what to pack for a 7 day cruise to alaska in late may

Wondering just how to pack for an Alaska cruise?

If you're like me, you lot call back of Alaska and instantly envision snow-capped mountain peaks, raincoats, and cozy boots. But packing for a cruise to Alaska is nuanced, and somewhat difficult to plan for. Why? Because the atmospheric condition varies Profoundly from month to month, even hour to hour. So, information technology's best to be prepared for the changing conditions past packing a wide range of clothing and gear. But, don't worry! This doesn't have to mean packing HUGE suitcases full of boots, jackets & bulk! In fact, you Can pack calorie-free to Alaska if you lot'd like.

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Permit's back up a bit…

Exercise check out our other Alaska resource.

Nosotros accept a few other Alaska resources we suggest you check out to fully fix you for your cruise to the Final Frontier!

This outfit of the day (OOTD) video shows my outfits (twenty-four hour period & dark) on a 10 night Alaska cruise that took place tardily August, early September.

This article explores the best fourth dimension to cruise to Alaska based on 4 factors.

And this overview gives more than depth on what to pack for your cruise to Alaska.

Practice pack layers!

You've heard information technology before, layers are KING in Alaska. Just, what the heck does that mean? Typically, a mean solar day in Alaska can become from drizzly and cool, to sunny for a few hours, then perhaps brisk & breezy.

So, it's best to arm yourself with the following types of wear layers for port days and days on the ship:

Jeans or lightweight pants
T-shirts or lightweight shirts (cotton fiber is nice and breathable)
Sweatshirts or sweaters to be worn over a T-shirt
Warm socks (wool is nice)
Sneakers (h2o resistant with a little traction) or cleaved in hiking boots.
Baseball cap (for rainy days, sometimes a cap is all that's needed). Don't worry, you tin can buy a cool Alaska lid in port or on the send!
Light winter cap & gloves
Light wintertime scarf
A calorie-free rain layer with a hood
A light but warm jacket (down or "puffer" jackets are great!)
If yous tin observe a h2o resistant, WARM and cozy jacket, that's great too, but the LIGHTER jackets are so much easier to layer, and remove when you get warm.
A lightweight backpack for shore days

DO pack a swimsuit and flip flops or sandals

Hot tubs are one of the best kept secrets in Alaska, and an incredible way to experience the fresh, unspoiled outdoors while staying warm. All too oftentimes, we hear cruisers say "I thought it would be too common cold for my swimsuit!", or "I left my sandals at home and had to wear my sneakers on the pool deck!".

Practise make room in your suitcase for these…

There are two "accessories" yous won't desire to forget at habitation. We strongly propose a travel size ready of binoculars & a cracking camera for your cruise to Alaska. For us, a great photographic camera tin can hateful the latest version of our telephone (truly- the cameras are amazing these days). But, if in that location were ever a time to bust out that fancy lens or DSLR camera, Alaska is that fourth dimension. GoPro'south can be bang-up as well, if yous're willing to keep up with the firmware updates, and learn how to use them.

Wild fauna spotting, distant waterfalls and glaciers as well call for a overnice, high quality set of binoculars. Travel size volition do the trick, merely if you're not worried about weight or bulk in your luggage, pack any yous take on hand.

DO pack sunscreen

The summertime days in Alaska are LONG and the rays are no joke. A small canteen of sunscreen for face, neck & arms can exist a skin-saver in Alaska, especially if y'all're on the water, or a glacier where the sun'south reflection seems more powerful. We typically approach sunscreen packing for Alaska differently than nosotros would for warm weather destinations like the Caribbean. Rather than waterproof, sand proof formula, we focus on a loftier quality, piece of cake to apply formula to encompass those exposed areas of pare.

DON'T overpack dressy clothes for dinner

Alaska is typically more than casual, even at dinner. Formal nights ARE notwithstanding a thing, and so gown-upwardly (or tux upwardly!) if you'd like, merely think, on the mass market cruise lines in Alaska, jeans, nicer t-shirts, collared shirts, pants & sweaters are perfectly fine for dinner. In fact, on our last two cruises, I'd say MOST women didn't vesture dresses to dinner unless it was formal night. Information technology was much more commonplace to encounter overnice pans & jeans and sweaters. In fact, some folks came to dinner in their port-day dress. It'south really okay!

DON'T overlook issues repellent

Mosquito repellant isn't likely something you'll need on the cruise transport, but if y'all're planning on venturing out on a hike, bear walk, or any other nature-focused activity on our Alaska cruise, a small corporeality of bug repellant is highly recommended!

DON'T go out your shorts at dwelling house

On our first prowl to Alaska dorsum in 2005, nosotros arrived to a major rut wave in our embarkation port of Seattle. Nosotros're talking 90+ degrees Fahrenheit, and NONE of u.s.a. had packed the proper clothing for summer weather that you'd more typically find in Southern California. What did we practise? Mom, myself, and my husband (this was pre-Junior) headed to the mall and nosotros ALL bought a pair of shorts!

Information technology was pretty hilarious, but since that little incident, we've NEVER left for an Alaska cruise without a single pair of shorts in our suitcase (merely one). You never know when yous'll have an lxxx+ degree solar day, fifty-fifty in the Last Borderland!

DON'T pack poor quality sunglasses

The sun in Alaska can be vivid & violent, but that doesn't hateful you take to spend a lot of money on sunglasses. Costco sells wonderful, high quality brands like Maui Jim (our fave and often polarized) and Amazon has a great pick besides.

DON'T pack non water-resistant shoes

Rain, or well…."drizzle" is pretty common in Alaska, and that leads to mud, puddles & dirty, soggy shoes. Specially if you're planning an active day- like exploring the trails at Mendenhall Glacier, or taking the tram up to Mt. Roberts. Information technology's best to pack a comfortable outdoor shoe/sneaker that's somewhat water resistant. We learned this the hard mode when we all packed our favorite running shoes for our Alaska prowl, only to observe out that those stylish air vents that brand the shoes breathable on a run, also permit h2o in! Soggy socks are no fun.

At present, we're NOT recommending you packing stiff, brand new hiking boots hither. That can be an uncomfortable fault, simply consider the material your shoes are made from, and keep water resistance in heed. We similar "duck boots" like those shown in the photo above.

Need Assist PACKING FOR ALASKA? Visit our Amazon Alaska shop for all the essentials!

What'due south Alaska Like?

Follow forth on our Alaska Cruise Journey, and see for yourself why we love these cruises so much! See bears in Ketchikan, visit a glacier in Juneau, and ride the rails with u.s. in Skagway!

Pack with u.s.a. for Alaska!

Our Alaska Packing Playlist features packing and planning videos for your cruise to Alaska. From clothing, outerwear, and gear, to packing carry-on only (GASP!), we've gotcha covered.

You can likewise shop our Amazon store, specificifally curated for Alaska, OR store our latest packing video to accept you safe and comfy on your cruise and flying!

See more than packing tips hither.

Where to find us for more cruise tips!

Thanks then much for reading along! Nosotros hope you've enjoyed this article on Alaska prowl packing & prep and we'd love to hear from you! Delight feel gratuitous to direct bulletin us on Instagram or Facebook with your thoughts, and until next time, nosotros'll encounter y'all on the loftier seas!

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