I've brought along waterproof shoes for rainy days in port. I did not this time. The only time my shoes got very wet was our day in Ketchikan. I walked from the dock to Saxman Village Totem Park. It's about 6 miles roundtrip. At times, I wish I had worn my rain poncho that day instead of just a windbreaker. When I got back to the ship, I used the hair dryer to dry my shoes.

[Northern Aurora]

8 hours ago, Jasukkie said:

......

 

Do they generally run excursions in the rain? We've got the usual Alaska stuff, whale watching, White Pass railway. I have waterproof pants, boots, raincoat. It looks like there is an inside area on the whale watching boat if it gets bad. I'm bringing lots of layers, hopefully everything fits in one bag. This is a lot harder to pack for than the typical tropical cruise.

 

In 2013 we did one of the last cruises of the season on our favorite cruise line.  It was the first leg of a B2B.  I checked our cruise history, and the Alaska leg left Vancouver on September 15th.  We had torrential rain in Juneau and missed Ketchikan due to extreme winds in the Tongass Narrows.  The day we missed Ketchikan no cruise ship docked, and two days earlier none of the ships scheduled to stop at Ketchikan were able to dock.  Very heavy seas one night which started before dinner.  The dining room was about 25% full and our sommelier had to leave due to motion sickness.  But we also did have some good weather.  Sitka, in particular, was warm and sunny.  

 

The excursions will indeed run in rain.  As already mentioned the flight seeing excursions will be canceled when the cloud level drops.  Also some of the whale watching excursions can be cancelled in really rough weather.  Just be prepared for rain.  And remember -- there is no bad weather, just people poorly prepared for the conditions.

[Jasukkie]

9 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

 

In 2013 we did one of the last cruises of the season on our favorite cruise line.  It was the first leg of a B2B.  I checked our cruise history, and the Alaska leg left Vancouver on September 15th.  We had torrential rain in Juneau and missed Ketchikan due to extreme winds in the Tongass Narrows.  The day we missed Ketchikan no cruise ship docked, and two days earlier none of the ships scheduled to stop at Ketchikan were able to dock.  Very heavy seas one night which started before dinner.  The dining room was about 25% full and our sommelier had to leave due to motion sickness.  But we also did have some good weather.  Sitka, in particular, was warm and sunny.  

 

The excursions will indeed run in rain.  As already mentioned the flight seeing excursions will be canceled when the cloud level drops.  Also some of the whale watching excursions can be cancelled in really rough weather.  Just be prepared for rain.  And remember -- there is no bad weather, just people poorly prepared for the conditions.

Indeed on the failure to prepare. I'm also bringing inside activities like games and a jigsaw puzzle. I've been on Anthem so I know Ovation will have a lot of dry, inside areas to spend time.