Alaskan Cruise Packing Tips

[ssmjlm]

Planning to dress in layers and have a waterproof jacket. Any other suggestions. We'll do laundry on ship if needed.

Also we're probably skipping the formal nights dinner wise, so not worried about that.

Still not sure about shoes. Haven't found anything that I like and would work, so suggestions welcome.

We leave in a month, so I'm trying to get everything together now.

[gtkim]

I wore Merrell hiking shoes and they were perfect.

We took small umbrellas which we needed in Juneau.

We wore gloves and ear muffs when we were in Glacier National Park and Yakutat Bay, although it was mid June so a bit cooler than when you will be travelling.

[sunshinedaydreams]

I second the Merrells. I love mine so much. They were comfy, warm and dry. Even when we hiked for days in the pouring rain in the backcountry in Denali. I've worn them hard for four years and they're still in great shape, comfy and supportive.

If you're doing Glacier Bay, definitely bring gloves, earmuffs or a warm hat and thick, wind-resistant layers. We were out there in August a few years ago and it was freezing cold and snowed on us! If you plan to be out on the deck of the ship, wind-resistant really is key.

If you're planning to do laundry, bring synthetics that will dry quickly.

When we were in AK, I typically wore a pair or synthetic long johns with hiking pants over top and sometimes a waterproof pair of pants over those; wool socks and Merrell boots; a synthetic base layer shirt with a tee over top, a lightweight Northface fleece and a rain coat; gloves and hat as necessary. In most cases, this was warm enough. If you're going up toward the Kenai Peninsula, it should be warmer. I wore tees and flip flops when we were up that way.

[Deleted]

Ditto the Merrells. I have the lightweight hiking sneakers and they are awesome. Waterproof jacket, fleece lining would be good. I did an Alaskan cruise in August several years ago, and it was chilly and wet (but gorgeous!). I'm a new convert to the quick-dry clothing and underwear (would be good for activities like whitewater rafting, hiking in wet weather, etc. I got some good stuff at REI before my last trip.

[GilliC]

I also bought a pair of GoreTex hiking shoes for Alaska, and they've become my default travel shoes for outdoor trips. I ended up with Salomon just because they fit me better. They were a great investment, and after three years of almost daily use in the spring/fall (I live in a wet climate and walk everywhere), they still keep my feet completely dry in the most ridiculous rainstorms and wet streets. I'd suggest going to a good outdoor store and looking at different options to find what you like best. (I have some Merrell winter boots that I love, but I've had serious issues with Merrell's sizing, and some of the fits just don't work for my feet. )

Another thing to put on your packing list: serious insect repellant. You don't need to go all the way to DEET, but my everyday Off Family wasn't cutting it, and I was stealing my sister's Deep Woods Off after day 1.

And I also second the suggestion of a hat and gloves. They don't take up much space, and they can definitely make it more comfortable to stay on deck longer or to enjoy cooler areas. You can stay pretty warm in a mid weight fleece if you just throw on a hat and gloves.

(And find out ahead of time [e.g. on CruiseCritic] if your ship offers deck blankets. If they do, figure out where to snag one early on, so you can use it during the scenic cruising if you want to sit out on deck.)