Basil Loc: New Mexico

Earlier this year we were booked on a Cruise to Mexico for my wife’s high school reunion. Everything was a go for a March departure when COVID hit and upended those plans. Some class members just got a refund, but others (us) opted to keep our money with the cruise line for use with a future cruise.

Since we live in New Mexico, we felt that a trip to Mexico would not be as exciting for us as it might be for her classmates from other states. So, we have decided to book an 8-day cruise to Alaska instead. Coincidentally, the cruise we booked (in May) will coincide with our anniversary.

It looks like there will be ample opportunity for a wide variety of photography, so I’m trying to decide on a resonable set of gear to take that will not overload me but give me ample opportunity for a wide range of photo options.

I’d be interested to hear suggestions,especially if anyone has taken that cruise.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Could you provide us with your itinerary for your cruise? What are your options for excursions? That would give us info that could help us give you better advice.

Basil Loc: New Mexico

Day 1 - Seattle (Depart)
Day 2 - Fun Day at Sea
Day 3 - Cruise Tracy Arm Fjord (We plan on doing an excursion up one of the Fjords)
Day 4 - Skagway - Probably do one of the scenic hikes
Day 5 - Juneau - Whale watching excursion
Day 6 - Not sure yet what we want to do
Day 7 - Victoria BC - Again, have not decided
Day 8 - Return to Seattle.

SS319

I would think a normal trinity of lenses: Something wide enough for shooting on-board activities, and downtown Skagway and Juneau,(17-40 F:4) a walkaround (24-105 F:4 L) and the longest lens you can hand hold (Canon 100-500 or Sigma 100-600 ) and maybe a 1.4 - 2.0 TC. perhaps a walking stick/monopod - most of your shooting will be handheld, you can present a more stable platform shooting from the deck of the ship by allowing the decks to roll under you

Of course, if you used this trip as an excuse for the R5 with the RF versions of the above lenses, you will benefit from the 8 stops of stabilization and the ability to focus on the eye of a gnat. :)

kybob Loc: Versailles, Kentucky

We too are booked on a cruise, ours is in June of 2021 and I have heard the CDC has now announced that all cruises must be no longer than 7 days until NOVEMBER of 2021. We have already heard from friends that have had their cruises canceled that are longer than 7 days. Also depending on when this cruise is Canada still has not announced if and went they will open their ports again to cruise ships. Which there is a law that no ship can leave and return to a US port unless it docks at a foreign port before returning. So I am thinking we are once again going to reschedule our cruise for 2022 and hope a vaccine has been provided to the world.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Same boat. We had a 12-day Expedition Cruise in Alaska on Silversea Line and will have to wait until 2022

DET Loc: Greensboro, NC

We did the White Pass and Yukon railway excursion out of Skagway. It’s a long trip but magnificent views and vistas on one of the world’s engineering marvels.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

Take your favorite walk around, a long zoom, and something that works well in low light. A monopod is a must! I was just getting serious about photography and didn’t know enough at the time so I didn’t have a monopod.

V2volk Loc: St. Louis area

Perhaps your day 6 is Ketchikan? Like you I am supposed to go to Alaska in May however I am starting to wonder if it will happen, fingers crossed. I have been there several times and usually walk around with a 2.8 24/70 on my D750 or I carry a small high quality P&S with 1” sensor. I did take a large Tamron zoom for whale watching and things like that.

Perhaps I missed it but do you have anything now or buying? If you have a DSLR maybe you can rent a long zoom for the week. Of course there are smaller cameras now with decent zooms if starting from scratch and want to keep weight down.

I have been considering a Sony RX10 M4 or M5 (once released) down the road to cut down on weight.

photoman43

I have taken a small boat Alaskan cruise. My gear was two Nikon DSLRs, 70-200mm, 24-70mm, 300mm f4, 1.4x tc, tripod and a monopod. The smaller the boat, the closer it can get you to see things. If you have access to a 500mm lens and like wildlife take a 500mm lens. I wish I had taken mine with me.

If you do not have any gear right now, and you want a small gear footprint, consider a camera with a 1 inch sensor and a fixed zoom to 600mm. Sony makes one.

Shooting conditions will usually mean wind, some rain and maybe low light levels. Make sure your gear is weather protected and you have some way to stabilize things. On the boat I used my tripod and monopod a lot.

If you like landscapes and street shots, take a prime lens too like a 24mm or a 20mm or a 35mm.

On the boat, be outside for every sunrise if if there is not sun. Sunrise in fog and poor weather in Alaska can produce amazing images .

MikeT9

Haven’t been on an Alaskan cruise but have been on a cruise to Greenland twice and a cruise around South America. I have always taken two bodies, the last time a Canon 1DXII and a 5DIV. The IDXII was my primary wildlife camera and the smaller 5DIV was used for trips ashore in crowded areas. As far a lenses go, when you get onboard so long as you have somewhere to store them, the more the merrier. I have always taken a 500 f/4 together with a tripod and gimbal head as well as 100-400 and a x1.4 extender. My walk around lens has been a 24-70 f/4 although having purchased an R5 I have an RF 24-105 f/4 which I think would be even more ideal. I have not come home wishing I had had an additional lens and felt disappointed.
As well a camera gear a good pair of binoculars in my opinion is essential as well. I have a pair of Swarovski 10x42’s which travel everywhere I go.

