Alaska Cruise Packing List with Kids! (+Printable PDF)
The thought of how to pack for an Alaska cruise with a baby or toddler can be overwhelming! There is a lot to worry about from different port towns, days at sea, and excursions. AND the stakes are high, because if you forget an important item, you may not be able to find it on the cruise or in any of the small port towns. The post has all of our tips for packing light and has an Alaska cruise packing list PDF.
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I am a minimalist, and my personal opinion is packing light with kids (as long as you have what you need) makes traveling much easier. If you’re more of a maximalist, or want to buy a whole bunch of new fancy gadgets for your cruise – you might not be satisfied with this Alaska cruise packing list. OR you could read my post and see if minimalist packing will work for your Alaska cruise.
Just want to get to the point? Here is the form to get the FREE Alaska Cruise packing list PDF!
Tips for Packing for an Alaska Cruise with Kids
Before you get started with your list, here are a couple tips for packing for your cruise!
1. Don’t Overdo it
You’ll see a lot of packing lists and facebook groups that tell you to buy all of these extra gadgets for your cruise to help keep your kids occupied and keep you organized. If you really want to do that you can, but it’s really not necessary. I’ll give you practical packing tips so you can stay organized but not waste your money and not overpack!
2. Make a Packing List
To make sure you don’t forget anything when you’re packing for yourself AND your kids, make a list! Making a packing list is one of my favorite travel hacks to ensure we are fully prepared when leaving for our trip. It also takes the stress out of packing.
3. Double Check your List Before You Leave
We like to start our list a week or so ahead of time and add things to it as we remember. A cruise is not like other vacations, where you can just pop into Walmart and grab what you forgot. For an Alaska cruise, you will be in a very remote part of the country and a lot of baby items will be difficult to find. Some of the basics can be found on a cruise ship but it’ll cost you! Plus, you don’t want to chance that or spend your port days searching for items you forgot.
4. Pack in Layers
I’ll probably say this multiple times throughout the post, but PACK IN LAYERS. In Alaska, you could encounter several different types of weather, and you’ll want to be prepared. Packing in layers for both you and your kids will help you have the best trip possible. You won’t have to worry about anyone being too cold or too hot.
5. Think About What Activities You Want to Do
Packing for an Alaska cruise is much easier when you have an idea of what activities you’re planning on doing. This goes for both port days and days at sea. Having an idea of your itinerary and excursions will help you know what kind of outfits to pack and also help you not overpack. Here are some of our favorite activities in the ports we visited.
- The Victoria BC Cruise Port: 1 Fun Day With Kids
- Things to do in Sitka, Alaska from the Cruise Port
- 14 Affordable Things to do in Skagway, Alaska from the Cruise Port
- What to do in Juneau, Alaska for One Day
6. Get Luggage Tags
When you get on the ship and when you get off, you’ll likely be checking your luggage. Make sure your luggage has your name, phone number, address, etc. on it so they can find you if your luggage gets lost.
Here’s a cute luggage tag so you can label your luggage!
7. Check out Poshmark or the Thrift Stores
If you look far enough in advance you can definitely save some cash by finding items secondhand. Once you learn the good places to look, it gets much easier to find what you need. Below are some of the apps you can use for finding used clothing.
- Poshmark – a great app to find specific brands for used clothing
- Facebook Marketplace – check out the shipped options to see more if local pickup isn’t your style
- Local Thrift Stores
What you Don’t Need to Pack for an Alaska Cruise with Kids
Okay, before I get to what you do need to pack for an Alaska cruise, let me talk about what you DON’T need. I think this is important to cover because avoiding overpacking will help you on your cruise to avoid clutter in your stateroom. Some of these are items you just don’t need and some of them are items that you aren’t allowed to bring on board.
1. Pack N’ Play
Most (if not all) cruise ships have baby beds available. Double check before you cruise, and I recommend reserving one ahead of time. But a pack n’ play is one less thing you have to worry about packing for an Alaska cruise with kids.
