Sailing to Alaska--questions about Wonder and packing

[Kate_and_Kerry]

Hi,

We're sailing on 8/17 and although this is our 4th cruise, it will be our first cool-weather one and we have tons of questions

How does the Wonder compare to the Fantasy? I've read things like no Aquaduck, no outlets by the bed, fridges are really coolers, but wondering what to expect from the stateroom--are they the same size? Do they have clocks in the rooms (I read conflicting things)? Anything that is drastically different that would affect how we pack or what we should/shouldn't bring?

Looking at the weather and photos, it looks like we'll be in the mid to upper 60s during the day and 40s at night. Did you pack:

• True winter coats (like wool or packable down)? Seems like heavy sweatshirts would be fine--was that your experience, or do we need fleece?
• Winter gloves, scarves, and hats?
• Rain boots?
• Can we get by with sneakers or do we need something heavier?
• Is the pool open, and has anyone used it?
• Umbrellas, or are rain parkas with hoods sufficient? (basically, how bad is the rain in Alaska--drizzle or downpour?)

I am planning on packing layers, just not sure what the layers should be Not too worried about inside the boat, since this will be our 4th cruise and I anticipate pretty good inside temperature control.

Any other helpful things to pack (binoculars?) that you'd recommend for this cruise? We will do the glacier and whale watching excursion, and the rain forest excursion so any tips specific to those would be great, too.

Thanks again--really excited!

Kathryn

 

[pillow]

Hi Kathryn. We were on the July 6th cruise and had lots of rain. But weather can vary a great deal in Alaska. The first few cruise days were warm. I wore shorts and short sleeve shirts (with an occasional light jacket over top). With the exception of Tracy Arm day, when I layered, I would wear a short sleeve shirt followed by either a sweat shirt or jacket. Since we had lots of rain, a raincoat was a MUST (I wore it a ton). I packed ponchos but we never wore them since we had the raincoats.

For Tracy Arm day, it was very cold (40's I'm guessing) + rain for us. I had on long johns under my jeans, a long sleeve shirt, a fleece sweatshirt + a thinly lined raincoat. We also wore gloves and hats.

If you can find a 3 in 1 coat that doesn't break the bank, its nice. We have a North Face outlet about an hour from us, and I bought my daughter the Momentum Triclimate (very cheap compared to their online price). She loves that coat and wore it a lot. I bought my son and hubbie a 3 in 1 as well. I could never find one in my size, so I just had a cheap Target brand raincoat, but it worked fine since I layered underneath.

Yes to umbrellas - can be both drizzle and downpour.
No to the pool but DS and DD used the hot tub.
Sneakers are probably ok, but you might want something with good tread if you want to hike. We all wore trail running shoes because we hiked and walked a lot.
No rain boots.

Here is my trip report that might help some: http://www.disboards.com/threads/pillow-family-alaska-canada-mega-trip.3430739/

See post #89 on page 5 for "must haves." I talk about binoculars in post #49 on page 3.

Hope you have a great time!

Jodie

 

[KBship]

I'm on the same cruise! And following because I have the same questions!! Hope it is awesome!

 

[ironz]

Haven't cruised to Alaska, but I used to do a lot of contract work in Ketchikan. I would say that a rain jacket with a hood is a way better choice than an umbrella. Serves double purpose: to keep you warm and keep the rain off. And keeps your hands free.

Weather can vary quite a bit in SE Alaska. I always packed layers when I went there, summer and winter.

Enjoy--it's beautiful!

 

[pillow]

Haven't cruised to Alaska, but I used to do a lot of contract work in Ketchikan. I would say that a rain jacket with a hood is a way better choice than an umbrella. Serves double purpose: to keep you warm and keep the rain off. And keeps your hands free.

Weather can vary quite a bit in SE Alaska. I always packed layers when I went there, summer and winter.

Enjoy--it's beautiful!

Most of the time, we just used the raincoats, but one day, we used both in order to help keep our pants and backpacks dry.

J

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

Following

 

[havoc315]

Hi,

We're sailing on 8/17 and although this is our 4th cruise, it will be our first cool-weather one and we have tons of questions

How does the Wonder compare to the Fantasy? I've read things like no Aquaduck, no outlets by the bed, fridges are really coolers, but wondering what to expect from the stateroom--are they the same size? Do they have clocks in the rooms (I read conflicting things)?

