What to pack for an Alaska cruise
An Alaska cruise in summer is cool, damp and full of light. Port towns like Juneau and Ketchikan are usually in the 50s and low 60s, rain is likely on any given day, and standing on deck in front of a glacier feels ten or fifteen degrees colder than the forecast. It stays light until nearly midnight.
So the list is built on layers, the same way you would dress for a hike: a base layer, a warm fleece or puffer, and a waterproof shell on top. Ports are casual and outdoorsy, and so is most of the ship, but most cruises still hold one or two dressier nights, so bring something smart that works with the same shoes.
Checked
The weather
- Daytime high
- 64°F
- 18°C in Juneau in July. Colder by the glaciers.
- Overnight low
- 50°F
- 10°C. Mornings on deck are chilly.
- Wet days
- ~17
- Ketchikan is one of the rainiest towns in the country.
- Daylight
- 17–18 h
- Sunset after 9:30pm around midsummer.
The capsule
A week at sea, one traveler, Evergreen palette. Forest green and white for the glaciers and ports, with camel for the dining room. A capsule is a few clothes in one palette (a base color, a neutral and an accent) that all go together. The full list below adds what sits outside it.
Layers
Waterproof shell
Packable puffer
Fleece jacket
Tops
Merino base layer
Long-sleeve tee
Cable-knit sweater
Bottoms
Water-resistant hiking pants
Dark jeans
Evening
Sweater dress
Tailored pants
Shoes
Waterproof hiking boots
Leather sneakers
Three days from this capsule
Shown for one traveler. Packlier packs a capsule like this for each person on the trip.
The full list
Clothes
- Waterproof jacket with a hood
- Packable down or synthetic jacket
- Fleece
- Two base layer tops
- Three or four everyday tops
- Warm sweater
- Hiking pants and jeans
- One or two outfits for dressier nights
- Swimsuit for the pool and hot tubs
Shoes
- Waterproof boots or hiking shoes
- Comfortable shoes for the ship and dinner
On deck and ashore
- Beanie and light gloves
- Binoculars
- Packable daypack
- Dry bag or waterproof phone pouch
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Insect repellent for shore excursions
Documents and tech
- Passport; most routes stop in Canada
- Cruise documents and luggage tags
- Excursion confirmations
- Travel insurance details
- Cruise-approved USB charger (no surge protectors)
- Power bank and a spare memory card
Health and toiletries
- Seasickness remedy
- Eye mask for the long days
- Lip balm and moisturizer
- Any prescriptions, in your carry-on
Gear worth the space
A packable puffer
It squashes into its own pocket, weighs almost nothing, and goes under your shell when you are on deck by the glaciers.
A breathable rain shell
Southeast Alaska is a temperate rainforest. A proper shell with a hood keeps you dry on every excursion.
Compact binoculars
An 8x or 10x pair is easy to hold steady on a moving ship and small enough to carry ashore.
Waterproof hiking shoes
Trails near the ports are wet and muddy even in summer. Boots or low hikers both work; low ones are lighter and fine on deck.
A glacier feels ten or fifteen degrees colder than the forecast. Packlier packs your layers for the deck, and the dressier night.
Tell it where, when, why, which bag and which palette, and it packs the capsule, checks it against the bag and adds everything that is not clothing. Launching this year on Android, with iOS to follow.
One email at launch, nothing else.