This is how we pack for a cruise!

A week’s worth of clothing for two teenage boys

Each person packs…

• 1 casual outfit per day = shirt & shorts (mostly t-shirts or tanks but a couple of nicer shirts for the casual dinners)
• 1 full dress outfit (we usually only attend one formal night, but you can wear this outfit twice, you will only wear it for a few hours) OR if you feel you need two, pack two lightweight dresses for the girls and one dress outfit with two different ties for the guys.
• 1 pair of sneakers/walking shoes (wear these on your feet on embarkation day), 1 pair of flip-flops or sandals, 1 pair of dress shoes and possibly 1 pair of water shoes (some excursions require them)
• 1 pair of PJs
• 1-2 swimsuits
• Underwear & socks (enough for however many days you will be on the cruise)

Packing Cubes

Let’s talk a minute about packing cubes…  I have never used them before but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about so I bought one set to try out.  I packed one suitcase (my suitcase) in the packing cubes and used the rolling method for all of the others.  Let me back up one second to say that I used the rolling method WITH the packing cubes in my suitcase.

I really liked them!  I was able to organize all of my tops and dress and sweater in the large cube, my bottoms in the medium cube and swimwear in the small cube.  The set I bought also came with three pouches.  The largest pouch was the perfect size for underwear and I used the two smaller ones for jewelry, etc.

Can I live without them… yes.  But it was really nice to have the bag even one step more organized which is great for my over-organized personality!

My first time using packing cubes

Rolling Method

The rolling method is one thing I truly believe in!  Rolling the clothes very tightly saves a LOT of room and therefore you can fit more clothes in a smaller suitcase.  Also, rolling makes fewer wrinkles in nothing than folding.

Fold the shirt or pants in half and then roll from top to bottom.  Trust me, it really works!

Toiletries

Some items are provided for you like shampoo and body wash, but for the most part, you will need to bring what you need.  Here are a few suggestions:

• toothbrush & toothpaste, floss, mouthwash
• hairbrush
• curling iron or flat iron – hair dryer is provided but some prefer to bring their own
• hair gel or hair spray
• shampoo and conditioner
• deodorant
• perfume, jewelry, etc.
• make-up

I found a great toiletries organizational bag with lots of pouches of all sizes.  I was able to put the toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss on one zipper pouch, the deodorants in the other zipper pouch and the main area in the middle held the large items like shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash and my hairbrush.

Proper Paperwork

• Boarding pass (printed during online check-in)
• Proper identification
  • Passport or birth certificate
  • State issued driver’s license

And the extras

• Power strip for additional plugs (no surge protector) – there is only ONE plug in the room (well sometimes two but not many)!
• Decorate your door – it makes your room easier to locate
• Backpack or beach bag
• SUNSCREEN and bring LOTS of it! Also, aloe gel in case of a sunburn – the Caribbean sun is intense!
• HAT! See above about the sun
• Sunglasses (and maybe a backup pair)
• Bug repellent for in port
• Disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer – 4,000+ people = lots of germs
• Highlighter to mark the activities on board that you don’t want to miss
• Post-it notes or small dry erase board for messages
• Ziploc bags to put your cell phone/camera in while in port and to pack wet things in for the drive home
• Binoculars for looking off of the ship
• Small first aid kit (with band-aids)
• Over-the-counter medications and also any prescriptions you need
• Seasickness medicine (just in case) – Sea Bands, Dramamine or ginger work well
• Pop-up clothes hamper or laundry bag for dirty clothes
• In case of wanting to do laundry: detergent pods, dryer sheets & quarters for machines
• Tide pen or Shout wipes for spills on clothing
• Downy Wrinkle Releaser is great instead of ironing
• Lightweight sweater or jacket – it can get chilly on deck at night
• Clothespins are great for hanging wet swimsuits to dry on the line in the bathroom.
• Towel clips for beach towels – it can get very windy on deck
• Large cup with a lid for water and/or coffee, the cups are very small on the ship
• Portable radio to listen to the local music while in port
• Magnet hooks – cabin walls are metal so extra hooks for storage are great
• Over the door shoe hanger is great for the bathroom if you have lots of toiletries
• Lanyard for your sail & sign card
• Extra memory cards and batteries for your camera/video camera
• Carnival allows one bottle of wine (750ml) per adult and soda (12 pack) per person in carry-on luggage (NOTE: we use bungee cords to strap the 12 pack of soda to the top of our luggage)

Want more details on these extras?  Here is the full post.

PS – Don’t forget your wine needs to be in your carry-on, not your checked bag!!!!

Want a printable packing list?  Click here for Packing List

The post Packing for a Cruise – 7 days in a Carry-On Bag appeared first on EECC Travels.

This is how we pack for a cruise!

Each person packs…

• 5 pair of shorts – you really don’t get dirty or sweaty on the ship in clothes, so they can be worn more than once since they will only be worn for a few hours at a time – most time will be spent in swimwear, esp for the kids
• 7-9 shirts (mostly t-shirts or tanks but a couple of nicer shirts for the casual dinners – these take up so little space I pack a couple of extras)
• 1 full dress outfit including shoes (we only attend one formal night, but you can wear this outfit twice, again, you will only wear it for a few hours)
• 1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of slip on canvas shoes, 1 pair of flip-flops or sandals
• 1 pair of PJs
• Underwear & socks

And the extras

• Plug strip – there are only TWO outlets in the entire cabin, you will need more plugs!
• Pop-up hamper
• Lanyards – this is great to keep your sail & sign card handy!
• Toiletries including: shampoo/conditioner (there is shampoo but not conditioner in the showers), deodorant, razors, etc… You know what you need
• Motion sickness medications or SeaBands
• Medications such as Motrin, Tylenol, Tums, etc… There is a medic on board but they will charge you for these
• And the most important thing you can pack is SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN, SUNSCREEN!!! I cannot stress this enough!!! Nothing will ruin a vacation faster than a bad sunburn and the Caribbean sun can be brutal!

The post PACKING FOR A CRUISE – What we pack & how we pack appeared first on EECC Travels.