clothing for Alaska in June

[goldenpiggpa]

Am booked on Dawn Princess for Alaska 20 June.07. Does anyone who has taken this trip during the latter part of June have any suggestions as to the cold weather clothing to take? I am vacillating between parkas and layering . What about rain? How common and how strong? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[Toto2Kansas]

Always come prepared for rain. Better to have prepared for it then to be caught off guard. Layers are the only way to cruise Alaska as it can be totally different from one sailing to the next.

 

FYI-Even on non-Alaska cruises we have always taken something along in case we have found rain, and it has been a lifesaver of our vacation even in the Caribbean in the past.

[sept10dsm]

Laying is the best. We did cruise the Dawn a little later in the summer and found that we needed all types of clothing. We had no rain which I found out on the ship was rare. (Our captain told us basically rain is very common, and we were VERY lucky) In the ports, we were able to wear shorts (mid 70's and sun) , on the ship it ranged from coat with a blanket wrapped around us to just a long sleeve top with long pants. It most likely will be much cooler on board. It is a wonderful cruise to take and the Dawn is the Best!!

[KnoxvilleSam]

And I'd advise spending some time on the Alaska board here browsing or searching for information related to clothing or anything else about Alaska cruising.

 

Sam

[Druke I]

Layering has worked well for us in the past, and certainly, a lightweight waterproof shell jacket is worth taking. Shells take up very little room, and will keep you dry in case of rain.

[sept10dsm]

Also, remember, some of the southern ports of call are in the rain forest. Have a great time.

[kestrel]

We cruised to Alaska in mid-June a couple years ago.

 

I wore ski jacket and hat when in Glacier Bay and College Fjord.

 

We only had half day of rain. But we heard that the previous week it rained the entire week! You never know. So be prepared.

[JimnKaren]

I have done mid-June and it was warm and sunny. I have done mid-July and it rained every day. The rain and, thus the clouds, will keep you from getting warm, so long sleeves are mandatory. However, if the sun does shine a t-shirt and shorts might be needed.

 

If taking a shore excursion in one of the ports where you get into the rain forest, ponchos will be issued. We also took our own and still got soaked. Remember to take enough shoes that that one pair can dry while wearing another pair.

 

Jim

[geoherb]

I was glad that my Timberland shoes are waterproof when we were in Juneau. It drizzled all day long. We took good quality ponchos that kept us fairly dry--a lot better than some of the folks we saw with $1 store ponchos.

[snowmen]

A hooded sweatshirt or sweater works well as it can help keep your head warm if need be. Also, a small pair of gloves to keep in a pocket came in handy. The days on our cruise were so different. Rainy and really cool one day...then sunny and warmer the next. However always liked to have a jacket handy. The warmest jacket I took was a hooded waterproof shell with a sweatshirt like lining and then just layered under it if needed...worked out perfect. Have fun and enjoy the views!!

[mauiedin87]

We cruised Alaska during the last week of June several years ago. It rained or was foggy the entire week, but still one of the most gorgeous cruises we've ever been on, even though we never saw the mountain tops. We wore flannel-lined jackets with hoods and long-sleeved shirts underneath the entire time. I packed a tiny umbrella and used it often. Like everybody else says - be prepared for anything.

[momofkaze]

We are going on the same cruise as you!! Go to the roll call for Dawn June 20th and chat with us!!

I have been once to Alaska in July of 2005. It was freezing when we went through Tracy's Arm....of coarse DH and I were out on the deck taking pictures in the rain!! It was beautiful and a wonderful adventure. We had rain in Juneau, a total down pour!! Never stopped us from having a great time though. A lot of the helicopter rides were cancels that day....well except for our time slot, lucky us!!

I am planning on taking a warm parka, cheap throw away poncho's and planning on having a great time, rain or sun!!!

[sept10dsm]

I guess our Captian was right - how it ususally rains on an Alaska cruise. We did have 7 days of sunshine and wonderful weather. I grateful I am.

[kdr69]

We sailed last year to Alaska on June 7th and our weather was in the 23-24 degress celsius the entire trip. Green Grass flowers everywhere. Our tour guide in Ketchikan was having hard time convincing folks about rain it always gets lol. They said it was fabulous weather for beginning of June except when we were out to sea or way up high in the passes it was very warm. Im betting toward the end of june would be good weather too.

[denneym1]

The date you are sailing to Alaska does not matter, you always need to be prepared for anything weather wise. It can pour rain during the "best" times and be sunny during the "worst". Take a variety of clothing, and the layering advice is right on. And get one of those lightweight rain ponchos you can keep on you all the time just in case.

You will not normally need a heavy parka type coat, its better to take a medium weight jacket with a lighter layer or two under it, that way you can adjust your clothing to the temperatures. Take a good rain jacket in case it is really raining hard, and one of the little lightweight ones you can keep on you in case of a unexpected drizzle or something.