It’s 25 days before your cruise! Let the packing for your cruise begin! Take it from us, you really want to start thinking about what you are going to bring with you way ahead of time. The last thing you need is to realize two days before your cruise that the dress you were going to wear has a stain in it. Or, that you can’t find that evening purse you haven’t used in years. Or, that the dress shirt you want to wear doesn’t button around your neck anymore! Oh shoot, where are your grandfather’s cufflinks? And what about shoes? Walking shoes? High heels? Sandals?
It’s time to make your first lists of clothing. Three lists! You don’t have to do ANY actual packing. But just getting an idea of what you will bring will help you prepare for the weeks to come.
Writing it down will get these three nefarious lists out of your head. And that HAS to bring down your stress! We have found a handy pad of Packing Checklists that gets us started each time we travel.
LIST ONE– Your favorite clothes you already know you want to bring.
LIST TWO- The clothes you need to shorten, alter, or have cleaned. Shoes polished, etc.
LIST THREE– The clothes, shoes, luggage, or accessories you need to purchase.
The many cruise lines each have different dress codes that will help you decide what you will wear. The weather for your sailing will delegate so much of your wardrobe. But be ready for anything!
EXAMPLE– We were on a Baltic cruise to Russia. The weather said it would be in the 50s, rainy and cold the entire time. When we arrived, there was a heatwave and it hit 80 degrees. UNHEARD OF! We didn’t have sandals, but we had thrown a few short sleeve shirts in the mix and even one pair of shorts at the very last minute. You hear it over and over again, LAYER! Layering is the best way to pack for a cruise because you can be ready for anything.
CRUISE GODDESS TIP– Bert thinks that I am crazy. But the way I don’t overpack or underpack is I make a schedule and figure out what I might wear each day. Granted, I never stick to it, but it gives me an idea of how much to bring. I actually go through the week and look at how many formal nights I need, casual dinners, beach port days, museum or city tour days,etc. Then I plan for that! I list the days and what I may want to wear. Of course, I still add way more in to the suitcase last minute. But at least I know I have what I need.
Cruisewear
Here is what I do (The Cruise Goddess) around day 25.
Cruise clothes! List the days of your cruise, boarding day, port days and sea days on a piece of paper. Then start assigning your clothes based on the below. This will show you what you need to purchase, too!
- Count how many formal night clothes you will need. If you don’t know, ask your Travel agent to check with the cruise line for you.
- How many casual or evening casual nights are left?
- How many port days clothing will you need?
- How many sea days will you have?
- Are you bringing workout clothes?
- Do you need swimwear?
- What shoes, purses, belts do you need?
- What do I want to wear when I board the ship? (Yep, my favorite thing to figure out because it sets my mood for the cruise!)
Now Start Your Cruise Packing List
LIST ONE-
Just start listing your favorite clothes that will make you feel comfortable and wonderful! The travel day clothes I leave till later. This is my CRUISEWEAR! Look at your list of cruise days and see how it fits.
LIST TWO-
See which ones need altering or cleaning
LIST THREE
If you really are like me (The Cruise Goddess) and want to get a jump on your packing then I use this trick. I start at my head and go down to my feet. And make a list of everything I need to buy.
- Hats
- Scarves
- Jewelry
- Shawls
- Bras, Bathing suits
- Tops- Shirts, sweaters, dresses, cover-ups
- Pants, shorts, skirts, panties, underwear
- Socks, stockings
- Shoes
- Purses to match the wardrobe
Men add on
- Tuxedo or suit
- Sport jacket
- Tie(s)
- Cufflinks
Now you have your beginning idea of your Cruisewear. The most important two lists now are:
- What needs shortening, altering or cleaning?
- What do you need to buy?
We are not even talking today about suitcases, electronics, or anything else! Just clothes, shoes and accessories!
Here are some fun things I aways bring. You can check them out on Amazon through the links below.
I always have a shawl or wrap for evenings on the ship and for traveling. Black or white will go with everything!
I also love to add nautical flare to my cruise wear with scarves!
I like to bring a very small over the shoulder purse for walking around the ship. All I keep in it is my cabin key card, some lipstick, compact and my phone for pictures.
I walk all over the ship and love to walk in the ports. So, I bring lightweight walking shoes with me. Here are some really cute nautical lightweight shoes. LOVE LOVE them! And for the men, Sperry Top Siders for that classical sailing look! Captain Bert’s favorite is the Authentic Original Baja Boat Shoe.
Beach Clothes and Hats
I always forget a Swimsuit cover up. Now it’s at the top of my list for those pool days on the ship. Or for walking to the spa for my spoiling day!
Foldable or crushable sun hats are the only way to go.
You can’t go wrong anytime on a ship when you wear anchors or carry an Anchor Shoulder Bag!
Next up: Day 24, time to get your electronics, phones and cameras and accessories together!