OK, you’ve booked that cruise, and it’s almost time to go. Surely you will need 2 steamer trunks and a carry on, right?! NOT! Packing may be as subjective as food…I don’t know, but let me show you what I traveled to Europe for 3 weeks with…including a 14 night Celebrity cruise.
The first thing I tell people that ask me about packing for a cruise is “don’t overpack.” Most do, and frankly, I’ve done so as well in my early cruising career. Simply put, you don’t need to take more than will fit in what you see pictured above on most any cruise. One pair of jeans, 2 pairs of khakis, and a handful of dressy t-shirts, a couple of not so dressy t-shirts, shorts, underwear, a swim suit, workout clothes, and 2 pairs of shoes (one workout, one casual) make up your core wardrobe. Throw in some flip flops in the front pocket of your bag and you’re golden. All of that, and probably more will fit in a standard roller bag and backpack. Keep in mind that I was carrying 3 weeks worth of diabetic supplies too! As you can see, I traveled light. MrsMJ traveled with a very similar setup. But wait…what about formal night?! Well, MrsMJ packed a couple of dresses that can be basically thrown in, and come out unwrinkled. And yours truly, I rented a tuxedo even though I own one. Would I have been allowed to cruise if my rented tuxedo had not shown up? Yes!
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, formal night is the most over rated, over worried about concept in the history of mankind. Let me be clear. I love wearing a tuxedo, but you don’t have to! Dress codes on most cruise ships are “recommended” not required. That said, I would never show up in the main dining room on formal night in a pair of jeans. Just not my style. Lesser known secret: on most ships, the specialty restaurants are “casual” even on formal night. The buffets always are. In short, you aren’t going to starve on formal night if you elect not to wear formal dress on your cruise. Just pack light and make peace with the fact that you are going to need to do laundry sometime during your cruise!
If you’re getting ready for a cruise, pack wisely and please DO NOT overpack. I’ll be glad to answer anyone’s questions. You can read all of my tips for new cruisers here.
I am in the midst of a rather intense few weeks of work and travel. I’ll be posting new content regularly, but filling in some spots with “Best of” posts from time to time. How does a post get qualified as “Best of?” Pageviews, comments, and intuition. This post originally appeared on February 28, 2013.
My wife and I always over pack for cruises,we just like having the options. I don’t want to be wearing the same thing in multiple pictures so we even pack 5 swim suits. All a matter of preference.
On our last cruise someone chuckled at me during the luggage pick up and said “must be your first cruise huh?”
@Daniel G,
No worries. It’s all about what one wants. 🙂
I agree with you in principle but I could also say just wear a pair of jeans and two t-shirts and you don’t even need a suitcase. Sure you can do that but I enjoy having some extra items on a cruise. I don’t want to wear the same 2 shirts for 2 weeks. It’s a matter of choice. I totally agree that most people over pack.
Also beware that some cruise lines are more picky about what you wear at night. MSC for example doesn’t always enforce it but these don’t allow shorts on deck after 6pm.
On the other hand if your the laid back “that guy” that doesn’t want to dress up at all. Just hit the buffet or room service and enjoy. To each his own.
I like the big long lists that people post on cruise critic of what you should pack. They include stuff like post it notes, ziplock bags, radios and all kinds of party supplies. It’s just funny to me. I guess if was going to host an orgy in my suite on the ship I might need some stuff but much of it is silly 🙂
Thanks for your comment Dan! When’s your next cruise?