Surprising Things to Pack on Your Alaskan Cruise
We cruised on the Carnival Luminosa for an Alaskan cruise. We cruised for 35 days in July and the first part of August on a five-week back-to-back cruise. This was my first time on a cruise ship for a month and my first time in Alaska, and I did find several surprising Alaskan cruise things to pack.
This post contains affiliate links to items I used on my Alaskan cruise. I never promote an affiliate link to an item I have not used or loved.
In this post, I will share 7 Surprising Alaskan Cruise Packing List Items.
Sunglasses
It was surprising for me to note that sunglasses should be essential on my Alaskan packing list, especially when cruising in July and August. Well, what surprised me was that sunglasses were needed on the foggy days. We had some foggy days at sea when we could barely see the water. Even though it was so foggy out, it was super bright.
Another reason to bring sunglasses is to vie icebergs and glaciers. We went through Tracy Arm Fjord every Monday, and we were out bright and early looking at the icebergs as we approached the glacier. The sun reflecting off the icebergs and the glaciers made for a really bright morning that definitely needed sunglasses. If you plan on doing a glacier excursion, you will definitely want sunglasses. Unfortunately, my glacier excursion was canceled, but I would have been thankful to have my sunglasses if I could go.
Sunscreen
This may not surprise you if you are thinking, well, it's July and August, and of course, you need sunscreen, but if you are like me and think of icebergs, glaciers, and anything cold when thinking of Alaska, you may not be thinking of sunscreen. I checked the weather before going, and it was anywhere from the mid-50s to mid-70s. Now, the sun can be pretty harsh in the summer, especially in July, and expect to see some upper 70s to low 80s sometimes. We did have a few days in Juneau and Skagway that reached the low 80s.
The days are longer in Alaska in the summer months. The end of June in Juneau will have some of the longest days, with 18 to 19 hours of daylight. Going into July, you will still have 18 hours of sunlight, then it will go down to around 15 to 16 hours toward the end of July and the first of August. That is still a lot of sunlight hours. So, you definitely want to make sure you are protecting your skin and wearing sunscreen.
Mosquito Repellent
Oh, my goodness, another item I didn't bring and wish I had. Once again, when thinking of Alaska, I was thinking of the cold things and not even thinking about bugs and mosquitoes being a thing in July and August. We tried to take a hike in Juneau in July, and just wow, the mosquitoes were awful, and I am pretty sure the flies were biting, too. I spoke to our naturalist on the cruise ship, and first, let me just say that Emily, the naturalist, is amazing and full of so much information. I told her about the mosquitoes, and she said they can be pretty aggressive.
We just could not do the hiking trip we set out to do on our 4th Juneau day in Alaska. We did get to see some gorgeous sites on the way up, but we just weren't going to make it through the woods. Also, we had an excursion in Skagway, the White Pass train, coupled with a visit to Liarsville, and it was a little miserable in Liarsville as it was smack in the middle of the woods. Sadly, I couldn't wait to get back on the bus and get out of there. So, don't be miserable on your Alaskan cruise in the summer; be sure to bring mosquito repellent.
Gloves
Well, once again, this might seem like a no-brainer when packing for Alaska. I think my mind was just all over the place when packing. I definitely was not prepared or organized when packing for this trip. I looked at the weather and saw that it was in the mid-50s to mid-70s the entire time, and I didn't think that warranted needing gloves.
I was wrong! We were out early from 6:30 to 7:00am every Monday morning to watch the icebergs as we went through the fjord, and taking pics and holding the binoculars made my fingers cold. I did tell myself if I get to come back, I am not just bringing gloves, I am bringing tech gloves so I can still access my phone and camera while viewing the gorgeous sites.
Plus, apparently, if I had gotten to go on my glacier excursion, I would have definitely needed them then. So, don't forget to bring gloves even if you are cruising in the summer months.
Sleeping Mask
Okay, okay, this isn't really a surprising factor as much as it is preference. Remember I mentioned how much sunlight you can get in the summer months of Alaska. Well, a sleeping mask helped me if I was trying to go to bed before midnight or if I wanted to sleep past 4:00 a.m. Yep, you read that right. There were some nights that the sun sat at 11:00 p.m., but you could still see the glow of the sun in the sky at midnight, and then the sun started coming up at 4:00 a.m. It is really hard to get on a sleep schedule while cruising in Alaska since 10:00 p.m. at night can easily feel like 7:00 p.m. Now, if you don't care about the sleep schedule and what time it is because you are on vacation, then totally skip past this one.
Bathing Suit
When on an Alaskan cruise, swimming might not be the first thing on your mind, especially if you are cruising in the early part of the season of March and April or the later part of September and October. I didn't do any swimming in Alaska, but I did swim while on the cruise ship and was happy I brought my swimsuit. Many cruise ships, such as the Carnival Luminosa, have not only heated swimming pools but also enclosed swimming areas. It was always a comfortable 80 degrees on the lido deck. The pools were always empty, so that was definitely a plus to have the chance to enjoy.
I also was happy I brought my swimsuit so I could enjoy the aromatherapy spa pool in the Cloud 9 Spa area.
Shorts and Flip Flops
Yep, shorts and flip-flops in Alaska. I am so glad I had these with me. I definitely did not think I would need shorts and flip-flops. After reviewing the weather, I thought even if it got to the mid-70s, I would still be comfortable in my jeans. Well, I did wear my jeans most days, but on those days, the weather reached the low
80s in Juneau and Skagway, I was happy I just so happened to fly to Vegas before flying to Seattle to port out. Obviously, I am bringing shorts and flip-flops to Vegas. It was 115 degrees there on the first of July, but I didn't think I would need my shorts while in Alaska. In fact, in some of my vlogs, I started mentioning I wish I had worn my shorts and that it was pretty warm walking around the port.
6 Things You Don't Want to Forget
Binoculars - Used them every day.
Camera - Don't be like me and forget your SD card
Rain gear/ Raincoat or umbrella - August and September are the rainiest months.
Hiking Pants - I loved these pants. Some of the tour guides even wore the same ones.
Hiking Shoes - Very comfortable, and you need sturdy shoes.
Sling Backpack- My hubby carried it, but he loved it, especially on excursion days.
I did have all 5 of these things with me, and I realized how much they were needed, and I was thankful I had them all. I do wish I had bought a better pair of binoculars, but my cheap ones got the job done. If you forget yours, they do sell some on the cruise ship. I wore my hiking pants even when I wasn't hiking, and my hiking tennis shoes were comfortable, waterproof, and nice to have when it rained.
Alaska is a bucket list destination for many people, so don't do what I did. Just throw a bunch of stuff in your bag, and I hope you got it all. You will more than likely forget something or several things like I did. I have a packing list here that you can download for free to help you plan and organize your trip.
Don't forget to check out YouTube for all my Alaskan cruise vlogs.
