How to Pack for a Cruise

How to Pack for a Cruise

Leave the kitchen sink at home and follow these basic guidelines for smoother sailing...

Black is timeless, black is elegant, and black is appropriate for formal or informal evenings. I bet it even works for smart casual” nights, if anybody ever figures out exactly what that means.

I wouldn’t be caught dead with a travel iron – probably something to do with the big triangular once left by one in a gorgeous blouse – but I certainly don’t want to look like a load of laundry. The solution? Tissue paper. Fold crease prone items around sheets of it before packing and your garments will emerge wrinkle-free.

Don’t take casual clothes that can’t be worn at least three times. And get over the fear of repeating a simple formal
dress on longer sailings.

It may be new and fabulous, but if it demands it’s very own pair of shoes, leave it at home.

If there is even a remote change of spillage, it should travel in a securely sealed plastic food storage bag.

Economy-sized hair sprays, shampoos and lotions don’t deserve a holiday. That’s why God, or at least Frederic Fekkai, invented handy hair care travel kits and individual-use packets of delicious shea butter body cream. Better yet, check your cruise line’s amenities – you might find the products in your cabin are superior to your own.

Check the weather at your destination before you go. If necessary, take that jacket or umbrella or you might end up with an expensive (and often ugly) desperation purchase.

Do you need the entire guidebook? Rip out the pages you’ll need or photocopy them and toss as you
go.

Head again to the copier with your passport. A copy – nestled somewhere separate from your passport – could be a
lifesaver.

Leave some room in your luggage for purchases or pack a folding carry-on to fill with the treasures you pick up. Large or cumbersome purchases should be shipped home.

Finally, if you really can’t live without it, bring it with you: Scuffed walking shoes, your favorite CDs, heated rollers, the bathrobe with the hole in it, or yes, even seven black dresses.