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Wondering what to pack for Alaska cruise? You’re not the only one! Coming up with an Alaska cruise packing list is one of the top requests I get from readers who are headed off on a cruise. Why? It’s hard to pack for Alaska cruises because of the climate variations, range of activities on offer and the different dress codes for evening events. You need to think about dressing for warm days, chilly weather, daytime hikes and formal evening dinners. Not easy! But I’ve researched packing for Alaska cruise trips extensively and come up with a the ideal list of what to bring on an Alaskan cruise.

What You'll Find in This Post

 

Deciding What to Wear on an Alaskan Cruise

Daytime temperatures in Alaska between May and September range from 55-65˚F (12-18˚C),but can climb to as warm as 80˚F (27˚C) on hot days. Evening temperatures are generally between 40-50˚F (4-10˚C) which can feel quite chilly on deck but the inside of the ship, cabins and dining rooms will be warm. The range in temperature and diversity of excursions can make deciding what to pack for an Alaskan cruise quite difficult.

 

Tips for Packing for an Alaskan Cruise at a Glance

  • Pack layers as temperatures can vary in Alaska even in summer.
  • Bring a mix of formal, casual and sporty attire to cover all aspects of cruising in Alaska.
  • Pick clothing that can do double duty so you can use it a multitude of ways.
  • Resist the urge to overpack. Focus on items that all go together so you can mix & match your cothing.
  • Binoculars are essential for spotting wildlife from your balcony.
  • Here is a good guide to wildlife in Alaska to use.
  • Don’t forget your swimsuit!

 

The Ideal Alaska Cruise Packing List

What to Pack for Alaska Cruise

 

When you’re planning what to wear on Alaskan cruise you need to cover three different styles of outfits – excursion clothes, casual clothes for around the ship and formal attire for evenings. This list should help you decide what to take on an Alaskan cruise to keep you comfortable, warm and stylish throughout your journey whether you’re sightseeing, sitting on deck watching the wildlife go by or enjoying a fine evening meal with friends.When going on an Alaska cruise what to pack is the most important consideration so you need to get it right.

I’ve based my Alaska cruise attire on what I would personally wear as a women in my 30s. I do try to be stylish as well as functional on my travels. You can certainly adjust your Alaskan cruise wear based on your own personal style or clothes you think work better with your age and stage.

At the end of this post you’ll find a printable list of what to pack for a cruise to Alaska that you can use to aid your packing and pre-trip organisation. I’ve also included a packing list for Alaskan cruise wear for men.

 

Excursion Outfits

  • Waterproof parka – The North Face Venture Jacket is a great choice for a waterproof, breathable jacket that is also stylish
  • 2 Fleece jackets – The North Face Denali Hoodie is perfect for a heavier hooded fleece and the Mezzaluna is a great lightweight fleece that zips right through so can be worn open or closed.
  • Warm hat – For cool days
  • Cap – For hiking on sunny days
  • Gloves – Go for merino gloves for added warmth
  • 2 Pair of yoga pants or leggings – I love these ones because they come in tonnes of fun colors. You can wear them on board the ship with a shirt or cardigan too.
  • Hiking pants – It’s really hard to find hiking pants that are still somewhat stylish but these Columbia Anytime Outdoor pants are perfect! See this post for more ideas on the best travel pants.
  • 2 Pair of shorts – For excursions on warm days you’ll need a couple of pair of short. Pick one sporty pair and a nice denim Bermuda short also works great for on the ship. You can also wear them over leggings for days when you’re not sure what the weather is doing.
  • 2 Long-sleeved tops  – Merino Icebreaker tops like this are great for hiking and can be layered under a t-shirt or tank top.
  • 7 Pairs of socks – Include a couple of pair of Smartwool socks for extra comfort and warmth when hiking.

 

Casual Clothes for Cruising

  • 2 Pair of jeans – Two pair of jeans should be enough for a week long cruise. Keep one exclusively for onboard the ship during day & evening and one for wearing both on & off the ship. Throw in a third pair if you think you’ll need them.
  • 2 Lightweight cardigan – Choose a simple black cardigan that you can add over your evening outfits for extra warmth and one casual, longer length one like this for wearing around the ship. Merino is excellent for warmth without weight.
  • 2 Casual shirts – A denim shirt is great buttoned up or worn open over a t-shirt and packs much easier than a denim jacket. Same goes for a women’s plaid flannel shirt. You can throw your shirts on over a merino and under a fleece or jacket for an extra layer of warmth on excursions too.
  • 6 T-shirts & tank tops – Striped tees work great for cruises! You can wear your t-shirts or tanks as a layer for excursions too in case the weather warms up when you’re off the ship. Plain v-neck tees also work well as a base for any outfit.
  • Swimsuit – After a long day of hiking you might need a soak in the hot tub.
  • Pool coverup – Use your kimono as a pool coverup (see below).
  • Workout clothes – Pack separate workout clothes if you plan on using them every day or use your yoga pants & tank tops from above if you only need the odd workout.
  • 8 Pair of underwear
  • 3 Bras – Three bras is plenty for a one week cruise. You can always rinse them out and dry them overnight as most cruise ships have a retractable clothesline in the bathroom. I recommend one nude everyday bra, one white sports bra and a black bra for under evening wear.

