The Ultimate Packing List for an Alaska Cruise

Packing for an Alaska cruise is completely different than packing for a week-long cruise anywhere else in the world. This is especially true if you are not used to cool weather in the middle of summer. You also might not be prepared for when it says it is only 70-degrees out that it feels closer to a 100, as Alaska is titled closer to the sun in the summer and you can get burnt fast! This is a the Ultimate Packing List for an Alaska Cruise. See something I missed? Let me know in the comments.

Disclosure: This post not only has some amazing tips on what to pack for an Alaska cruising adventure, but also Affiliate Links that I earn commissions from. This is how I make a living and keep this little blog running. Thank you for supporting me! I appreciate it. Much love, Kristi.

Table of Contents

Let’s Talk Clothing

Like most cruise ships, you will want to bring resort casual wear and one outfit for a night out at one of the amazing restaurants on the ship. But then there are the other types of clothing that you might not have thought of that you need for Alaska.

A puffy jacket that is waterproof. This one from REI will keep you warm, dry, and is hands-down one of my favorite jackets. If you are planning on doing a glacier excursion to go dog sledding or ice hiking, bring a jacket that is rated to at least 30-40 degrees.
Fleece jackets are perfect if get a little bit cold and are nice to have when the ship gets close to a Tidewater Glacier. It’s chilly, but not downright cold.
Alaska is in a temperate rain forest – plan for it to rain on your cruise, especially in the morning and for an hour or so in the afternoon. If you don’t have a puffy jacket, simply bring a rain coat that you can roll up and carry in your backpack.
Hoodies – although you might not want to bring one, but rather buy one at your favorite Alaska brewery or small Alaska town
Long sleeve quick dry or base layer shirts.
Hiking pants – get ones with Insect Shield if you can. The mosquitos in Alaska are like small birds, no joke!
Leggings as they are oh so comfy to relax in.
A hat or wool cap, especially if you are going hiking or will be out on a boat.
Scarves and gloves as it will be windy and a bit chilly as the cruise ship is making its way through Southeastern Alaska.
Wool socks – trust me on this one.
Swimsuit and flip flops – that hot tub is going to be fantastic after a day of adventuring!
XtraTuf or rain boots are great to wear when on the cruise ship deck or if you plan to walk through town.
Hiking Boots – I have both Merrill’s for trail running and Timberland’s for day hikes. Both of mine are also waterproof.
Running shoes if you plan on hitting the gym or the running track on the ship.

A puffy jacket is essential for your Alaska cruise. Leave your winter parkas at home and just bring this.

A Little Bit More About Shoes

Alaska is not the place to bring your fancy dresses and high heels in the summer. You can wear this on the ship, but bring more rugged outdoor wear when you leave the ship. Most Alaskans wear XtraTuffs with their sundresses, hiking pants, ok… with just about everything. That is about as dressed up as it gets around here. Make sure to dress in layers as it will be chilly in the morning, quite warm throughout the day, and then colder at night. For those coming up in the summer months, the sun really doesn’t set, but it will start to cool down around 8pm. You will need a few different kinds of shoes though – hiking, running, rain boots, and flip flops.

Don’t worry if you don’t have everything. We have a REI, Cabela’s, and Bass Pro Shops in Anchorage with enough gear to keep you happy and safe out there.

Let’s Talk Tech

First off, if you simply want to immerse yourself in Alaska and just take it all in without capturing photos, I feel you. But there are SO many wonderful things you will want to see that I take pictures of, so I want to make sure you are prepared.

Cell Phone Service

There is Verizon 4G in Anchorage and throughout most of the state’s small towns. AT&T works in more of the small towns, but still spotty a lot of the time. If you have T-mobile, good luck with that. The vast majority of Alaska is either 3G or there simply isn’t any cell service at all. Same with WiFi… you will have it in the major towns, but you will not get super fast service everywhere. This also means that you will drain your phone’s battery while it is trying to connect. I can’t stress this enough – when you are out in the middle of the waters in SouthEastern Alaska do not expect to have any service of any kind. Most cruise ships allow you to purchase Internet, but it also won’t have a strong signal. When you are in port, visit a coffee shop and check your email and messages there. I want you to be prepared for being without WiFi and cell service for most of your cruise. Then be happily surprised when you do have it.

Kayaking new Bear Glacier

Camera + Gear

Before you board the ship, take some time and delete or move old photos and videos off of you phone. You will need the storage space for all that you see and do in Alaska. Quite a few of my friends have a second phone that has a great camera lens on it, especially if they don’t have a DSLR camera.

This bear pic was shot with a Canon T5i with a 70-200 lens from BorrowLenses.com.

Also, make sure you have DO have a good DSLR camera {I’m a Canon Fan}. If you don’t have a camera, you can rent one from BorrowLenses. You will need a telephoto lens for wildlife and a wide lens for glaciers. In case you are a little bit like me and want to get close shot of a bear or a moose, you will need a longer lens. Whales typically don’t come super close to the boat and rarely pose for a photo. Sure wish they did though!

What to Pack in the Tech Bag

Weego 12000mAh Charger – it charges my phones, tablet, laptop, and even my car!!
MyCharge Wall Mount Charger – charges up super fast then charges your phone just as quickly. I always carry two power houses for battery chargers especially when out adventuring in Alaska.
Canon T5i with Zoom Lens – This is a great starter DSLR and takes amazing pictures. You can find them for around $400 and then rent or buy the lends that you need.
Lightweight Tripod – Needed to take great quality glacier shots or to get the whole family into a picture.
Macbook Air or whatever laptop or tablet you use. Bring the lightest one you have! Ok, if you are trying to take a break from work and are not a writer, leave the laptop at home.
A great backpack to carry all your gear. I’m a GoPro Blogger and they sent me their GoPro Backpack to test out, which is by far, the best tech backpack I’ve ever owned. It even has space for a hydration pack. Perfect for water or even some amazing Alaska craft beer!

Oh, and if you have a GoPro, bring it along with all of the mounts. You never know when you will find yourself in the middle of an Alaska adventure and need your GoPro Floatie!

You never know when you are going to find yourself kayaking in the middle of a glacial lake, like Kenai Lake.

Extra Stuff You Need

I wish someone had told me about these items when I first came to Alaska. Like extra strength mosquito repellent – seriously, these things are the unofficial bird of Alaska – THEY ARE HUGE. In some areas of Alaska there are outhouses or port toilets. Not a bad idea to bring along travel wipes if you have planned an excursion into a small town in AK. The water here tastes amazing and very few people buy bottled water. Bring an empty bottle like a HydroFlask and keep filling it up with tap water – or buy a souvenir cup and use it for the duration of your vacation.