We can all agree that one of the least exciting parts of planning a trip, second to paying your cruise fare, is packing. The great news, though, is that someone always seems to have advice for how to make packing easier.
Ralph writes many articles on packing tips. In his article, Ralph provides a lot of great insight how and what to pack. But his advice doesn’t always work for me – convertible pants that zip off into shorts? No, thank you. But Ralph does this so that he can pack for a week in just a carry on. For those who mind hauling the extra luggage, that could be a good idea. I don’t mind bringing a checked bag, rolling carry on, and backpack (I know, it’s a lot!) if it means I’m going to be comfortable and feel good about the way that I look for the week of my trip. Now, some cruise lines have dress codes, so be mindful of those, but typically on a river cruise anything goes. I’ve seen everything from cargo shorts to jeans to sport coats in the dining room during dinner. Wear what makes you feel good.
Packing lists are obviously going to vary from person to person, because we are all different types of travelers. I usually play things pretty casual, but I also like to dress up at night. I am able to do this by packing items that can either be dressed up or dressed down, such as button-down shirts. If I am going for a casual look, I roll up the sleeves of my button-down and pair it with jeans and sneakers. At night, I can put on a pair of slacks and dress shoes. That way, I am able to stay comfortable during the day while making sure that I don’t have to change into an entirely new outfit before dinner.
A lot of our readers wrote that they used the same method as I do: “I have a closet of JUST black and white travel clothes that can all be mixed and matched … may throw in a colorful scarf,” writes one reader. Another writes: “Simplify. I pick a color scheme so I can mix, match and minimize what I need to take.”
There are many people, like Ralph, who believe when packing, less is more. Although I agree with this to some extent, filling up your suitcase isn’t going to harm you in any way, unless of course you go over the weight limit enforced by airlines. But as far as trying to save space in your stateroom, a couple of extra shirts will not make a difference.
If you’re looking to save space in luggage, however, many people recommended packing cubes: “I love packing cubes; they not only allow me to fit more into my suitcase but to organize things. I use one cube for tops, another for bottoms, one for underwear/bras/socks, etc.” When you get onto the ship, and even when you return home, it is a lot easier to put things away when they are already sorted for you.
Another space saving option is rolling clothes instead of folding them. As someone who has tried both methods, I don’t know that I see much of a difference, but many people swear by rolling items. I think this is because I wear button downs, which seem to take up the same amount of space whether folded or rolled. You can also place smaller rolled items, such as socks and t-shirts, in your shoes.
Many of our readers wrote that they are not dressing to impress, which is why I advised you earlier to wear what makes you feel comfortable. From personal experience, though, I do dress to impress slightly. I like to look put together, so I always pack at least two formal outfits. While each cruise line varies in dress code, I don’t like feeling like the odd man out if everyone else is dressed up for dinner or a special cocktail party. I often take a suit and a few dresses. I am usually able to get three to four evening outfits out of a suit by using the full suit as an outfit for formal night, the suit pants with a button down for another night, the suit jacket with a pair of slacks for a third night, and finally the suit dressed down with a t-shirt for a fourth night. However, the same thing can be done with a dress or two. Look for lightweight dresses that can be dressed up or dressed down depending on what you wear them with.
Dressing up your outfit can be as simple as adding a nice pashmina, another tip that a lot of readers wanted to pass on. Pashminas are not only an easy way to make an outfit look a bit nicer, but also very convenient to throw on if you want to go up to the sun deck after dinner – it can get a bit chilly. Because pashminas are so lightweight, they are very easy to pack and take up hardly any space. Especially if you use the rolling method mentioned earlier.
The last piece of advice I have before we get to some more suggestions from you all is to make sure that you are prepared for your luggage to be lost. It is better to be safe than sorry. I usually take one suitcase with me that includes just my clothes for the week. This would be the suitcase that I plan on checking. Then in a smaller rolling carry-on, I pack a few pairs of underwear, a pair of slacks, and two to three shirts. I also put my toothbrush, skincare, makeup, etc. in this bag. This way if my checked luggage does get lost, I am set for a couple of days until my bag catches up with me. Although, once my luggage was lost for seven days before I received it.
I also take a backpack with my computer, chargers, iPad, and other equipment I may need for the trip. Now of course, if you really want to play it safe, arrive to your destination a day early. That way, your luggage will be able to catch up with you before you get onboard (hopefully).
When I originally wrote my packing list, I wrote that I still carried physical books with me to travel. I was against e-readers for such a long time, until I finally just gave in and bought a Kindle Paperwhite. E-readers are a great way to save space, and take some strain off your shoulders when carrying your backpack. I love that I can bring 4-5 books with me now on the Kindle that takes up virtually zero space in my luggage.
Now onto a few more specific suggestions from readers:
- One reader recommends Kikisol tunics writing: “They are the most lightweight cotton, and wash out and drip dry with few wrinkles because of the quality of the cotton … I can sleep in one, use one as a cover up, and more.”
- Another writes that zip off leg pants are helpful for trips that the weather may be unpredictable. Our favorites can be found here.
- “Make sure you bring sweaters for layering and something fairly waterproof. The temperatures are always lower when you’re on the water no matter what time of year. I have found cashmere and cashmere blends to be perfect for traveling because they are warm, comfortable and aren’t as bulky as other sweaters.”
- Lightweight winter jackets can be found at Uniqlo.
- “Umbrellas are mostly useless and take up too much space. You can buy your way out of a jam.” Also, keep in mind that most cruise lines have umbrellas onboard for rainy days.
- And lastly, though specific: “Many people who use CPAP don’t realize that you can carry this on the plane as medical equipment and it does not count against your carry-on limit. I never trust mine to be checked.”
My final piece of advice on packing? Don’t worry too much about taking as little as you can, but certainly try to be smart about your outfit choices. Always remember that you probably don’t need as much as you think you’re going to, but as long as you’re not going over your bag limit, you should be okay. Sure, this goes against Ralph’s initial advice to pack less, but using the tips you’ve learned in this article you may be able to save yourself a bit of time – and space.
This article was originally published at River Cruise Advisor.