If you’re planning a cruise, you’ll want to pack light and intelligence to have room for souvenirs and entertainment.
Here are some easy tips on packing for a cruise.
1. Look at your itinerary and preferences to ensure that you’ll get enough wear and tear from your luggage.
For example, if you want to pack books, make sure that you don’t plan on reading them during the trip. When the “vacation” is over, the reader will still be there to read at home again. On the other hand, if your favorite electronic gadget is a tablet or a Kindle Fire, plan on passing it along to a friend or family member during your stay. Get gift cards from hotel gift shops (instead of getting accessories) as part of your packing list.
2. Plan to take souvenirs, but don’t forget the value of receiving gifts on the ship. Take a look over your packing list and tell yourself that you will only bring what would be a one-time use (i.e., souvenirs) with you to the cruise ship. If you pack something that has an average life span of two weeks, then take a look at offers from cruise ship shops. They’ll give you an itemized list of what they want to offer versus what they’re willing to give away for free as long as your item will fit into their budget (don’t turn down deals). Think about whether it’s worth picking something just for the opportunity to pass it along or if it’s worth it. You could always take some of your souvenirs home with you.
3. Pack smartly and take advantage of the pass-through area in your luggage. Packing smartly allows you to pack more items than you would typically be able to fit into your suitcase, so you can either let the cruise ship staff pack for you or store your luggage near the cabin door for pick up after disembarking.
4. As much as possible, try to bring things through security that are already prepared and can be used multiple times instead of bringing them along on the ship. The more the cruise ship staff has to prepare for you, the more available space they have for other items traveling with you. This puts less burden on everyone and can help out the environment. It’s better to bring a water bottle (in a reusable container) rather than buying a single bottle at the terminal (which uses up more plastic).