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Alaska Cruise Packing List: A Complete Guide To Packing For Your Alaskan Adventure
Alaska, oh Alaska, with your beautiful glaciers, impressive mountains and wild animals, how can we enjoy your wonders to the fullest if we’re all stressed out about packing? An Alaska Cruise Packing List can be a bit overwhelming to put together if you’re not used to a port-to-port vacation.
Well, not everyone is born a master of cruise ship packing. It takes a lot of planning and prepping to make sure you don’t leave anything essential at home. An example: your cruise passport (yes, you do need it for open-loop cruises!).
That’s what we’re here for - to give you a complete guide on what to pack for an Alaska cruise in checklist form and tips on how to avoid overpacking like a pro.
The Must-Haves For Your Alaska Cruise Packing List
Every holiday has its list of travel essentials. Depending on your itinerary and personal preference, these essentials vary. But overall, the categories of essentials you need should include clothing, toiletries, electronics, emergency items, and travel documents/personal items.
Personal items/travel documents to bring on board
- Valid passport to use when reentering your country of origin after visiting foreign ports
- ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) or eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) - UK travellers need these to enter the US.
- Personal ID/driver’s licence
- Required cruise documents, such as service and room reservation receipts
- Travel insurance information
- Credit cards and cash
- Personal medications
- A copy of your contact information in case of emergency
- A digital copy of your IDs in case you forget them in your room
Don’t Forget These Emergency Items
- First-aid kit
- Medications for seasickness, food poisoning, mild pain, allergy and cold
- Emergency contact list
- Flashlight
The Daypack For Both The Sea And The Shore
The right backpack adds extra comfort to your Alaska cruise adventure. Photo credit: Sally Stewart / @Salinsta28
Look for a backpack that is large enough to fit all your essentials without cramping. Depending on your trip length, you can pick a backpack with the following sizes:
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28L |
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36L |
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44L |
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Then take comfort into account by looking for backpacks with soft and well-padded straps. They won’t cause pain while taking part in exciting shore excursions.
Water-resistant quality is also important. Look for backpacks with a good water-resistant coating to protect your belongings from the sudden rain of Alaska or a wet activity such as whale-watching.
CabinZero’s classic lineup is a good place to start, with plenty of sizes, versatile design, a decent number of compartments and all the protective features needed for a hassle-free Alaska cruise.
Clothes To Pack For Alaska
What many first-time port-hoppers struggle with the most when packing for Alaska is whether to bring warm or winter clothes. When you hear “Alaska”, you might think you need the thickest and warmest items you have in your closet.
But little did you know, while Alaska is known for its cold temperature, it’s not always freezing up there. In the summer months, it can reach up to 26 degrees Celsius in some parts of the state. There’s also a clear difference between day and night temperature. Sometimes, it even rains heavily.
So, depending on your itinerary, you will need to bring different items. The key here is to be versatile.
Another thing to keep in mind is the activities you’re going to be doing. Apart from clothes for lounging around the cruise ship, plan your excursion wardrobe carefully.
Think of the weather and versatility when packing for Alaska. Photo credit: Jagoda Rożen / @agatarozen
CabinZero’s advice: Layering is your best friend. Make sure you bring clothes that can be worn on their own as well as with other pieces to accommodate the changing weather.
For example, you can wear a long-sleeve thermal top with denim bottoms in the morning when it’s warm. At night, throw on a fleece-lined jacket and a beanie to keep warm. You can also wear fleece-lined leggings either on their own or underneath skirts.
Besides the heat factor, consider water-proof materials as well. If you can’t find clothes with both of these qualities, stick to warm items. Then you can find other ways to waterproof yourself, such as wearing a rain poncho.
Tops
- Thermal short-sleeve t-shirt: opt for basic colours for easy outfit mix-and-match.
- Thermal long-sleeve t-shirt
- Sweater or hoodie: fleece-lined ones can keep you warm better. To be able to layer sweaters and hoodies over shirts, the trick is to choose ones that are one or two sizes larger. This way, you won’t feel your inner layers bunched up weirdly. It looks more stylish, too.
- Button-down shirt: silk is thin but quite a great warmth provider. A simple white silk shirt can be dressed up or down/layered or not layered.
- Tank top for extra warmth (optional)
Bottoms
- Jeans: opt for thick denim so you don’t have to wash them so frequently.
- Casual pants: a more lightweight option than jeans for lounging on the ship
- Dress pants for formal nights: if your casual pants are black and have a basic cut, you can also dress them up for a more formal look instead of bringing an extra formal pair.
