A couple of suggestions: The weather is very unpredictable, don't bother with bulky parka's, we bring medium weight water resistant jackets, stocking caps and thermal underwear. The top/bottom thermals take up almost no space and make up a very warm outfit when needed. The room walls are magnetic so take flat and hook magnets to stick up the daily letters and clothes/hats. be sure someone has a watch so you can keep track of ship time which may be different than local/cell phone time. Plan on being back to the ship at least 30-45 min prior to leaving the ports. For first timers I would book your excursions through the cruise ship company. In Skagway do the Whitepass railroad. In Juno take the tram to the top of Mt. Roberts, In Ketichican we liked the small boat tours around the islands to see whale, eagles, totems. Bring a good digital camera with optical zoom, you will take lots of amazing pictures. Have fun.