Clothes for Alaska cruise??

[EmmaJean]

I'm sailing the Golden Princess to Alaska in one week and I'm trying to figure out what to bring.

 

Jeans-they are discouraged in the dining rooms-is that at dinnertime only or for all meals? Is it better not to wear them anywhere on the ship and just save them for shore excursions? (We are going to the Mendenall glacier and riding the train in Skagway.)

 

Dresses on non-formal nights- I want to bring a dress or skirt to wear each night for dinner but I'm wondering am I going to freeze? Do people wear skirts/dress around on the ship in Alaska? Are slacks more common? Would it be better for me to wear pant suits with long-john typed bottoms underneath?

 

Formal night dresses-I've seen pictures of people in the sleeveless dresses-don't they get cold?

 

Do people generally wear their cold-weather jackets to dinner and then remove them at the dining room? Or is is warm on the inside of the ship so we could dress fairly normal?

 

Please help this Arizona girl on her first cruise. Thanks.

[4bythebeach]

I have never done Alaska, but am going in 12 days. I will be bring tracksuits (velour Juicy, this type thing) and a couple of jeans for during the day. Usually the interior of the ship is comfortable, I will still be wearing my halter and spaghetti strap gowns for formal night and will probably just let my husband be chivalrous (sp?) and wear his jacket if I am cold at the shows. I have heard the key to Alaska dressing is layers because the temp can change in a very short amount of time. I am definitely going to keep checking this thread to see what others that have already been to Alaska have to say. Thanks for posting this question!

Have fun!!

[Cachecara]

4bythebeach:

Please, please come back after your Alaska cruise to report on how your outfits worked out and what you would or would not do again for Alaska. We are going in Sept. and I was planning on the same type attire--Juicy velours/terrys for day with hoodies and jeans on some days. I figured while ashore I could layer the juicy stuff easily---long sleeve top or tee top under hoodie with the pants and possibly cuddles under if it was really chilly and a Northface fleece over the hoodie. Let me know if the hoodie/pant sets work out, 'cause that way I can change my packin' plans. LOL--I even just bought a new chocolate brown set from my daughter's college just to wear.

Thanks ;)

[EmmaJean]

What are Juicy velours/terry's?

[Lois R]

Hi, I have never sailed Princess but I did go to Alaska last summer

and I am possibly going again this year.

I sail Celebrity but will be glad to give you my take~daytime

is always casual. Jeans, sweats, cords, whatever you are comfortable

in for the day. I enjoy the moleskin material..feels like suade but

lighter and it doesn't wrinkle! I brought a few pair of those along

with jeans for daytime.

The ship is usually adjusted for the itinerary (temps).

I would suggest layering and that is the advice I was given

before I sailed.

I dress for dinner on all my cruises and Alaska was no different

for me. If you would like to see my Alaska cruise photos they are in

my signature under YAHOO.

 

I went to Mendenhall Glacier last year and it was amazing:)

Have a wonderful time!

I am hoping for a 2nd Alaska cruise in September!

 

Oh, you were concerned about the ship temps.

I wore the same type of clothing for dinner/evenings as I always do.

skirts and tops, dressy slacks and tops, formal evenings (for me)

long dresses or long skirts and dressy tops.

On board in Alaska the ship felt very comfortable to me.

[magictam]

So the big question of the day is, open or closed toed shoes? Do your feet get cold walking around the ship? Should you were sneakers (with wooly socks) during the day for Glazicer (sp) Bay viewing? Sandles for dinner? Any help/advice?

Thanks all and hope everyone has a great time.

[Lois R]

So the big question of the day is, open or closed toed shoes? Do your feet get cold walking around the ship? Should you were sneakers (with wooly socks) during the day for Glazicer (sp) Bay viewing? Sandles for dinner? Any help/advice?

Thanks all and hope everyone has a great time.

 

During the day when I was in port I wore socks with closed

toe shoes. I have a pair of Merrell's that are very breathable

and great for walking.

 

 

Evenings on the ship I wore whatever shoes I normally wear

to dinner.....dress sandals for the formals and more casual

ones for my other outfits.

 

On board the ship during the day..socks with mules. (Clarks

for example).

