Alaskan Cruise Help

[swanie]

We leave on our Alaskan cruise this weekend and I could use some advice.

We're on the Princess cruise line and leave out of Seattle on Saturday. I've read all of the recommended packing lists and am still a bit confused on what to pack. I don't want to over pack since we're traveling with the 3 kids, but I don't want to bring too little.

What will we really need for our dinner attire? We'll have 2 formal nights and 5 business casual nights. What is acceptable business casual attire?

We're looking at temps around 48 as a low and 56/57 as the high with a 60 percent chance of rain for all of the Alaskan ports. I know we'll need to layer, but how cool can I expect it to be on the ship itself? Keep in mind, we're coming from 110 temps here in lovely AZ.

Any help would be appreciated!

swanie

[Ghoulish Delight]

The ship is likely to be quite cold, especially at night, so if you want to spend any time on deck, bring some good warm layers.

"Business casual" for dinner really ends up depending on what you want. You're going to see people showing up in suits and dresses, and you're going to see people showing up in shorts and t-shirts. They're not in the business of kicking people out the door. Dress as nice as you want to make dinners.

[innerSpaceman]

You need to pack a stowaway to distract your in-laws.







Hint, cough-cough, hint. :iSm:

[Kevy Baby]

Keep an eye on your pants (http://www.loungeoftomorrow.com/LoT/showthread.php?t=5739).

I will second what GD said about dressing for dinner. Susan took it as an opportunity to get dressed up which she normally doesn't get to do too much and I was comfortable with a dress shirt, slacks and a sports coat (no tie). Although I did wear a suit for the "formal" night.

If you want to go hog-wild, you can rent a tux on board - I can't remember if they had formal gown rentals or not, but I believe they did.

[wendybeth]

We did an Alaskan cruise (Norwegian Star) a few years back- you're going to have a blast! We went near the end of the season, so temps were all over the place and we needed pretty much every kind of clothes. I'd recommend lots of lightweight spring stuff such as cotton and linen- they dry easily and don't take up much space in your suitcases. Lightweight waterproof outerwear is all your likely to need as protection against the elements, and you can layer underneath if the temps take a dip. We were mostly cold from being rained on, but the ship itself wasn't bad. The decks of the ship we were on had high plexi-glass barriers that helped to cut down on wind chill, and the interior was always on the warmer side. Being from Arizona you'll probably be colder than we were, but right now in Wa the temps are very high and are supposed to continue through the weekend. Have a wonderful time!:cheers:

[Not Afraid]

Did you find a solution for your fuzz ball?

[swanie]

Thank you all for the advice. I've started pulling clothes for the kids already. It wouldn't be such an issue if it was just the two of us going, but the amount of clothes we have to take for 5 of us is a bit overwhelming. I talked to the in-laws and in their passive aggressive way have told us that we're all expected at dinner each night and that "they" dress for the occasion. That means 2 sets of clothes per day, plus we've added a couple days on at the end to see the Seattle-sights.

Did you find a solution for your fuzz ball?

Well, I thought I did until about 20 mins ago. My folks were going to come over and house and dog sit, then they decided to pick her up and bring her back to CA, now my Mother is freaking out since my Step-Dad won't drive with her so she doesn't know if she can do this on her own. Also, we had an emergency vet appt for Macey and she has some bizarre parasite, so we can't kennel her if we wanted to. On the brightside, we think the meds are working and we'll have her re-checked tomorrow. So, long story even longer...mr. swanie and I are looking at a way to drive her out to LA, fly back in time for the flight to WA, and reroute one of our return flights from WA to pick her back up. I'm a bit of a basketcase right now. :( The last of our dog sitter friends left on vacation today, so we have no one else that can watch her here.

[Brigitte]

I can!

[Not Afraid]

Let me know what I can do to help.

[BDBopper]

I can't offer any advice but I wish you the best of luck in finding a perfect solution for the care of your pets and that your family has the best time on your Alaskan cruise! Have Fun! :)

[Prudence]

How long are you hanging out here after the cruise?

[swanie]

Thank you all :) My Mom is now threatening to drive over tomorrow and possibly stay for a while to stick it to my Step-Dad. She's beyond pissed at him, which is pretty funny considering he's finally doing to her what he does to us anytime travel is involved. Those familiar enough with our bi-annual MA plans know there is constant drama involving the folks, but she's seemingly shocked that its happening to her.

You need to pack a stowaway to distract your in-laws....Hint, cough-cough, hint. :iSm:

Can you make the baggage weight restrictions? You have no idea how much I'd love for you to come! I figure that as long as I start drinking at breakfast on the cruise, I should survive the 7 days at sea just fine. ;)

How long are you hanging out here after the cruise?

We get back into Seattle on the morning of the 12th and don't leave until the morning on the 14th. The in-family is all heading home the day we port, so we won't have to deal with them (which will most likely be a good thing).

[swanie]

Phew! We are finally packed! Thanks again for all of the helpful hints. :) I've placed Mr. Swanie in charge of guarding all of our pants, so I think we're good to go. :D

My Mom did make over and she's taking us to the airport in the wee hours tomorrow morning. We'll be back sometime in the evening on the 14th.

I hope everyone has a good week and a half!

swanie

[katiesue]

Bon Voyage - if anyone hears of a woman gone mad on a cruise ship in Alaska please let me know. I'm in charge of the bail money.

[Kevy Baby]

Keep an eye on your pants