Each traveler is different and what works for me may not work for you. I hope it gives some insight to perhaps things you may not have thought of or things you're glad to be reminded to bring. There are several criteria to consider when packing for your trip:
1) Destination - you don't want to pack a suitcase full of heavy coats and sweaters if you're going to the Caribbean. On the flip side, you don't want to pack only shorts if you're traveling up north perhaps to Alaska or Canada.
2) Length of trip - this also goes along with whether or not you'll have access to laundry facilities either paid or included.
3) Luggage limits - are you flying where you are charged for extra baggage or driving where as long as it fits in your car it can go?
4) What activities do you plan to do on this trip - if you plan to visit rugged terrain then you'd want to consider throwing in hiking boots with your shoe choices. Do you plan to ride ATVs and get super muddy one day? Then pack an outfit worth of old clothes or at least an extra outfit to change into afterwards.
5) Personal preferences - do you like dressing up for dinners? Are you someone who has to have a matching shoe, purse, and hat for each outfit? Do you find the idea of wearing an item more than once the equivalent of committing mortal sin?
6) Is there something you or your family member can't live without? This could include anything from your child's favorite stuffed animal, a pile of the latest mystery novels, or most importantly, any medications.
When it comes to what I pack, aside from these points above, my main goal is practicality, comfort, and reusing items. It doesn't make sense to me to pack the latest fashion in sparkly high heels when I know they'll hurt my feet and make me miserable. Plus I'm clumsy enough in flats if you'll recall my now Maui shaped scar from the last trip. While most of the time we do have a cabin category that includes laundry services, this upcoming trip will not be one of them. Many years back, we purchased a couple large cloth suitcases during a Black Friday sale at Macys. It literally pays to be nice and genuine - I had to call customer service for help when placing the order online and the rep was so appreciative that I wasn't chewing his head off that he threw in an extra 10% off discount. Over the years these suitcases have traveled the world with us - one is slightly bigger than the other so I get to use that one while Dad uses the other - and except for some dents and scratches they have held up well through handlings by taxi drivers, airport workers, and cruise ship dock workers.
In addition we've upgraded our carry on bag from an old laptop zipper tote just to hold our electronics, paperwork, and medications to the small rolling suitcase from an old set. We now travel with Dad's CPAP machine whose carrying case takes up 1/3rd of that smaller suitcase. It also has zippered pockets on the outside where we stow items we need quick access to like paperwork and ID when arriving at the airport or cruise terminal. This also comes in handy on the last night of the cruise because we then use the extra space to hold our pajamas and toiletries we needed for the final morning after setting our big suitcases out in the hall. We've traveled with Dad's CPAP machine now on two cruises and both lines have made it super easy requesting distilled water and an extension cord to be waiting for us. This way we don't have to stress over any cruise or airlines rules about liquids or extension cords which can sometimes be confiscated upon boarding resulting in a call down to the jokingly referred to "naughty room."
I'm a very visual learner. I'm that person who you can give driving directions to 20 times over but if you do it by listing street names, it doesn't stick. If you tell me, turn right at the yogurt shop with the blue roof, I get it! I'll be going on my 16th cruise soon and even though I can readily spout off a packing list from memory, I still write it out so I can see what I still need and minimize the risk of forgetting something. When I go to write out this list, since I'm also a super organized nerd, I mentally go through a cruise day in my mind and write down whatever I would expect to use. What's the first thing one does to get ready in the morning hopefully before venturing out of your cabin to greet the masses? Shower and/or get dressed. I note in detail what I would need to do that (keeping in mind that I'm not partial to a specific shampoo or body wash so I settle for whatever the cruise or hotel offers) and then plan out each part of my wardrobe.
A bargain hunter's tip: Don't pay those high prices for toiletries specifically made to be travel sized! I've amassed a few large bags full of travel sized items over the years that have 95% been free to get. If you really need a specific product, go to the dollar store or the bargain bin at Target or Walmart and get those re-sealable plastic bottles. Pour out enough into those small bottles from the big bottle you're already using at home and it saves money and packing space. Make sure to label them somehow so you're not washing your hair with contact solution. Since I'm not super brand specific, I get my items from 3 sources - signing up to try and review products from several survey sites, signing up to any free sample offer from a company directly or from sample box sites like Pinchme.com and SampleSource.com, and the rare find of a smaller version of a product shrink wrapped to the larger product in the store. It's a great use up for those occasional foil packages they send instead of bottles since you can use and toss creating more luggage space for the souvenirs. It's also less of a blow to the wallet when you decide to dump the last remnants of a product at the end of the trip. I've had a few trips where I can start the cruise using one brand of toothpaste and end it using another so I try and make sure my travel kit has a couple of each item.
