How NOT to OVERPACK for a Cruise! 10 Tips & Hacks

Are you struggling with packing too much for a cruise? In this video I go over how to pack light for your cruise, and still have everything you need. Here are 10 cruise packing tips and hacks that will help you not overpack for your cruise!

Cruise packing can be hard, but you don't need as much as you think. There are ways to bring less, and still have nice cruise outfits and your cruise essentials. These cruise tips and items will be useful as you plan your cruise vacation. First time cruisers and anyone is working on avoiding overpacking for a cruise will find some helpful packing tips. If you're wondering how to pack for a cruise for Carnival cruises, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Norwegian cruise line etc., this cruise packing video is for you!

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🛳 THE ULTIMATE CRUISE PLANNER 🛳

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*CRUISE ESSENTIALS*

Items mentioned in video:

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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 travelers, 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.
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Video Credits:
RCCL
Celebrity Cruise Line
Princess Cruises
NCLHC
Music Credit: Surf Time by Lux-InspiraMusic

[maryfrench]

My girls love glittery sandals. They wear them during the day and to the main dining room. Looks great with their formal clothes.

[lap]

I’m a pack-light, travel-solo frequent-traveler senior citizen who is just about to add cruising to the itinerary, and I think my existing travel hacks will be ideal for cruising.

Shoes: 1: white sneakers (leather, easy to clean), wear on the plane. They are very fashionable now and can be worn everywhere. 2: Silver sandals. Can be worn as day wear, or in the evening. 3: Black suede ballet flats. For day wear, or with clip-on diamanté buckles for evening. I have tired, old, buniony feet. All of these shoes are brands made to be flattering but heavy-duty walking shoes for feet needing my kind of pampering.

Pants: Black only - practical, and flattering colour for my body shape. One pair of beautifully cut jersey pants for evening, also fine for daytime smart casual. Two pairs lightweight travel pants from a company specialising in adventure wear (No, they don’t look like hiking pants for up the Amazon, they look like ordinary pants, but very hard-wearing and drip dry overnight, no ironing needed.)

Tops: 1:Black blazer. Goes with everything, goes everywhere, elevates any outfit, wear it on the plane to save space. 2:Several good-quality cotton tee shirts - short sleeve, long sleeve, bright colours to liven up the black pants. Quality cotton keeps on looking good after many washings and you can get away without ironing. 3:Sparkly silver top (wrinkle-free knit fabric) to wear with the jersey pants for dressy evenings. 4:Black jersey top same fabric as pants for evenings, or under the blazer for day wear. 5:Sweaters. One hot-pink turtle neck pullover, one black cardigan. Both of these are lightweight cashmere, found at sale prices, so luxe look without the luxe price tag. Both are hand washable if necessary.

Accessories: bright, light-weight cashmere wrap — good for evening wear, scarf for cooler weather, snooze wrap on the plane. Small, square, colourful neck scarves - tie around neck for pulled together look, tie to bag handle for a bit of colour. Some inexpensive costume jewellery bling to liven up evening wear. Tote bag, mid-size, dark beige, goes with everything, holds all I need, doubles as a smart-looking handbag. Sun hat — cream-coloured Panama style, washable and uncrushable for packing.

Add swimsuit, undies, nightie, etc. The entire list here, excluding blazer, sneakers, and whatever else I’m wearing to travel fits into a carry on bag. Everything unrolls from packing cubes ready to go, no ironing required. Everything can be washed. Add a personal-size bag that slides over carry on bag handle for toiletries, electronics, medications, etc. Everything I need for months, if necessary, can be pushed around an airport with one hand, and easily lifted into overhead bins.

This is a wardrobe that fits my particular style. I like a tailored look, and find black flatters me, as long as I have a touch of colour to brighten the look. I haven’t worn high heels for forty years, keep arms and legs covered because of UV sensitivity, and can’t remember the last time I wore a dress. But I get compliments when I travel. I while back, instead of my usual solo travel, I was on a group tour where we all saw each other day in, day out for two weeks. People were surprised that I could manage an apparently effortless well-dressed and appropriate outfit for every different activity we did out of these two small bags.

[claudiaflores]

I used a wardrobe sudoku template I found on Pinterest. Picked 2 neutral colors and 2 complementary colors and had 10 outfits! Super easy, minimized packing and it saved me so much time.

