7 No-Fail Tips on What to Pack for a Cruise

Barcelona. Rome. The Bahamas. Japan. The sea is calling you on an adventure and there's one thing left to do - PACK. Leave the packing list to me as I share with you 7 no-fail tips on what to pack for a Cruise - any cruise, including first-hand advice and helpful links to other cruise packing lists on my site.

Below, I'll guide you through ways to save space, look great, and how to create your best vacay looks.

Let's get started!

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Tip 1: Only Pack What You Can Carry

Let me tell you why: boarding a cruise ship you will drop your big luggage off with the porters at the dock, and you'll carry any important items on board with you. This includes medicine, cosmetics, and even a backpack full of electronics and dinner clothes for the night (just in case your bags arrive too late in the evening at your cabin door).

But here's the kicker - disembarking the cruise on the last day you may not have time to get your bags from the porters. Reason being, you may have an early flight and need to be a walk-off departure, or perhaps you need your bag the final night and can't put it out for the porters to pick up that evening.

For these reasons, always be sure to pack only what you are physically capable of bringing off the ship with you.

This same principle applies for airports, train stations, bus depots and even taxis. The more baggage you have, the more cumbersome it will be. You will open yourself up to potential theft (see tips on avoiding pickpocketing here), and you will find yourself flustered, overwhelmed, and with too much to handle.

Only pack what you can carry. For most people this means NO MORE THAN:

• 1 carry-on or checked bag

• 1 personal item

Learn about packing a personal item here.

For tips on packing light, visit my post about packing hacks and swaps here.

Tip 2: Wear Every Single Item in Your Bag at Least Twice

I know, some of you are shuddering right now. Here's some tips:

• Pack lightweight, air-wicking clothing

• Pack a lot of base or monotone colors

• Pack blouses or tops that double as evening wear

• Pants can be worn 4-6 times

The Benefits of Lightweight or Air Wicking Clothing

These can get sweaty and washed out in the sink or shower if need be (with handy Tide sink packets), and they often can be worn 2-3 times.

These are perfect 'travel day' shirts for airplanes and schlepping from point A to point B. They don't need to be pretty, but they do hard work for you.

Layer these items as needed with outerwear for cooler weather destinations.

Blend in - stand out - whatever, but make sure you can wear it twice! This shirt made for a quirky outfit for a sea day on a deep Caribbean cruise, and was fun for wearing in port in the Dominican Republic.

The idea here is that you want to pack lightweight in order to pack smaller in your luggage (i.e. more space for souvenirs!).

Base Colors for the Win

Black is the most standard, but pick a color that personifies your destination and season (think teals and blues for the Mediterranean, black for haute European locales, and corals and pinks for the Caribbean).

Black is exceptionally easy for wearing multiple times - namely due to its versatility!

Pair these colors with other monotone items for mix and match styles that can be worn again a few times.

Always pack some fun accessories to change up the look!

Blouses that Double as Evening Wear

The shirts that do double duty - think of your nicer material items that can easily be paired with black dress pants or a nice skirt. These tops will be worn at dinner one evening, then a few days later wear it off the ship in port!

Pro tip: cool weather cruises (Alaska, Northern Europe, etc) your entire time in port will be spent wearing your jacket, except indoors and in transit, so don't worry too much about what is underneath. A cashmere blouse is an easy evening top, or a slinky turtleneck can wow over happy hour drinks later. Bonus points if your tops are slinky - a trick for packing light!

By the way - not every night is a formal night on a cruise, and outfits like the one in the picture are reasonable for casual dinners. Jeans are typically frowned upon by die-hard cruisers, but every now and then it's ok. I say, waste up - look amazing, and with the right shoes you can make jeans look stunning for casual dinner nights on a cruise ship.

This outfit can be worn all day, then if there is little time to change between excursions and dinner then you can go straight on and still look lovely.

My favorite blouse that does double duty is a wrap style black top that never smells bad, always looks great with any bottoms, and literally matches anything.

Wear Pants More Times Than You Think

Use the good old sniff test. Yep, it's gross. But you know which bottoms smell more than others, and it typically is due to the material. Jeans can be worn for days on end and never get stinky.

Cotton items tend to be 1-3 days max, like athleisure clothing. It's just not the best material for multiple wears, and depending on your destination it is actually considered rather unsightly to be wearing any kind of jogging wear or work out wear in port. Europeans especially find this off putting. Read more about Europeans culture shocks for Americans here.

Consider also that weather may completely foil an outfit for you for the remainder of the trip. Below I wore these pants to Miyajima Island in Japan, only to get completely rained on all day. They were unwearable for days until they dried out.

For that reason, make sure you have a reasonable amount of alternatives. Two to three bottoms plus some dresses is great for women, or 3-5 bottoms for men.

Tip 3: You Don't Need All Your Tech Gear, Makeup, or Non-Essentials.

Instead of bringing everything you own and the kitchen sink, opt for clever swaps or compact versions of your favorite travel products.

Prioritize bringing these tech items:

• Travel adapters for days on land (read about what you'll need for each country here). Note that most cruise ships use US plugs.

• All necessary chargers (phone, watch, tablet)

• Headphones or ear buds for the airplane. I recommend tiny ear bud headphones with an adapter like this for wireless seat back entertainment.

You do not need anything else. You'll be too busy having fun, and there's no (free) internet on cruises so just unplug and relax!

Makeup Loving Ladies: SCALE BACK!

Just do it. I know, I know. Start with some of my hacks:

• I always have a 5 in 1 lipstick on hand. It's compact and I can match my lips to any outfit.

• I bring a simple eyeshadow trio in glittery colors for formal nights.

