Clothing to be packed What is the weather like?
When we first started to do Alaska we really didn't know what to pack. Our first inclination was to pack as though we were spending an extended vacation in San Francisco. This works out pretty well. The climate up the coast in Victoria and Alaska is pretty similar to San Francisco without the wind. There is more rain in the summer so a rain windbreaker or one of the newer micro fabric jackets will be pretty convenient. The idea that you will need big puffy down coats is not supported. Shorts will probably not be used on the ship or really thin T shirts. So long pants and undershirts are comfortable on the ship and on the shore. Stay layered. The big issue is whether you are someone that would not mind spending some time in the laundry room or not. If you plan to do the laundry room thing use just one machine at a time out of courtesy to others. There are usually about four washers and four dryers in each of the laundry rooms. There are 6 laundry rooms for 3500 passengers. The math is crazy. Packing 10 of everything is kind of crazy too.
Pool Stuff
If you plan to use the pools or the hot tubs be sure to bring your suit. Towels will be provided. It is very cool on board ship and on the open deck. This is not your tropical adventure. The outdoor pools get very little. There is a demand for the hot tubs. Some of the bigger ships have half indoor and outdoor pools these are often saltwater pools. The whole thing is off the board if your meet with choppy seas along the way. And you will. A coat is handy for watching the movie on the outdoor screen at night. Major sporting events are often screened up on this outdoor venue too.
Dress Code and What to Wear
For most dinners men wear polo or nicer button down shirts. For women they may wear most anything that is considered dressy casual. A lot of casual glitter is worn. On a 10 day cruise there will be two "dress up" nights. Some of the older people make it a formal night with tuxedos and evening gowns. Most of the guys wear sport coats or suits and ties for this night. It is also the time that formal photos are taken both is set ups around the ship's lobby areas and at the tables. A very few people sneak by without the formal set ups by eating at the buffet or ordering in room service. These nights are usually the nights that lobster and steak is served and or the fancy French menu. It is important to pack a nice outfit or two for these big nights. A champagne tower is often set up in the lobby and the captain is there to have his picture taken with you pouring champagne on to the tower. Balloons drop and a new year in the summer is celebrated with free champagne for all that want it. It is important men to bring a pair of nice shoes for this evening. These formal nights are held when the ship is not in port and is traveling for a whole day to get to a port whenever possible.Luggage Requirements
There are not a maximum requirement for number of bags on the ship. There is not a requirement that the bags are under a certain weight. There are laundering facilities on the ship. They are coin operated and use quarters. An ironing board and ions are available too. People that have dry cleaning to do will find a vallet service. Often on ships that have a long cruise a "deal" is offered so that a bag of clothes could be washed and dried for cruisers at a bulk rate. This is particular nice for people that have traveled across the country by plane and only have a small bag of clothes to bring.
Alcohol and Diet Coke
There is a limitation of the amount of alcohol that you can bring on board. It will vary from ship to ship. Alcohol is a major way the ships keep the prices down on the cruise fares. They are vigilant in monitoring the bags that come on the ship so that they maintain their profit margin. When Sue and I were first cruising in 2003 there was a push to pitch the alcohol even at breakfast. This push has subsided considerably as they noticed that the sale of alcohol has contributed to missing passengers overboard. There will still be the availability of alcohol at every ship wide event. I often will "nurse a drink and that is perfectly acceptable. The bartenders and waiters make their living at the 15% that they tack on to every drink they sell. Overall the drink cost is not as expensive as drinks that you may buy at the Hilton. It can still add up.
This is a great time to order a drink that you would not order at home. I was fascinated by big blue drinks. Together with the bartender we figured out that maybe I wanted a blue lagoon. It was made with Caraquau (sp) I would never would have ordered one at home. Sue had a Peach Rita once that she had never tried before. Both were cool adventures.
Some passengers have devised ingenious ways to "smuggle" in more booze than the ship allows. It is amazing how much listerine the passengers need on the ship. (for instance)
Our big issue is getting caffeine diet coke on the ship. I usually pack a 12 pack or two in the a rolling cart cube. This has sometimes landed me in the bad kid line on the ship. I had stand in line with all the booze smugglers and explain whey we needed to bring in so much soda... that they also sell at 2.50 a pop (pardon the pun). My excuse is that my wife likes diet soda and cannot handle the caffeine. I have yet had to surrender it. Not so lucky are the booze smugglers. Their stuff is often impounded until the last night of the cruise. By the way I usually buy the soda deal and a coffee card as both are great ways to get liquid that isn't ice tea or weak coffee down me. Once we are on the way, the ship has no problem allowing you to restock your stores of soda at the ports. Many passengers have sopped me as we enter the ship form the port and say,"I didn't know we could bring our own soda on the ship." Yep, you can.
Fresh Fruit For the Room
Some cruise lines offer some pretty nice extras. We always order fresh fruit for the cabin through our room steward. This is free on Princess and we usually order an orange and a couple of pears and kiwis. These can be replenished every day if you desire.
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