Going on a Cruise?? Don’t leave home without these!
So you are about to head out on a relaxing cruise but you are starting to panic…do I have everything??? I do the same thing! Being on a cruise is a little bit different then if you were heading to Disney or to the beach for a week. There’s no stores in the middle of the ocean and the shops on the ship are usually REALLY pricey for things that you may need (outside of souvenirs). I never leave on a cruise without the following items…and trust me…you’ll probably want them too!!
Let’s start with the basics
Obviously you need to pack clothes (duh!) BUT try to make sure you cover all the things you may need. A day at sea may only require a bathing suit, but what if you plan to work out on the ship (yes, some people still keep to their routine on vacations lol). SO, when making a list of what to pack…here are my thoughts on clothes to consider:
sundress/shorts
workout clothes
swimsuits
dinner outfits
Speaking of dinner…
do you like to dress up a bit? If you are like me and don’t get many chances to rock a cute sundress, you like to spruce up a bit for dinner/evening activities. While a lot of cruise lines no longer do a “formal” dining night, a lot of sailors tend to get a little done up for dinner time. So don’t forget a few cute outfits/dresses for nighttime.
** Double check and make sure that you do not have a formal night on your cruise. If you do, don’t forget to pack a more formal/business-like outfit for that night
Last item on the clothing list…
sometimes parts of the ships can get a bit chilly when the sun goes down. I always pack a cardigan and/or sweatshirt in case it gets a bit cold (I am ALWAYS cold…so if you are not a “cold” person, you can ignore this one!)
Now that we have the suitcase covered…let’s talk Beach Bag!
First tip for beach bags… find one that is collapsible so you do not need to take up too much space. Being a Florida girl… NEVER FORGET SUNSCREEN!!! You will be a lobster within the hour and that will not make for a good rest of the trip. While the tanning oil is great…it really is not doing anything to help your skin… so SPF 30 at least!
On a similar note, many sailors remember sunscreen but neglect to bring lotion or aloe along with it. Honestly, its a lot cheaper to bring it from home than to buy it on the ship and if you are like me, and want to spend your days basking in the sunshine, you will need to moisturize your skin with lotion even if you are not burnt…trust me!
also in my beach bag….
I always have at least one book (sometimes 2 if I am flying somewhere first). So basically you can find me by the pool with a girly romance novel and a tropical drink any day of the cruise lol!
I also include my AirPods to listen to my own music if the music on deck isn’t my cup of tea.
Holding all the things!
Another thing to consider when cruising is that the bathroom really isn’t that big. There won’t be any double sink counter space like you are used to so all the girly things you have littering your counter at home won’t be able to have a home in the cabin. So, as a solution, find a toiletry bag that will hang on the back of the door. You can keep all of your make up, hair products, etc neatly hanging being the door instead of all over the cabin.
Also, something to think about- do you get seasick? Even if you don’t, its not a bad idea to pack some dramamine or other seasickness remedies just in case!
Last but not least!
This one is something I recently discovered that I cannot live without- a waterproof phone case. I always used to take my phone around water and just be SUPER cautious…like barely dipping my toes in. BUT I am loving these waterproof cases! Now I can even take my phone snorkeling and know that it will be fine under water…and that helps get some pretty awesome pictures too!
While these are definitely my must haves on a cruise (or any vacation really lol) here are a few other things to add to your list just in case you haven’t thought of them…
hats/sunglasses
athletic shoes
laptop/tablet
passport/license/insurance cards
cash- just in case!