No matter how hard I try I always over pack. Every cruise I tell myself I am only going to pack the necessities. But what are cruising necessities? With the high cost of airline baggage fees and somewhat limited closet space in most staterooms “pack lightly” has become my mantra.

Over the years I’ve learned a few tricks about packing. I can get anything laundered on board for a small fee. On most cruise ships I can rent a tux and shoes for formal nights and it will be in my stateroom when I arrive (of course I do bring my own accessories). On a 7-night Caribbean cruise I may bring seven pairs of shorts but I only end up wearing three or four of them. The ships stores have every toiletry that I need so if I forget something I don’t need to panic.

On most cruises you’ll have two formal nights (dark suit or tux-or-evening gown or pants suit), two semi-formal nights (khakis, dress shirt and sports jacket-or-resort casual dresses), and the rest casual nights (polo shirts and khakis-or-skirt and blouse). Most cruise lines have dress codes for the main and specialty dining rooms that usually include a no jeans or shorts at dinner policy and no bathing suits at anytime. Of course there are going to be causal dining options every evening so if you hate to dress up you have dining choices to fit your style.  If you are in a quandary about what to pack for evenings, check with the cruise line’s website to see what they recommend for eveningwear.

For tropical and warm weather cruises pack comfortably. Cotton breathes and in the Caribbean, Mexico or Hawaii in the summer you will want to be comfortable. Make sure you pack a light sweater or jacket to wear indoors on the ship in overly air-conditioned places. If you don’t pack one you can pick one up at the Logo Shop for a few dollars with the ships name on it. Depending on the season you may want to pack a rain poncho or umbrella – sudden showers are not unusual and though they only last a few minutes they can drench your clothes and make it very uncomfortable when riding in an air-conditioned taxi or bus.

Make sure you pack a pair of sneakers or top-siders for when you are ashore. Many ports have uneven sidewalks and cobblestone streets that can wreck havoc on flip-flops or sandals.

If you are checking your bags on a flight to get to your departure destination make sure that you pack all of your important papers, documents, medication in an overnight bag and carry it on with you. I’ve traveled with friends whose luggage did not make it to our departure destination and they were forced to start their cruise without their luggage. When this happens the airline generally will provide you with a stipend to use to purchase clothing onboard your ship. In most cases your luggage will arrive at one of the ports along the cruise route. But this could take a few days. It is imperative that you make sure you carry on all medicine and important documents on board with you. If you are bringing important percriptions, pack a photocopy of your doctor's original prescription, along with the pharmacy receipt in case you will need them refilled.

And speaking of baggage..the best kind to pack are nesting bags. It is important to remember that your stateroom is going to be a compact version of a hotel room-keyword compact. Once you've unpacked your bags you are going to have to store them. Idealy, I like nesting bags, or a set of luggage that when empty can be stowed, or nested largest to smallest, together in the largest bag. Don't go overboard and bring a steamer trunk or extra large suitcase. Modern staterooms are designed for you to store your bags under the bed, however if you bring bags that are too deep or to wide they may not stow under the bed or in the closets and will end up being an eye sore sitting out in your stateroom. If you find that once you get ob-board and your bags are jsut too big, contact your room steward and see if he/she can stow your bag elsewhere (no guarantee). Make sure you tip $5.00-$10.00 for thier help.

What not to pack:

Unfortunately most cruise lines will not allow you to bring your own liquor on board. This includes wine and champagne. On-board bar sales are one of the areas that cruise lines generate the majority of their on-board revenue. Your luggage and carry-on will go through an X-ray machine and all liquor will be confiscated and held for you until your final departure

Leave your recreational drugs at home and refrain from purchasing them on-board or ashore. Most ports have very strict anti-drug laws and more often than not someone purchases a little grass on shore and they don’t make it back for sailing due to a visit to the local police department.