Cruising has substantially changed since we entered the 21st Century. What was once a “dress for dinner” atmosphere, on many if not most cruise ships, with men in tuxedos, and women in evening gowns, has now become much more casual.
While you won’t be welcome in the dining room in shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops, on many cruises a skirt, slacks with blouse or sweater, or dress, for women, and slacks and collared shirt for men is all that’s required, every night. Some cruises welcome even somewhat more casual attire at dinner. There are cruises which still have “formal nights.”
The more casual atmosphere has made cruise packing easier.
I enjoy cruising in my travel mix. I’ve learned that while clothing choices for shipboard and off-ship activities are critical to packing for a cruise, there are other important issues which must be considered before you pack for your next cruise.
• Know your cruise’s dress code — To choose your clothes for your cruise, you first need to know your cruise’s dress code. Even if you’ve cruised on the cruise line before, check specifically for your individual cruise. Dress codes are evolving, and some cruises have different dress codes than others.
• Check your destination and excursion climates — It goes without saying you need to know what temperatures and weather to expect during your cruise, as you move from destination to destination and excursion to excursion. An excursion may take you a long way from the port, to entirely different climate conditions than found there.
• Know your excursion dress code — Most cruisers remember to take into account what the weather will be like during excursions, but forget that some excursion destinations might have clothing requirements and restrictions.
My wife and I will be going to Istanbul on a cruise later this year, where we will visit at least one mosque. While she’ll be able to walk around in her standard travel wear most of the time, in a mosque she’ll need to wear a scarf to cover her head and shoulders, and a long skirt.
• Consider using the ship’s laundry — Cruise ships today have laundry services available, and some even have self-service laundromats. Especially if your cruise is longer than a week, you should consider the ship’s laundry, even though it’s not necessarily inexpensive, as it enables you to pack lighter, and/or not waste time doing your own laundry. Another alternative is to pack some of those quick drying travel clothes, and do some “wash and dry” in your stateroom’s bathroom. If you do that, bring some travel laundry detergent and inflatable hangers with you.
• Know the electrical standards of your ship, and of the countries in which you might be staying pre and post cruise — Your cruise ship might not have the same electrical standards of your home country, and the same may be true of any hotels for your pre and post cruise stay, if any, during your trip. If you’re a traveler with a cell phone, laptop computer, digital camera, mp3 player or other electrical or electronic devices which need to be charged or plugged-in while away, make sure you have the necessary transformer and/or plug adapters for your devices.
• Unless you’re certain you never get sea sick, be prepared to prevent it — If you’ve never been on a cruise, or cruised in rough waters, even if you’ve never had motion sickness, be prepared to prevent getting sea sick. Pack a sea sickness preventative!
I normally don’t get sea sick, but on cruises in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, I’ve run into some bad weather, and was very happy I had my pair of accupressure wrist bands, which prevented me from getting sea sick, while many passengers got extremely ill.
• Pack your carry-on specifically for boarding your ship at the start of your cruise — Unlike at the airport, where you get your checked luggage immediately (LOL), your checked luggage may not arrive in your stateroom for several hours after you board. In addition, mishaps may occur when loading checked luggage on to the ship. You should pack your carry-on accordingly.
In my carry-on, I always have my valuables, camera gear, electronic devices, breakables, toilet articles, medications, and a change of clothes.
Once I board my ship, I want to start enjoying myself right away, so I pack my carry-on, expecting my luggage won’t arrive in my stateroom for several hours after boarding. In addition to my regular carry-on items, I pack gym clothes, a bathing suit, and a pair of Keen’s “waterfronts,” so I’m ready to enjoy.
Extra Tip: Some cruisers give their carry-on bags to cruise ship personnel to bring on board with their checked luggage.
Don’t do it!
Cruise ships load passenger luggage on to the ships via large bins which rarely have a cover. I’ve seen carry-on bags fall in the water while loading, ruining their contents. Presumably your valuables and essentials such as medications are in your carry-on.
Take your carry-on, on to the ship yourself!
After many years working in corporate America as a chemical engineer, executive and eventually CFO of a multinational manufacturer, Ned founded a tech consulting company and later restarted NSL Photography, his photography business. Before entering the corporate world, Ned worked as a Public Health Engineer for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. As a well known corporate, travel and wildlife photographer, Ned travels the world writing about travel and photography, as well as running photography workshops, seminars and photowalks. Visit Ned’s Photography Blog and Galleries.
