What Should You Pack When You Go on a Cruise? (588 words)

One of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations that you could possibly take is a cruise. When it comes to getting away from it all a cruise really delivers. There is no cell phone service, e-mail is not easily accessible, and many times you are hundreds of miles away from anything that could be considered normal life. Going on a cruise should really be one of the most stress free vacations that you can imagine, yet many people spend a lot of time worrying about what they should pack. Here are some suggestions that will act as a guide to help you when making your packing decisions.

For most cruise vacations you will be limited to just a couple of bags in your room. It may seem like an impossible task to be able to pack enough clothes for a one or possibly two week vacation in such a small amount of room. That's why it is important to plan what you're going to wear carefully. Cruise ship rooms are notoriously small and you will be happy that you do not have to store extra bags once you are onboard.

The first thing that you should concern yourself with is the dress code that your particular ship has in place. Many of these ships do not allow you to come to dinner in shorts and T-shirts. Even on the days that there is not formal dining you will still need to dress according to their restrictions. Since many ships also have at least two formal dining evenings you will only need to have casual dining clothes for the remaining evenings. You can save a lot of room in your luggage by packing clothing that can be interchanged with each other. In this way you will be able to create several unique outfits with a very limited combination of clothing.

For the evenings where there is formal dining you might want to consider renting a tuxedo for the man in the room. Not only does it save you room in your luggage but it's just nice to arrive on the ship and have a tuxedo hanging in your closet waiting for you. For women, on the formal nights, this is a place where you may want to splurge and pack two formal dresses. Many people do not get to dress up for things such as this very often so you may want to make the most of the occasion.

The rest of your time on the ship will generally be spent wearing casual clothing, shorts, and swimsuits. It is not really necessary to pack more than a few outfits, and if something should happen to go wrong there are laundry facilities on the ship. You will want to have the proper footwear as well. Most of the time sandals or flip-flops will suffice but if you're going to do an excursion that requires a lot of walking you'll want to pack the proper footwear for that.

Planning for a cruise should be as enjoyable as being on a cruise. Don't get too wrapped up in the details, just give yourself plenty of time to pack. You will also want to make a list of the things that you have already packed and the things that you will need to pack at the last minute. If worse comes to worse and you did forget something you can always pick up a replacement on the ship. So enjoy your vacation and make it stress free from the very start.