 

Formal Attire for Evenings

Most 7-day cruises will have two formal dining nights. How far you choose to dress up is entirely your choice! Smart cocktail dresses are always a winner. On regular dining nights you should still change out of your excursion clothes into jeans a dressy top at the least.

 

Shoes

  • Trainers – Sturdy trainers should be enough for hiking but if you’re planning any instense treks bring along hiking boots as well.
  • Walking shoes or casual sneakers – I love my Sketchers Go Walk shoes. I think they’re the best travel shoe on the market. These will be great for light excursions or around the ship.
  • Ballet flats – Ballet flats are great for the airport, around the ship and non-formal evenings. Aerosoles ballet flats offer the most support in my opinion.
  • Heels – A good pair of black heels is essential for your formal evenings. Pick ones that look great with both your cocktail dresses and jeans.
  • Flip flops – For around the ship and pool desk.

 

 

Seasonal Considerations When Planning What to Pack for Alaskan Cruise

  • What to pack for an Alaskan cruise in May- May is generally the coldest month for cruising in Alaska so throw in an extra merino base layer and an extra fleece for warmth.
  • What to pack for Alaska cruise in June – You’ll find June similar to May with temperatures slightly warming up. It’s still advisable to bring that extra layer of merino wool as a base to all your outfits.
  • What to wear on an Alaskan cruise in July – You shouldn’t need any amendments to the above list in July.
  • What to pack for an Alaskan cruise in August – August should bring you good weather so no additional items needed.
  • What to pack for Alaska cruise in September – Temperatures start to drop in September so throw in that extra base layer of merino and fleece.

 

What to Pack on an Alaskan Cruise for Men

The above Alaska cruise outfits are obviously for women but with a few small tweaks this list can be adapted for me.

  • An extra pair of jeans or khakis instead of leggings/yoga pants
  • An extra pair of hiking pants instead of leggings/yoga pants
  • A few extra casual shirts for excursions and around the ship
  • A comfortable hoodie or two for around the ship and excursions
  • Formal evening attire for men can be a suit or just dress pants, shirt and tie with or without a blazer. It depends how formal you want to go. Bring a couple of shirts and ties to cover you for evenings.
  • Dress shoes instead of heels
  • Boat shoes instead of flats

 

 

Other Items to Pack for Alaska Cruise

 

Extra Things to Take on an Alaskan Cruise

 

Toiletries


Motion Sickness Prevention

If cruising makes you queasy, bring these four items to easy your motion sickness.

 

Luggage for Alaska Cruise

We’ve covered your Alaska cruise clothing but here are a few tips on how to pack for an Alaskan cruise that will be helpful for your trip!

 

 

What-to-pack-Alaska-Cruise-Packing-List-for-Women

Alaska Cruise Packing List (PDF Download)

To make your job even easier I’ve put my entire packing list for Alaska cruise into an easy checklist format. You can download my Alaskan cruise packing list here. This Alaska packing list will help you organise yourself and your family before you head out on your cruise.

 

 

Questions or Comments on My Alaska Cruise Packing Tips

Thanks for reading through my post on what to pack Alaska cruise! I hope it’s helpful when you’re packing for Alaskan cruise trips in the future. If you think I’ve missed anything from the list, please let me know what to bring on Alaskan cruise. Or if you have any clothes for Alaska cruise that worked out really well on your trip then I’d love to hear about them. Your Alaska cruise wardrobe needs to fit your own personal style and taste so please feel free to adjust and amend the list I’ve provided on what to take on Alaskan cruise to suit your needs.

 

The Ultimate Cruise Packing List

I’ve also put together a couple of other posts about cruise packing that you may be interested in:

 

Join Our Facebook Group to Chat More About Cruise Packing Tips

If you want to ask a specific question, chat to other cruisers about what to pack for your cruise or share your own cruise packing advice then join our Facebook group on Cruise Packing Tips! We would love to help you work out exactly what to pack or hear your own ideas about what gear you use on your cruise. Join us for some fun and friendly discussions.

 

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Showing 28 comments
  • Penny
    Reply

    Hi Bethany. Good list- thanks!would you mind looking into your link for the kimono top. It’s taking me to a black cardigan.
    Cheers

  • Leah
    Reply

    This is a very helpful list! I wish I would have had it when I was working as a travel agent- I could have handed this over and saved the day. 🙂

  • Sarah
    Reply

    I’m loving this list and am definitely saving it for when we get around to taking an Alaskan cruise! I’m the queen of over-packing, so this will be really helpful!

