This year, we made a bucket list trip come true with an amazing cruise to Alaska. While we’ve been on a little over a handful of Carribean Cruises with various companies, it did not completely prepare us for an Alaskan cruise.
While some things were the same – great food, fun ship activities, cool decor, spectacular onboard shows, and cool port stops – many things were different. We had to adjust to time changes, longer sailing times, rough seas, swimming pool and deck closures, and a host of other unexpected things.
I watched plenty of cruise videos and read up on things before the cruise, so I had a decent idea but there were many things that other people either omitted or glazed over when sharing their Alaska cruise memories. Of course, a lot of the information you find is promotional in one way or another, but still, I wish someone would have given a good low-down on some important things to prepare for.
Hope my list of things you need to know will help you prep for the unexpected on your trip. One thing I will say is -go!! Don’t hesitate to take this adventure even though there may be things that are inconvenient. Every bit of Alaska is picture-perfect and breath-taking. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime cruise and we’ll be forever grateful we went.
Layers, Upon Layers
I knew when we headed to our Alaska cruise adventure that we would be facing some cold temps. Our cruise was among the first to set sail for the year in mid-May. Alaskan temps are around 35 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit this time of year, depending on where you are traveling to. Our stops included Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. We also started our trip with 5 days in San Francisco, where temps were around 70.
When you pack – think layers! Instead of heavy bulky clothes, it’s really wise to invest in bringing clothing that can be layered. It may be 45 degrees on the deck of the ship, but the interior will be around 70 degrees. A sweater or jacket is handy to carry around the ship so that you can move freely from the deck back to the interior. Also, we found some rooms of the ship will be hot, like the theater and some a lot colder, like the buffet area. It’s great to have a thinner shirt on that you can easily top with a sweater.
The same goes for leggings. Leggings are a girl’s best friend on an Alaska cruise. You can wear them under the cute dress you brought for dinner or under your jeans when you decide to walk on a glacier or spend an excessive time on deck.
Thin down jackets and vest are also fantastic to have. They pack light, you can easily carry in your backpack, and you’ll appreciate the vest a lot if the winds are fierce.
The one article of clothing I missed was a comfy sweatshirt. I didn’t want to add weight to our suitcases, but I really missed having a hoody on days when I just wanted to be cozy or when the weather didn’t call for winter jacket. It did give me a great excuse to buy one. Luckily, I found one that I loved and was so glad I did!
Plan To Wash
A 10-day cruise is long. Add in a few days of travel in the city you are leaving from, and you are looking at having to have at least 15 comfortable outfits. Then there’s things like dresses for Captain’s Night dinners and so on.
Because I love to participate in cruise activities, I joined in dance classes and game play that left me sweating afterwards. This meant a change and a shower and before I knew it… I ran out of t-shirts and undergarments! Most cruise ships have laundry facilities, so bring some detergent pods and dryer sheets with and you’ll be all set. If you don’t want to take time out of your adventure to do laundry, the ship’s laundry service is actually quite reasonable. I was able to get the items I needed cleaned to make it through the trip for around $20.
Planning to wash a few items also frees up your suitcase. Instead of bringing 10 pairs of jeans, bring 5 and plan to have them cleaned. Use the extra room for souvenirs!
Rough Seas Ahead!
San Francisco and Alaskan waters are not nearly as tranquil as the Caribbean. While we have had a tough day or two in the Eastern Carribean, it paled in comparison to what we experienced on our Alaskan cruise ship, especially in the first two days.
My husband and I have never been seasick, but we were close to it the first day. The ship was really porpoising! Thankfully we rolled through it, but other passengers were not so lucky.
Be sure to check into all the options available for motion sickness before you go if you are worried about this. Normally, the ship is fairly stable, but in rough seas, you can get tossed around a bit and it may be difficult to get to sleep if you are near the front of the ship where you will feel the porpoising the most. (Tip: get a mid-ship room for the best stability!)
Rainy Days
It rains in Alaska. A lot.
Depending on which area we were in and which guide we were talking to, estimates were that it rains 250-300 days a year there. It is after all, a great big rain forest.
This May, for example, it has already rained 22 days in Juneau Alaska. The views are stunning no matter what, but they often will also be clouded, misted, and rainy. It is a fantastic idea to pack water-proof boots, a rain jacket and even an umbrella or two. If you plan to hike in the rainforest, you may even want to pack rain pants.
Some tours will provide protective gear, but don’t always count on it. We went on a UTV ride that had plenty of mud puddles. It you don’t have pants that can protect you from these types of splashes, the ride could get very cold, very quick when the wind hits your wet shoes or pants.
Don’t let the rain stop you at all. We had some of our best views on rainy days and even hiked on top of a glacier through drizzling rain. It made everything a little more sparkly and the tree colors more vivid. And you can certainly, easily shop on rainy days, too! Perfect excuse to drop into all the fun shops.
It also rains at sea, so it’s great to have your raincoat if you are on deck or on days where you sail through locations like the Tracy Arm Fjord. We stood on deck for 4 hours watching the spectacular views but without raincoats we would have been soaked through as it drizzled rain most of the time.
Don’t Be Afraid to Join In
You will, on average, have at least 5 days at sea on a 10-day cruise. While you can spend plenty of time eating as the food options are non-stop, you will get a little too full and need to find additional activities. Some people enjoy spending time in the casino, or you can just sit and read all day, too. There’s typically a game room with a bookcase where you’ll find lots of books to keep you occupied and plenty of cozy spots to enjoy.
If you want to explore your options, though, take the leap and do everything the cruise ship has to offer from naturalist classes to dance classes to trivia and group games. There’s plenty of shows, nightclubs, karaoke, and other areas of the ship to explore. Each ship has unique features, and you’ll often find a ton of artwork to admire along with clever decor.