2. Laundry Supplies
Personally, I didn’t feel the need to do laundry on a 7 day cruise. However, if you do want to do laundry while on the ship, see if your ship has a valet laundry service. Royal Caribbean provides this service for $35 for a wash and fold service for as much laundry as can fit in the bag.
If you do feel like you need to do your own laundry, you can bring laundry detergent or buy some on the ship. Or you could do an old fashioned wash in the sink!
3. Magnetic Organizing Tools
The closets in our Royal Caribbean interior stateroom were really spacious and had a lot of shelves and hanging space. We also had a dresser in there for organizing clothes. On many Alaska cruise packing lists you will see magnetic hanging hooks, or magnetic toys for the walls of your state room.
Lots of people like using them, but for a minimalist packing list, you really don’t need them. Personally, when I visit a hotel for a week, I just use my suitcase and the closet provided and don’t need extra hooks on the wall. I didn’t think the cruise was any different for organization.
4. Swimsuit for Your Baby
Unfortunately, babies who aren’t potty trained can’t swim in the pools. It’s not the cruise ships being mean (I promise!). It’s a public health regulation. So until your kid is potty trained, don’t worry about bringing a swimsuit or swim diapers.
5. Baby Bottle Sanitizer/Warmer
Baby bottle sanitizers/cleaners or warmers are not allowed on board cruise ships. You are able to apply for an exemption if you really feel like you need it. Or you could take it as one less thing you have to lug around on your way to the cruise!
6. A Lanyard
Another popular cruise item is a lanyard. People buy these to put their Sea Pass cards (or whatever your cruise line calls them). But it’s another item you really don’t need. Plus, then you’ll have a lanyard on in all your pictures which might not be ideal for you.
I would recommend using your pockets or check your cruise lines app to see if you can get your Sea Pass card on there. Generally, we always have our phones on us so it won’t get lost this way.
7. Milk
Cruise ships do have milk on board. The coffee shops always had milk out on our Royal Caribbean cruise (24 hours a day), and you can always ask your room attendant about where else you can get milk.
The exception to this is breast milk. If you are still breastfeeding or pumping milk for your baby, you may have to bring a little stash depending on your baby’s schedule and if you plan to drop them off at the daycare or not. You can also request a medical fridge if you need the fridge to be a little colder for breast milk storage.
8. Shoe Organizer or Other Organizing Gadgets
Similar to what I said before about the magnet hooks, you don’t need fancy organizing gadgets for your Alaska cruise. If you’re going on the cruise around the world, then maybe that would be a good investment. However, for the amount you need to pack for 7 days, there is adequate storage in the closets and drawers for your shoes AND your clothes.
You may see recommendations for bringing an over the door shoe organizer, but if you’re going for simplicity and minimalism you really don’t need that.
9. Sea Sickness Medication
Double check with your cruise line, but Royal Caribbean has free sea sickness medication. Unfortunately, I know this from personal experience. Each of our days at sea, I did get sea sick! I went down to guest services and they handed me a few packets free of charge.
Luckily, the medicine cleared up my seasickness right away and I could go on with my day.
10. Portable Charger
There are a few reasons you may need a portable charging device on your Alaska cruise packing list. Number one is if your phone has a terrible battery life. We’ve all been there with an old phone! Number two is if you plan on being on your phone A LOT.
Wi-fi is really expensive on cruises, and you won’t get service without it. So if you’re going to take the week to be “unplugged” (except pictures of course!), then you probably don’t need a power bank of any kind.
11. Baby Monitor
Leave the baby monitor at home because it’s actually not allowed on cruise ships! Baby monitors can interfere with the ships navigation systems and ship communication.
12. Towels
The cruise has both shower towels and towels for the pool!
What to Pack for an Alaska Cruise With Kids
Okay, now onto the good stuff! Here is everything you really need to pack for an Alaska cruise with kids. There are a few items that are different from your normal vacation. But a lot of what you need to pack is similar to any vacation where you could encounter some unfavorable weather.