I'm sailing a week later... and now wondering about these things... Particularly because we need the fridge for medications, and (like most families nowadays) have lots of devices that need charging.

So is it true that no real fridges? Are outlets an issue?

 

[jetskigrl]

We had combination weather on our cruise last year. Sunny and warm a couple days and cold and rainy the others. We were fine with jeans, sneakers, t-shirts and fleece jackets most days. On the colder ones, we added a long sleeve t-shirt and also a rain shell, if needed. We had packable rain shells that folded up in their own pouch so we could easily carry them in our backpacks on port days. We only wore our gloves on Tracy Arm day, but we were sure glad that we had them. They sell cute cold-weather hats and ear warmers in the shops so my DD bought one of those for Tracy Arm day, but I was fine with just my hood from my fleece jacket.

One thing we packed and really appreciated having with us was waterproof hiking boots. They definitely aren't a necessity but it was a nice to have, just in keeping our feet dry while out in the rain. We wore them on Tracy Arm day, on our Chilkoot Tour in Skagway and for whale watching and the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. They really saved us from drenched feet on the hike to the falls at Mendenhall. The trail was completely flooded in areas and we could not have made it in regular tennis shoes without our feet being completely soaked. But since we had them, we just stepped on thru the puddles and kept going. Unfortunately, it was too flooded right in front of the falls for us to make it all the way out, but we got much closer than we would have without the boots.

The rain was anything from misty to downpour (our downpour was in Juneau ) But even with the downpour, we were fine with our layers.

The pools on the ship are heated and my DS swam every day (and he wasn't the only one). He really enjoyed it since we usually avoid the pools due to the crowds. But he was able to use the slide over and over again with no lines, etc. He loved it

 

[Prose]

We sailed in early June, so the temps were upper 50s/low 40s - we wore a lot of layers. Fleece plus a down vest worked great. A rain jacket with a hood is a necessity.

I was really glad I brought a knit cap and gloves. The thing I didn't think about is when it is 45 degrees out and the ship is moving at 20 knots, that's a wind chill of 29 degrees! It can get really cold, especially at night when you run up on deck for a cup of cocoa

 

[ThisGirlLovesDL]

We were on the September 1st sailing last year, which was the last cruise of the season.

The day is Skagway was a little rainy with a cold wind. Was happy to have my jacket, scarf, and Uggs! Tracy arm was chilly too. We were thankful for the warm soup they served on deck!

Juneau and Ketchikan were in the 60's. I didn't even bring my jacket when we got off the ship in Ketchikan. I was fine in sneakers, jeans, and a light sweater.

We were lucky on our cruise. Very little rain.

Have an amazing time. We can't wait to go back!

 

[taysalyn]

My DH and I (no children) were on the 6/1 sailing this year in a verandah on deck 7.
* Clock is by the bed and has a dimmer so you can turn it off or let it be a nightlight if needed.

* There was an outlet by the bed but it was one of those that needs a converter or adapter. We didn't have one so we used a plug that was behind the TV and one on the dresser/vanity.

* My DH brought a waterproof windbreaker jacket and I brought an EPCOT hoodie purchased at WDW in January. NOT a good idea for me. I wished I had brought a waterproof jacket and worn a shirt and sweatshirt combo.

* No hats or gloves but I did bring a knitted scarf (Mickey inspired colors) and I brought hand warmers purchased at Target for $1 each. Those were the best things I could have ever brought. My hands stayed nice and toasty.

* We both wore close-toed waterproof sneakers but I did notice several people with rain boots. While they were cute to see, I didn't feel the hassle of packing them was worth it. We made out fine with our sneakers.

* All pools were open and being used at various times throughout the trip. There were times when they were closed though not sure of the reason.

* I didn't see any umbrellas. I would advise rain parkas/jackets. You are heading into a northern climate rainforest and the rain is a near constant drizzle with heavy mist at times. I was told that Alaskans have a saying "Cotton kills". Waterproof clothing is the way to go as well as layers.

* The best time I had was sitting on the verandah with binoculars in hand watching and looking for wildlife. You can get by with cheap inexpensive binoculars but they are worth the hassle of packing because you will definitely use them several times throughout the cruise. I loved having ours and saw several families with pairs of them out on deck - especially on Tracy Arm day. You get so close to shore and having them to look closely at the eagles and bears along the shore was awesome. I spotted 18 eagles this way and saw a mother bear and cub with them. We tried to find mountain goats but no luck. Also got to watch the seals play on the ice in Tracy Arm.

