Packing For Your Cruise Vacation

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By:Mary Hanna

The cruise line that you choose for your cruise travel will give you guidelines on what to pack for evening wear. Seven day cruises usually have two formal nights, a dark suit or tuxedo for the gentlemen, and a cocktail dress or gown for the ladies. All cruise ships have Tuxedo rentals but I recommend purchasing your own. You will get plenty of use out of it after you fall in love with cruising. (Ten day cruise have three formal nights).

There are also “informal” nights where it’s a jacket and a tie, and a dress or pants suit. The remainder of the evenings will be “resort casual”. On some of our cruise vacations Scottish Gentlemen wore kilts and sporran and we have also seen ceremonial African Garb. Shorts, jeans and tee shirts are unacceptable in the dining room at dinner.

There are cruise lines that have no “formal” nights. Windjammer is shorts and T Shirts all day and all night. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of dressing up tell your travel agent so he/she can give you the options for ships that have alternative dining or ships that don’t have the formal nights.

Some of the Cruise Lines have theme nights, RCCL has country and western night, Costa has Toga Night, Princess throws a Caribbean Party etc. Your Agent should know if the cruise line you have selected has any of these special party nights so that you can be prepared if you wish to participate in the activities.

If you are going to a warm climate I recommend that you pack at least two bathing suits since you might swim in the morning (water aerobics anyone?) then go to the dining room for lunch, and decide afterwards to go back to the pool. There is nothing worse than putting on a cold, wet suit.

Don’t forget the suntan lotion and a hat plus a good quality pair of sunglasses. If you are planning to wear a dress that has no sleeves, remember this when tanning so that you don’t have unsightly tan lines that will completely ruin the look of your dress.

I bring several pairs of prescription glasses (both clear and sun) in case one gets lost. Even in Alaska the glare was pretty strong and you will get sunburned there too. Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen!!!!

I pack a bathing suit and cover up in my carry on luggage. It may take a few hours for your luggage to be delivered to your room and this way you have a suit to wear on the deck right away, if you are on a ship that you have previously cruised.

Cruise Tip: It is smart to pack a light sweater for day time and a pretty shawl for the evening even on Caribbean Cruises since some of the ships are quite cold. Twice I have broken this rule and had to buy a sweatshirt on board.

If you haven’t cruised on the cruise line before, after dropping off your carry on luggage in your room, head for the buffet, then tour the ship to get your bearings. This is especially important on the huge mega-liners. Some cruise lines give a tour of the ship on the first day, if they do, take it. Check your daily sheet for the time. The sheet will be in your cabin when you arrive. Ask your cabin steward to leave two in the future so that both of you know what is going on and at what time. There should be a layout guide of the entire ship in your room. If not, go to the purser’s office (reception) and ask for one for you and whomever you’re traveling with.

The day you arrive at the ship, after you’ve gotten the layout, make any appointments you want; hair, nails, or massages, appointments sell out very quickly for formal nights and days at sea. If you are using the traditional dining option make sure it is correct, if it isn’t go see the Maitre d’. He will try very hard to accommodate you.

And by all means don’t miss the sail away party on deck as you are leaving port. Some ports make a big deal out of this. For instance in Fort Lauderdale the Condos at the end of the channel toot horns, blink lights, and ring bells to the departing ship. The ship then toots back three or four times. In Edinburgh they had a group of bagpipers serenade us out, and in Viet Nam they had a local group of young girls do traditional dances in traditional garb as we left port. Very cool, and great pictures for your photo album.

On the subject of packing, don’t over pack, every cruise review stresses this. I am very guilty of this particular problem, but I live across the channel from the port we frequently use. Keep in consideration that if you are flying there are definite weight restrictions. They will make you pay if your bags are too heavy.

Stuff things little items into your packed shoes to save on space. Don’t bring shoes for every outfit. One pair of sturdy shoes for touring, one pair of casual shoes and one pair of dressy shoes will get you through.

Buy travel size appliances i.e., curlers, irons and blow dryers (on most cruise lines today hair dryers are provided but they are not very powerful). Shampoo and Conditioner, body lotion, soap and shower caps are all provided. On Caribbean Cruise I pack a small spritz bottle, the kind you use to spray your plants, so when we are swimming in the salt water I can spray off the salt on my face and body when we get out. It tends to dry out my skin making me very uncomfortable. The beaches in Fort Lauderdale have showers but that is not always true for the rest of the world.

Tape a copy of your itinerary on the inside of your suitcase so if it gets lost the airline will know where to send it. Make sure your have toiletries, medications, bathing suit and cover up (if going to a warm climate) as well as a couple of pairs of clean underwear packed in your carry on in case your luggage is delayed.

So call your travel agent, layout your wardrobe and Set Sail!

Happy Cruising!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

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About the Author
Mary Hanna has traveled the world by Air and Ship while writing eBooks, Software Reviews and Practical Articles on Internet Marketing, Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at: www.CruiseGold.com www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and www.CruisingTips.com or contact her at mhanna@cruisepublishing