Getting ready for a cruise travel? You are one lucky guy! To go for a cruise means you are up to a wonderful adventure, an opportunity to visit the world’s sought after destinations while enjoying the calming feel of the ocean breeze.
After finalizing the essentials you need on your cruise travel, the next thing to do is to pack. In here is where the excitement starts, as packing signifies that your trip is near to a start. The thing is, packing for a cruise vacation may not be that easy as you think it to be, especially if it’s your first time. You have to ensure that you bring everything you need for the trip while considering that you only have a limited storage space in the ships cabin.
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To help you with this small yet tricky problem, we listed a guide you will need to pack for your cruise travel.
The Golden Rule of Packing: Pack Light
No matter what kind of travel you will have, it is a golden rule to pack light. Unless you are planning to stay in your destination for months, then packing should incorporate techniques to make sure you’ll have the things you need all throughout the trip.
1. Pack your carry-on bags with essentials.
You can never underestimate the importance of carry-on bags in ensuring that your trip will be fun as you like it to be. Pack a change of clothes, meds and toiletries in your carry-on bags. If it vital for two reasons: First, if your luggage get lost on your way to the cruise, at least you have your important travel documents and some basic necessities with you. More than anything else, make sure that your travel documents are secured. Secondly, in case your luggage gets delayed, you will have a dress on hand to enjoy onboard activities in the cruise in an instant.
2. Know the shipboard dress codes.
In the recent years, cruise lines made their dress codes more casual than in the past. During daytime anything goes from shorts, shirts, jeans, bathing suits, sun-dresses, khakis, and polos. You may want to pack your luggage with all casual, but you still should not close your doors for a formal wear. Some luxury lines still stick to traditions—that all guests should wear a formal wear on a formal night.
3. Get ready for laundry.
One of the best ways to ensure light packing is to do the laundry onboard, yes onboard. It is not only practical, it will also save you from the cost of paying for a laundry service. Cruise ships are not created equal, there are some that offers washing and pressing for free, while others offer the feature only for the VIP guests. But if you plan on doing this, bring a travel detergent and do the washing in your cabin’s bathroom. Underwear and shirts dry fast, they’ll not take days and you can reuse them again.
4. Bring toiletries you ‘cannot live without’.
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When you go to a cruise you have to expect that they may only provide basic toiletries such as shampoo and soap. So if you are picky with toiletries especially with the brand, you have to pack your own. The same thing goes with hair dryers, and other accessories.
Furthermore, cruise ship sells everything you tend to forget so make sure to bring them if you don’t want to pay for them more than double the price:
- Toothbrush
- Razors
- Sunscreens, and more.
5. Skip the bathrobe.
In most cases, cruise ships provide their guests a bathrobe so you can skip bringing one. In some cruises they are available via request. It you are unsure of its availability, visit the website of your cruise and find out yourself. This may require a moment of your time, but the convenience it could bring is definitely worth it.
6. Dress according to your destination.
You are going to a tropical country and your dresses are all thick, you surely do not want to sweat on your entire vacation, right? Moreover, packing your dresses is not all about the climate, you also have to think of the culture of your destination. Some places are more formal than the others while some are more laid-back. Try to visit a travel website if you can, research about the places your cruise will stop, you will thank yourself later.
Looking for more travel packing tips? Check our other resources:
16 Genius Wardrobe Packing Tips. Pay Attention to Number 13
10 Reminders About Packing Your Airline Baggage, Even When You Travel Regularly
