A cruise can be a great way to vacation.  Mr and Mrs My Vacation Lady really enjoy cruising.  It’s relaxing.  It allows you to visit multiple destinations and only having to unpack and pack once, which is so convenient but there are some special things to take into consideration when packing for a cruise.

Anthem of the Seas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some tips on how to pack for a cruise:

1.  The cabins are much smaller than a typical hotel room (200 square feet including bathroom and closet would be a very spacious cruise cabin). The suitcases you bring must be stored in the cabin so, My Vacation Lady’s advice is to use rolling duffel bags that can be stored under the bed.

2.  You luggage may not be delivered to your cabin immediately, so make sure you have all of the things you’ll need for the first day (and night) in a carry on.

3.  Some of the cruise lines have relaxed their dress codes (leave home suits and ties) but still check to see they have a formal  night that may require a suit and tie and dressy outfit for women.  attire is vs.  On most cruise lines, formal night attire would be clothes you would wear to a Saturday night wedding (ie: suit for men and fancy dress for women), while the other nights may be a casual as slacks or even jeans and a collared shirt for men and capris for women.  Check with your trusted travel adviser for the dress code rules.

4.  Bring the type of clothes you’ll need for your activities:  Almost all cruise ships have great fitness and sports activities so if you plan on working out, pack work out clothes.  In Europe, good walking shoes are a must.  In Alaska, lots of layers are a must.  If you are going to go zip lining, bring closed shoes with ties.  If you are going to try ice skating on the ship, bring socks and long pants.  Again, your trusted travel adviser is a great resource for this type of info.

5.  Plan on small bathrooms and closets and limited drawer space.  My Vacation Lady cruises with a hanging toiletries bag so that all of toiletries that I’ll need will be readily available and hanging on the back of the bathroom door.  I actually had to replace the one that I used for years and years and just bought a larger one from Lands End.  Just be sure that your hanging toiletries bag will actually hand so it need a hook or loop.

We also try to limit the number of shoes we bring and try to color coordinate everything so that we can mix and match and limit the amount of clothes and shoes.  One day, we may actually not over pack 🙂

My Vacation Lady hopes that these tips are helpful in packing for your next cruise vacation.  The best resource there is for tips on your cruise, is always your trusted travel adviser.  We can help out with suggested packing lists for many destinations- just ask us when you book your vacation.