What To Pack for an Alaska Cruise

Once you’ve had your Alaska cruise customized specially for you by our expert travel advisors, the anticipation will no doubt start to increase as you count down the days. To help you channel that excitement and to ensure you’re fully prepared for your cruise, we’ve got a short guide on what to pack for your next adventure.

Packing for some people can sometimes seem like a struggle, but on the other hand, it signals the start of the journey itself. If you can pack and plan in advance for your specific destination and the type of excursions you’ve arranged, your time away will be more comfortable, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the experiences that your cruise has to offer.

Let’s begin by taking a look at essential clothes for an Alaskan cruise…

Clothing

Choosing which clothes to pack for your cruise when visiting Alaska may be slightly different from your traditional cruise experience. What you take with you will largely depend on  the variety of activities you have planned in your itinerary. 

The temperature during both day and night can rise and fall on an hourly basis during the Alaska cruise season, and while it can get into the high 70s (Fahrenheit) some days, it can dip into the 50s in late August. For this reason, we recommend you check the average temperature for the month of your intended travel, but also pack with layers in mind. With a quality base layer and items you can easily add or take away, you can quickly adapt to the temperature in the region throughout your journey. 

Don’t forget to pack evening attire too, since you’ll want to smarten your appearance for dinner while onboard your chosen cruise. Always check whether there is any specific guidance for evening attire in specific dining rooms or during the evening hours with your chosen cruise line.

On your list of essential clothing items for Alaska, if you’re planning to make the most of some onshore excursions, should be waterproof walking shoes or hiking boots. Taking something robust to help whether you are taking on a muddy side street or you’re hiking through the wilderness means you can tackle almost any obstacle and engage in activities that have been arranged. Additional rain gear should include a waterproof hooded jacket that can have a ‘between layer’ so you can slide out of that warm sweatshirt when the afternoon sun burns off the typical morning mist.

Just because the weather outside in Alaska can be rugged, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pack a swimsuit for your cruise. Many cruise lines that operate vacations for the region, including Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises, will have onboard spas, pools, and solariums for you to enjoy.

We recommend packing:

• Walking shoes/hiking boots
• Zip on/zip off cargo or hiking pants
• Sweaters/hoodie
• A mix of short and long-sleeve shirts
• Evening attire based on your cruise line’s recommendations
• Swimsuit w/coverup & sandals
• Waterproof jacket 
• Hats, gloves, and scarf (for glacier viewing days)

Gadgets

While you don’t want to be weighed down by gadgets and gizmos on your vacation, Alaska offers breathtaking natural vistas to explore with moments from your vacation you’ll want to remember for years to come. So whether you’re left in awe of the Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay National Park, or you want to get a better view of bears in the Katmai National Park and Preserve during the salmon run, here are our top three gadgets:

1. Waterproof digital camera or an upgraded cell phone if it has a high enough specs. 
2. Binoculars – Not your average item for a cruise, but to stand a better chance of spotting a majestic humpback whale or to get a close-up of the beautiful glaciers, pack some simple binoculars.
3. Portable phone charger – While you’ll be able to charge your phone in your room, if you intend to capture lots of wildlife and landscape pictures and videos, make sure you never run out of charge with a portable charger.

Other essentials

After you’ve packed clothes and selected any gadgets to capture memorable moments from your vacation, you might want to consider some of the following essentials for Alaska cruises:

• Sunscreen – for protection on outdoor excursions
• Reusable water bottle – to stay hydrated on excursions
• Waterproof bag – for any adventure excursions
• Your travel documents – to remain organized
• Insect repellant – for outback tours 
• Polarized sunglasses – to combat glare from snow and ice

If you’d like our experienced team to fully organize and tailor your cruise vacation to Alaska, along with advice on the best time of year to visit and any essentials you should pack, call our specialist travel advisors at 888-806-2337. We have exclusive connections with some of the best luxury cruise lines in the world, which means we can help you to wake up somewhere truly wonderful for your next vacation.