Alaskan Cruise - What to Pack?

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I've never been on a cruise before and now leaving in 90 days for 10 days in Alaska's inside passage. Will be taking shore excursions including glacier viewing, hiking, go kart trail driving and walking about towns.

Do I bring everything in my big bag? Should I rent a 500mm for wildlife? Leave it all home and use my cell?

Also, any ideas or tips from those that have cruised or been to Alaska in July ... I don't even know what to wear!
 
Pack a small, inflatable life boat. Have fun!

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YES....YES....YES.... the wife keeps talking about taking the Alaskan cruise. If we do the 400mm f2.8 is going. Several friends have taken it and everyone mentioned wishing they had a big telephoto. She is talking about going next summer and I already know my kit will bit my L glass Trifecta and the 400 f2.8.

Clothes, a bit of everything, it can get chilly in the evening and at elevation. One requirement for July or most of their summer, and do not buy this in bottles, but it in a drum form.
OFF-Deep-Woods-Insect-Repellent-VII-DW-Pump-Spray.png

They have mosquitos there that you can shoot with a 50mm lens from 10 feet and it will look like a macro shot of a mosquito anywhere else. :allteeth:
 
I took that cruise many years ago, shooting Kodachrome at that time. The good thing on the cruise is you can have the big bag right there in the room and then take a small day bag for the excursions. Had rain in at least a couple stops and the weather can be cool, stays light very late so you will probably be having a snack at midnight.
The usual wide angle stuff with the landscapes and small town streets. The icebergs and glacier calving can be a mix of wide and telephoto as you move through the area.
I did see some eagles in treetops during some hikes, don't know if I would want to have been carrying around a 500mm, but the distances are big so there are plenty of times to use it.
 
Dress in layers. :)
 
Okay, I have done a cruise. My folks did the Alaska cruise. And I've been to Alaska in May and June to many of the areas you're talking about (but not by cruise). Here are my tips:

1. Yes, rent and bring the 500mm. Bears will be out towards the end of May and June foraging for food after their hibernation. Eagles will blow you away (especially in areas where there is scavenging to be had). You'll see them often, up close, and in great numbers if you're lucky.

2. Juneau is touristy and a cruise port-of-call...lots of fake saloons and similar cheesy establishments, very crowded when a cruise ship is in port. You can get some dramatic shots of the surroundings mountains at Juneau (see below) without leaving the town. Same with eagles.

3. White nights: be prepared to have blackout glasses/mask or sleep about 2-3 hours a night and catch-up at a later time. Lovely sights. Almost anytime you can shoot with ambient light.

4. You probably won't be able to get any aurora borealis shots but still prepare "just in case".

5. Usually the glacier visit is to the Mendenhall glacier. Worth doing.

The first two shots below are shot from the city streets of Juneau in mid-May. The third shot is at 11:30pm in Fairbanks. The colorful sunset shot labeled "Fairbanks Sunset-3" is actually sunset in Anchorage (I know the photo says Fairbanks--I was sleep deprived when I did that post-processing). From what I've been told, you'll often be able to shoot whales or orcas from the deck of the cruise ship. Salmon spawning is late July so you'll probably miss that. Do Denali if you get a chance. Also, given some of what you like to shoot, if you plan ahead, you can find models in Alaska willing to pose for you.

As for cruise tips...I don't care for 'em, some people love them. Prepare to tip when you leave (so include that in your costs). You'll spend a lot of time getting on and off the cruise ship. You'll eat a ton. and then you'll eat some more. Some people go on cruise ships and focus on the food, the casino on the boat, the movies, etc.....I think that's a waste. You're going to be in fricking Alaska! Be the first person off the boat (which will likely mean queuing up) and the last person back on. Look to venture out of the tourist zones (like in Juneau or Anchorage). Get up early and stay up late in hopes of shooting sunrises and the northern lights or catching whales and orcas cavorting near by. The advice on layering (especially for this cruise) is accurate...on the water in the morning it will be cold. Check to see if you are expected to dress up for a meal--some cruises have that expectation (and you need to pack a tux or suit or something other than fleece and a Hawaiian shirt). As a photographer, they'll open up the midnight buffet 15 early for people to go take pictures...it's worth doing. And you will kick yourself for years if you don't bring gear good enough to shoot this opportunity. Maybe not a full duffle bag of stuff...but a tripod, a big lens for wildlife, a bunch of SD cards, batteries, definitely microfibre cloths (I was in Juneau in rainy season).
 