- Athletic pants (optional) for working out
- Short skirts and/or long skirts: opt for woollen ones to stay warm.
Footwear
- Sandals, flip-flops, or slippers for walking around the ship
- Trainers: opt for ones that are sturdy and have a padded collar for extra comfort since you’re going to be walking quite a lot
- Heels or formal dress shoes (optional) if you want to glam up for formal dinner nights
How Many Pairs Of Shoes Should You Take On A Cruise? We say the good number is no more than 3 pairs of shoes: one for water activities and deck pool, one for exploring ports and decks, and one for formal nights. You can also waterproof your shoes with spray for extra protection (no one enjoys wet feet during the holiday).
Undergarments (base layer)
- Underwear: consider packing thermal and quick-drying materials.
- Sports Bras to wear for outdoor sporty excursions
- Wool socks
- Pyjamas: it gets cold at night, so you either layer up your sleepwear or opt for fleece-lined pyjamas
- Protective shorts (optional) if you wear skirts or dresses because it can be quite windy on deck
- Stockings (optional) to layer underneath your pants, skirts or dresses for warmth as well as coverage.
Activity-related clothing
- Waterproof hiking clothes and boots if you plan to go hiking
- Swimsuits for indoor pools
- Raincoats/ponchos for when the whale-watching session gets “a bit” wet
- Fishing gloves for cold weather if you plan to go fishing
Outerwear (Top layer)
- Waterproof jacket
- Fleece-lined or padded jacket
- Hat and gloves
- Scarf
- Earmuffs
- Face mask
- Puffer vest or coat
- Sunglasses
Let’s start packing your Alaska cruise adventure. Photo by Maridav - stock.adobe.com
Can You Wear Jeans To Dinner On An Alaskan Cruise?
Yes, you can. According to the Royal Cabberian and Norwegian Cruise Line dress code guidelines, jeans are considered casual or smart casual and are fine for upscale speciality restaurants and buffets.
However, the jeans should not be overly faded or ripped, or you will be denied entry. As Disney cruise lines put it, “dress-casual attire with a polished look, such as dress pants, jeans in good condition, collared shirts, dressy tops and lifestyle shoes” is allowed.
That said, the dress code on cruises has increasingly become relaxed, especially on Alaskan cruises, where you may spend more time outdoors than inside. So you don’t have to be stressed about what to wear on a cruise formal night.
But what if you love dressing up to the nine for some fun? Do it, and there’s no one judging. It’s about what comfort and confidence mean for you, after all.
Can You Wear Shorts On An Alaskan Cruise?
Yes, but you should bring about one or two shorts only as warmer days are the exception rather than the norm. Even in summer, evenings and excursions near glaciers can get chilly. You won’t likely wear them that often (except maybe on deck or by the pool). Plus, you can’t wear them on formal nights.
Should I Bring A Bathing Suit On An Alaskan Cruise?
Yes, there are many reasons to bring one. Regardless of destination, most cruise ships have heated pools and hot tubs that you can enjoy year-round. If you're lucky enough to experience sunny days, a swimsuit would be perfect for lounging on the sundeck or even a quick dip in the (slightly chilly) ocean, depending on your tolerance. Consider bringing quick-drying clothes like board shorts and a rashguard if you're interested in water activities on shore excursions.
Toiletries For Alaska Cruise Vacation
Bring plenty of your personal hygiene items as they are expensive on board. Photo by Allen.G - stock.adobe.com
CabinZero’s advice: Make sure everything is leak-proof before packing. Also, consider simplifying your routine and narrowing down your list of toiletries.
The key is to bring just what you need, not a whole big thing that you only need a small part of. Ask yourself, “Do I really need that 36-colour eyeshadow palette when I’m just going to be using three shades?” See if there are travel-friendly alternatives.
- Sunscreen: Don’t let the cold temperature of Alaska fool you into thinking the sun is taking a break! UV rays can still be strong, especially when reflecting off the water.
- Lip balm
- Moisturiser and lotion: opt for travel-sized if possible.
- Skincare products (cleanser, makeup remover, toner, serum, skin oil, makeup wipes/cotton pads, cream, treatment products): simplify your routine to just a few essential products if possible.
- Makeup products (foundation, concealer, lipsticks, eyeshadow palette, blush and contour palette): bring only essentials and consider de-potting large products into travel-sized containers
- Travel-size shampoo and conditioner
- Deodorant