Complete Alaska Cruise Packing List (2024)

Whether you’ve cruised before or your upcoming cruise to Alaska is your first cruise, packing for an Alaska cruise is altogether different than cruises in other regions like the Caribbean or Mediterranean. So, to help relieve some of your pre-cruise stress, we detail what you need to pack for your Alaska cruise and what you can leave at home in our Complete Alaska Cruise Packing List updated for 2024. Even if you are a veteran cruiser, you might find a few additional items that will be helpful for your cruise to the Last Frontier.

Admittedly, we do tend to be over-packers. But, having cruised to Alaska six times over the past ten years, we’ve learned a thing or two. We’ve refined our Alaska cruise packing list to include the essential toiletries, outfits, and everything in between. Hopefully, our list will help you figure out which items are essential for you that way you can avoid any extra luggage fees from your airline.

Our Complete Alaska Cruise Packing List (2024)

Alaska Cruise Basics

Alaska is one of the top cruise destinations with more and more ships sailing the region every year on a variety of itineraries. You will find Alaska cruises sailing roundtrip routes form Seattle and Vancouver, along with one-way routes that venture further north to Seward or Whittier, Alaska.

However, Alaska is a seasonal cruise region. This means that you will only be able to cruise to Alaska during select months of the year. The Alaskan cruise season generally runs from late April/early May to Septembe/early October. During this timeframe, there will be variations in temperature, precipitation, abundance of wildlife, and crowds. Prices will also fluctuate.

You should consider what factors are the most important to you when determining the best time of year for your Alaskan cruise. Based on the average temperatures, rainfall amounts, hours of daylight, and wildlife sightings, the “best” time of year to go on an Alaskan Cruise is the month of July. However, with this optimal weather comes increased crowds and increased price. 

So, one of our expert Alaska cruise tips is to sail during shoulder season.

While the time of year you choose to cruise to Alaska will dictate to some degree what items you will need to include on your Alaska cruise packing list, many of the items remain the same.

The type of excursions you book should also factor into what you pack. If you are planning hikes, kayak adventures, or other more rugged activities, you’ll need to make sure you have the right gear.

In general though, layers and rain gear are the MOST essential things to pack for your Alaska cruise.

Scroll Down to Get Our Downloadable Alaska Cruise Packing List

Toiletries

Depending on your travel preferences, you may not wish to bring along as many toiletries as we do. So, feel free to pick and choose from our Alaska cruise packing list as desired. Many cruise lines do provide soaps and shampoos that can save you some space (and weight) in your luggage. However, we still choose to bring our own.

Do be sure to bring all medications, both over the counter and prescribed. If you are prone to seasickness, you’ll want to pack some motion sickness aids just in case.

Even though you are visiting Alaska, you will still want to pack sunscreen and sunglasses. The sun reflecting off the snow and ice can be quite strong. Bug spray is a good idea too as mosquitoes can be quite prevalent.

We also recommend Downy wrinkle release to help keep your clothes, especially evening attire, as wrinkle-free as possible. In case you are unaware, irons and steamers are NOT allowed on cruise ships.

Clothing

Our Alaska cruise packing list outlines all the potential clothing items you will want to pack for your Alaska cruise vacation. Regardless of travel destination, we usually group outfits into daytime use and nighttime use. For a typical 7-day cruise with a pre-cruise hotel stay, we usually plan eight daytime and eight nighttime outfits, choosing items that can be re-purposed for a couple uses.

When packing for Alaska, you want to remember LAYERS! These should be of varying thicknesses and easily packable in a day bag. Temperatures can fluctuate sometimes 30-40 degrees in a given day, so you’ll need to be prepared to put on/remove layers throughout the day.

However, you can probably leave your heavy sweaters and parka-type coats at home. Of course, you know your own temperature regulation best, but for most people they won’t be necessary.

Additionally, you will want to be prepared for rain. While we’ve gotten very lucky with weather during our trips to the region, it’s likely that fog and rain will roll in for at least part of the day during several days of your voyage.

When packing everything into your suitcases, we love packing cubes. They will help to keep your items organized, condensed, and make unpacking once on the cruise ship a breeze.

Daytime Outfits

For daytime outfits, you will want a combination of short sleeved and long sleeved shirts, perhaps a thermal base layer and preferably some moisture-wicking/weather proof materials. You will also want some combination of lightweight to medium weight sweaters, sweatshirts or fleece zip-ups, along with an outer layer vest and/or packable puffer jacket.

For pants, similar rules apply. Moisture-wicking or rain resistant style pants are best, along with a thermal base layer if you tend to get cold easily. Heavy ski pants are not necessary. If you are doing a water-based excursion, check with your tour provider before you overpack as waterproof gear is usually provided. Remember that the temperature inside the ship is controlled and you could even get an unseasonably warm 70’F day, so it wouldn’t hurt to pack a pair of capris or shorts either.