You will likely have decent weather for your cruise. We cruised in mid September and did encounter a decent amount of rain and wind, but we still had a lot of sunshine and good weather.
For more tips about cruising with little ones, check out our post on Royal Caribbean Cruise With a Toddler or Baby: The Need to Know
What to Pack for Days at Sea
For the days at sea, you’ll need to think of what you’re planning to do. I ended up wearing a lot of casual wear like leggings, sweaters, and my rain jacket for walking along the top deck.
1. Casual Wear
You’ll want to be comfy while you cruise! The days at sea are about relaxing, having fun, eating good food, and socializing. Think of what you’ll feel comfortable in walking around the ship and lounging.
2. Swimwear
Although this is an Alaska cruise, most ships will still have a pool for you to swim in. Our Alaska cruise in September even had the waterslides and outdoor pools open. So I spent time shivering outdoors with my kid while he rode the waterslides! Our ship also had several hot tubs and an indoor pool.
3. Formal Wear (Optional)
I’ll be honest, I was stressed about the dress code before my first cruise. But the formal nights on Royal Caribbean are totally optional. If you want to use this excuse as a fun reason to dress up, then do it! But if you’d rather stick to the casual wear that’s okay too. Just double check the requirements because there are cruise lines that are a bit more strict with the dress code for formal nights.
4. Wine (Optional)
Obviously this one is optional. However, it can be helpful when taking an Alaska cruise with kids. Each adult is allowed to bring one bottle of wine on the cruise. This can make for the perfect little date night if the kids are asleep and you want to have a drink with your partner! It will save you some money too (unless you have the drink package of course!)
5. A Book
6. Binoculars
Binoculars can be super fun on the ship. From the top deck we saw whales a few times. We didn’t have our binoculars with us unfortunately, so we missed out on seeing them up close. Still a cool experience nonetheless but definitely worth packing the binoculars.
7. Deck of Cards
If you have any cards or games you like to play, the days at sea would be the perfect time to bust them out. This is another item we forgot and wished we had on our cruise.
8. Other Items Depending on Activities
You’ll have to think of what you want to do during days at sea. If you’re planning to spend time in the gym, make sure to bring a few workout outfits. If you’re wanting to be in the spa or playing pickleball, you might need something different. You don’t need anything super special, but try to think about anything you might need for specific activities.
Baby and Toddler Items to Pack for an Alaska Cruise
These are the most important items that you DEFINITELY don’t want to forget. As I said before, forgetting items on a cruise can be a huge pain because there aren’t any stores you can run to quickly. Make a list ahead of time, and think through your baby or child’s daily routine so you don’t forget anything.
1. Diapers/Wipes
Make sure you bring enough diapers and wipes to last you for the trip! We actually ran out of wipes and had to look through several stores on one of our port days. That definitely wasn’t a fun way to spend our time. The bonus is, you’ll have extra room in your suitcase on the way back.
TIP: If you really get into a pinch with baby items, check with the nursery and daycare to see if they can help you out with baby items. Here is our experience with the Royal Caribbean Nursery & Daycare.
2. Diaper Rash Cream
We find that our little ones tend to get a little worse diaper rash when we are traveling. Whether that is from longer time in the car seat, diet change, or something else I don’t know, but it’s good to have this on hand.
3. Nose Frida
This is another thing we never travel without with our baby! A stuffy nose can really put a damper on your trip. And if you haven’t used a Nose Frida with your kids, this will change your life!
4. Ibuprofen/Tylenol/Other Medication
5. Milk Bottle
6. Pacifier or Other Comfort Items
7. Pajamas or Sleep Sack
8. Noisemaker
We travel with this noisemaker. The cruise staterooms were pretty quiet, but the last thing you need is extra wakeups while you’re on your Alaska cruise.
Here is the white noise machine we bring with us wherever we travel!
