Alaskan Cruise - What to Pack?

[Trever1t]

lol, you guys are funny.

I am not a native California, having spent my youth all over the Eastern Seaboard and Caribbean, if you asked me where I'm from I'd hail St.Croix US Virgin Islands. I've been stuck here since 1989.

 

[table1349]

lol, you guys are funny.

I am not a native California, having spent my youth all over the Eastern Seaboard and Caribbean, if you asked me where I'm from I'd hail St.Croix US Virgin Islands. I've been stuck here since 1989.

PM me. The tunnel is almost completed. We have been digging it for the last two years just to help the non natives escape. Breakout night is scheduled for July 1. We have clothing and forged documents already for everyone that is not a native. The escape tunnel location will be at my brother-in-laws house just outside of Sacramento. Travel light.

 

[DanOstergren]

Here's what I've learned from working two tourist seasons in Ketchikan.

You'll want umbrellas (although your cruise line may provide them, but not all do), sun block, Emergen-C, cold medicine (this is a must), antacids (very rich food), benadryl, pain killers, B12, candy (it's expensive in the ships), hiking boots, a rain coat, clothes for both warm and cold weather, moist wipes, hand sanitizer. In case you forget anything, there is a Walmart in Ketchikan. Ask port security where you can catch the free shuttle. If you try to buy your necessaries from the gift stores, they will overcharge you by a lot. There are no camera stores so pack extra memory cards and extra batteries. There is a Radio Shack in Ketchikan. There is also a Safeway in Ketchikan, also with a free shuttle. Most of the bars in Ketchikan come equipped with a liquor store. Double check and write down the times that your ship leaves port. Be back on the ship early, because it will leave without you.

Leave extra room in your luggage for Chinese crap from gift stores. Consider bringing an extra duffel bag, or be prepared to buy additional luggage. If you plan to do a lot of gift shopping, the best place to do it is at Tongass Trading Company in Ketchikan, and make sure you get the coupon books from your ship. You can skip the shopping in the other towns by stocking up here. No matter where you go in Alaska, if you want to buy something that is actually made in Alaska, expect to pay top dollar. Most of what you see in any of these shops will be from China, with "ALASKA" stamped on it somewhere with a moose or a bear or a whale. This is just the unfortunate way of things there.

In Ketchikan I recommend these things: KetchiCandies has amazing hand made candy. Make sure you try the clam chowder at Annabelles. Bar Harbor is also a great place to eat. If you like burgers, go to Burger Queen, they're delicious and big, and the shakes are great too. Fat Stans is a good place to get a drink, as well as the Sourdough Bar and the Red Snapper Bar. If you want to go fishing, you can buy various licenses from the sporting goods section at Tongass Trading Company. You can get to Totem Bight Park by taking the city bus for $1 each way (check the schedule to make sure the bus doesn't stop running before you leave though), where you'll see a ton of restored totem poles and you can explore the park without paying for a tour. You can see a beautiful view of the Inside Passage and Ketchikan by hiking Rainbird Trail, or hiking up Deer Mountain (this is a serious hike and you may not have time or energy for it). If you see anyone selling fresh lumpia, DO buy it and devour it. If it's a hot day, you can swim at Buggy Beach (Rotary Beach) which is accessible by city bus for $1 each way, but be aware that there is shale on all of the beaches. The New York Cafe sometimes has live bands, and the food is good. During the salmon run you can watch seals hunt for salmon in the creek along Creek Street. You will see bears if you take a cab to Herring Cove.

Be nice to the seasonal workers. Use the crosswalks or you will get screamed at by port security. Stay clear of drunk locals. Don't pick the flowers in town. Watch out for the big amphibious Duck Tour vehicles; they are large and people have been killed from being hit by them in the street. Stay out of the Totem Bar in Ketchikan; the locals are known to be aggressive towards tourists in that bar, and people have been stabbed. If the weather looks sketchy and you are considering a float plane tour, skip it. Cancel it if you have to, even if you have to eat the cost; last year nine people died because a pilot decided to take a tour out in questionable weather and crashed the plane into the side of a cliff. If you are going to do a float plane tour, only do it if the weather is perfectly clear. I'm not making any of this stuff up.

Also, make sure you try the Alaskan Brewing Company's beers. The stout is my favorite.

Thats all I can think of for now.

 

[mud711]

I'm the old guy.....took the inside passage cruise....seven days........I used a 18-300 Sigma most of the time.....if you take a helicopter to the glacier you won't be able to bring all that gear.........concentrate on enjoying the trip and take some photos along the way......

 

[chuasam]

Lumix Fz300 or FZ 1000

 

[Kenneth Walker]

Visited Alaska some years ago (not a cruise)...just had the D50 and kit lens, I'd want to take a lot more if I went again. Wasn't bothered by mossies at all, but then was on or right by salt water all the time. Some joker told me the state bird of Alaska was the mosquito.....frankly, had more trouble in Alberta.