My rule of thumb on wardrobe is regardless always plan for an outfit a day plus one. I'm not saying that has to be a separate pair of shorts and t-shirt for every day (although I do hope that does include underwear) but there will be a time during your trip whether it's a midday change because you took a second shower after swimming or you enjoyed the tacos so much at lunch that your shirt now tells the tale. Yes, as my mother often remarks "We wear our food well!" This time I'll be going on a tour that includes getting muddy so I've set aside older clothes to pack and only wear on that day. Another tip I've gone from wishing I had to always packing is a simple zippered hoodie. It never fails - you can be heading to a destination where it's sunny and in the 90s every day but the areas around the ship, especially restaurants and theaters, will be freezing! If you're more fashion conscious, a shawl or light sweater works all the same and can be coordinated to go with your dinner attire. I also picked up a combo rain jacket/windbreaker on clearance at the end of the winter season several years back. Together it's a great rain jacket with insulation but the two parts can be unzipped apart for when you want just the soft inner coat.
While we're not the type of cruiser who seeks out the nearest beach or snorkel spot in every Caribbean port and often too busy enjoying onboard activities to sit by the pool sunbathing, I still bring at least one if not two swimsuits. Lean more towards two if not three if you plan on spending the bulk of the cruise in the water so that you have one to wear while the other hangs in your cabin to dry. Most cabins will have a clothesline that pulls across the shower for hanging wet clothes and then slides back away like a retractable tape measure when not in use. Otherwise I don't think I've seen a cruise cabin that didn't at least have hooks on the wall for hanging either on a closet door or the inside of the bathroom door. That's also a great tip if you have clothing you want to steam the wrinkles out of - hang it on the hooks inside the bathroom while you shower. In recent years after burning despite reapplications of sunblock, I finally stumbled upon a great swim shirt from Swimsuits for All bought via Woman Within. It covers like a T-shirt but it's made out of swim suit material so it doesn't get heavy or billow up when I'm in the water.
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This top and matching shorts is actually made of swimsuit material so I can have the coverage and look of regular clothing but will still be comfortable during the water portion of our tour.
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We're pretty casual people but we're more right in the middle on the debate about dressing for dinners on cruises. It feels off to us personally to just walk in wearing the same shorts you've been out all day in port wearing but we don't go to the far extreme of changing into a dress and suit each night. I bring a pair of simple black dress pants and a few tops that have a pretty pattern or some sparkly bling and rotate them for each dinner. As far as shoes go, my usual rule of thumb is that I wear my everyday sneakers onboard which come in handy for regular port exploring. I pack a pair of comfortable flip flops (was able to use some leftover Kohls cash on some wide sized New Balance flip flops) for any pool time or when you simply need to slip shoes back on for a quick run up to the buffet. Lastly, I bring a pair of black Sketchers Go Walk shoes. They look like I'm wearing dress flats for dinners but have the cushioning on the bottom to be as supportive as a walking shoe. Depending on the terrain, I'll also include my L.L. Bean hiking boots. I found a great pair that look and fit like sneakers but are heavier and offer more support. So far they've helped me go on a nature hike in Alaska and climb mounds of hardened lava in Hawaii. They also work great for being outside shoveling snow and moving cars around without feeling like you're trying to operate the pedals in an oversized boot.
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| Boots on the left, flip flops in the middle, and the dress flats on the right. |
When it comes to toiletries I found a great zipper bag at Ross that when closed it looks like a tiny suitcase. Inside it holds a zippered plastic compartment on each side so that when unzippered fully, it can lay flat. I have one side full of showering/shaving needs and the other side full of sink needs like toothpaste. It holds so much that it can be a little heavy so I've knocked it over or had it fall over off a sink a time or two. Everything stayed put in the compartments and I wasn't having to crawl on the floor looking for tiny items. It's also great for the germaphobes who don't like the idea of leaving exposed toothbrushes and such out in the open while housekeeping sprays cleansers around since I can close it up and stow it away on a shelf when not in use. Space in any cabin can be at a premium so anything you can tuck away elsewhere or even hang using vertical space is a big help. Plus I'm always that person who tidies up as the cruise goes on so things look orderly for my own sanity. Why make extra work for the hardworking stewards when it takes a couple minutes to straighten up your own belongings regularly? It also works out well on the last day when you by that point have everything together and ready to repack.
Back in 2015 before our Alaska cruise tour, I moved up in the photography world and invested in a great Nikon digital camera with interchangeable lenses. To the people having private time on their balcony on the ship docked next to us, I apologize on behalf of my 200 zoom lens. No more Canon point and click 10x zoom that left me wondering why I had a picture of a lump in the water since I had to take the picture from the cruise ship deck. Now I have this amazing camera that came with its own carrying case and often serves as my personal carry on during flights. The case holds the camera, the other lens, battery charger, and spare cords and SD card. I always charge the battery before we leave home and it holds the charge for at least a couple days worth of picture taking.
