first time cruisers to alaska

[hyacinth1]

Hi

we are first time cruisers going on the Volendam in June to Alaska. I have read other posts re clothing and will be taking your advice on what to wear. So working on that, I think I need casual slacks/jeans, tees and sweatshirts for daytime and dressier trousers and blouses for evening wear. then a couple of cocktail trouser suits or dresses for the formal evenings. Does this sound ok? We are so used to having very informal casual beach holidays in Greece, that I feel a little overwhelmed by the formality of a cruise. I dont want to look out of place. Sad I know, my husband is quite calm and in tune with the whole thing. But I am struggling.

Secondly is it better to have early dining or late dining, we have been asked to choose and I dont know what the advantages are of each.

I would be most grateful for any information

thanks lots

[Krazy Kruizers]

All of your clothing sounds great - except the jeans - leave them home. For one thing they are heavy in the luggage.

 

We always eat early because of DH's medications.

 

But most will say for Alaska, late dinner is best because sometimes you may get back from excursions late.

[grannynurse]

Hi Hyacinthe,

Welcome!

Alaska could still be cool in June so plan to dress in layers. Be sure to bring rain gear and a travel umbrella.

On formal nights you will see people dressed in different levels of what they consider formal. The majority of men will be in suits or tuxes (or you name it with ball caps).

Alaska isn't a European cruise but some women will dress to the nines on formal nights. If you have some black travel knits, long skirt or pants you could pair it up with a dressy top. If you bring a second top (slinky or sequined) you could wear the same long skirt/pants on the second formal night. Casual nights and informal night have blurred boundaries. Some of us pick middle of the road and dress a bit more than casual and that covers both categories. I may wear a different color long travel knit dress and jacket or pant suit. I tried a nice pair of capris on a European cruise for casual and felt very uncomfortable.

But that's me, I don't look good in them. I've seen some women in classic capri outfits who looked super, though. Take along some kind of cover-up for the dining room as it can get cool in there.

Jeans in port is very appropriate. You'll need a windbreaker or sweater to wear on deck. Some bring winter jackets and mittens (and need them). We brought them to Norway in June and wore them until we got to Hamburg.

Hope this helps,

GN

[Sage]

Congratulations on your first cruise. You have picked a beautiful ship, and my favorite. We found jeans very comfortable for Alaska, and we had the second early seating, but found it a bit early, as some of the excursions do come back late, and it can be a rush for dinner. I board the Volendam in 5 days and will be posting from the ship, so please let me know if there are any questions that I can answer for you.

[Scrumpy]

You might to consider Cuddle Duds-type or silk long underwear. Cuddle Duds may not be available in the UK - it's basically lightweight material like nylon with brushed cotton on one side and very thin - not the huge, bulky cotton long underwear.

 

And, I'd limit the jeans in case it is wet; they take too long to dry. You might bring fleece pants (or fleece anything and everything in general), windpants, or the ripstop (nylon?) Columbia type pants instead of multiple pairs of jeans. A pair of jeans, maybe two, is probably plenty. We ordered rain pants, but since we are outdoors at home year-round in all kinds of weather, we should have those anyway; not sure if I'd buy them if I lived in a different climate and wasn't outdoors so much.

 

I'd recommend a dressy jacket and/or pashmina, etc. for the dining room in case it gets cold or for a stroll on-deck in the evening. I bought an inexpensive pashmina onboard, but never had to use it; I don't know if they still sell them on the ship, though. Mine is going back with me, just in case.

 

Personally, what I took on our last cruise to Alaska and will take again are the zip-off Columbias that convert to shorts. One day last time, it was darn hot on deck and I zipped those puppies off and had shorts in no time; didn't have to miss any of the cool scenery to run to the cabin to change. I bought my first pair in New Zealand and I think they are available in the UK, too.

 

As pretty much everyone will say, layers are very important. If it does get warm, you don't want to be wearing something bulky. If you have a t-shirt or lightweight long sleeve shirt, then a couple of layers, you can get cool when needed. If you have a big coat and just one shirt, there's no in-between. And, remember you will have shopping in port (and onboard), so you can pick up a souvenir t-shirt or sweatshirt while you travel instead of packing it.

 

Shoes for daytime - either a couple pairs of comfortable walking shoes, so you have time for one pair to dry or one pair of fully water-proof shoes. It depends on what you already have and what you find comfortable; unless you need something new for use at home, I wouldn't shop for them. For evening, I'd wear whatever matches your dinner clothes, but the way to save space is to go with one or two colors of shoe that will coordinate well. (black pair and silver pair or black pair and brown pair, etc.) If you want to go for more formal clothing in the evening without spending a lot of money on something you will rarely (or ever) wear again, check out an Oxfam store or one of the other re-sale shops. They sometimes have very nice clothes that are well-made and look brand-new.

 

 

A late dinner in Alaska is preferable for a lot of people. It stays light longer and there can be a lot of beautiful scenery at night. Btw, have you been to the Alaska section at "ports of call" yet? There are a couple of jacket, shoe, clothing threads that are very helpful.

 

Have an excellent cruise!!!

[May4]

Welcome to the HAL boards, Hyacinth. I am confident you are going to have a wonderful first cruise. Let us know how quickly you book your second cruise, and your third, and...

 

I can't think of too much to add to the advice the other posters have already given you. You might want to bring a really comfortable pair of walking shoes. It's neat to take a brisk walk around the outside deck while enjoying the ocean view.

 

Then you'll have more room for dessert.

[cruisequeen10]

Jeans - of course bring them. If they are too bulky to pack, wear them on the ship and off the ship.

[Eileen G]

We went on the Volendam in June 2004 absolutly the best RT in Alaska. Make sure you bring a light wieght rain jacket with hood that you can layer that will be easy to carry around. It will rain. It will be very windy in Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay you want something fairly loose and wind resistant that you can add a sweatshirt under. Wind pants are good too if you plan to be out on deck for a while. Also read as many reviews on the Volendam to Alaska that you can find especially Rev. O'Neals. from 2003. Have a great trip.