When the deck is open, the hot tub is doable on an Alaskan cruise and later in the summer, the swimming pool will be a good option, too, or just relaxing on deck when you catch a sunny spot in the day. You’ll often find shuffleboard, mini golf, basketball courts, tracks, ping pong tables, work out centers and more if you just look around. Our ship had a giant Connect 4 game and a life-size chess/checkers board, too.
Just get out and try it. You never know what you’ll enjoy! And don’t obsess that someone else might see your awkward dance moves or that you might not have an answer for a trivia game, everyone else is in the same boat!
Plan Your Shore Excursions
You can shop, shop, shop, shop on every port of an Alaskan cruise. While there’s nothing wrong with picking up souvenirs and exploring the local art of a community, you will miss out on a big part of what Alaska has to offer.
The landscape is postcard perfect everywhere you go and constantly changing. Take a helicopter ride, a boat excursion, a seaplane or a train to see more of the country. It’s truly the best experience!
We booked everything ahead of our cruise. This helped us a lot in three ways:
- we were able to read up on each adventure and check out the reviews before booking
- it allowed us to set an excursion budget and stick to it, avoiding impulse buys later
- a lot of the excursions we selected were full by the time we were on the ship. We were so happy we secured them ahead of time and didn’t have to settle for a different excursion that we wouldn’t enjoy as much.
Be Prepared to Put Miles on Your Step Counter
The cruise ship is a little traveling town. You can actually rack up quite a few steps just walking around and exploring. You’ll visit your room several times a day and likely head up to the common area to fill up your water bottles regularly. If you do any activities on board, you can easily add 10K steps in a day!
You will really put on some miles at port. At every stop, we found there was around a mile or so walk to shops and other attractions accessible via walking like waterfalls, museums, gardens and so on. If you book a shore excursion, there will be a lot more walking, especially if it involves hiking on a glacier top or even changing vehicles for part of the tour.
Make sure you bring comfortable shoes and expect some uphill climbs, too.
Practice Saying “No”
Cruise ships are obviously in the business to make money. I don’t condemn them for this, it’s their business model and it’s expected. When you are on a longer cruise, though, and spending more days at sea, expect to be approached at least 2 to 10 times a day, though, by a cruise member asking if you want a special drink, a photograph, a spa service, or a piece of jewelry. Some of these people are less intrusive than others and I very much appreciate the ones who realize that “no” means “no” and not try to sell me harder.
I don’t get rude with the hard sell people. I just keep saying “no” or “no thank you” until they move on. This can be uncomfortable but they are counting on your discomfort to make you a sale. They count on you succumbing to sales pressure and saying “well, maybe” and then “yes”.
Practice saying “no” until you are super comfortable putting it on repeat. Set your budget ahead of time and don’t give in to pressure tactics. The drink is enticing, the jewelry sparkly, but you don’t need to face the excessive bill when you get home.
If you really want to do something like a spa massage (which I do recommend!) wait for the cruise ship to offer a special discount (they all do) and then sign up. Be warned though, they will try to sell you products after your massage and it’s hard to say “no” when you are super happy with the results and very relaxed. But if you don’t want the products, say “no”.
When a salesperson gets to be a little too much, you can still be polite. I had one of the jewelry people get rude with me and ask why I hadn’t purchased anything yet even though I stopped in the shop several times. That was not an okay question. I asked if a purchase was necessary to look in the shop. They replied that it was not. I said, you have your answer, then. (They didn’t bother me again, but still that was uncomfortable).
Save Your Pennies
Alaska is a bit spendy. After all, most things have to be imported. Plus, they rely on tourism to support their communities. Just be aware of this ahead of time and set a budget.
A lot of people complained about the prices. This is one thing we had read and prepared for ahead of time, but definitely worth mentioning.
For us, we didn’t necessarily set a firm budget, but we did agree that we only wanted items and foods that were actually make in Alaska, Canada (one of our stops), and San Francisco (our main port). This helped us not buy lots of trinkets like keychains and cheap t-shirts. The things we opted to purchase were more unique, fresh, and often locally made which extra-supports the community!
There were some items we purchased that were not locally made but did have local business imprints like the UTV or Helicopter companies on them, making them a souvenir that reminds us of our specific adventures.
Food will be a bit spendy, too, but it’s worth it to try whatever fish or shellfish is in season. Do remember that things like crab aren’t always in season. While we were there King Crab was served but it wasn’t fresh, it was frozen. However, Dungeness Crab was in season and was just as amazing since it was super fresh.
We really enjoyed tasting some of the Alaskan beers, too. A few use spruce tips which are a local gem. Highly recommend trying to experience a new flavor.
Include Essentials: Sunscreen, Hydration, and Bug Bands
Alaska is a rain forest. Rain and ice reflect light. It’s easy to get sunburn or windburn, so sunscreen can help reduce your chances dramatically. A sunscreen stick and lip balm are great for helping to avoid or reduce windburn, as well.
There are bugs. It’s a wilderness chock full of them. We didn’t encounter too many in May, but our guides assured us that the misquotes come out in droves in June and July. The weather may be warmer but the need for bug spray is greater!
It’s super easy to get dehydrated on a cruise. You may be surrounded by it but you don’t have as easy access to it as the room water is not drinkable. It’s smart to bring refillable water bottles and keep some in the room. Keep one on you all day, too, to stay hydrated. Also travel to shore with a water bottle. Some of the excursions will give you a water bottle to drink, but one bottle for a six-hour excursion is not enough hydration.
We also packed and used hydration sticks throughout our trip to make sure we were getting our needs met. It makes a world of difference in your energy levels and enjoyment when you are hydrated properly.
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