Many people have Alaska as a “bucket list” item. It’s worth it.
It’s safe to say that many people want to travel to Alaska. It wouldn’t be going out on a limb to suggest that America’s largest state (at least in terms of land mass) is also its most topographically unique. Simply stated, 
Alaska has something for just about everyone, though one thing you probably won’t find much of there is hot weather and sandy beaches with umbrellas and tropical drinks.
Except maybe on a cruise ship.
I can’t say for sure, but I’m guessing there probably isn’t a beach resort in the entire state, though some of the shoreline in the southeastern part of the land likely has something that resembles a beach. But I’d also surmise that bikini sales are in short supply and any ocean activities will require a wetsuit.
On its surface, Alaska doesn’t appear to be friendly to sun worshippers.
My lone experience with Alaska was derived from a cruise we took that departed from Seattle, Washington and spent seven days traveling to and from the famous “Inside Passage” of the state, renowned for glaciers, rugged scenery and breathtaking outdoor adventures. If there’s a stereotype for the type of person who would enjoy Alaska, it’s all about the outdoors.
Which can be enjoyed in several different ways. We selected the cruise route, which is an immensely popular way to visit Alaska, even if it visits a microscopically small part of the land mass of the area and usually involves only a handful of stops along the way.
Initial impressions of an Alaska cruise:
After doing research into the best cruise line to choose for a seven-day sail to Alaska, we chose Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas, primarily because it’s one of the larger ships that can actually navigate the region’s ports and still make it up and back. None of Royal Caribbean’s new mega cruise ships will be making the journey north, at least that I’ve heard.
The big floaters just can’t fit into harbors. Size doesn’t always matter, but it does when it comes to squeezing into a destination’s ports.
For that reason, our cruise included just three of Alaska’s seaside destinations – Sitka, Skagway and Juneau. We were supposed to have a half day of “scenic cruising” on Day five to (Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier, Alaska), which was billed as a cruise to a well-known glacier for a closeup view complete with floating icebergs, towering seaside mountains and most likely wildlife visible from your stateroom balcony or one of the ship’s observation areas.
We thought it’d be cool to sit in the jacuzzi and enjoy the view of pristine nature from the comforts of a cruise ship.
The only problem was there was an earthquake in the region before we visited Alaska and the authorities closed the area just north of Juneau, which ruled out visiting the Endicott Arm and then Mendenhall Glacier on foot. This meant no hikes, no excursions up to the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and, I’m assuming even ruled out helicopter tours. I don’t know if scenery via plane was available, but the weather on the week we traveled was not conducive to taking in the views from the air.
Which brings me to the weather itself. We’d heard Alaska was one of a few “cool weather” destinations that cruisers could choose from, and to suggest it was cold during the sailing was no joke. There isn’t a lot of need to pack summer clothes for a weeklong jaunt to Alaska, and in our experience – and those we’ve talked with – the most essential clothing items you’ll need involve protection from the wind, rain and the cold.
Bring flip-flops for visits to the indoor Solarium on the ship, otherwise you’ll need solid walking shoes or hiking boots during your excursion days. Don’t forget to pack the sunscreen, however, as the day the sun showed itself on our cruise it was bright and unobscured. Just because the air temperature is lower than at other places, you’ll get just as burned without protection.
As a side note, based on advice, we brought bug spray to the excursion ports – but they weren’t buggy at all. Perhaps it was the time of year… or we got lucky. But no bugs were present.
We did take the advice of a number of cruise bloggers and purchased rain gear prior to the voyage, and it turned out to be essential, though our week didn’t feature days of hard, steady rains. We had everything from mist/drizzle to a steady shower, but it was more than enough to get us wet. You should be able to get by with a slicker (with a hood) and sweats as well as rain proofed socks and stay reasonably comfortable.
The rain wasn’t bad enough to force us to stay at home, put it that way.
But for those who associate sand and hot weather with cruising, Alaska is not your destination.