Cruising Essentials

Cruising is one of my favorite ways to travel, as I love waking up to a new country/island each morning to explore. I also love getting dressed up and going to dinner and a show every night, as the entertainment options on board are endless. Want to catch a comedy show? Relax with a drink while listening to a jazz band? Watch/participate in karaoke? Dance until the wee hours of the morning in the club? Test your luck in the casino? Get some new loot in the duty free shops? Catch a Broadway style show after dinner? You can do all of that on a cruise, and much more.

Since the cruise lines pack in all the fun for you, what essentials do you need to worry about packing?

Absolute #1 item you do not want to forget is your passport. You can purchase basically anything else you may forget to pack in your suitcase, but you will need your passport to board the ship to start your vacation, and again at the end when you disembark and have to clear customs to go home. If you don't have a passport, what are you waiting for? Get one... now! There's a big beautiful world out there waiting to be seen and explored.

Don't over pack, as you'll be living in bathing suits and cover ups by day and sundresses and cocktail dresses (on formal nights) at night if sailing in the Caribbean (When we cruised the Mediterranean last year, we still packed bathing suits for some lounging by the pool and the hot tubs, but we did a lot of site seeing which meant comfortable walking shoes, shorts, and tees.)

Pack several bathing suits, as you'll want a clean dry one each day. Don't forget some flowy coverups for walking to the pool, and into port before hitting up the beach.

Bring a beach bag to bring with you to the pool, and to carry everything you need when disembarking to an island. You'll want to carry your beach towels, a change of clothes, your camera, some money, and your sail and sign card which gets you on and off the ship.

Reading material for the pool and the beach, nothing beats a good book or fashion magazine with a calming breeze and turquoise water view.

Don't forget sundresses for dinner and night time fun, and a cocktail dress or two for formal nights (most 7 night cruises will have 2 formal nights, where as shorter cruises will have 1). It's a fun excuse to get dressed up, and go to a nice dinner and a show after. Make sure the man in your life packs a suit and tie Justin Timberlake style for formal nights and nice polos with jeans or khakis for the other nights.

Sandals and wedges are always my choice of footwear, as wedges are easier to walk in than heels but still give you the height and elongate your legs.

Most cruise lines allow you to bring one bottle of wine or champagne per person on board to enjoy in your stateroom or around the ship. We of course brought 2 bottles of our favorite almond champagne to enjoy on our balcony while getting ready for dinner or as a night cap.

You can also bring a case of water bottles (unopened), as it's ridiculously expensive to open the water bottles in the mini bar in your room. And you will need as much water as you can get between being out in the hot sun and day drinking.

I am notorious for using my iPhone for the majority of my picture taking, but when I'm on vacation I use my fancy camera as much as possible.

Airborne chewable tablets and hand sanitizer are my best friends while traveling. The last thing you want is to come down with something, and feel like crap when you want to be enjoying your long awaited vacation.

Other than your passports, the most important thing to pack is sunscreen. Always practice safe sun especially in the Caribbean where the sun is hotter. I always make sure to pack sunscreen, aloe (in case I end up burning anyway), and a beach hat which further protects my face and neck. 

What you don't need to pack:

Towels - both bath and beach towels will be supplied for you, and you can change them out for fresh ones as often as you'd like.

Hair dryer - there will be a hair dryer as well as soap, shampoo, and conditioner in your stateroom's bathroom.

Snacks for your room - there is complimentary room service included. 

Too many clothes - as I mentioned above, you'll end up living in a bathing suit most of the time and dresses at night. 

What are some of your must-haves when cruising?