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Ship Happens! Packing Tips for Smooth Sailing!

  • Writer: Kelly Villari
    Kelly Villari
  • Jul 14, 2024
  • 8 min read

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Are you about to embark on your maiden cruise voyage and have no idea what you really need to pack? Or are you a sea-seasoned traveler that has either overpacked or, worse yet, under packed?


Packing essentials can vary from person to person, as everyone has their own unique must-haves to ensure comfort. While there is no one size fits all packing list, I will share my personal standard packing requirements with you. Let's begin!


Consider Your Itinerary

Of course, packing for Alaska is vastly different from packing for the Caribbean. In this episode, I'm speaking in general cruise terms, and the largest portion of cruises go to warm climates, like the Caribbean. I will post (soon) a blog geared towards packing specifically for Alaskan cruises.


Who Likes Packing and Unpacking?

The fear of over packing, for me, is just as paralyzing as the fear of under packing (I am, after all, an over-thinker). If I over pack, getting settled in will take longer, once on board, I may not have space in the cabin to comfortably fit everything, and my luggage is going to be unnecessarily heavy. But what if I don't feel like wearing what I pack? Or what if I don't have an outfit for an occasion or activity I hadn't considered? Packing is a necessary evil, when you're heading out on an adventure, so I am always looking for ways to make the process as quick and simple as possible and that means packing only what's necessary and being sure to include items that will make my life easier onboard.


Unless you have a large suite booked, cruise cabin storage space can be somewhat tight, so you certainly don't want to pack so much that you feel even further cramped. While, once onboard, I love having all my things unpacked and put in their place, I want the process to take as little time as possible - same goes for the dreaded pack your bags session I hold before dinner on the last evening of the cruise - so the less to unpack and repack the better!


But What Will I Wear?

First and foremost, be brutally honest with yourself about how many outfits you are going to wear every day. I am not one that lays out my clothes for the next day; I decide, daily, based on my mood, so deciding what I will wear for the next seven days is a monumental challenge. After many a trip where I found myself disappointed in my own packing skills, I really paid attention to my typical wardrobe selection, each day, and came up with these combinations that help me avoid the stress of what to pack.


On port days, I set out wearing a maxi dress that doubles as a cover up over my bathing suit. This way, no matter whether we have a beach excursion planned or we just want to walk or taxi around for sightseeing and lunch I never feel over or under dressed.


On sea days, I typically wear shorts and a tank top (or a maxi dress since they're so cool and comfortable) over a bathing suit and I find I'm well prepared for the casual day time dining, stopping by the pool for a bit, playing bingo or trivia, or (my go-to) trying my luck in the casino.


Evening-wear is the tough one. Your sailing will likely include at least one, if not several theme nights for attire. While they are fun (I do love a 70's or 80's dance party night), they are 100% optional and I find participation can vary by sailing - I have never felt as though I don't fit in if I haven't brought the themed clothing, so if you don't want to take up the much coveted luggage space to pack for these, don't feel as though you must. The best space saving advise, here, is if you want to participate in a theme night, get creative and come up with an outfit that serves more than one purpose. For example, I LOVE 70's dance parties so I pack this color block dress and add 70's (think Mrs. Roper) style accessories. This dress does double duty - I can wear it to dinner another night and just change my accessories.


While my husband and I don't often join formal or dress-up evenings, it's common for most seven-night cruises to have one or two themed nights, with shorter trips typically having just one. Formal nights present numerous opportunities for professional photos, so many passengers choose to dress up for the occasion and capture a special memory. To avoid overpacking but still participate, I recommend limiting formal attire to just one night to save space in your suitcase. Formal wear can be bulky and prone to wrinkles, but don't fret - I'll provide some packing essentials later on!


A typical evening in the main dining room calls for smart casual. Again, maxi dresses are a go-to for me, while my husband usually opts for nice jeans or bermuda shorts with a casual button down shirt or polo. If you're dining in a specialty dining venue, dress code information should be available online but most range from business casual to formal. And, then, an evening in the buffet is casual.


As for shoes, if you plan to do any water related excursions that include walking in water, such as some waterfall hikes, definitely be sure to pack water socks. Personally, my shoe wardrobe on a cruise consists of one pair of causal but comfortable sandals, one pair of sneakers or crocs (in case my feet get sore or we plan to do any hikinig), one pair of sandals that can be dressed up for main dining room on non formal nights, and if I'm participating in themes, I try to use the shoes I'm already packing.


