Creating a Great Cruise Capsule Wardrobe for Alaska

Going on an Alaskan cruise and aren’t sure what to wear? I’ve been on several and have some ideas for a cruise capsule wardrobe for Alaska for you.

Fall style makes me think of Alaskan cruises, mostly because of the flannel. On our recent Alaskan cruise, I saw people wearing LOTS of flannel everywhere I looked. So, if you have an Alaskan cruise in the future, now is the time to shop for clothes for it.

One of my go-to stores is Old Navy for ultra-casual clothes, so I popped over to their website and did some window shopping.

NOTE: When updating these choices later, I added some products from Amazon.

Trip Parameters

For any trip, you’ll need to consider:

Number of days: Seven days for most Alaskan cruises

Season: Summer in Alaska, which means both cool and warm temperatures, and possible misty rain

Dress-up nights: One

Knowing these things, you’ll need a good many casual items with long and short sleeves, as well as pants and jeans. You’ll need at least one dress, but the dresses don’t have to be formal. Temperatures on the ship are comfortable, so keep that in mind.

To accomplish this, I’ve chosen twenty-six items that can make many combinations.

Color Palette

I picked a color palette so you can mix and match easily. To do this, choose a light neutral or two (or three, like I did here) and a dark neutral, and a pop or two of color.

For this palette, the dark neutral will be black, the light neutrals will be white and gray and tan, and the pops of color will be denim blue and red.

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Outfits You Can Create

Here’s the type of cute outfits I put together for this trip. Links are included for each item so you can shop them if you’d like. If they’re already sold out when you click, I apologize, but you can see the look I was going for.

For An Excursion

Excursions usually start early in the morning when temperatures are cool, but they can rise to a comfortably warm level by the time you’re headed back to the ship.

Choose a mixture of tops geared toward layering. Think variety and flexibility with each item, and include patterns as well as solids.

For this outfit, I chose a base layer of a short-sleeved tee, a long-sleeved flannel over that, and a thin puffer vest. The pants are boot-cut and have some stretch to them, and the hiking boots will be perfect for exploring. The beanie is just to look cute. LOL

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Gray tee | Flannel shirt | Puffer vest

Black pants | Hiking boots | Beanie

Here’s another outfit: a white tee with a blue plaid flannel, gray pants, and sneakers. It would be perfect for a warmer day where you won’t need a jacket or vest, and you won’t be hiking.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

White tee | Flannel shirt | Gray pants | Sneakers

Onboard On A Sea Day Or A Casual Evening

Temperatures on the ship are comfortable, but sometimes can be chilly. For staying onboard, I put together these three outfits, two more casual and one slightly dressier.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Red sweater | Gray pants | White sneakers

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Black long-sleeve sweater | Jeans | Slip-ons

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Swing blouse | Yoga pants | Ballet slippers

For A Dressy Evening

For evening, think dressy casual on an Alaskan cruise. You’ll have one dress-up night, which you’ll want to look nice for. If you dine at a specialty restaurant, you’ll want to dress for that as well.

I chose two options: a henley dress with booties, or a flutter-sleeve dress with ballet flats. Old Navy is limited with their shoe selections, so you might want to wear a heel of your own with these dresses.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Henley dress | Booties

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Flutter-sleeve dress | Ballet flats

Outerwear

The outerwear you’ll need will depend on the time of year you’re visiting Alaska. If you’re traveling in the heat of summer, you’ll probably only need the puffer vest, if that, maybe the shacket (which is super cute). The tunic jacket would be wonderful if you’re visiting in the shoulder season, in May or late September/October, especially if you’re cold-natured. Be prepared, though, for a heat wave, like I experienced recently, and bring short-sleeve tee shirts that you can simply layer with a flannel shirt.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Puffer Vest | Shacket | Quilted Tunic Jacket

Additional Items

I focused on the major clothing items, but you’ll also need to pack something to sleep in, plus underwear, bras, and socks. And jewelry, don’t forget that! Your jewelry and other accessories like scarves, sunglasses, and purses will help give your outfits a unique look.

Here are a couple of items from Amazon that will accessorize your new Alaska wardrobe. The poncho scarf will be perfect for throwing over a long-sleeved tee in a chilly restaurant. And the tote bag will give you something to carry your discarded layers in during an excursion.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Poncho Scarf | Tote Bag

A Few Combinations From This Wardrobe

To give you an idea of the versatility of these items, here are just a few of the many outfits I can make with them.

Travel Outfits

You’ll also need a couple of outfits to travel to and from the cruise port. I want to be comfortable while I’m flying, so I wear my slip-on sneakers, a pair of wide-leg yoga pants, a tee, and a jean jacket. I bring an extra tee to switch out for the trip home.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Jean Jacket | Tee | Yoga Pants | Slip-on sneakers

Final Thoughts On Creating A Cruise Capsule Wardrobe For Alaska

Of course, your needs and preferences will vary from mine, but I hope these suggestions will give you an idea of how to create cute outfits for your next trip.

Happy cruising!