9. Breast Pump Supplies (if Applicable)
10. Diaper Bag
11. Bedtime Book
Alaska Cruise Essentials
Here are the basics of what you need to add to your Alaska cruise packing list!
1. Phone/Charger
2. Tablet
We didn’t do much screen time on the ship, but it was nice to have for our trip to the cruise and for emergencies!
3. Passports/Travel Documents
A passport is the gold standard for documentation on a cruise. If you don’t have a passport, you’ll have to check the requirements for birth certificates and other documentation you’ll need. You will also need special documentation if you are just one parent traveling with your kids.
4. Travel Insurance Documentation
If you chose to get travel insurance, make sure that you bring documentation of that in case of emergency.
5. Wallet & Cash
Cash is really nice to have for tipping staff at the end of your cruise. There are gratuities that are included in the price of your cruise. However, you’ll likely want to tip staff members directly who make an impact on your cruise.
Check out our post on 10 Hidden Costs of Cruises to see what else you might have to pay for on your cruise!
6. Bag for Dirty Clothes
We always bring an extra bag on our trips so we don’t have to mix our clean clothes and dirty. You don’t have to buy anything fancy, just bring an old plastic bag you have laying around!
7. Prescription Medication
8. Over the Counter Medication for Adults
Bring any OTC medications you might need for yourself and your kids. Royal Caribbean had free sea sickness medications on board (which I definitely used). You can check with your cruise line and save a few dollars!
9. Toothbrushes/Toothpaste
10. Soap/Shampoo/Conditioner/Lotion/Chapstick
They did have soap, shampoo, and conditioner in the cruise staterooms. However, I like to bring my own. If you haven’t yet tried shampoo bars for traveling, they are the best! You don’t have to worry about spills in your suitcase or liquid requirements on flights.
Check out my favorite shampoo bars here!
11. Brush & Hair Styling Tools
12. Makeup & Other Toiletries
13. Pajamas
Clothing/Excursion Essentials for an Alaska Cruise
The Alaska cruise packing list must contain appropriate gear and clothing for your port days and excursions. Alaska weather can be a bit unpredictable, but chances are if you cruise in the Summer you’ll just have sunshine and maybe a bit of rain.
However, the last thing you need is for your day in port to be ruined because you weren’t prepared for the wind or rain. The most important thing you can do is wear layers!
1. Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are an absolute LIFE SAVER! They are so great for organization as well as separating your kids clothes from your own. We also like to separate our clothes into essentials and then a different bag for weather gear.
Figure out what packing strategy works for you and get to packing. Here are the packing cubes we LOVE!
2. Camera/Lens/Battery/Memory Card
Of course, having a camera is not a requirement for an Alaska cruise, but if you’ve been thinking of getting into photography – now would be the time. There are so many epic views from the cruise ship and from your days in port.
If you’re looking for the perfect affordable starter camera, check out the Canon EOS Rebel T7 – it’s the camera we still use and love. If you want a better lens to go with it, we use the Canon EF 24-70mm/2.8
3. Reusable Water Bottle
4. Sunscreen & Sunglasses
5. Packaged Snacks
There aren’t really any packaged snacks on the cruise, probably to help prevent garbage and single use plastics. We didn’t actually pack enough snacks for our kids, so we did spend some port time looking for snacks (which proved to be difficult in some of the small towns)
Here are some of our favorite healthier kid snacks that would be perfect for your Alaska cruise:
6. Layers – T-Shirt, Long Sleeve, Sweater, Rain Coat
This is arguably the most important thing to pack for an Alaska cruise. If you dress in layers, you will be set for any type of weather you could encounter. We cruised to Alaska in mid-September and I didn’t bring a heavy jacket and was fine.
My layers included a long sleeve shirt, sweater, and a rain jacket. We encountered wind, quite a bit of rain, and sunshine too. Those layers kept me warm enough that I could spend most of my time outside. However, check the weather and bring a heavier jacket if it looks like it will be really cold.
