What to Pack for an Alaskan Cruise
What to pack for an Alaskan cruise, from layers and outerwear to shoes and essentials – so you’re prepared for every kind of weather!
Last August 31st to September 7th, my husband and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary with an Alaskan cruise — and it was one of our favorite trips we’ve ever taken. Before we ever boarded the ship, though, I realized something very quickly: figuring out what to pack for an Alaskan cruise is surprisingly hard.
I didn’t meet a single person on our cruise who didn’t express what a challenge it was to figure out what to pack (when I asked). Alaska is beautiful, unforgettable… and notoriously unpredictable when it comes to weather.
If you’re planning an Alaskan cruise and wondering what to bring, I hope this post gives you a helpful starting point.
Before You Start Packing: A Few Helpful Things to Know
1. Alaska weather is unpredictable
I once heard someone say that when you pack for an Alaskan cruise, you should pack for all four seasons — because you’ll probably dress for them all. I found that to be absolutely true.
We kept a close eye on the weather for all our ports right up until the day before we left. At the last minute, I tossed in a pair of shorts and some lighter t‑shirts — and I’m so glad I did. Our particular cruise was unseasonably warm, and I wore those items far more than I ever expected.
Keep in mind the weather you are coming from as compared to Alaska’s weather. We live on Vancouver Island, Canada, which is perhaps more similar to some of the weather in Alaska. If you are coming from super hot Summer weather where you live, you might not feel as warm in shorts like we were.;)
Ironically, I never wore my rain jacket, since it never rained on any of the 7 days we were cruising — but there are no guarantees when it comes to Alaska weather, so I would definitely still recommend bringing one.
2. Check your cruise line + ship details
We cruised with Celebrity Cruises, and one thing I highly recommend is joining a Facebook group for your specific cruise ship. These groups are full of experienced cruisers asking and answering very specific questions — everything from dress codes to what to expect on excursion days.
I learned a lot just by reading through the questions and responses.
(If you’re still in the planning phase, I’ve also shared posts on how to plan an Alaskan cruise and how to choose the best cruise ship cabin — I’ll link those below.)
How I Packed: Bags & Organization
For this trip, I packed using:
- One carry‑on suitcase (packed to its fullest capacity!)
- Compression Packing cubes to keep everything organized and take up less space
- One large tote bag with some extra room to bring home some souveniers
- A cross body/ fanny pack – I know it’s stylish to wear these as cross body bags, but since that makes my neck hurt, I proudly wore mine as a fanny pack and loved it!
I’ll admit it, though — my carry‑on was stuffed. But everything fit, and I was grateful not to deal with dragging around a huge suitcase! I’ve linked below the exact bags that I use:
Shop my Favorite Travel Bags
Here are the actual bags I’ve used for years! (affiliate links)
What I Packed for an Alaskan Cruise
Want to See Our Actual Cruise Outfits?
Here they are! Just click the button below to see what we wore:
Bottoms
I focused on comfortable, mix‑and‑match pieces:
- 2 pairs of cotton capri pants (one navy, one black)
- 1 pair of dressy linen pants (for evening dinner)
- 1 pair of Bermuda shorts
- 1 pair of jeans (that could be rolled up to become capri pants)- I read somewhere that it is recommended to bring 2 pairs of “warmer” pants for excursion days, in case one of them gets wet. I took a chance in bringing only one pair – and I ended up wearing SHORTS for our excursion days. (I know – highly unusual!!)
Other factors to consider: As I did my research, many people suggested bringing leggings or dressy sweat pants for the cruise. The Alaskan cruise that we were on was very casual, so those items certainly could work. However, I don’t enjoy wearing leggings or sweat pants at home, so I didn’t take that advice. Remember to pack what you love to wear – not just what people recommend!;)
Because I packed mostly things I already owned, I couldn’t link up the exact items I took. However, I found similar items and listed them below. Be sure to check ratings, reviews, and specifics on returns to see if they might be what you are looking for.
Shop Similar Pants
Here are similar items to what I packed for our cruise (affiliate links)
Dinner note: Check your cruise line’s dress code before packing. Ours was fairly casual, with optional dressy theme nights. I wore the same black linen dress pants to dinner each night and simply changed my tops — easy, comfortable, and efficient.
Tops & Layers
Layering is absolutely key on an Alaskan cruise. I found it funny how many outfit changes I made on the ship each day! For example, walks around the top deck were chilly in the morning, but lunch in the dining room was a comfortable temperature with a light t-shirt!
I packed:
- Several casual t‑shirts (most short sleeved with 1 long sleeve and one sleeveless)
- A few dressier tops for dinner
- One cozy cardigan sweater (that worked with all my t-shirts)
- One pullover sweater
- A swimsuit (There are hot tubs and pools on the ship that are so lovely to use!)
The temperature on the ship varied depending on where you were, and I reached for my cardigan sweater often. I often just tied it around my waist and kept walking while we were wandering around.
Shop Similar Tops
Here are similar items to what I packed for our cruise (affiliate links)
Outerwear
Even if you don’t end up using everything, these are important to have:
- A shacket or warm sweatshirt
- A rain jacket (even though I didn’t need mine, I’d definitely still bring one)
- Hat & lightweight gloves
One thing to keep in mind is that when you travel to Alaska it will probably be during the warmer months of the year there. If it is Summer in Alaska, even though it might be chillier than your Summers, you probably won’t need a huge down filled coat! But, it does rain a lot and you’ll want to be prepared for chilly, rainy weather (with sometimes a few snowflakes thrown in!).
Shop Similar Outerwear Items
Here are similar items to what I packed for our cruise (affiliate links)
Shoes (Comfort Matters!)
We did a lot of walking — on the ship and during excursions — so comfortable shoes were essential.
I brought:
- Flat slip‑on tennis shoes (my most‑worn shoes)
- Dressier sandals for dinner
- Flip‑flops – Although most people use tennis shoes as their favorite walking shoes, my favorite are Clark’s flipflops. Yes, I hike in them (within reason!), too…
- Waterproof boots (just in case it rained during excursions)
Shop Similar Footwear Items
Here are similar items to what I packed for our cruise (affiliate links)
Bags & Accessories
One of my most‑used items was a simple fanny pack. It was perfect for excursions and made getting on and off the ship easy.
I kept in it my glasses, cruise ship card, credit cards, phone, and chapstick. It worked great when we were doing lots of walking.
The ship provided a simple re-usable shopping bag if you wanted to take that with you on excursions.
Other helpful items:
- Sunglasses
- Small binoculars (optional, but fun for wildlife viewing)
- Simple jewelry to mix and match with outfits
My Biggest Packing Tips for an Alaskan Cruise
- Focus on layers
- Choose pieces that mix and match easily
- Pack for unpredictability in the weather department
- Comfort matters! – pack what feels comfortable and you feel cute in at home, and you’ll feel the same way on the cruise.
Want to See What Our Cruise Was Really Like?
I’ve shared:
- A full Alaskan cruise planning guide
- Tips on choosing the best cruise ship cabin
- A playlist of short daily YouTube videos showing what each day looked like for our Alaska Cruise trip.
If you’re planning an Alaskan cruise, I hope this helps as you plan and pack. I’m so excited for you and hope you have a marvelous time!
Happy travels to you!
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