[ajaxgalca]

We did Alaska a couple of years ago in July and the weather is very cool. Off the ship, be sure to wear jeans and tennis shoes (many of the streets were gravel with board sidewalks) Dress in layers so you have a tee shirt, sweatshirt and carry a jacket. On the top of White Pass on the train trip, we actually had a little bit of snow in mid-July! The morning you cruise the glaciers, definitely wear jeans and a jacket on the deck of the ship so you can see and hear glacier's calving. The day we went to the Mendenhall Glacier, it was cool but dry. However, it rained on the bus ride back to the ship but the excurision is worth it We did not book Mendenhall with the cruise company, but caught the city shuttle at the edge of town and rode out to the Glacier for $5.00 per person, round trip! We saw the same things the cruise excusion did, but paid only a quarter of the moneyl In the dining room , it was not cold. I did have a dress with a jacket but was quite comfortable. We only used the pool and spa on the last day because we never had sun - only overcast and occassionally a drizzly rain. Take a small folding umbrella if you have one, just in case.

 

Be sure to keep your eye on the water - we saw many small pods of whales and even caught a glimpse of a bear coming down to the shore - in Skagway, we saw a moose walking through the streets on the edge of town.

 

If you get a chance, go to the Purple Onion and take the bordello tour in Skagway - its a kick!

[Cachecara]

What are Juicy velours/terry's?

 

Juicy is a brand. There are many knockoffs however. The velour/terry refers to fabric--either velour or as I have french terry cloth(a lighter terrycloth) the outfit is a hoodie with drawstring pants--very comfy and easy to layer.

[gwynnetx]

dh and i cruised alaska last summer on our honeymoon. i found that layering worked best because some areas/times of day could get quite cool, but sometimes, a t-shirt was just right.

 

at night, i found myself getting a bit chilly. not thinking, i brought flip flops to wear and had to buy a pair of toed socks for the evening.

 

as far as it being chilly/cold on the ship, i found that as long as we were inside and not out in the open air, the temperature was just fine. i wore a skirt and sweater to dinner the couple of times we didn't just eat in the buffet and that was fine.

 

so my advice is to bring clothing that can be taken off or added so that you'll be comfortable wherever you are.

[Happy ks]

Checking www.weather.com for the forecast, it looks like you will have beautiful weather in Seattle, in the low 80's, so take a pair of shorts!

 

Ports in Alaska, it looks like you should plan for rain and temps in the 50's while in port, I have no idea what you should expect while on sea days, we had warmer weather on sea days than on land when we were in Alaska.

 

So, dress in layers with a long raincoat, one with large hood and a zip-out liner if possible. Unless you get cold easily, I'd leave the heavy winter jackets at home. Just add mittens, a hat and an extra light layer for the glacier day, they usually provide blankets if it is cold that day.

 

Inside the ship, the temps are the same as any other cruise you would be on.

 

My sandals were the one thing I wish I hadn't left at home, I really missed them on sea days.

 

It also looks like you will have great weather in Victoria and when you return to Seattle, so you could have those shorts laundered and wear them again. If I were you, I'd check the forecast the day before you leave, to check for any changes. It is just a prediction, but you can use it as a guideline for packing.

 

Have an awesome Alaska cruise, we hope to go back someday!

[gambit57]

I'm sailing the Golden Princess to Alaska in one week and I'm trying to figure out what to bring.

 

Jeans-they are discouraged in the dining rooms-is that at dinnertime only or for all meals? Is it better not to wear them anywhere on the ship and just save them for shore excursions? (We are going to the Mendenall glacier and riding the train in Skagway.)

 

Dresses on non-formal nights- I want to bring a dress or skirt to wear each night for dinner but I'm wondering am I going to freeze? Do people wear skirts/dress around on the ship in Alaska? Are slacks more common? Would it be better for me to wear pant suits with long-john typed bottoms underneath?

 

Formal night dresses-I've seen pictures of people in the sleeveless dresses-don't they get cold?

 

Do people generally wear their cold-weather jackets to dinner and then remove them at the dining room? Or is is warm on the inside of the ship so we could dress fairly normal?

 

Please help this Arizona girl on her first cruise. Thanks.

