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What I Actually Used on an Alaska Cruise—and What I’d Pack Again
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items Planning a 7-day Alaska cruise through the Inside Passage from Vancouver? This is what I actually packed, wore and used for glacier viewing, whale watching, port days and unforgettable excursions—including a glacier seaplane flight. Find practical Al...
Sections
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Unforgettable Alaska Cruise Experiences & Excursions
Layers That Earned Their Suitcase Space
Rain Gear Because Alaska
Shoes That Survived the Excursions
Cruise Fun
Unforgettable Alaska Cruise Experiences & Excursions
We chose a 7-day Alaska cruise through the Inside Passage from Vancouver so we could visit Glacier Bay while minimizing potential seasickness with a more sheltered route. Seals, whales, otters, glaciers, seaplanes and views that didn’t look real—woul...
Seven days through Alaska’s Inside Passage from Vancouver—seals, whales, glaciers and the possibility of climbing into a seaplane. This is not the trip for staying on the ship and admiring the scenery through glass. Bundle up, book the excursions and...
7 day Alaska inside passage vancouver to Anchorage
I honestly don’t have words big enough for Glacier Bay. The beauty, power and surreal scale of the place are overwhelming—massive glaciers rising in front of you, surrounded by floating bergy bits and water in colors that don’t seem real. Photos cann...
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)
This was one of those rare excursions the whole family could enjoy together. Everyone gets a window seat as the seaplane flies over five massive glaciers and the Juneau Icefield—and the views are absolutely surreal. It’s a splurge, but sharing an exp...
Wings Airways Five-Glacier Seaplane Tour in Juneau, Alaska
Layers That Earned Their Suitcase Space
Layers that earned their suitcase space. Alaska can go from cold and rainy to surprisingly sunny before lunch, so these are the pieces I could add, shed and wear again without packing my entire closet.
The Lands’ End tote is my carry-on workhorse—but I hacked mine by adding a crossbody strap. Now it holds everything, slides under the seat and is much easier to haul through airports and onto the ship without sacrificing a shoulder.
Medium 5 Pocket Open Top Canvas Tote Bag
This soft cotton tunic is the perfect layering piece—comfortable enough for travel days but polished enough to dress up for dinner. It works with leggings, jeans or nicer pants, and the multiple colors make packing and mixing outfits ridiculously eas...
Women's 3/4 Sleeve Cotton Supima Tunic Perfect layering piece
These are not flimsy yoga pants pretending to be hiking gear. The Fjällräven Abisko tights are comfortable enough for a full excursion day, sturdy where they need to be and easy to layer when Alaska decides to change temperatures every twenty minutes...
Fjallraven Abisko Tights - Women's | REI Co-op
Alaska may be cooler, but when the sun comes out, it means business—so pack the SHORTS. Fjällräven Abisko shorts are comfortable, practical and ready for the surprisingly warm excursion day no one warned you about.
Fjallraven Abisko 6" Short Tights - Women's | REI Co-op
Bring the travel blanket. It was genuinely cold sitting on the balcony watching the glaciers, but there was no chance I was going inside and missing that view. Lightweight, packable and worth every inch of suitcase space.
L.L.Bean Waterproof Outdoor Blanket
Rain Gear Because Alaska
Rain gear—because Alaska. Don’t bother bringing an umbrella. The torrential rain comes with wind gusts that will destroy it like a toy. Pack a genuinely waterproof jacket with a hood and keep exploring.
Alaska weather changes its mind constantly, so a packable raincoat is essential. This Lands’ End jacket layers easily, keeps the rain off and folds down small enough to live in your day bag until the sky inevitably turns on you.
Squall Packable Waterproof Raincoat
This Columbia Omni-Heat half-zip was the perfect warm layer beneath my rain jacket. It held in heat without adding bulky weight, wicked away moisture and was easy to unzip when Alaska decided to warm up without warning. Ideal for glacier viewing, win...
Columbia Women’s Omni-Heat Half-Zip Pullover for Alaska Cruise Layering
Shoes That Survived the Excursions
Shoes that survived the excursions—and still looked good onboard. Comfortable for walking, easy to slip on and off, good traction on a wet ship deck and quick-drying when Alaska inevitably soaks them.
WrWide feet, rejoice. Merrell Moab hiking boots give your toes room to breathe while still providing the support and traction you need for Alaska excursions. Comfortable, sturdy and no breaking your feet in the name of adventure.
Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking Boots - Women's | REI Co-op
Rothy’s Drivers are perfect for walking around the ship and exploring town without sacrificing comfort. They have good traction on deck, dry quickly when Alaska gets damp and can be tossed in the wash when the day is over. Or use hair dryer to speed dry time
Women's Driving Shoes, Loafers & Moccasins
Cruise Fun
Cruise fun doesn’t need to be complicated—or expensive. Bring the ducks to hide around the ship, a few favorite card games for downtime and a willingness to be a little ridiculous together. The excursions are unforgettable, but the laughing, playing ...
THE DUCKS! Completely unnecessary and absolutely worth packing. Hide them around the ship for other passengers to find, take ridiculous vacation photos with them or let them become tiny traveling companions. Cruise joy does not need to be practical.
25 Mini Duck Magnets- Small Yellow Ducks for Hiding Game, Cruise Duck Set
An Alaska-themed duck pack? Hell yes. Hide them around the ship, hand them to someone who needs a smile or stage increasingly ridiculous glacier photos. They take up almost no room and add an entirely unnecessary amount of fun. Instant conversation s...
Mini Alaskan Cruise Duck Pack | 1 inch minis | 10 Unique Designs | Bulk Cruise Ducks | Glow Iceberg Duck | Alaska Animal Ducks
This is how wholesome family bonding turns into competitive yelling and inside jokes that survive long after the cruise. Monikers: Serious Nonsense is easy to learn, gets funnier with every round and works especially well with a group of adults who a...
CMYK Monikers: Serious Nonsense Party Game
Glacier Bay is a National Park you experience from the water, with the park rangers boarding the ship to bring the visitor center to you. And yes—they have the official National Park Passport stamp. I saw the glaciers, watched the wildlife and absolu...
Passport To Your National Parks® Classic Edition
Proof that my walking stick has better travel credentials than most people. This Glacier Bay hiking medallion is a small, inexpensive souvenir that turns a useful walking stick into a record of the places we’ve explored—and yes, I absolutely wanted p...
Traveler Series Glacier Bay Hiking Medallion