We just got back from an amazing cruise to Alaska. It was so much fun! My grandma paid for us to go to celebrate her 80th. There were a ton of us (36). And we all had a very enjoyable time!
Before leaving, my family and I searched all over for tips and ideas on what to pack for an Alaskan cruise. Some were good, others over board, and a few lacked suggesting vital things. I decided I’d do a blog post on it so that others know what to pack.
Note- I tried packing in a carry on size case. After an hour of trying to stuff everything in unsuccessfully, I gave up and went to a regular sized suitcase. Packing for cold weather takes a lot more space than packing for warm weather. A winter coat takes up 15 times the room as a swimming suit. So I’d recommend right off the bat not trying to fit this all in a carry on.
Also note- One list I read mentioned that you can do laundry on the cruise ship. Ours charged $20.00 a bag. So if you are planning on packing light and doing laundry on the ship I’d find out what the charge would be upfront.
- Rain jacket or heavy duty vinyl poncho.
- Fleece jacket– It is light weight and will help keep you very warm!
- Winter coat. We went the second week in June and in Skagway, it had snowed that morning. We really needed winter coats as well as our fleece jacket underneath to keep warm that day.
- Umbrella. If you don’t have a compact one you can buy them in the gift shops.
- Nonslip shoes or boots. If it is rainy the cruise decks can become slippery. Having a pair of non-slip shoes is nice for getting around both on and off the cruise ship.
- Long sleeved and short sleeved shirts- think layers. You’ll want to layer so you can be comfortable no matter what the weather.
- gloves
- hats/beanies
- jeans
- scarfs/bandanas
- socks- take an extra pair with on your excursions if it is rainy or if you’ll be around water.
- Camera, camcorder (GoPro), extra memory cards, zoom lens, chargers, tripod, etc.
- workout clothes-if desired
- underwear
- swimming suit-if there are hot tubs onboard
- Toiletries, lotion, deodorant, make up, personal supplies, etc.
- hair brush, hair ties, comb, shampoo and conditioner (most cruises supply hair dryers)
- Medicine if needed
- formal outfit if the cruise has a formal night
- jewelry
- back pack or bag to carry things with you while on shore
- passport (if you want to go into the Canadian Yukon)
- cash, credit cards, identity required by the cruise line, airline tickets, check in papers, luggage tags, etc.
- binoculars
- laptop, tablet, phone, chargers, books
- sunscreen, bug spray
- sunglasses, reading glasses, contacts
- water bottles or water flavoring (mio, crystal light, etc.). The water in our room on the cruiseship tasted gross (apparently this is a standard among cruise ships).
- protein bars (I love these) or granola bars for on shore snacking
- and a positive attitude…because that will ensure a fantastic experience! Have fun!!
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