In terms of outerwear, a packable raincoat to layer over the above mentioned items or a 3-in-1 style coat are essential. While we generally don’t use our gloves and earmuffs/hats very often, we would recommend packing a pair just in case. You might need them for early morning glacier viewing.

Also, don’t forget to pack a bathing suit for your Alaska cruise. There are hot tubs and indoor pools onboard the ship, as well as the spa and thermal suites on many cruise lines. You might even get lucky enough with the weather to enjoy the outdoor pools!

Nighttime Outfits

For nighttime outfits, you will want to pack business casual type outfits. Think khakis and collared shirts for men and dress pants, dressy jeans, or casual dresses for woman. Alaskan cruises are more casual overall.

However, many cruise lines do still have “formal” or “evening chic” nights where you can feel fancy if you choose. We like to participate, so we always pack a dress with heels and a suit (or sports coat) with a shirt and tie.

Women should also pack a cardigan or pashmina as you may get a bit cool at night on the ship.

Now, given that you will only wear these outfits for a fraction of the day, it helps to pack versatile items. This way you can mix and match for a couple different outfits during the course of the week.

Of course, these are the items that we usually pack, but if you plan to eat at the buffet most nights then you can certainly get away with more casual attire.

Footwear

For our first few Alaska cruises, our footwear collection was way more extensive than we needed. You won’t need big, heavy winter boots; instead, go with a few pairs of thick wool socks. Further, if you are planning an excursion like a glacier walk, the tour company will provide “boots” that go over your shoes.

Generally speaking, you will want casual shoes for daytime use that are comfortable and preferably waterproof. A pair of sneakers is essential for the nicer days and more casual excursions, while you’ll want something along the lines of Sperry duck boots or Merrell hiking shoes for rainy days and more active adventures. You might also want a pair of flip flops or slippers to wear around your cabin and the ship.

For nighttime use, plan on a dressier pair of sandals, flats, heels or whatever you are comfortable walking in around the ship for dinner and evening entertainment. Men will want to pack at least one pair of shoes for the evening as well.

Other Useful Items

While you may have read that Alaska is one of the places you can cruise without a passport, we always recommend you travel with one. So, besides the necessary travel documents, we have accumulated a list over the years of “other” items that we find essential for a cruise to any destination. Many of these products can be purchased fairly inexpensively on Amazon or at your local Target or Walmart.

Given that cruise ship cabins are small, you will want to maximize the space. Magnets come in handy for hanging hats, day bags, wet jackets, and other items in your cruise cabin. Additionally, we use an over the door shoe organizer, not for shoes, but rather to store toiletries and other small items to free up counter space.

A luggage scale will help ensure you are not over your airline’s weight limit on the return trip home. And a packable duffle bag might be a good idea too if you plan to purchase a lot of souvenirs.

Further, a Yeti water bottle will help to keep a cold drink cold or a hot drink hot for hours. This will definitely be useful to keep your coffee or hot chocolate warm on those early Alaskan mornings. And don’t forget some binoculars for scouting wildlife.

Cruise luggage tags are great items to protect those paper cruise tags on your suitcases, as lanyards or a cell phone pocket are equally as important to store and carry your room key card. Likewise, ziploc bags are great for spill-proofing or water protection, while a laundry bag (or trash bag) is handy to store dirty laundry over the course of the week.

Electronics

Admittedly, we pack much more in this category than most cruisers. So, our suggestion is to pick and choose your essential devices whether they are cellphones, laptops, tablets, or cameras. Once you decide which gadgets you plan to take, you will find one of these cord organizers very helpful to keep all the chargers in one convenient location.

Speaking of all these electronics, a mobile power strip is essential as outlets are limited in most cruise cabins. You might also want to consider a portable power bank to keep your devices charged when going ashore.

Finally, we suggest considering more than just your smartphone for photos and videos of the trip. While the technology has come a long way in recent years, it won’t do the scenery and wildlife justice.

Even if you don’t own a camera or fancy zoom lenses, there are websites where you can rent this equipment relatively inexpensively. You should also consider an action camera that is waterproof for excursions, like a GoPro or 360 camera. After all, you want to capture memories that will last a lifetime.

Packing for a vacation shouldn’t be stressful. So, feel free to download a copy of our complete Alaska cruise packing list to use as your check list while packing for your Alaska Cruise.

Comments

Have you traveled to Alaska? Are there any items on your packing list that we have forgotten? Let us know what items are on the top of your Alaska Cruise Packing List.