Cruising with MJ – The Series
Cruising with MJ – Setting Sail on Your Own the MJ Way
Cruising with MJ – A Word on Picking the Right Cruise Line for You
Cruising with MJ – You’ve Booked Your Cruise So Now What?
Cruising with MJ – Let’s Get Packed
Cruising with MJ – It’s Almost Time to Cruise! What Do I Do Now?
Cruising with MJ – Three Days Until Sail Away
Cruising with MJ – Embarkation Day (It’s Time to Play)
OK, you’ve booked that cruise, and it’s almost time to go. Surely you will need 2 steamer trunks and a carry on, right?! NOT! Packing may be as subjective as food…I don’t know, but let me show you what I traveled to Europe for 3 weeks with…including a 14 night Celebrity cruise.
The first thing I tell people that ask me about packing for a cruise is “don’t overpack.” Most do, and frankly, I’ve done so as well in my early cruising career. Simply put, you don’t need to take more than will fit in what you see pictured above on most any cruise. One pair of jeans, 2 pairs of khakis, and a handful of dressy t-shirts, a couple of not so dressy t-shirts, shorts, underwear, a swim suit, workout clothes, and 2 pairs of shoes (one workout, one casual) make up your core wardrobe. Throw in some flip flops in the front pocket of your bag and you’re golden. All of that, and probably more will fit in a standard roller bag and backpack. Keep in mind that I was carrying 3 weeks worth of diabetic supplies too! As you can see, I traveled light. MrsMJ traveled with a very similar setup. But wait…what about formal night?! Well, MrsMJ packed a couple of dresses that can be basically thrown in, and come out unwrinkled. And yours truly, I rented a tuxedo even though I own one. Would I have been allowed to cruise if my rented tuxedo had not shown up? Yes!
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, formal night is the most over rated, over worried about concept in the history of mankind. Let me be clear. I love wearing a tuxedo, but you don’t have to! Dress codes on most cruise ships are “recommended” not required. That said, I would never show up in the main dining room on formal night in a pair of jeans. Just not my style. Lesser known secret: on most ships, the specialty restaurants are “casual” even on formal night. The buffets always are. In short, you aren’t going to starve on formal night if you elect not to wear formal dress on your cruise. Just pack light and make peace with the fact that you are going to need to do laundry sometime during your cruise!
If you’re getting ready for a cruise, pack wisely and please DO NOT overpack. I’ll be glad to answer anyone’s questions.
[…] Cruising with MJ – Let’s Get Packed […]
[…] Cruising with MJ – Let’s Get Packed […]
[…] Cruising with MJ – Let’s Get Packed […]
We always cruise with Oceania – they have no formal nights. I like it that way.
[…] Cruising with MJ – Let’s Get Packed […]
[…] Cruising with MJ – Let’s Get Packed […]
[…] Cruising with MJ – Let’s Get Packed […]
We ALWAYS over pack. When it’s time to gather the luggage at debarkation people tend to ask us if it’s our first cruise. I prefer having options of what to wear
Do you use the laundry service on the ship? We have a similar length trip coming up for our family of 6 and I’m trying to minimize luggage.
@KimmyAnnAngel, yes, I frequently utilize the ship’s laundry services. Some cruise lines have on board self serve laundry. We just use the ship’s full serve laundry. Prices are fairly reasonable, and truth be told, we get some free laundry because of our loyalty program status.
Rookie question–did you rent the tux on the ship?
I rent in advance through the cruise line’s website. They deliver it on the ship.