Critique My Packing List

[knbcruisers]

A winter hat is critical to staying warm. You lose a lot of body heat through your head. As a former New England girl I know it can make the difference whether you can stay on deck or your balcony for an extended time.

[navybaby1113]

A winter hat is critical to staying warm. You lose a lot of body heat through your head. As a former New England girl I know it can make the difference whether you can stay on deck or your balcony for an extended time.

 

Any recommendations on good hats? Obviously we're going to have to buy online.

[xlxo]

Beyond clothing.... I assume people are packing smartphones. One app to consider is Maps w/ Me. This app offers downloadable maps that you can use in the Inside passage or open waters without incurring data roaming charges once maps are downloaded at home.

• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/maps.me-offline-map-routing/id510623322?mt=8
  
• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mapswithme.maps.pro&hl=en
  

[knbcruisers]

Any woolen or fleece hat that fits snug and covers your ears will do. Try Amazon or your local sporting goods store, even a thrift store or yard sale. No need to spend a lot.

[Greysandy]

I also bring an inexpensive fleece cap, scarf and gloves for the chilly boat rides. For really cold days, I just wear my workout pants under my jeans, or just wear two pairs of workout pants. Being from California, I don't have long underwear.

[Theodorable]

It was 29 degrees in Vancouver yesterday. Please remember to bring some shorts and shirts with you along with the extreme winter clothes people are talking about! I saw some people looking really miserably and overheated when I was walking about yesterday.....they were obviously going to Alaska. It can be warm in Alaska!

Edited May 30, 2015 by Theodorable

[sherryf]

It was 29 degrees in Vancouver yesterday. Please remember to bring some shorts and shirts with you along with the extreme winter clothes people are talking about! I saw some people looking really miserably and overheated when I was walking about yesterday.....they were obviously going to Alaska. It can be warm in Alaska!

 

And even if it isn't warm in Alaska, it can be quite warm in Seattle/Vancouver. It's been in the low 80s here in the Seattle area the last few days, which is a heat wave here!

[navybaby1113]

I definitely have some cooler clothes (capris and tshirts) in our luggage too just in case.

[Surfwench]

Boy, did I over pack the winter stuff. Was on the inaugural Alaska sailing of Carnival Legend out of Vancouver.

 

I could have saved myself a ton of money and brought my regular Caribbean stuff plus a warm jacket and a pair of jeans.

 

Never rained. Only chilly on glacier viewing day. Got a sunburn in Vancouver. Sweated in Juneau and Ketchikan.

 

IF I had to do it over, I would have only brought my waterproof rain jacket, (which can be worn as a light jacket), a zip fleece to wear underneath, comfortable walking shoes, (waterproof hikers NOT necessary).

 

Gloves not necessary. I did wear my hat on glacier days so that would stay.

 

I wish I'd thrown in a pair of capris and shorts. Only had long jeans.

[CruisingSince2012]

Another FLA girl here. I am bringing sparkly flat sandals for night on the ship. Get to Bealls ASAP.

 

I see you are from central Florida. Are you in or close to Gainesville?

[RaiderCruiser]

I would never rely on a long term weather forecast to dictate my packing plans. In Alaska, like sooo many areas the weather can change quickly, either for the better or the worse. You can roll the dice and keep a few things at home, but dog gone, what are you gonna do if you really need that rain jacket or extra layer. IMHO, your gonna wish you had them.

Not sure if I missed it, but a hat to cover your ears may be necessary when out on deck.

On Glacier Bay day in May, I wore shorts on deck part of the day, then went to several layers, including hooded sweatshirt and jacket, back to jeans and a t-shirt. You just don't know.

Dog Sledding on a glacier, I wore jeans and a t-shirt and a fellow traveler wore SHORTS and a long sleeve shirt.

Hope you have a great trip.