Hope you and your family have lots of fun and take a picture of the food for posterity. I love looking back through the menus and food I ate to remember how delicious the food was.

 

[MunFam]

We sailed on the Wonder just after her renovations in May through the Panama Canal.

Our "refrigerator" was a cooler. It did keep cheese okay for a few days, but orange juice went rotten.

There were two outlets on each side of the headboard. We are from the US and did not need any type of adapter or converter. There was also a clock...that we could NOT figure out how to work! There was also an extra outlet behind the TV and two outlets (side by side style vs up and down) on the desk. The bathroom outlets were useless other than the toothbrush. They did not run the nightlight we packed (but it worked in the other outlets, we checked)

Another awesome difference, you don't need a key to work the lights!

 

[havoc315]

We sailed on the Wonder just after her renovations in May through the Panama Canal.

Our "refrigerator" was a cooler. It did keep cheese okay for a few days, but orange juice went rotten.

A cooler.... like fill with ice? Are there Ice machines on the Wonder decks? We have medications that need to be kept refrigerated so now I'm nervous, lol.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

A cooler.... like fill with ice? Are there Ice machines on the Wonder decks? We have medications that need to be kept refrigerated so now I'm nervous, lol.

No, a "cooler" as in a mini-bar sort of fridge. Keeps things cooler than the ambient air, but not cold like a fridge. That being said, we've had coolers that worked extremely well (ice crystals in our sodas) as well as ones that worked like the coolers you use camping (had to keep the ice bucket in there to keep things cold).

If you want ice, you ask your room host to keep your ice bucket filled.

You can arrange for a real fridge (it will be placed in the knee space of the desk area) by contacting DCL and requesting one. Some rooms do have real fridges (they are being switched over slowly).

 

[havoc315]

No, a "cooler" as in a mini-bar sort of fridge. Keeps things cooler than the ambient air, but not cold like a fridge. That being said, we've had coolers that worked extremely well (ice crystals in our sodas) as well as ones that worked like the coolers you use camping (had to keep the ice bucket in there to keep things cold).

If you want ice, you ask your room host to keep your ice bucket filled.

You can arrange for a real fridge (it will be placed in the knee space of the desk area) by contacting DCL and requesting one. Some rooms do have real fridges (they are being switched over slowly).

Ok... I'll play it by ear. Traveling with meds annoys me. Especially in this day and age of airport security... Haven't had trouble so far, but waiting for some TSA agent to tell me I can't bring syringes and liquid filled medicine vials.

 

[bridgetmck]

Hi,

I am planning on packing layers, just not sure what the layers should be Not too worried about inside the boat, since this will be our 4th cruise and I anticipate pretty good inside temperature control.

Any other helpful things to pack (binoculars?) that you'd recommend for this cruise? We will do the glacier and whale watching excursion, and the rain forest excursion so any tips specific to those would be great, too.

Thanks again--really excited!

Kathryn

Hi!
We WILL be sailing 8/31 and I can share what I have on my packing list.
Rain jacket (I own a packable Patagonia Torrent shell)
Fleece layer
Down Vest (Patagonia Down Sweater Vest)
Lighter sweatshirt (lighter than the Fleece)
between these 4 I can mix & match as needed. both the fleece and lighter sweatshirt fit under the rain jacket (not at the same time, of course) the vest fits over the fleece & sweatshirt.
I plan on wearing trail runner type footwear because of the excursions we are scheduled to do. Hiking at Mendenhall we will need them for sure. I like to wear Smartwool socks because wool wicks moisture and cotton does not. Packing in a beanie hat and light gloves...just in case. I am a jeans lover and will be bringing 3 pair to rotate. and a few short sleeve and long sleeve shirts.

Definitely binoculars. Clothespins (I use them ALL the time--especially to keep the porthole shades closed fully). A good camera.

 

[KLK622]

• True winter coats (like wool or packable down)? Seems like heavy sweatshirts would be fine--was that your experience, or do we need fleece? On the late May sailing last year we brought packable down jackets and used them (and we are from WI so we are used to cold weather). One day I even layered it with a sweatshirt. It was chilly during the sea days.
• Winter gloves, scarves, and hats? My husband I wore our running gloves and headband. My 2 year old used a regular hat and mittens.
• Rain boots? Yes-I probably wouldn't have needed them, but they were nice for keeping my feet warm and dry.
• Can we get by with sneakers or do we need something heavier? We bought waterproof hiking tennis shoes, but we had some pretty intense hiking excursions.
• Is the pool open, and has anyone used it? It was, but we didn't use it.
• Umbrellas, or are rain parkas with hoods sufficient? (basically, how bad is the rain in Alaska--drizzle or downpour?) We didn't use an umbrella and I can't think of a time when we would have needed it, but we did use our rain coats. We had the packable kind and they were great for an extra layer.

