Traveling light on a cruise

So you’re going on a cruise.  You’ve booked your reservations, asked your friend to take care of the dog and water the plants and now it’s time to pack.  But what will you wear?

You know that the way a person dresses has an effect on how others look at you.  You want to be well-dressed and confident instead of dowdy.  So how can you be fashionable without looking like a diva and dragging a ton of luggage aboard? Well really, it’s easier than you think.

The first rule to traveling light is to only bring what is important and what you need.  Remember, a cruise is generally for a short time and you don’t need to empty out your closet and medicine cabinet. You’re cruising to relax and over packing creates a hassle and stress that you’re trying to get away from.

So how do you pack for a cruise?  Well, first of all, break your packing into three areas:  Casual, formal and informal.  Casual clothes would be those things that you’ll be wearing during the day. They are shorts, t-shirts, pants, sneakers, bathing suits, etc.  Also, falling into that category are such things as sunscreen/sun tan lotion, flip flops, sun glasses, and even a hat.

Your nighttime clothes can be a little more formal – perhaps a long dress for ladies and trousers and a blazer for men.  You don’t have to be fancy in order to dress up, and the most important thing is to make sure your clothes are as wrinkle free as possible.  It’s important that you don’t look messy.

When packing try to put together mix and match outfits…pants or skirts that can be worn with more than one top and tops that can go from casual to fancy with just the addition of a nice jacket, scarf or additional accessory.

When traveling on a cruise, make sure you try to look for outfits that are lightweight.  You’d be surprised how much difference this can make when you have your suitcase all packed.  There are several online stores that specialize in light weight travel clothes and their websites are a great place to start.

Remember, you want your vacation to be hassle- free, stress-free and packing light is a great start for achieving that.