10 Things Experienced Cruisers No Longer Pack for a Cruise

First time cruisers often overpack & may bring some unnecessary things on a cruise. Plus, cruises have changed over the last few years, & so have many cruise passenger's packing lists! In this video, we share tips from experienced cruisers & what they no longer pack for a cruise vacation!

Whether your a first time cruiser or have cruised a lot over the years, this video is full of both fun & helpful cruise tips to help with getting ready for a cruise. This video isn't a cruise packing list, but it just might help you to know what not to pack for your cruise holiday, & what you can leave at home.

Whether you're going on a Carnival cruise, Royal Caribbean cruise, Princess cruise, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity cruise, Holland America, Virgin Voyages, MSC cruise or any other cruise line, there are some cruise packing tips & tricks you can use.

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🛳 THE ULTIMATE CRUISE PLANNER 🛳

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CRUISE ESSENTIALS

Luggage tag holders:

*What I have: Carry-on Textured Luggage 21", 24" Textured Luggage checked bag

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Please note that I am unable to give personal cruise and travel advice. If you leave a comment I try my best to answer.

ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!

Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travellers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.
Some of the video footage used in this video courtesy of RCCL, Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises

Music Credit: Surf Time by Lux-InspiraMusicMusic

[emilyserafamanschot]

I do bring my "mother of the groom" dress. I paid a lot of money for it and need to wear it many times to get my money's worth. It's light, doesn't wrinkle, packs very well, and I've gotten so many compliments on it. We're cruising this fall and I will get two more wearings from it, which will make occasions 19 and 20 for me!

[annmariekincaid]

My husband still insists on bringing his white dinner jacket/tuxedo. He thinks he’s James Bond. 😂

[webjammer]

The thing I really enjoy is disconnecting from the interweb for a week. Heck, I remember one time I went without the internet for forty years. 😊

[kellysrklassen]

My wife and I love to dress up so we will always pack our formal clothes, we usually wear formal wear to most every dinner on the cruise. It makes everything that much more special for us, but it is definitely a personal choice...each to their own, as long as you are comfortable and happy.

[brianpawlowski]

The one thing I don't bring anymore is an unreasonable amount of high expectations. I try not to let piddly things or one bad experience cloud my judgement or curb my enthusiasm for the cruise. I know what to expect for the most part. I can be surprised if it is exceeded, but I don't let it get me down if it's not. I take the good with the bad. One thing we should all bring, well maybe patience and understanding. Maybe that way, we don't end up with a lot of content on this forum.

[dearmepa]

Leave your troubles and worries behind….that’s the best advice ever!😊

[lesliemccormick]

I love the formal nights. It's what sets cruising apart from bus tour holidays. People just tend to behave better when dressed up.
And it's fun!

[stillwellelectric]

We love dressing up for formal night. My husband has gotten so much use out of his tuxedo over the years for formal nights, daughters weddings, that occasional special occasion when we’re not cruising.

[achevres]

My pharmacy goes with me on every trip.

[barbaralazier]

The magnet hooks and clips were so helpful. Even as a solo traveller the over the door organizer was really helpful. I love dressing up for dinner and will continue to do so. I will leave my bathing suit and flip flops at home as i only went in the pool once. It is not for me

[sharynmellors]

It was a good use of the mother of the bride outfit that just hangs in the closet. We used to go to dressy functions but now we live where clean jeans is considered dressy. I love having the excuse to dress up . I will most likely always dress formally for dinners on a cruise.

[stacythomas]

I'm old-school and love getting the paper event planners. I will be using the highlighter trick for the first time but this is my third cruise and i have the event/activities brochures from the last two cruises. I am sentimental and keep them as momentos, especially the last cruise, which was the last trip I took wth my mom. In memory pf my mom, I'm doing a solo September Alaskan cruise and will have that highlighter ready to go lol.

[patriciachirgwin]

Every time I cruise I think I should bring half the clothes (it really isn’t illegal to wear the same outfit twice!) and double the amount of money! Love the video!😂

[gailmitchell]

This will be my first cruise back since 2017. My daughter became ill and she left us in 2020. I loved cruising because of the joy I saw in her every time we times a year. This will will be bittersweet on the first day, but not full of sorrow, she would not like that.'
I definitely will bring less clothing, I have 3 swim dresses that will double as daywear. Formal night, not like in the past. Just something that I think I'll look cute in, lol. I HAVE downgraded to a small carryon and back for all that I need, so this will definitely be an enjoyable, relaxing time for me.
Thank you for all your posts and information. I had become quite proficient in cruising until I had to stop so it's been a wealth of awesome information for me to get back into that cruise mindset, lol.
Appreciate you and what you do.🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[fluffytail]

The trick to packing less is to bring clothes that coordinate with each other. In the Caribbean, white or tan pants, a couple button up shirts in white or blue and some basic white tops can be interchangeably worn and match with everything. Tan shoes or sandals also match everything. The only exception to this is if you’re bringing clothing for formal night, otherwise, you can cruise for a week with just a carry on bag. If you need to wash something, carry some liquid tide with you (they come as single packs) and wash the items in your sink or if you’re a regular cruiser, you may have laundry perks to take care of that!

[williamoday]

My philosophy has always been, "Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best." That means that I always bring more first aid supplies than most EMTs carry. And much of what I carry is based upon experience, meaning I have added to my first aid supplies as I or my family experienced new illnesses or injuries. Who thinks to bring muscle rub on a cruise? I do! And that's because my son once decided that it was a good idea to start working out on a cruise, overworking his muscles and winding up one sore puppy! Murphy's Law predicts that you'll experience your medical maladies outside of medical office hours and just after the shops on board have closed! And even if you do experience a problem during regular office hours you may have to wait to be seen. So having some instant ice packs, analgesics, antacids, etc. makes sense. I also carry cold/cough medications (with thousands of people on board some of them are undoubtedly experiencing a cold or flu, and you're just one commonly touched surface or nearby cough or sneeze away from sharing it with them.) Admittedly I have only had to dip into the bags (yes, I carry two) on a handful of occasions over dozens of cruises, but having something for just about any complaint still makes sense to me. After all, it's a long swim to the nearest drug store...

[noelreynolds]

Guests, I no longer bring a guest when I cruise. Cruising solo turned out to be amazing for so many reason, not to mention saving money that can be spent on a casino day!

[stacythomas]

My family, and especially my grandparents, were and still are blue-collar workers. Saying that, my GP's were very cultured and well-traveled. They LOVED their cruises. When I was younger, I always enjoyed looking at and still treasure all the photos of Gram and Gramps all decked out in their finery when at dinner; several pics even show them at the Captain's Table, reminding me of the Love Boat lol. The kicker was seeing my GF, who was a mechanic and wore the same type of work clothes Monday through Friday, rocking a tuxedo in most of the photos. He looked dashing next to my grandmother. I will be channeling my grandparents' sense of adventure and the thrill of exploring new adventures and meeting new people when I go on my Alaskan cruise in September!

[lovecruisin]

Jewelry and shoes to match each outfit are part of the fun for me! To each their own.

[jessicapalacios]

I love formal night. I hardly ever get to dress up when i am home, so i hope that the formal nights do not slowly become obsolete!😢