• I bring a travel sized perfume

THAT'S IT. I know some of you can't live without foundations, etc, so if you must - find travel sizes or go to the dollar store and get containers to put them in. Don't pack full sized items. There isn't that much room for it in the bathroom anyway!

Tip 4: Only Pack Comfortable Shoes

I can't tell you how many times I've failed here. Packing for form over function, my toes have frozen in the Christmas Markets in Europe, I've slipped around in flip flops on waterfalls, and I've gotten blisters from epic walking days in Japan. Don't put form over function.

These are the shoes to pack:

• 1 pair of shoes for water (this could be showers and bath houses, spas, pool decks, beach days, whatever) but ONLY ONE.

• 1 pair of cute shoes for dinner (more on that below)

• 1 pair of dinner flats that double as travel shoes (think loafers or Toms)

• 1 hard working sneakers (your comfiest pair you own) for port days

Do Not Pack:

• A brand new pair of shoes (pack only worn in pairs)

• High heels (even walking around the ship you'll tire of all the stairs)

• Shoes that slide on slippery surfaces (the ship often sees spills in buffet areas, pool decks, and even sea spray walking along the promenade deck)

For Your Cute Pair of Shoes

Consider a pair of Solely Janes, my favorite travel shoe for this type of occasion. Their line of 'heels' is actually a small 2.5 inch fat wedge style heel, elevating your look and your height.

Each pair has a base (black or tan) and tops that you can change out based on your mood or outfit. There's options in every style and color and I'm obsessed. You can pack five pairs in the space of a book.

Don't believe me? Read my review here, then check out their inventory at Solely Jane's website. Use my code ALWAYSPACKTISSUES for an extra discount.

If heels are not for you, then pack a nice pair of dress sandals or other dressy flats for the occasion. Make sure they can do double duty on travel days or in port, too!

Tip 5: Don't Forget Essentials

Don't forget to add these items to your essentials list:

• Jackets and sweaters (at a minimum bring a cardigan for chilly ship areas)

• Socks, underwear, bras (my husband forgot his socks and had to borrow, beg and steal for some from my family members. We ended up paying $16 for a 3 pack of socks in port - ouch).

• Toiletries

• Bathingsuit (1 or 2 max) and coverup if necessary

• Gloves, warm hats, scarves, etc for cold weather destinations

• Hats, sunglasses

• Passport

• Foreign currency (check here to see if you need it)

• Pajamas (1 for every 4 nights); Pro tip: some slinkier items can be worn as PJs in a pinch. Especially t-shirt or slip dresses!

• A day bag (could be a purse, backpack, or shopping tote)

• An umbrella (depending on destination/weather)

• Refillable water bottle

• Pack medications WITH the prescription label (learn why here).

Tip 6: Don't Go Overboard on Formal Night Outfits

Once upon a time, formal nights were respected. Men wore tuxedo's, women wore ball gowns. Now, I'm disgusted to see kids wearing shorts, adults wearing t-shirts, and a general and total lack of respect for the hey day of cruising. Formal night used to the top night to showcase your dazzle, but now only few seem to care.

To do it right, meet the the lackluster and the dazzle somewhere in the middle. I tend to pack 2-3 dresses, one pair of formal pants, and then rotate in some of my tops.

One of my favorite things to pack is a basic slip dress. I actually got two from Walmart for around $20 each. They are slinky (my obvs fave material) and it matches nearly everything. I typically also bring a shawl to amp up the look. Instant class, zero effort.

And look, here's the same dress (different color) for a travel day to Pisa, Italy.

Slip dresses are perfect for airplane rides, and even as pajamas if need be. Shop the look here, in almost every color. You get the idea though, SUPER versatile! It literally comes on every trip with me.

Meanwhile, men on formal nights can wear button up shirts (long-sleeve is preferable) and they can skip the tie, or skip the jacket. Typically it is one or the other, but never both. Men also easily can get away with no tie or jacket, but that's if they have a fun in-theme button up top, like a tropical shirt or something loud with holiday stuff on it.

Women typically bring their favorite gown plus several casual dresses with glitzy jewelry. You do you, but just don't go overboard packing too many fancy things.

Consider that there is also never enough space to hang all of your dresses, due to lack of hangers. Prepare to fold some of them or purchase these cool compact folding hangers made just for this occasion.

Formal night then and now: what do you think? Plus, peep the Solely Janes!

(Left: formal night with my brother eons ago, Right: formal night with my parents on the fancy Cunard line, Bottom: Christmas Night 2024)

Tip 7: You Are Not Moving In

What do I mean by that? Listen, I love to nest. In fact, I put together this great list of ways to make your cruise ship cabin more cozy and comfortable. But, you are not moving in.

You will unpack on day one and your bag will need to fit underneath the bed. There is nowhere else to put it, so remember that. That said, you CAN buy things at your destination.

That means you don't need to bring every beach pail, every designer purse, or every seasonably cute accessory that you own. Scale down, big time.

What to Pack for a Cruise Depends on the Destination and the Weather

Lastly, always consider the time of year, any holidays happening, the weather, and the destination.

This helps to navigate the color schema for your outfits, along with the added needs. Here's some of my other tips to get you going:

• What to Pack for beach vacations like Mexico or the Caribbean

• What to Pack for Middle Eastern cruise vacations - especially for women

• What to Pack for Alaskan cruises

• What to Pack for a Christmas Market cruise in Europe

And before you go, please consider purchasing my kid's travel journal called "Scavenger Hunt Cruise". It's an excellent source of entertainment for your kiddos full of activities, educational lessons about cruising, and prompts for journaling every day. Check it out on Amazon!