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

I would recomend one of the long zoom bridge cameras. The Sony RX10 series, Canon SX70, or the Nikon p950 or p1000. Olympus and Panasonic also make good bridge cameras. These cameras cost less that the cost of a decent long zoom for your FullFrame camera. They will do everything that 40lb of camera and lenses will do but much more portable. On board ship you will want a long zoom for whales, eagles, and bears. On shore you will want wide angle to short telephoto. But remember: You are touring South East Alaska. Look up the May weather records. You will discover that it rains a lot. We are talking feet of rain a year not inches. A bridge camera is easy to hide under a rain coat or pocket. Yes, your FF camera may give you a better image but you will be a pack horse to your gear. A bridge camera will give you almost as good of image but you will always have the portability of a single piece of equipment with you. Remember: you are on vacation not on assignment from National Geo. Enjoy the trip.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

First...do you know for sure that your cruise will be cancelled? Even though these cruises are marketed as 8 day cruises, they are really only seven days in length. Depending on what the rule specifically says and requires (a full day for cleaning and sanitizing, for instance), your cruise might still fit within the rules if Canada opens its ports to passenger ships.

Second...have you been on a cruise before? If so, I suggest that you rely on your experience more than our biased attempts at telling you what to do. If not, I suggest that you plan to spend a lot of time just enjoying your first cruise.

Third...it is very hard to provide suggestions without knowing more about how you work and what capabilities the equipment you have provides. I see that you have significant engineering experience and that you have been pretty deeply involved in photography for a long time, so I'll try to provide some general hints based on my experience that may be of some help.

My wife and I did a cruise from Seattle to Alaska and back a few years ago to commemorate our anniversary. We enjoyed it greatly. It was a "hosted" cruise, with activities provided by folks with whom we were familiar, but we still had plenty of time to do all the normal "cruise stuff." I was not as oriented to photography at that time, but did come back with lots pf photographs.

I did not have a long lens, but I did not miss it at all. The long "days at sea" are really long days at sea. You will be far out from the coast and no land will be in sight. Depending on the season, there may be a whale or two spouting in the distance occasionally, but other sea life can be hard to spot, other than a few dolphins swimming right against the ship. We did not see wildlife while on the detour through Glacier Bay.

Skagway is a small town. It was a key part of the gold rush. The hike might net you some wildlife, but I'd check to see. Ketchikan is a lumber town. The lumberjack show is at a fairly small outdoor arena and would provide some good opportunities at near to medium distances. Juneau is the location of the Mendenhall Glacier, which is becoming disappointingly less impressive each year as it recedes. By the way...there is a likelihood that you will have to "tender" into town from Ketchikan or Skagway (can't remember which). If so, the ride is nice, but crowded. You don't want to be messing with a carload of equipment for that stop.

Whale watching is a nice activity but often disappointing. We saw no whales, but a number of dolphins. Federal law prohibits approaching within 100 yards of humpback whales, and state laws prohibit approaching within 200 yards of Orcas. Whales can approach the boat, of course, and when that happens, the captain is required to idle the engines and shift to neutral until they have withdrawn. The wind doesn't have to freshen very much before the ride on the whale watching boats gets quite rough. That is usually not a big problem, but the salt water spray can be. There are sheltered areas on the boats, but they are not suitable for photography due to sharply reduced viewing angle and Plexiglas wind screens.

Victoria is a treasure. It is very clear when you are there that you are "somewhere else." Architecture is interesting, as are museums. Streets are not overly wide, so you are going to be shooting from space that is somewhat confined. Butchart Gardens are worth a visit, but the time may be too compressed to make it worthwhile. They are worth at least a half day (or more). And the Princess Hotel is definitely worth stopping in. One caution: The Canadian people are beautiful and friendly, but my experience is that they have little interest in US currency. Plan to pay with Canadian currency or with your credit card while there.

I second the suggestion to take binoculars. I disagree that 10x binocular are a good choice onboard the ship. Too much magnification to manage against the motion of the ship. Take a pair of 7x50 in some of the space opened up by the photographic equipment you left at home and enjoy the wide field of view. (You can stop in at Captain's in Seattle if you don't have a suitable pair to take from home.)

If I were going on a cruise to Alaska now, my plan would be to take my D850 and a 24-120mm f/4 lens, along with a small flash (like an SB-400) to provide a little bit of fill if needed. Any shots that needed a longer lens would be framed with the intent of cropping later, maybe to the equivalent of 250mm or so. If I miss some wildlife opportunities, I just miss them. If I see something wider, I'll make a panorama. Monopod? Maybe. Tripod? No. Late spring and summer are not aurora season, and night sky photographs are not going to be possible anyway.

TGanner Loc: Haines, Alaska

If you are docking in Haines, I would like to offer my services. I do private photography and nature tours here in town (have been doing so for a decade). Many people who bypass Haines to dock in Skagway take the day boat over the Haines in favor of the wildlife, quiet landscapes, and authentic Alaskan flavor that Haines offers. I would be happy to help you dial in and answer any questions if you have an interest. Happy trails! https://timenspace.net/photography-workshop/haines-private-tour/

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

I can recommend on thing based on my Alaska trips. I have always been happy that I had my lens with the longest reach with me as part of my equipment selection. And you will be wise to have a backup camera, or camera body, with you.