To make packing easier, it is important to consolidate and mix and match your outfits effectively. Planning and coordinating your clothing in a creative and honest way will simplify the packing process. Planning to mix, match, and wear things more than once will save you tons of space. (if something you need to wear again gets dirty, there is onboard laundry service available at an added cost, so don't worry).


What Should I Pack to Make Life Easier?

Here is a list of some of my personally tried and true cruise must-haves! Remember, this color = link)


For safety purposes, cruise lines prohibit you from packing irons and steamers (they do, however, allow for flat irons to use on your hair - go figure!). While I find that rolling my clothes allows me to fit more in less space than folding, there's just no getting around 100% of the wrinkles. When your luggage is delivered to your room, make the time to unpack as soon as possible and use Downy Wrinkle Release to get any pesky wrinkles out right away.


While some people prefer to simply throw their dirty clothes into the suitcase as they go, on a cruise ship, you may notice that a couple of suitcases occupying the bottom of the closet can use up a significant amount of valuable space. Once those suitcases are empty, slide them under the bed and, instead, place this collapsible mesh hamper at the bottom of the closet. If you've packed efficiently by the end of the trip, all the clothes you brought will have been worn and will be in the hamper, ready to be transferred straight into your suitcase. This wonderful little thing hardly takes up any room in your luggage when collapsed.


In my experience, missing luggage is not as common on a cruise as it is with airlines, but it's always a possibility. Why take a chance with your belongings? Whether I'm flying into the departure port, or driving there, I always use TSA luggage tags, just in case anyone thinks my heavily worn luggage looks like it might be something worth snooping through.


While some cruise lines may impose luggage weight limits, it's not typically with tight regulations you find on airlines; however, if you are flying to your departure port, you will likely need to check bags with the airline. This luggage scale has been very accurate, for me, and takes up very little precious luggage space.


I am very picky about my toiletries; especially my shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and lotion. None of the ones I use religiously come in travel size options. I've bought the TSA size bottles and siphoned off what will fit in them, and while they do work well, I'm lazy. I have my packing consolidated down to the point that I have plenty of space for an ample size toiletry bag that holds my full size bottles, which is nice, but luggage gets tossed around like a rag doll and squished in large piles, which means things tend to ooze. These sleeves fit over the tops preventing the spills from oozing out into your luggage - have you ever tried to rinse the lotion or shampoo off everything after there's been a mishap? It's no fun! I do have a couple of travel size bottles that I pack, such as mouthwash - these work perfect as an added insurance for those as well.


Cruise luggage tags are typically sent to you in .pdf form, for you to print, fold by way of origami like folding instructions, and are held in place by tape or staple. I can rarely find either of those items in my junk drawer when I need them and I really don't trust that they'll stay on while making their way through the luggage loading process at the port - and with good reason, we took a chance and affixed luggage tags to my husband's bag, not long ago, because we didn't have that specific cruise line compatible tag holder - guess who's luggage got lost? Yep!


The tag holders, linked here, are specific to Royal Caribbean because that's what we sail most frequently but if you are sailing on a different line, a simple Amazon search will provide you with options for most major cruise lines.


This folding pill organizer is perfect to keep your daily medications sorted. This sixteen slot pill organizer comes with writeable and sealable bags so that you can easily organize your daily medication needs so no doses are missed or duplicated. This has worked perfectly for us on even extended trips.


These towel bands are perfect for keeping your towel in place while you lounge, pool or beachside. I prefer these, over clips, because they take up less space in my luggage and beach bag, and I don't need to worry about them getting crushed and broken!


I love coffee. I want to have a (large) cup of it to carry with me as I get my day started and the standard coffee cup in the dining areas doesn't cut it. This insulated cup allows me to have a couple cups worth of coffee to carry around and not worry about dropping a glass mug.


I also like to ask the cabin steward to bring us a full ice bucket every evening. When we're bak in the cabin for the night, I fill my insulated cup with ice and water. I find this much more refreshing and will stay better hydrated than if I had to drink out of a water bottle.


Whether you have been out in the heat, all day, or have gotten a little carried away with the drink package, hydration is a must. I add a packet of Liquid IV to the water going in my insulated cup, every night. Pro tip - for the best mixture, pour the Liquid IV powder in the bottle and shake it up before pouring into your cup.


Happy cruising - and let me know, in the comments, if there's something you can't live without on a cruise!






 
 
 

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