Cruise Packing for Summer

It’s been awhile since I’ve been on a summer cruise. While less than 5 years may not seem like “awhile” to some, I felt a little rusty packing for this summer cruise. That might also be because the last cruise I went on was in winter. And the one before that was a summer cruise…in Alaska. Needless to say, I packed much differently for those versus packing for this summer cruise. Since I seemed to struggle so much with getting together the perfect packing list, I wanted to share a few things to help you with yours. So let’s get into it.

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Tips for Packing for a Summer Cruise

Look at your cruise itinerary – First things first, you need to know where you’re going. Questions like, how many nights? What are the ports? And what events will I be attending? Will all help you curate your packing list. I think I struggled with this so much because my family booked this cruise and I didn’t look at the itinerary until the night before we left. Talk about last minute packing!
Overpack, even when you think you shouldn’t. – While I love cruises, your options for clothing if you forget something are limited. That’s why I recommend overpacking for a cruise. I did, in fact, overpack for this trip. But I’m glad I did! I was worried enough trying to think if I had packed enough underwear! Imagine if I had only packed to right amount and under packed everything else! I would have been a mess, and spent way more money on clothes that I didn’t need and didn’t love.
Don’t forget formalwear – No matter if you’re on a 3 day cruise, or a 10 day cruise, odds are you’ll have a formal night. While I knew we’d have at least one formal night, I wasn’t really prepared for two! I’ve been known to overdress, and on formal nights, I felt way underdressed. Don’t be afraid to go all out for formal nights, and at the very least, don’t forget there’s formal nights!