Top 10 Tips For Cruise Packing
Around 3 months before travelling the time comes to make final payment and from there it always feels likes everything is sorted and you can just look forward to the day you embark your ship.
Unfortunately there is always that one last step to take in the days leading up to your cruise and that is packing for your holiday.
For some it is simply a case of throwing their clothes in a suitcase and choosing on the day what to wear but for many of us it is something that can often be a daunting task that sees us over think and ultimately end up with far too much packed.
Thankfully there are some easy to follow tips that can make the process much simpler and that should hopefully take away some of those last minute stresses.
Our Top 10 Tips For Cruise Packing
Documents At The Ready
When you arrive at the terminal, you will need lots of paperwork from your travel documents to insurance cards and passports to parking tickets, plus more besides.
Although you can use an app on your phone for much of it nowadays, we would always recommend having a hard copy in case your battery dies, the wi-fi is down in port or any other technical gremlins occur but you need to make sure that you pack them in your hand luggage and that they are easy to reach.
The worse start to any holiday would be to forget to pack something you need at check in or to put it into your checked luggage as it could mean you having to miss your cruise.
First Night Carry On
When you arrive at the port, you usually hand over the bulk of your luggage to porters and then you don’t see it again until it arrives at your room some hours later.
That is the plan any way as sometimes things can get delayed and it may be the next morning when you finally receive your bags, so make sure you pack a change of clothes at least into your overnight bag.
Even if you do receive your suitcases the first night as planned, many will want to change before settling in for the night and if you have any valuables or medicine etc, make sure they are in your carry-on bag.
Packing Cubes
If you hate packing for a holiday in the first place, you will probably not be too fond of unpacking once onboard and then having to pack up again at the end of your cruises, only to have to unpack when you get home.
One cheap and effective tool in the packing battle are packing cubes.
These allow you to segment up your suitcase into easily removed cubes so you can take out what need to be unpacked quickly when on board and leave anything you may or may not need in your case without the need to rummage thought or to unpack everything just to get to what you need.
Roll Clothes
Folding and unfolding your clothes can be a pain and that is why so many of us just screw clothes up to repack at the end of our cruises.
The great trick for those who hate folding clothes as much as I do is to simply roll your clothes up.
This not only takes up less space but if you do it right, it can help stop clothes from becoming wrinkled in your case.
Mix and Match
Unfortunately mistakes can happen and when the porters at the cruise terminal have to deal with thousands of cases all in a few hours, one or two will go missing.
Normally that just means a short delay where you will get your case back a bit later than everybody else on the first night but sometimes it can be the next morning, or even later, before you finally receive your clothes for the week.
That is why we recommend mixing and matching your suitcase so that you put some of your clothes into the case of the person you are traveling with and they put some into yours.
Use Extra Case
Depending on where your cruise travels take you, you can never be sure of the weather and it will likely be different from your starting port to the one you visit along the way to your end port.
That leads to the packing of coats, jackets, umbrellas, and large jumpers that may only be useful for a few days of your getaway but that takes up so much of your luggage space, so why not simply use a separate case for all of those bulky items and keep them out of the way of your day to day items.
Shoes Offer Extra Space
Depending on the size of your feet and if you are packing boots, trainers, or sandals- shoes and footwear can quickly take up lots of room in your bags but they have their advantages as well.
Socks, valuables, and small items can be placed into trainers, walking shoes and boots and then not only do they not need space of their own, but your shoes also help to keep things safe and secure.
Dirty Washing Bag
This is something that is so useful but something that we often forget.
By taking a spare bag for dirty socks, underwear, and anything else you want to keep away from your clean(er) clothes, you not only help to keep your clean clothes fresh and your stateroom tidier but you can just through it into your case at the end of your travels.
Pack Layers
Some days start of cold and turn warm in the afternoon, some start bright and get over cast and some are a mixture of everything available so we always recommend to pack plenty of different layers for your time ashore.
You can then simply add on an extra layer or take off a layer depending on how the weather turns out.
Know What You Need
One thing that always adds to the confusion for what to or what not to pack is been not quite sure what you need to wear.
Make sure you know if your cruise has any formal nights, and how many, and what the expected weather is for your trip.
