I’m Going to Alaska! Any Packing & Other Tips for My First Cruise?

It was back in the dreariness of January when the idea of me leading a group of Lite Rock listeners  on a trip to Alaska was first pitched.

Alaska had always been somewhere I wanted to go, so I jumped at the chance,  but with the trip not leaving until July it seemed like a lifetime away and had a certain make-believe quality to it.

Well,  somewhat unbelievably, it's July... and we leave this weekend, flying to Seattle and boarding to Norwegian Jewel for Alaska!  Make believe is about to become reality.

All this means I am suddenly very interested in the weather in Ketchikan, Alaska (July, the warmest month,  gets up to a balmy 63 degrees and since it's one of the rainiest places in North America, rain is in the forecast) and what to wear when visiting a glacier, or what shoes are best when panning for gold (a topic that doesn't come up much living in Margate).

Complicating matters is the fact that neither my wife nor me has ever been on a cruise before.  We also have no clue about what to wear on the ship, to meals, around the cabins or when visiting the poop deck.  (Is there really such a thing?)

Any suggestions for a couple of soon-to-be Alaskan shoobies trying to find their way on their maiden voyage? If you are a cruise veteran, especially to Alaska, any tips you can give would be appreciated.  Please leave your suggestions in the comments section below and thanks in advance!  I'll gut a salmon for you while I'm there (or whatever they do for fun in Alaska).