Cruise Travel Packing Tips

Smart Packing Tips for a Cruise

Learning how to pack smart before travel is essential if you are planning to go on a cruise. You wouldn’t want to end up bringing the wrong clothes and buying at every port you arrive into. This can be quite expensive and will take time which you could have spent on shore excursions or other fun activities.

The first things you should pack for this type of vacation trip are the essentials and valuables. Keep this group in a separate carry-on bag so in case you loose your luggage or experience delay in retrieving it, you will have everything you need in a carry-on bag. Keep this bag small and light however, to fit airline requirements and so you won’t have a problem carrying it around. Some of the essential things you should have may include airline tickets, a mobile phone, wallet, medication, a camera and a change of clothes.

Items to pack for your cruise

If you are going on a longer trip, packing light can be extremely hard yet it can be the smartest thing to do. Carrying a large luggage around can be stressful especially if you have to take plane or land trips to and from the cruise ship’s port. But if packing a larger luggage is no problem, then all you have to think about is bringing the right things. For one thing, you will need to bring clothes appropriate for the weather. If the cruise is during the summer, pack light clothing. But if the trip is during the colder months or to cooler places such as Alaska, then heavy clothing is required.

Aside from the weather, the clothes you bring should go with the activities or events you are likely to attend. Cruise ships usually hold a lot of fun and varied activities which will require different types of clothing. Usually, you will need swimwear, formal clothes and casual clothes for shore excursions. If you are not sure what to bring, it will be wise to contact your travel agent and ask for the dress code or list of activities.

If you intend to pack light, bringing clothes that you can mix and match can be a good idea. You won’t have to worry about getting clean clothes since laundry service is usually available on board. Sometimes there are even self-service laundry facilities available. But when you opt to pack light, don’t forget to bring clothes and foot wear for a formal dinner. A cruise ship usually holds an event such as this; sometimes called “night with the captain” and dress codes can be very strict.

Zip lock bags can also be useful in protecting valuables

In choosing toiletries such as shampoo, sun block and facial creams for the trip, choose them in sizes just enough for use during the whole trip. There is no need to pack large bottles or packs which will just take a lot of luggage space. Aside from size, learning how to pack them to avoid getting a mess in your luggage is important. It is not unusual for toiletries to spill, crack or squeeze out in trips. To avoid this awful scene, pack toiletries in individual zip lock bags. These bags aren’t just useful in the kitchen and they can be great for packing toiletries for extra protection against spills.

Aside from packing toiletries, zip lock bags can also be useful in protecting important things such as debit/credit cards, wallets or electronic gadgets in carry-on bags. Zip lock bags also come in different sizes so you can double pack everything for added protection. This way, you can enjoy shore excursions or boating trips without worrying about getting your important things wet or damaged.

Additional articles of interest

• The first thing you can do is to divide your cruise luggage, one carry-on bag and another bigger one which will contain almost all of your clothing. The carry-on bag should hold your important things such as airline tickets, wallet, medication, hand sanitizer, mobile phone, digital camera, music player and eyewear. It will also be a good idea to

• When considering what you need to pack on your cruise. Appliances such as hair dryers, curling irons and travel irons may or may not be permitted. This information should be available from the cruise line and should be determined…

• How much money should you take on your next excursion? Knowing how much cruise money you’ll need could save you a lot of money. ATM machines on cruise ships charge a hefty fee… too much! Of course, you can charge all of your onboard ship charges… which is good, but you’ll still need cash for ports of call, etc…