Everything You Need To Know-Alaskan Cruise

Buckle up because this is going to be a massive post! I’m sharing EVERYTHING you need to know about an Alaskan Cruise. I just got back from one in June and I loved it. Having never been on a cruise before, I loved the ease of everything and the views from the ship are just breathtaking. I’m convincing everyone to go on an Alaskan Cruise now!

Capsule Wardrobe Cruise

First up, what to pack! Packing for this trip felt like mental gymnastics as the weather is unpredictable and I had never been on a cruise so I didn’t know what to bring with me! Below is what I brought with me and the outfits I styled with the pieces. I mostly hit the nail on the head with what I brought and I already tweaked this graphic to match what I did bring and actually used! Follow this post and you’ll be set!

If you want more capsule wardrobe inspiration, I have a capsule wardrobe 30 pieces for summer that can help with all sorts of warm weather places. Be sure to check out the post here!

Capsule Wardrobe Essentials

I tried to pack light for this trip but I wasn’t able to fit everything in just a backpack but I did fit in a carry-on suitcase! My packing list includes:

I also brought along some capsule wardrobe basic jewelry. Here are my favorite pieces:

What did we do on our Alaskan Cruise?

Our cruise made 4 stops: Juno, Skagway, Sitka, and Victoria in Canada. We got off at every port but some were more fun than others. In general, we took a slower more relaxed pace on this cruise and I’m glad we did! We enjoyed the hot tub and adults-only pool almost every day and took advantage of our drink package.

Juno- Whale Watching

This was a magical experience and I’m so glad we did it. We got to get so close to the whales (while still giving them space!) and the is was cool to see these massive animals in the wild.

Skagway- Wandering Around

Skagway is a tiny town. We went on a short hike and walked around the little downtown before hopping back on the boat. Most people we talked to went on the railroad but we skipped that and enjoyed the warmth of the hot tub.

Sitka- Totem Poles & Bald Eagles

I loved Sitka the most of the little cities we stopped in. The downtown was quaint but much bigger than Skagway. We went to the Sitka National Historical Park and saw the largest collection of totem poles. We also learned about the history of Alaska and how the US got it from Russia. After the totem poles, we walked to the Bald Eagle Refugee and saw injured birds being rehabilitated.

Victoria- All the Walking

We debated on whether or not we would get off the ship at the Victoria stop but ultimately decided to sightsee. I actually went here last year with some friends so I didn’t feel like I needed to see much more since we saw it all last time. But we walked around the shoreline and enjoyed the warm sunshine.

Days at Sea on an Alaskan Cruise

We had 2 days of just sailing and I was surprised at all of the things that there are to do on a cruise ship! From shows, trivia, karaoke, and pickleball, there wasn’t a dull moment!

Food on an Alaskan Cruise Ship

You won’t go hungry on a cruise ship! There were a bunch of different food options and buffets that were included. At night there was a nicer dinner that we took advantage of. We only went to places that were included in what we paid for and everything was amazing!

While the dinner we went too each night was nice with a wine menu and white table clothes, people dresssed casual. I usually just wore what I was wearing all day. But there were 2 nicer dinners that said ‘dress to impress’. I wore the same dress twice with heels. I had planned to wear a different dress but I ended up wearing the other dress as a cover-up since I didn’t think to bring one. It all worked out well though!

Alaskan Cruise Tips

I think that a cruise was the best way to see Alaska as it is such a massive state. Everything is beautiful and that is such an understatement. In general, I think that the trip worked well for us and for what we wanted to see and do. I mainly wanted to go to check Alaska off my list (state #49!) and I was able to do just that. Sure, we could have done more excursions on port days but those cost money and would have forced us to have a schedule to stick to on those days. I liked taking this trip easy and enjoying it. We decided not to do internet so that made connecting with just the 2 of us that much more special. We also decided to do the drink package and it was well worth it with all of the pool time we did.

I’d love to know, have you done an Alaskan Cruise?