 

Just back from a Princess ship. Definitely bring jeans. On Princess, jeans were very visibly warn by many passengers pretty much all day until dinner time. You can wear jeans or even shorts in the dining rooms for breakfast and lunch. We wore jeans for dinner on the last nite cuz that's what we had to wear for disembarkation the next morning. No one stopped us, but we definitely looked like the only ones that informal. Course, on formal nite, the maitre d didn't stop a couple of underdressed gentlemen either so maybe on my ship, the staff is loose with the dress code.

 

It's very comfortable or even warm on a Princess ship indoors. You'll be fine in a dress. A light coverup is all you'll need if you get cold easily. I had to go outside for some cool air on one night, and was joined by a bunch of other guys complaining it was too hot.

 

Can't say how the temps are in other lines, but I've always felt Princess ships are kept quite comfortable, no matter in Alaska or somewhere hot like the Caribbean.

[ChefPeg]

I'm sailing the Golden Princess to Alaska in one week and I'm trying to figure out what to bring.

 

Jeans-they are discouraged in the dining rooms-is that at dinnertime only or for all meals? Is it better not to wear them anywhere on the ship and just save them for shore excursions? (We are going to the Mendenall glacier and riding the train in Skagway.)

 

Dresses on non-formal nights- I want to bring a dress or skirt to wear each night for dinner but I'm wondering am I going to freeze? Do people wear skirts/dress around on the ship in Alaska? Are slacks more common? Would it be better for me to wear pant suits with long-john typed bottoms underneath?

 

Formal night dresses-I've seen pictures of people in the sleeveless dresses-don't they get cold?

 

Do people generally wear their cold-weather jackets to dinner and then remove them at the dining room? Or is is warm on the inside of the ship so we could dress fairly normal?

 

Please help this Arizona girl on her first cruise. Thanks.

 

I sailed Alaska last June and I mostly wore jeans and sweatshirts or fleece tops. I was nice and warm. DH only jeans and a shirt, but he is always hot. We wore our Barbour coats and that worked out fine. It only rained one day and we used an umbrella. I did bring mittens, I wore mine and Dh did not.

Alsaka is a tough one to pack for. As far as evening on the ship, it felt like we could have been in the Carribbean as long as you didn't go outside. It was warm enough in the dining room that you can wear a sleeveless dress. I wore my usual gowns with a shawl.

 

Good luck to you!

 

Peggy

[EmmaJean]

I'm about finished packing now. For our family of 4, this will be the first time we've used our complete 5 piece luggage set on a trip. Plus we have a garment bag, diaper bag, stroller...I hope we can fit in the room with it.

 

Do they limit how much to bring on the ship? We are driving ourselves there, not flying.

[Emeraldtx]

What are Juicy velours/terry's?

 

Overpriced 'designer' jogging outfits.

[awrightsd]

Our family of four cuised Alaska last August and loved it! We packed and wore layers. We only wore our jackets, which were waterproof shells, a couple of times, but we were glad we had them. For the formal nights, I always had a wrap, which I used.

 

We also were lucky and had some very sunny days...don't forget the sunscreen.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

Amy

[Lois R]

I'm about finished packing now. For our family of 4, this will be the first time we've used our complete 5 piece luggage set on a trip. Plus we have a garment bag, diaper bag, stroller...I hope we can fit in the room with it.

 

Do they limit how much to bring on the ship? We are driving ourselves there, not flying.

 

Hi EmmaJean, I know of no limits to how much luggage

you can bring on the ship. If you bring so much that it won't

fit in the cabin make sure you speak with your cabin attendant.

They can usually store it for you.

[vfb2girls]

My husband and myself are in the process of packing for our Alaskan vacation, we leave next Friday. It has been very hard to pack for this vacation, we are doing a 12 day land tour on our own first before we cruise. I am only taking one pair of jeans, the rest of my pants are lightweight wind pants and I also have a pair of goretex rainpants. I also am packing a pair of cuddleduds since I am always cold. From what I gather layering is the key to comfort in Alaska. For formal nights I have two long dresses, and on non formal nights I am bringing a pair of dressy black pants and a couple of dressy tops, one pair of dress shoes that goes with my dresses and pants outfits. I also am bringing hat and gloves since I am sure it will be cold outside on glacier days.