[gfkcruiser]

We just returned from our first Alaska cruise in May. We were there the last week of May and the weather was very pleasant. We did the small ship in Tracy Arm and that was the only time we needed winter jackets, hats and gloves. My husband forgot a hat and gloves so we picked one up very inexpensively in Ketchiken at one of the shops near the dock. 3 knit caps for $10 along with a inexpensive pair of stretch gloves for him. I forgot socks for me and since I don't wear wool, I found a pair of cotton socks to wear.

 

We did have rain jackets but never wore them for rain - just in the morning when it was chilly in Alaska. Had no rain onshore - just at sea. I wore jeans at the other ports. My DH wore shorts one day.

 

By the way, we are from Michigan so 60's and 70 seems warm to us.

 

Gail

[Sharonlee912]

We will be on the Star Princess in July and this is all so helpful, thank you!

[michelle1836]

thanks for posting navybaby! so used to packing for the Caribbean and not Alaska! but this certainly helps. see you on the ship :)

[eva_marie]

I think I'm going to have to rethink the family packing list.

http://www.weather.com/news/news/nasa-alaska-record-warmth-may

 

I was really looking forward to high 60's - low 70's.

[PatchesPal]

Okay, I'll take Toms off my list. The only reason I was wearing my hiking boots for whale watching was so that I didn't have to bring sneakers. The only sneakers I own are for running and I don't wear them for anything else because they're so expensive.

 

I'll make sure to add a few short sleeve shirts and tanks to my suitcase just in case!

 

Toms weigh NOTHING and I wear them all the time on the ship! We've been to Alaska 3 x and 2 of the times, it didn't rain, was amazing weather (wearing Toms & Capris and short sleeves while cruising Glacier Bay....in early MAY!). I might not recommend them for whale watching, etc, depending on the weather, but if I were you, I'd definitely throw at least one pair in!:)

[Straymo]

This post has been very helpful for this FL girl. I though I read that August is their rainy season and we're doing sea/land (Denali) mid-August. I planned layers of combos of long sleeved tees, sweatshirts, sweatshirts or fleece. I wasn't thinking about short sleeves. I have a good rain jacket, but was thinking rain pants might be necessary to keep jeans dry. Is this not really necessary? Being 5'2" rain pants are impossible. I'll have a hat, gloves, buff, wool socks, hiking boots (mail oh because they are really comfy and waterproof. I'll have tennis shoes and walking shoes as well. I'm not usually an overpacked, I was don't want to miss something necessary.

[LMW1330]

I think classic rain pants would depend on the activities you have planned. You could probably get by with some quick drying pants from Columbia or similar. You might be able to find something like that in a petite or short. I have both the zip- off into shorts kind and the Columbia Anytime Pants and like both of them for Alaska. I would recommend at least one pair of pants made of nylon or another quick drying material.

Edited June 28, 2015 by LMW1330

[sh2738]

It all depends on when you are going and what the temps will be. I was believing that the temps would be on the 50s as a higher temp but I am leaving his weekend and it looks like it is going to be in the upper 70s, wow hard to believe. So don't buy too much cold weather clothes in case yours is Iike mine with warm weather. I bought this heavy jacket thing and I doubt that I will use it now since it is going to be in the 70s but oh well. Wish it was going to be more Iike in the 50s but that is Alaska weather for you. Also, the weather in he area has been unusually warm. Leaving from Seattle and it's been in the 90s.

 

Hopefully I have better luck with my next cruise to Alaska and have cooler weather. Either way it will be better than my Texas heat. It might not be that much different than your Florida weather. Also, no reason for rain pants. I would personally never buy anything like that. I will be wearing jeans and other lightweight pants.

[LMW1330]

I'll also be bringing jeans. I think as long as you have jeans and something that is lighter weight and dries rather quickly, you'll be fine.

[MrsSmith91739]

I think hiking boots may be a bit heavy. I bought hiking shoes from Columbia. They are for all terrain and they look more like a tennis shoe than those funky looking hiking shoes Ive seen out there.