Check outmy favorite rain coat that I wear everywhere. And my favorite rain coat for the kids!
7. Pants
I brought several types of pants on this trip including jeans (for “dressing up” a little), leggings for everyday casual wear, sweats for cozy lounging in the room, and rain pants for rainy days!
I absolutely LOVE these rain pants for myself, and rain pants for the little ones. We used these on our family trip to Iceland and on our Alaska cruise!
8. Warmer Jacket (Optional)
This would definitely be a good idea if you are planning to do any adventurous excursions or if you are traveling in the shoulder seasons. Make sure to check the weather report!
9. Shoes
For shoes, you’ll want something easy to slip on for casual wear whether that is a sneaker or sandal, shoes you can wear to dinner, tennis shoes or good walking shoes.
You can bring hiking boots if you plan to hike, but we didn’t do any hikes that required more than tennis shoes!
10. Underwear/Bras
11. Socks
12. Stroller (Optional)
We did not bring a stroller on our Alaska cruise. Our interior state room didn’t have a lot of extra room for large items like this so we didn’t bring one. There were a couple port days that a stroller would have been helpful for.
I would say depending on how big your room is and what you plan on doing, you could consider bringing a stroller!
13. Car Seat (Optional)
We did bring car seats for both kids on our Alaska cruise. Luckily, the closets in the rooms are VERY spacious so both car seats could be out of the way. The main reason we brought the car seats is because we rented a car on our day in Juneau.
I would make the choice to bring a car seat or not based on what you plan to do in the ports.
14. Dry Bag (OptionaL)
If you plan on doing any excursions that are on the water like kayaking, boat rides, etc, you might want to consider bringing a dry bag to ensure your valuables don’t get soaked.
15. Bug Spray (Optional)
We took our Alaska cruise in mid-September and didn’t see a single bug. So depending on when you cruise, it may or may not be wise to bring bug spray.
16. Beanie & Gloves (Optional)
We did bring beanies for both of our kids and ourselves. For us, it didn’t feel cold enough to wear gloves (and our kids won’t keep them on). But you might want to consider gloves depending on your kids and the weather.
These cute beanies have been a staple in our kids wardrobes!
Extra Fun Stuff to Bring on a Cruise for Kids
Obviously, these are optional fun things so never feel obligated to buy extras for your cruise. Your kids will have fun no matter what! But, if you want to do something a little extra, this is what we enjoyed.
1. Camera For Kids
We are always taking pictures with our camera, and our three year old loves to use it too! As our camera gear gets more expensive, we get a little more leery of letting him use it. Our solution? Get him his own camera. It was so cute to see him taking pictures of everything around the ship. And reviewing his pictures after our trip? Hilarious!
The cutest kids camera you’ve ever seen!
2. Rubber Ducks
You might have heard that it’s a Royal Caribbean tradition to find little rubber duckies all over the ship! This was super fun for our kids and definitely helped them feel better in the tough moments. There are plenty of rubber ducks on board for your kids to find.
If you’re wanting to participate and hide ducks around the ship, I would recommend trying to find something used. Definitely check Facebook marketplace so there is less plastic waste created! Or just let your kids find the ones on the ship.
3. “New” Toys
Every time we travel, and could encounter some tough travel moments, we get our kids some “new” toys. I say new in quotations because they are very rarely actually new. Our strategy to save money and get the kids excited is to buy a toy from the thrift store OR hide some of their less used toys for several months ahead of our travel. When they see the toy again, they are very excited to play with it again!
I hope you have the best cruise ever! This packing list was long, but if you want the short printable version, here it is! Just use the box below and you’ll have your downloadable Alaska Cruise Packing List PDF. Happy Travels!
I’m sure if you’re reading this, you probably have already booked your cruise with your little one. Make sure you check out my post on Why Cruising With a Baby is Really Hard! Don’t get discouraged, it will just help you know what you prepare for.