 

[jec6613]

I went a few years ago in late June, and was the only person who wasn't miserable and cold at any time in my family. I brought:

• TNF jacket with waterproof shell and removable fleece liner. It gave me three jackets to use for any time I wanted, and is waterproof for Ketchikan and Juneau.
• Gore-Tex boots - better over the long term than real rain boots and just as waterproof.
• Good wool socks.
• A decent brimmed hat that's water resistant/proof and dries quickly to keep precipitation off of your head.
• Pants that remain warm when wet - REI sells a whole bunch of these.
• Sunscreen. Even through clouds, yes you can burn.

As for other gear, here's my suggestions:

• Binoculars, 10x50 are usually a good size, and waterproof. I have Celestron Cavalry (link:
  http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/sport-optics/binoculars/cavalry-10x50-binocular ) and purchased them for that trip, and now they come along with me to many locales - I only wanted to buy binoculars once, so I get a decent pair. If you're more well heeled than I was at the time, Nikon Monarch with VR are wonderful optics.
• A good camera. If you're going to Denali, you'll need a lot of zoom at that time of year - at least 400mm in 135 equivalent on the telephoto end, but more is better (if I were going again, I'd be renting rent a lens long enough to get me to 1,050mm equivalent). For whale watching, you can do quite well with a 300mm equivalent, but something weather sealed is preferable in general in Alaska, because it's going to get at least a little wet. You can rent good camera lenses if you have an interchangeable lens camera, but I'd highly recommend that you buy a camera now if you don't own it already; you should ideally have it several months before any major trip. Generally, a DSLR is the way to go if you want great pictures (mirrorless aren't as well suited to Alaska yet), but there are a few weather sealed super zooms as well.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

I went a few years ago in late June, and was the only person who wasn't miserable and cold at any time in my family. I brought:

• TNF jacket with waterproof shell and removable fleece liner. It gave me three jackets to use for any time I wanted, and is waterproof for Ketchikan and Juneau.
• Gore-Tex boots - better over the long term than real rain boots and just as waterproof.
• Good wool socks.
• A decent brimmed hat that's water resistant/proof and dries quickly to keep precipitation off of your head.
• Pants that remain warm when wet - REI sells a whole bunch of these.
• Sunscreen. Even through clouds, yes you can burn.

As for other gear, here's my suggestions:

• Binoculars, 10x50 are usually a good size, and waterproof. I have Celestron Cavalry (link:
  http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/sport-optics/binoculars/cavalry-10x50-binocular ) and purchased them for that trip, and now they come along with me to many locales - I only wanted to buy binoculars once, so I get a decent pair. If you're more well heeled than I was at the time, Nikon Monarch with VR are wonderful optics.
• A good camera. If you're going to Denali, you'll need a lot of zoom at that time of year - at least 400mm in 135 equivalent on the telephoto end, but more is better (if I were going again, I'd be renting rent a lens long enough to get me to 1,050mm equivalent). For whale watching, you can do quite well with a 300mm equivalent, but something weather sealed is preferable in general in Alaska, because it's going to get at least a little wet. You can rent good camera lenses if you have an interchangeable lens camera, but I'd highly recommend that you buy a camera now if you don't own it already; you should ideally have it several months before any major trip. Generally, a DSLR is the way to go if you want great pictures (mirrorless aren't as well suited to Alaska yet), but there are a few weather sealed super zooms as well.

Thank you for the camera tips. I bought a nice DSLR two yrs ago and I still haven't really learned how to use it. I need to make that happen before our Alaskan cruise.

 

[jec6613]

Thank you for the camera tips. I bought a nice DSLR two yrs ago and I still haven't really learned how to use it. I need to make that happen before our Alaskan cruise.

DSLRs are complex pieces of equipment, I'm still learning new things about one I purchased four years ago and used regularly!

Feel free to ask if you have any questions. I use Nikon, but the technique works the same on Sony, Pentax and Canon.