Cruise Packing Tips from the Experts

The most stressful part of a cruise—packing—needs only be so if you’re unprepared.

Thankfully, a number of travel experts (including yours truly) have come together with several tips over at Cruise 1st. Let me take a look at some of the others and see if we’re all in agreement.

Leading the pack (pun intended?) is one I myself struggle with: Overpacking.

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The common suggestion is to avoid it with Adam Coulter, UK Managing Director of Cruise Critic, going so far as to say, “pack only half the clothing and three-quarters of the shoes,” that you think you might need.

Emma La Teace at Cruising Isn’t Just For Old People adds, “It is important to pack pieces you can wear for multiple occasions.”

I mostly concur with this notion, provided you’re willing to take the time to do laundry onboard or at least send it out for full service. Give yourself a break, and splurge on the cost of sending your clothes out, but be sure to keep an eye out for the best deals.

Windstar Cruises, for instance, offers a wonderful flat rate for unlimited clothes to be cleaned during a sailing.

If all of this is in order to reduce a bag’s weight due to airline restrictions, Chris Dikmen recommends Luggage Forward for shipping bags ahead of time to bypass limits completely. Should you wish to pack everything accordingly, the choice is up to you. However, it is also a good idea to consider weight overage fees versus the added cost of such an extra service to see which actually comes out cheaper in the end.

Of course, it still never hurts to be thinking of appropriate clothes to take from the start.

Tara Povey of Where is Tara? gives the classic tip of, "Layering is key!” While she recognizes the benefit of multiple options, she also realizes the importance of upholding any onboard dress codes.

Cruise lines are becoming increasingly lenient and casual when it comes to their clothing expectations, but there are still some that enforce more formality. Cunard is still the most traditional in this regard. It’s always wise to consider these when first selecting which brand to travel with, making sure it matches your personal philosophy.

Chris Dikmen, President of CruiseReport, simply wears his sports coat or blazer on the plane to the cruise, making it easier to bring and not have to fuss with packing.

He says, “As a rule of thumb, anything you can wear on a flight is one less thing you have to pack!”

READ MORE: Cruise Travel Packing Tips When Flying

There are also a number of extra considerations regarding life before, during and after the cruise.

I suggest, “Consider where in the world you’re traveling to. Your cruise ship may have the electrical outlets you are used to, but a pre or post-cruise hotel might not. So, be sure to pack proper adaptors as needed. Plus, USB power packs are always a helpful bonus gadget to juice up electronics on the go.”

Coulter adds, “When it comes to toiletries, don’t get caught short by assuming you’ll find your favourite products in your cabin.”

Most essentials will definitely be there, but sometimes things like conditioner are not. Carnival Cruise Line only provides soap bars, shampoo and body wash, for instance.

Always a good reminder: “Don’t forget your medication!” Povey exclaims.

Similarly, a helpful tip for health as well as money saving, Katie Evans-Reader of Do You Cruise adds, “Take some bottled water on board with you or sports bottles which you can then refill when you are leaving the ship for the day.”

READ MORE: Easy, Breezy Packing Tips: What to Bring on a River Cruise

Lastly, when it’s time to disembark the cruise altogether, Emma Gray of Emma’s Travel Tales emphasizes the importance of having a place to put remaining things once your large luggage has been toted off ahead of you:

“I pack and place my large suitcase outside of the room, but keep my smaller suitcase or bag with me. This means I’ve got somewhere to put my pajamas, toiletries and other bits and bobs the morning I’m disembarking.”

If you’re anything like me, though, you might pack to the brim and just prefer to take everything off the ship yourself provided you’re able.

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