  • Brenda
    Reply

    You can’t wear jeans to the dining room for dinner.

    • Bethaney Davies
      Reply

      You absolutely CAN wear jeans in the dining room for dinner Brenda. No ripped or frayed ones obviously but nice jeans are definitely acceptable.

      • Dave canale
        Reply

        Royal Carib is fine for jeans. Everyone wears em at dinner

  • TB
    Reply

    Just returned from an Alaskan cruise. Your list is spot on! I’ve said to friends that it was surprisingly warm on board. ” I wish someone would’ve told me” glad to see it here!

  • Taryn
    Reply

    This is amazingly helpful – and all the Amazon links! Thank you!!!

  • Anne
    Reply

    Heading to Alaska next month, Can’t wait! Thanks for the ideas.

  • Jessica
    Reply

    Leaving for an Alaskan cruise in August! This list has been the most helpful list I have found so far! I will be traveling with my Husband and 12 month little girl. It will be her first cruise. Any tips for what to pack for the munchkin! Much thanks 🙂

    • Bethaney Davies
      Reply

      Hi Jessica! That is great to hear. It’s always nice to hear back from people and know that I’ve been helpful! For cruising with little ones, we generally pack the same we would for an adult but just double up on all the clothes because of how messy kids are! Kids don’t need anything especially formal on the formal nights, just a cute dress or something but you don’t need to go to too much effort with them. I would definitely bring a few toys and books along. They do often have colouring for kids at dinner time but at 12 months you might need your own activities for her while waiting for meals. Bring a stroller! It’s useful onboard and on shore days. Aside from having to wait for the elevator we found having a stroller on board useful for nap times by the pool or at meals. Don’t forget you can order room service for free on cruises! So you can feed her earlier in the room and then put her to sleep in the stroller and go out for a nice quiet meal! Have you go an Ergo or baby carrier? If you use one, I would definitely bring it for excursions. Generally we just got off the boat, walked around or hopped in a taxi rather than planning any major excursions. It’s too hard to judge whether babies and little kids will be in a good mood to drop any large amount of money on board. One more thing, we found our daughter slept SO WELL on board the cruise! Because of the motion of the ship I think. If you’ve booked already and they know you’re travelling with an infant, a portacrib will be provided in your room so don’t bring your own. We did bring our daughter’s favourite blankets along so she had some familiarity while in the portacrib which worked well. Let me know if you have any more questions!

  • Jann Heffner
    Reply

    Whether jeans are allowed for dinner totally depends on the cruise line and ship. Oceania is strict about no jeans in dining rooms. Be sure and check out the dining room rules before you load up on only jeans.

  • Dave canale
    Reply

    Royal Carib is fine for jeans. Everyone wears em at dinner

  • Elle Ullum
    Reply

    This is great! I leave Friday and have been using your blog and list for all my shopping/packing needs. I’m so glad I found it!!!

  • Beth
    Reply

    We are traveling to Alaska in June on Princess. Thank you so much for all your information. I am wondering if jeans are acceptable for evening dining on this ship. Thank you for any help.

    • Bethaney Davies
      Reply

      On a regular dining night you can wear NICE jeans in the main dining room on Princess. Not casual jeans, no fraying or holes. A nice pair of fitted dark jeans is fine or even white jeans paired with a cute shirt or tunic. I would steer clear of a light wash, too casual. Think about what you or your partner would wear out to a date night or nice dinner at home and wear that. On formal night, jeans are not permitted.

      • Jody
        Reply

        Thanks Bethany for adding this about Princess. We plan on a May 2019 cruise!

  • Molly
    Reply

    Your list has been so helpful for our June cruise on the Coral Princess. I am a very casual person and don’t own any dressy formal wear. I rarely wear a dress. Do you think a pair of crepe type pants with a dressy top, jewelry and patent shoes would be acceptable for the two formal nights?

  • Molly
    Reply

    Your clothing list has been very helpful to me. We are cruising on the Coral Princess in June. I am very casual to the point I rarely wear dresses. Would black crepe pants with a dressy top, black patent heels and statement jewelry be appropriate for the two formal nights?

  • Teresa Johnson
    Reply

    Thanks Bethaney! This is awesome…we cruise on Norwegian in June to Alaska. I feel so relieved now!

  • sandy p
    Reply

    We are going on our third cruise to Alaska in less than a month and always over pack. Your list is spot on for many things like the shirts and tops for warmer weather or onboard. One of our trips we had eighty degree temps in May and ended up buying tee shirts because we packed for much cooler weather. Layering is the key and I usually buy a sweatshirt for a souvenir which has come in handy. For dressy attire for dinner I found a dressier pair of black pants can go a long way with a couple different dressy tops and a pashmina. Thanks for the great list because I think it will help me pair down some.

  • Desseline Myers
    Reply

    Didn’t think about the possibility of needing several different types of clothing in Alaska. Thank you very much for the useful information.

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