PACKING FOR YOUR CRUISE
One of the biggest
cruising advantages is that you only have to unpack once, even if you are
visiting several countries. No need to live out of your suitcase.
But storage space is somewhat limited in ship cabins and most airlines now charge for checked baggage — and hit you with overcharges if your bags are heavy.
Let Great Escapes Travel offer some solutions:
The golden rule: pack light
That's
not as difficult as you might think. People often freak out about
what to pack for a cruise, but the reality is you probably already
have everything you need. If for some reason you forget something
it's likely to be easily at hand in the ship's store — or at shops in
the ports.
The two biggest considerations when packing for
your cruise? Where you're cruising (tropical, arctic, or something
in between) and on what ship you're sailing.
Shipboard Dress Codes:
The
good news is that most cruise line dress codes have gotten
decisively more casual in recent years. During the day anything
goes — T-shirts, shorts, jeans, bathing suits (with cover-ups) —
pretty much anywhere on the ship (except if you decide to do a
sit-down lunch in the main dining room, where there may be
restrictions). On the luxury lines this relaxed ambience may
translate to polos and khakis, sundresses and designer-wear, but
the casual concept is the same.
What you wear at night varies
by ship and where you want to dine — the rules apply to the main
dining room and dress-up alternative restaurants, but not more
casual eateries. Formal nights, held twice on many but not all
weeklong itineraries, are not strictly formal — more like
semiformal. Men can get away with a dark suit and women a cocktail
dress, but check your cruise brochure for advice. Some of the
ultraluxury lines still stick to the formal tradition, men in
tuxes and women in either long or short finery. For those who want
to dress to the hilt (you won't be alone), say to pose for a family
photo, many of the bigger cruise lines still offer tuxedo rental
(and there's nothing wrong with being overdressed), which you can
arrange through us at
Great Escapes Travel or
once you get onboard. Conversely, even on formal nights you can
choose the option of dining more casually at the ship's buffet,
where a Hawaiian shirt is suitable day and night.
Some lines
have nixed formal nights in favor of an informal dress code, which
is akin to semiformal, as described above. Or you may see the term
country club casual, which means you dress up a little more at night
than you did during the day. Men may want to wear a blazer, with or
without a tie, or just a collared shirt and nice pants; women a
blouse and skirt, dress, or nice pantsuit. For a no-jackets-required
dress code, nix the blazer, or not.
Casual nights (sometimes
called smart casual) will include your first night on the ship —
cruise lines take this precaution just in case luggage is slow to be
delivered. Here's where a dress code may apply, such as no shorts in
the main dining room. The reality is you'll likely see people
breaking these rules, much to the chagrin of those who follow them.
The basic rule of thumb is pants and a shirt for men (some wear a
sports jacket) and a sundress or casual pantsuit for women.
Suggested
attire for every evening is printed in the ship's daily schedule,
delivered to your cabin the night before so you have plenty of time
to decide what to wear.
Sundries:
Most ships
offer laundry service and some also have dry cleaning, with about a
24-hour turnaround. There will be a price list in your cabin. Expect
to pay about $1.50 per pair of socks, $3 per T-shirt (it's not cheap),
and $7 to dry clean a shirt. Many big ship lines among others) also offer self-service washing machines and dryers.
Your
cabin will have soap, shampoo, and often conditioner and lotion
but quality varies (you may, for instance, only have liquid soap).
If you're fussy about products, bring your own. Most ships will sell
you anything you forget — toothbrushes, razors, sunscreen, etcand
so on. If you like a powerful hairdryer you may want to pack your
own, as those in cabins tend to be weak.
All
American-operated ships are equipped with 110 AC current (both 110
and 220 on many). But if you are traveling internationally, on a
non-American cruise line, you may want to check if you need an adapter
for your electronic devices (cell phone, laptop, et al). Note that
most cruise cabins have only a couple of outlets, so if you're
bringing numerous electronic devices, you might want to bring
along a small power strip.
Packing Checklist:
On
all cruises you'll want to remember to bring a small day bag. On the
day you board your ship, it can take up to 8 hours for your luggage to
be delivered to your cabin, so fill the bag with all the essentials
(medicines, documentation, and so on) that you'll need for the day.
The bag will also come in handy when you're out exploring the ports
of call.
No matter where you're sailing, don't forget to pack
your camera. Bring binoculars if you're on a cruise where you are
likely to see wildlife. Carefully consider the the excursions you plan on taking and make sure to bring appropriate attire. If
you're going to hit the gym, pack your sneakers and gym clothes. If
you take any medications, make sure you to bring them along with you.
A special tip for ladies:
accessories such as scarves and jewelry allow you to wear a
simple black dress more than once. Classic mix-and-match separates in
neutral colors will also work well and cut down on the attire you
need to bring.
Pack Based On Climate:
Warm Weather
- T-shirts or polos
- Shorts, sundresses, and/or casual skirts
- Eveningwear
- Bathing suits with cover-ups
- Walking shoes or comfortable sandals
- Light rain jacket, poncho, and/or folding umbrella
- Sweater or shawl (for shipboard air-conditioning)
- Aqua-socks (for snorkeling, kayaking)
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Mosquito repellent
- Sun hat
- There's no need to pack a beach towel as these are provided shipboard.
Cold Weather
- Waterproof jacket
- Sweaters, fleece pullovers, or a warm vest
- Pants or jeans
- Walking shoes (preferably waterproof)
- Warm hat and gloves
- Folding umbrella
- Sunscreen
- Mosquito repellent(especially in Alaska)
- Eveningwear
- Sunglasses
- Swimsuit (for hot tub)
Moderate Temps
- Light jacket
- Sweater
- Shorts and pants
- Good walking shoes
- T-shirts and polos
- Long-sleeved shirt
- Eveningwear
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Folding umbrella
- Swimsuit (for hot tub)
For more information on cruises and other travel needs, don't hesitate to contact us!
407-740-6464
F. Golden USATT