This bag's contents, my cell phone and charging cable (and the plug adapter), and my tablet (and charging cable) are all the electronics I bring. Make sure you research if your foreign hotel or cruise ship might have different outlets requiring an extra adapter. Our hotel in Copenhagen only had foreign outlets but we figured out we could charge our phones by using just the USB end of the cable and not the plug adapter. My tablet is loaded up with tons of e-books, games, and of course internet browsers should I have internet access included. This cruise I will not unfortunately. I also bring along a small notebook, pen, and deck of cards. The notebook and pen allow me to make any notes whether they are to help me remember what we did for my review and/or simply to leave a note for the room steward as needed. Sometimes if you have a lot of downtime in your cabin, the repetitive TV channels and programs can get a little boring so I go old school on occasion and play cards. It's also a great way to meet new friends by inviting other cruisers to play a game together.
One of the best ideas we've discovered in packing for trips is to repurpose a hanging fold up pouch that came with an old set of luggage meant for one's toiletries. Instead, we fill it with our over the counter medications. While if you're really feeling sick and can't attribute it to regular cruise issues like eating too much or trying new foods, you should definitely seek medical help on board, we bring some medicine for every routine ailment. We include some sort of pain reliever (in my case the only kind of aspirin that works on my migraines), an antacid, an anti-diarrheal, cold medicine, and cough drops. We stow this pouch all closed up in a top drawer or shelf in the cabin so it's an easy grab when we need some medicinal help.
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| Also included is a small travel sized first aid kit containing a variety of Band-Aids, gauze pads, and antibiotic ointment. Perfect for a quick fix should you experience any cuts, scrapes, or blisters while you're out exploring the world. In a freezer size plastic bag we also bring sunblock, aloe, and bug spray so that if it leaks, the mess is contained. |
I will also bring along some extra Vitamin C and Zinc supplements that I start taking the week of my trip to help steer my immune system away from the dreaded cruise crud. Another tip I use is to pack a small bag worth of mint flavored Lifesaver candies. They are great for dry mouth, upset stomach, and when that tour is dragging on and on and your sugar is feeling low.
A tip I've started using after I started needing to carry my phone around onboard for those mouthwatering food porn shots, I now also pack a small crossbody phone sized purse from Vera Bradley. It's lightweight with a snap pouch in front to securely hold the phone and a couple open slots in the back for carrying my cruise card or a couple extra of my new business cards for new cruise friends who are interested in checking out this blog! No putting my phone down and forgetting it or constantly having to slide a purse strap back up onto my shoulder.
For port tours or simply heading out to explore the new city on our own, I pack an easy to wipe down drawstring bag from Under Armor. Also a deal because I got a gift certificate to Under Armour thanks to using their affiliated Map My Ride app when I'm getting in tons of exercise riding my bike in the summer. It's got corded straps and a clasp to connect them in the front and it's really pliable so we can fit tons of randomly shaped items to be carried hands free. It distributes the weight so I never feel weighed down and I've often sat comfortably on long bus rides without realizing it's still on my back. There's several zippered compartments and sectioned off pouches inside them so I stick the smaller items I'd need to readily access like my ID, cash, or my phone in there. I also usually throw in tiny randomness like a hair tie or wrapped moist towelette. In the main part of the bag, I usually have my other camera lens, extra sunscreen and/or a towel, some mints, sunglasses, and occasionally some sealed snacks if we don't anticipate getting a meal.
A lot of cruisers grab extra tiny boxes of cereal from the breakfast buffet and keep them in their cabins either for later snacking or to bring along on tours. Check with the local port rules but most of the time, if it's sealed and not something like fresh fruit, than it should be okay. If you think you'll need a little nosh I'd invest in some cracker sandwich packs or those 100 calorie packs of snacks to bring with you in your luggage on embarkation day. Also comes in handy if you have 24/7 snack craving kids who get hangry on a long tour. We spent an evening trying to find something akin to wrapped granola bars in the onboard shop before I was to spend the day touring the Mayan ruins in the hot sun and all they had was chocolate bars.
One final tip I have is the use of those tiny sealable plastic bags you usually see attached to new clothes containing a couple spare buttons. In the past, especially on a longer trip when you need more than those days of the week pill holders, we've counted out daily pill doses into each baggie and wrote out what day, date, and time of day the pack is to be taken. Then we'd corral all the little bags into a sandwich size bag.
Now we mostly use the little packs as personal portable discreet single dose medication dispensers. I fill mine with 2 doses of aspirin and a couple of the stomach meds and slip the bag into my pocket. No need to rush back to the cabin in between onboard activities to pull from the big bottles or be in misery while out on tour. I spent half a day touring Vancouver suffering from a growing migraine because our bags containing the bottles were stowed. Before we head out each day, I make sure our individual bags have been replenished.
What are some of your must haves when it comes to packing for trips? What other general cruise related topics would you like me to cover?