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Awesome info guys, keep it coming!

It will be the end of July so hopefully I can get some salmon shots!

Layers, check!
I hadn't considered bringing a tripod, you think so?
Microfiber, excellent suggestion.
Bug spray, check!

I'd already planned to try and not be a dorky tourist cow, try to excape the trappings as much as possible. My wife kinda likes the cheesy organized excursions so we'll have a mix.

On dress, I have planned to bring jeans & long sleeved polos, a few nice collared shirts, a pair of slacks, tie and jacket for the formal dinners?
 
Good monopod would probably more convenient than a tripod.
 
I lived in Juneau. If you want to find the good spots, ask a local.
That's true on any trip anywhere though. Just saying Juneau isn't all touristy.
 
I went in June a couple of years ago. The weather was mid sixties to low seventies during the day. Early morning (well before breakfast) was colder, in the thirties. I took the D300 and a couple Sigma lens',17-50 2.8 and 70-200 with a couple of TCs' figuring that brings me out to 400mm. I left the 150-500 home and I regretted it. 400mm was not enough reach even with the crop sensor. Bears and goats from the ship were too far for any decent shots. 500 with TC's would have been much better. The decks could get very crowded so a monopod in place of a tripod is a good idea. Been on a bunch of cruises and Alaska is still my favorite (even if you can't hang out at the pool all day.)
 
I have a nice monopod, so I'll take it! My lenses 17-35, 24-70 and 70-200. I'll leave the 85 and 100 primes home. I'll take a single SB-800 for fun on the ship.

I splurged for the giant balcony, starboard side so shooting shoreward, at least on the trip north should be ok.
 
Sailed around Alaska quite a few times in the Navy.

There are opportunities to use all of your listed lenses. If you're able to rent a longer prime/TC it would be a great asset.
If you want to get salmon shots a polarizing filter could help a lot.

Clothing.
On top of what you mentioned bring a fleece, wind breaker/rain jacket. Morning/evenings can be surprisingly chilly.
 
Now for the less fun stuff. For the day trips into the wilderness.

1. DO NOT CARRY FOOD ON YOU! Bears can smell it and they will want it. Do not make yourself an attraction to them. (If you are wanting the insurance money by sacrificing a significant other a little peanut butter smeared into their pockets can certainly do the trick. :biggrin-93:) That goes for aftershave's, etc as well. A nice odorless deodorant is also good. If they smell you not some pretty scent that is good, they will generally avoid encounters with humans if possible. July is mating season so beware.

2. Moose can be dangerous. They can go as large as 1500 pounds of Pissed Off. Do not get close to them for a photo. They don't like photos. The don't like people. They do not like other animals They don't even like other moose. Pretty much they don't like anything but eating and mating in season and that big blunt looking rack can hurt real bad. FYI. Moose are attracted to human trash, it is not uncommon to see them foraging in town for food. Who's gonna stop them?

3. Cougars. They are not plentiful in Alaska however you usually won't know they are there until you have been attacked. Beware.

4. Snakes. Watch where you are walking so you don't fall down. Other than that don't worry about it. There are not poisonous snakes in Alaska.

5. Wolves. They have a bad reputation but generally they are not a danger to humans unless rabid.

Now go up there an have fun.
 
Sailed around Alaska quite a few times in the Navy.

There are opportunities to use all of your listed lenses. If you're able to rent a longer prime/TC it would be a great asset.
If you want to get salmon shots a polarizing filter could help a lot.

Clothing.
On top of what you mentioned bring a fleece, wind breaker/rain jacket. Morning/evenings can be surprisingly chilly.
 

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