Mosquitoes Alaska CruiseTour - Weather

[txaggiemom]

We are leaving for a Land/Cruise trip on the Zuiderdam July 28-Aug 13.

We will be in Anchorage, Denali, Dawson City, Whitehorse, Kluane, Ketchikan, Skagwa, Vancouver. Anybody been in these locations in the past couple of weeks to tell us what the mosquito situation is? Also, how was the weather? Having a dilemma as to what clothes to take. Hard to pack when you have 10 days land before cruise because you have to tote so much stuff around that you won't use until you get to the ship, such as formal wear.

[Nancyquilts]

Bring mosquito repellant - they aren't too bad in the coastal cities, but they are known as the "Alaska state bird" for their size - at least you can see them coming.

[Tristan]

I heard they were HUGE....the size of a fist. YIKES!!!

[bathtubjake]

And yes, the mosquitos were huge. I insisted they must have been something else, like a mutant daddy-long-legs, but the tour guide assured me that they were indeed mosquitos. The good news is that the only place we really felt assaulted by the bugs was at Eagle (which I believe you will miss in favor of Kluane). We found the best solution was a small container of wipes with repellent on them. We had both a baby-wipe-like bottle and some individually wrapped packets that fit in the carryon.

 

I worried about packing too, and after reading multiple packing lists on here, I still took a ton of stuff, but there wasn't much I didn't use. I would definitely plan on cool weather for some of your trip. I had a light windbreaker available at all times and wore it more often than not. Also, I wore a sweatshirt and a long-sleeve t-shirt for many days. Layering the t-shirt, sweatshirt, and windbreaker got me comfortably through the coldest day cruising through Glacier Bay. On June 21st, the summer solstice, it snowed on our ship. That was the coldest day though, including our helicopter flight to a glacier. We didn't need shorts at all until our last two days in Vancouver.

 

As for the formal wear, try to consolodate as much as possible. Try sticking to one color so that you can wear the same pair of shoes each night. Also, men can get away with many of the same pieces (jacket, tie, slacks) for different nights. Also, I noticed many women wearing a good black skirt each night with different tops. It looks like you will have just 4 days on the ship, like we did. The first night was casual as many people boarded a few hours before the ship sailed and didn't necessarily have access to their luggage yet. Several people were in khakis and jeans at dinner (though jeans did rate a visit from the head steward describing formal night). The second night was formal (be prepared for roving photographers), and we noticed several people stayed away from the dining room that night. You can always eat in the buffet. The last two nights were informal, and therefore in the middle of the road between khakis and tuxes. Aside from dinner on the ship, we spent the rest of our 14 day trip in jeans and casual shirts, so concentrate your packing efforts on being comfortable and being able to layer for warmth.

 

I hope you love the Zuiderdam as much as we did!

[Lurker1]

I heard they were HUGE....the size of a fist. YIKES!!!

 

 

They aren't that big, but they are s l o w, so you can more easily swat them.

They were only an issue when we went into the woods.

[txaggiemom]

Thanks so much for the great information everybody. We are taking a lotion repellent by Sawyer, but will look for some wipes too.

 

I was thinking I would need more shorts, but guess not. It has been over 100 here in OK for days - or so it seems - so we are looking forward to the respite from the heat. I think I now know what I need to pack and maybe hubby won't kill me for taking everything in my closet from summer /winter apparel. LOL

 

Again, thanks everybody for the great information. These boards are so helpful.

[Nancyquilts]

You really don't need to pack winter clothes - layers is what works. For the top half, I like a t-shirt, sweat shirt and windbreaker for the coldest days (also a hat that pulls down over my ears - they can get cold near the glaciers). Nancy