[EntropyGuardian]

I bring a pair of dress pants, two ties, a belt, a dress shirt and a vest for formal nights. I wear the vest on the second formal night to look a bit different and to cover up food stains from the first formal night.

[manonsinclairladyofblairad]

I used to bring too many shoes. On my cruise last month, I only brought a pair of sneakers, a pair of sandals to wear around the ship and even going on tours and a pair of black sling back dressy shoes. Good improvement for me 😁

[emilyhansen]

Packing for my first cruise:
Nice sandals, pair of heels, flip flops, and planning on wearing my tennis shoes on the plane.

[rebeccacass]

for shoes, I bring good walking shoes and three different pairs of sandals. one day pair, one silver sparkle, and one gold sparkle, they can go with anything. and they lay flat in the suitcase!!

[nkdgolf]

Just returned from Alaska on Regent Seven Seas. Packed all our rain gear and layers for cold weather. We had 70 plus degrees, sun and not a drop of rain. Sometimes the best plans don’t quite work out LOL.

[dianadawn]

So on shoes, for me, five pairs is my go-to/gotta-have. Formal shoes, everyday sandals, pool flip-flops, sneakers, and water shoes. I just can't get the list fewer than that. LOL! And next cruise, I am going to try the packing cubes. At first, I didn't see the value. But now, I like the thought of being able to just transfer them from a suitcase to the closet shelf or drawer. And I am definitely not the type who could pack carry-on only! LOL! Kudos to yall who can!

[janeshiota]

Separates and layering are the secret. For one month i take 2-3 bottoms and 6 tops, and a travel outfit. Wear a fresh top for dinner, then that same top the next day. One bottom is exclusively for dinners. I wash tops, lingerie, socks in sink every couple days so they are always clean. Different jewelry, scarves, sparkling toppers change it up every day so i look different in photos! I spend my luggage space and weight on shoes bringing at least 3 pr. That takes up one side of a 22” carryon!

[ashleys]

Your bonus tip is the best one. I have taken a picture of the outfits I pack and put together mix and match options so I know what to bring next time. I will always say for ladies, dresses are such an easy option. One garment to put on, takes up minimal space in the suitcase. A simple tank or Tshirt dress can be dressed up or down for a day in port or dinner in the dining room. Agree with what you said, as you said you are a dress girl too!

[claudinefrizzell]

An older lady at my church once said she picks 3 colors that go together, then she pulls 3 or 4 bottoms and a few tops in those colors. They all can be worn together so she had several outfits out of a few pieces. Don’t think I could do this, but an interesting idea.

[dianewagner]

When packing, I will pick all navy or all black for all my skirts, pants, shorts, dresses. Then choose tops, accessories and a sweater to go with the navy or black. So easy to mix and match to make different outfits!

[jazmindevitt]

I used to pack up to five pairs of shoes. This time I am going very light and planing to buy good quality shoes in Italy and even couple outfits in France.

[LanaW]

Finally you have made a video to minimize! This is the way I have packed for years. Overpacking is a nightmare, it’s one of my 3 top tips to avoid. I can take a carry-on and backpack for a 7 day cruise. Ditch that toiletries bag and use a ziplock .

[cassandrafine]

In my regular travels as done for years, to include cruises, I normally pack 1 dark hand towel. This is used for drying my face once I've soaped up and washed off makeup, and only if I don't bring makeup remover. I've never liked dirtying up the white towels to capture mascara, blush foundation, eye color and powder. Works pretty well!!

[druegillis]

We all have “church underwear” (holy, holy holy) hiding in our dressers. Pack those and wear them one final time on the ship and then toss ‘em in the trash. This provides space in your suitcase for souvenirs and prevents overweight charges on the flight home. On longer cruises, use the old stuff first and the newer underwear for the last leg.

[physicallynumbtoeverything]

Packing cubes really help organize your suitcase!

[mrsjokersknight]

Leaving on my first cruise in a week. I LOVE packing cubes. Lol. The suitcase & carryon is so organized. I have 3 pairs of shoes packed, two dress sandals that go with all my outfits, formal & casual as well as a pair of water shoes and then I’m wearing my tennis shoes on the flight there to keep that weight out of my bags. I can’t imagine needing more shoes then that. The only reason I’m taking two pairs of dressy sandals is just because in case a strap breaks or something. 💞💞💞

[saktraveladventures]

One hack that I try to use is to take clothes that I can leave behind as "trash" in order to make room for other new things. Also, reversible shorts work well.