Cruise to Alaska

 

Weather & Packing

What to Expect and How to Prepare

Weather: You may think that Alaska is simply cold, but there is a lot more to the story than that. Depending upon where you are going in Alaska (remember, it is the largest state in the USA in square miles!), you may have a very different climate during your stay. In southeastern Alaska, which includes the panhandle ports of Juneau, Ketchikan, Sitka, Skagway and Haines, the Gulf of Alaska drives in huge amounts of precipitation, and along with beautiful glaciers, the coast is made up of rain forests. The rainfall amounts here are some of the highest in the United States, so in addition to packing some layers (temperatures in the summer are generally in the 50s to low 60s), be sure to bring along waterproof outerwear. Rainfall is less in May and June, but it picks up progressively through July, August and September. It is generally a bit warmer and drier in the area near Anchorage, including Prince William Sound, and you are sure to experience more clear days. Of course, if you happen to stay into the winter – after the cruise ships have gone south – this area receives a lot more snowfall than the panhandle, which is great for snow skiers but not great for snow plowers. If you are traveling to central Alaska to visit Fairbanks or Denali, the weather is often much warmer in the summer – temperatures could hit 90 degrees! – but much colder and windier in the winter. Even so, snow showers in the summer aren’t unheard of in this part of Alaska.

Packing: With so many variations in temperature (and such little closet space!), packing for a cruise to Alaska can be overwhelming. Couple that with the excessive fees the airlines are charging for bags, and you really need a plan of attack to be successful. Keep in mind the following pointers:

• With all that you need, you may want to cut back on your evening dressy clothes a bit. Consider how many tops - and how they can be combined with different accessories - can go with a pair of dress black slacks and perhaps one neutral skirt. Also, baby wipes are unbelievable great at removing dirt from clothing, and Downy makes a wrinkle-removing spray, so you can wear your clothing more often, yet keep it fresh and clean.
• Remember the 3 key words - layer - layer - layer! Forget about a bulky coat - instead plan to wear a shirt, sweatshirt and light waterproof jacket - that combo will get you from 80 degrees down to 40 degrees. A hat a gloves pack well, but are indispensable in the colder spots - I always feel that if my ears and fingers are warm, then I am warm!
• Comfortable shoes/sneakers - Whether you are planning very adventurous shore excursions or simply want to walk around the towns, dry and comfortable footwear is a must.
• Bring a large, lightweight bag along - you'll be glad that you did for carrying all the extra clothes around until you arrive at the glacier/mountain/etc. while off the ship.
• While this has nothing to do with clothing, be sure to bring a power strip along for your cabin. Many cabins have only one outlet, and in our cabin we needed to recharge cell phones, cameras and video games each day, so the power strip became more important than the sneakers.

Pack well, and enjoy your trip to our 49th state!

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