Alaska Cruise-what to wear? what to do?

My parents are going on a cruise to Alaska, leaving on Setember 13th from Seattle.

My mom wanted me to ask on here what kind of clothes they should packl? Willm it be cold, Fall weather, Summer weather, warm, etc? Would Capris be ok or would it be better for pants & long sleeves.

The ports they are stopping at are:
Juneau
Skagway
Ketchikan
VIctoria

Also, anything you recommend to do at any of these ports? The excursions the cruise offers are super expensive, so wondering if there is anything you would recommend to see, do, eat on your own...

Thanks!!!!

Message edited 8/20/2009 8:53:01 PM.

Re: Alaska Cruise-what to where? what to do?

I did that same itinerary on NCL. I went in May, so I don't have a TON of advice on the weather/clothes. In May, it was crisp and pleasant and felt like an October day here. There were days of 70 degree weather (which made everyone run to the pool ) but overall, I wore jeans and light tops.

I was waaayy too cheap to do any excursions, so I bought a book before I left on Amazon that went over all of the ports. It had walking tours for each port and was an easy, free way to see the sites.

Victoria is awesome and easy to enjoy without a tour... it felt like a European city.

Re: Alaska Cruise-what to where? what to do?

Unfortunately for Alaska you need to pack a wide array of clothes. We went end of June and at points it was 70 degrees and near the glaciers it was 30 and we were freezing wearing double layers of sweatshirts, blankets, etc.

As for excursions we always go thru the ship. Sure, it's more expensive but I dont have to worry about getting lost, transportation to/from the pier, dealing with all the trouble of booking with outside agents, and of course everything is insured and refundable thru the cruise line. I'd rather pay extra for the convenience.

The one great one was a dog sled ride excursion - it was fun and gave a nice flavor of alaska.

Re: Alaska Cruise-what to wear? what to do?

Posted by Holly

My parents are going on a cruise to Alaska, leaving on Setember 13th from Seattle.

My mom wanted me to ask on here what kind of clothes they should packl? Willm it be cold, Fall weather, Summer weather, warm, etc? Would Capris be ok or would it be better for pants & long sleeves.

The ports they are stopping at are:
Juneau
Skagway
Ketchikan
VIctoria

Also, anything you recommend to do at any of these ports? The excursions the cruise offers are super expensive, so wondering if there is anything you would recommend to see, do, eat on your own...

Thanks!!!!

Re: Alaska Cruise-what to wear? what to do?

I just want to say that I am jealous.

I want to go to Alaska in the worst way.

Re: Alaska Cruise-what to wear? what to do?

I went in June and agree with PP we needed an array of clothes.

The dog sled excursion was the best trip -- we took the one through the woods not the one in the snow.

The Sagway railroad trip was a nice trip to see the lay of the land

Re: Alaska Cruise-what to wear? what to do?

Tell them to pack layers and bring an umbrella/waterproof windbreaker/hat just in case. We went in July and most days the highs were between 65-low 70s and drizzling. It was really cold (30s) up on the glacier, and the day on ship that we cruised through the fjords. Some days it rained a lot - we got caught in a downpour in Juneau and were told it's normal for it to rain on and off most days throughout the year. I would pack maybe one pair of capris and a couple pairs of long pants, personally.

For excursions, I definitely recommend the helicopter up to walk around on Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau (we were signed up to go dogsledding, but the fog was too bad so it got cancelled and we did the helicopter instead). It's expensive, but worth it. Also in Juneau, there's a tramway thing you can ride up the mountain. The tickets wasn't too expensive, and there's a gift shop and I think a restaurant at the top. And they can always go to the famous Red Dog Saloon.

In Ketchikan, one of the less expensive excursions is a tour of Totem Bight state park. That was interesting...

Skagway is easy to get into town by walking around on your own, so if they didn't want to take an expensive excursion, they can have a nice day exploring the town. But if they're active, and want to bike or hike or raft, there's plenty of opportunities to do so - and it was a lot of fun!

Victoria doesn't have much to do that's right by the dock. I'd recommend taking a prearranged tour or something there.

Re: Alaska Cruise-what to wear? what to do?

My parents just got back from this trip last week. They said it was VERY cold and VERY rainy. No sun whatsoever!

Re: Alaska Cruise-what to wear? what to do?

Posted by Holly

My parents are going on a cruise to Alaska, leaving on Setember 13th from Seattle.

My mom wanted me to ask on here what kind of clothes they should packl? Willm it be cold, Fall weather, Summer weather, warm, etc? Would Capris be ok or would it be better for pants & long sleeves.

The ports they are stopping at are:
Juneau
Skagway
Ketchikan
VIctoria

Also, anything you recommend to do at any of these ports? The excursions the cruise offers are super expensive, so wondering if there is anything you would recommend to see, do, eat on your own...

Thanks!!!!

Message edited 8/24/2009 6:10:45 PM.