If you are new to cruising and are wondering what to pack, do not worry, you are not alone. Thousands of first-time cruisers ask themselves that exact same question. As you will see, packing for a cruise is far easier than you think.
Dress up if you want to
In the past, if you went cruising, you would have had to pack eveningwear. On most ships, you were required to dress for dinner and follow a very strict dress code.
This is no longer the case. If you want to, you can simply choose to eat in the restaurants where you are not required to wear formal attire. However, most ships still offer their passengers the chance to experience formal dining. It gives everyone the chance to really dress up and enjoy a special evening.
If you want to do this, find out what the dress code is for these events. Usually, it is black tie for the men and evening dresses for the women. For these events, elegant silver shoes are a great way to finish off your outfit. As you will see when you click here you can buy a nice pair without having to spend a fortune. Plus, you will almost certainly be able to wear them with less formal attire, so you should be able to get full use out of them.
Pack for the activities you want to enjoy
A good way to work out what you need to pack is to make a list of the activities you are hoping to enjoy during your cruise. Once you have done that, alongside each activity note down what you want to wear. Include, accessories and other items you may need. For example, sunglasses, a lightweight jacket, your camera, and a power block. Taking this approach will help to ensure that you do not forget anything important.
Now all you need to do is to remove the duplicates from the list. Once you have done this, you will have a comprehensive packing list that is tailored to your needs.
Make full use of your luggage allowance
One of the nice things about cruising is that you usually have a generous luggage allowance. So, if you want to, you can, potentially, take a lot more clothes with you than you would on a normal holiday.
However, you do need to be careful. Remember that if you are taking a flight to get to and from your departure or arrival destinations you will need to comply with the airline’s luggage allowances as well. Often, their allowances are a lot lower.
Extras for your cabin
As you can see apart from eveningwear, which you will only need if you wish to attend the formal dinners, packing for a cruise is not that different. However, there are one or two little extras that are worth adding to your case. For example, most cabins still only have one or two electrical points. A fact that can make keeping all of your tech items fully charged a bit of a challenge. Packing a small extension lead with multiple points on it is an easy way to get around this issue. There are several other extras you should consider packing for your cruise. You can find out more about them here.
Cruise etiquette advice
If you would like more advice about going cruising for the first time, we suggest that you read our cruise etiquette article.