How to Pack + Organize Before, During, and After Your Cruise: Part One

By Danna Inglee

About the author: Mom of triplets (plus one!), cancer survivor, and encouragement expert. Danna is sincere, compassionate, and thoughtful. She is especially passionate about helping seniors, and others, organize their paperwork and affairs so that they are prepared in case of emergency or passing. She’s based in Parker and serves as far south as Colorado Springs.

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Ahoy there! My family and I just finished a wonderful cruise to the Mexican Riviera on the Royal Princess Cruise Ship! Since the next few months are PERFECT for going on a cruise, I thought that I should share a few ideas that helped keep my family organized (and myself sane!) during the 8 days we were traveling.

Packing before the cruise

Packing for 8 days and 7 nights: 2 travel days, 2 formal nights, 5 casual dinner nights, 5 warm (and sometimes windy and cool) days. That’s a lot of stuff to put into 1 suitcase! Here are some ideas of how you could organize your clothing to maximize your suitcase space:

- 2 Travel days (Getting you to and from the Ship)

Try to wear the same clothes! Ok maybe a change of undies and socks, but seriously if you can use 1 outfit for both days that would be perfect. The cruise ships usually have a laundry area where you can wash your clothes if needed. You will need to have comfortable clothing with comfortable shoes as you will do a lot of walking.

- 5 Casual Dinner Nights

If you have reserved dinner times in one of their restaurants, they ask that the women wear “casual business attire” like dresses, skirts, and slacks with a nice blouse or jacket. Men can wear long or short sleeved button shirts with slacks. No jeans, t-shirts, flip flops, etc.

Try to pack clothes that can be used more than once. For instance, pack colorful dresses or skirts that can be worn on their own one night, and then add a solid jacket, sweater, or shawl to wear with them a few nights later. Most people won’t notice that it’s the same dress or skirt.

- 2 Formal Nights

Women are asked to wear long formal dresses or short cocktail dresses. (Ladies, this is when you get to pretend that you’re walking down the Red Carpet at the Grammy’s!) Men wear suits and ties, and sometimes, tuxedos.

Because the formal nights are at the beginning of the cruise and then at the end of the cruise, you could possibly wear the same formal gown twice. I preferred to wear a long formal gown on one night, and then a short cocktail dress on the other night. When choosing your dresses, remember that they rarely have irons and ironing boards on the ship. You can bring a portable steamer, but I would recommend that you choose fabrics that won’t wrinkle easily in your suitcases. (Chico’s has a travel line I LOVE!)

- 4 Sailing and 3 Port Days

If you are a swimmer or like to catch some sun at the beaches, you’ll want to bring a minimum of 2 swimsuits, but not more than 4.

Depending on the weather at your destination, you’ll want at least 3-4 pairs of shorts or pants and 2-3 pairs of sandals and comfortable shoes.

Chances are you will be changing your clothes often, so your clothes shouldn’t get too dirty. Again, you can use the laundry room if needed.

Here are some items that I have found to be ESSENTIAL to pack in your carry on or checked bag, just in case:

• A compact umbrella – You know, the ones that you can fit into a coat pocket or purse. Here is a link to the one I carry. I love it!

• A lightweight jacket and/or raincoat for windy, chilly, and rainy days – you will have them!

• A waterproof pouch for your phone, iPad, or camera while you’re by the pool, near the beach, or just walking down the street when the weather decides to dump on you! I like this one for phones.

• To keep those electronics and cords organized during your vacation, try this cord keeper.

Something that I forgot, but my Aunt, who traveled with me, didn’t, is a travel extension cord with adapters. We were all fighting for the use of the only 2 outlets in the entire room.

You may also need a Travel Outlet Converter if you’re traveling outside of the US. Be sure to check with your hotel or ship customer service to find out what outlet type they have available.

Another item that will be very helpful to bring with you (and will be explained in more detail later) is at least 1 Command Hook (If you can fit in 2-3, that would be even better). If you’re not sure what Command Hooks are, here is a link to show you. You can find them at many stores including Amazon, Target, The Container Store, etc.

Once you have made your clothing and accessory choices, it’s time to figure out how to get all of that to fit into your one checked bag and one carry-on bag.

I have found some wonderful products to help keep your clothes organized and, hopefully, free from wrinkles during your travels.

This is the Eagle Creek Pack-It Starter set that I use.

In fact, I have several of them so I can use more than one of each size (or share with my husband if I’m in the mood). The smaller zippered bag can be used to store undies, lingerie, socks, and smaller items that might need to be “corralled” together. The larger bag is a perfect size for bras, swimsuits, rolled t-shirts, and even flip flops.

The Pack-it “Envelope” is wonderful for all of your other clothes, even your dresses. The best part – it comes with an insert to help you fold your clothes to the exact size needed – and it has instructions printed right on it!!

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes!

Yes, there will be shoes. Again, try to use each pair of shoes more than once. I would suggest 1 pair of high heels to wear with BOTH of your formal dresses. Of course, you will need shoes to wear to the beach, and by the pool. Try not to bring more than 2 pairs. Then you will need some comfortable walking shoes or workout shoes. Again, no more than 2 pairs. So, you MIGHT have up to 6 pairs of shoes. I always try to line the bottom of my suitcase with the shoes, trying to keep the taller ones together on one side and the shorter ones on the other. Then layer your Pack-it Envelope and Pack-it Bags on top. Yes, it is very probable that your suitcase will be thrown head over heels (no pun intended) and top to bottom, and front to back, so as to try to mix everything inside of it up and make a “suitcase smoothie.” The best way to try to keep everything in its place is to contain as much as possible in bags, pack it as full as you can, and be sure to connect those bungee bands that come inside the suitcase together to hold everything down. Good luck!

How to pack a hat:

I LOVE to wear big floppy hats while laying out in the sun. (who wants wrinkles and dry skin? Not me!). However, packing a large hat is not always easy. You could, of course, just carry it on, but it could be a pain in the neck to carry around while juggling your purse, and carry-on luggage, and a bottle of water, and . . . So, here’s what you can do to pack it in your checked bag in a way that will keep it protected during it’s journey.

First, flip your hat upside down on your countertop, or bed. Then, fill the crown of the hat with smaller garments, or 1 large shirt, (just as long as it’s soft but fills the space completely). Once the crown has been filled to the brim, place it in your empty suitcase RIGHT SIDE UP. Now you can pack your remaining items around the hat so that it holds its form and doesn’t get crushed. If your hat doesn’t sit flat in the bottom of the suitcase, you could turn it UPSIDE DOWN and then fill in around it with the “flap” of the hat remaining on the top of the other items.

If your hat is just too big to be able to fit the rest of your clothing items in the suitcase, well, it’s just too big for your suitcase. So, you can purchase a bigger suitcase (not recommended), choose a new hat, or wear it while walking through the airport and hold it in your lap on the plane. . .

So, that’s just a few ideas to help with the huge task of packing enough, but not too much – AND – getting it there with the least amount of wrinkles as possible.

Great! You’ve gotten all of your clothes, hats, shoes and electronics into your suitcase, made it to the Cruise ship, and you’re introduced to the tiny small box they call a “stateroom.” Now what? . . .Stay tuned for Part Two!

Happy Organizing!

Danna + The Organizing Company Team

02.05.2020

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