Going on a cruise has become a casual easy to plan vacation, for those who can afford it. With the help of travel agencies and the internet, finding the ideal cruise vacation that can fit your budget is simple. What seems to be the most challenging is the packing stage!
There are numerous things to consider when packing for your vacation cruise. The airline weight limit and baggage constraints, the distance you will be bringing your bags, the size of your cabin room, and the events on the cruise ship are just a few. The items listed below are considered to be the most essential:
• Airplane and cruise tickets
• Cruise documents, ids, passports and visas (with 3 photocopies each, just in case)
• Money, credit cards and traveler’s checks
• Undercover money belt is for carrying the above items
• Cellphone with charger and prepaid calling cards
• Laptops with chargers (For those who want to take business or office work onboard)
• Medications and prescriptions
• Camera (film or digital), memory cards and chargers
• Maps, guidebooks and different contact numbers of the ports you will be visiting
• Watch, reading glasses, sunglasses and sunscreen
However, it has been observed through a new survey conducted by P&O cruises that women pack twice as much than men do. Men have long favored the habit of waiting to pack until the last minute, and would rather throw all the things together into their bag without planning. Whatever they may forget, they claim they do not need or that it can be bought somewhere along the way.
As for women, their mentality for cruise packing has been explained by Cary Cooper, a Lancaster University professor of organizational psychology. According to Cooper, women are labeled as “over packers” because compared to men, they have better anticipation of the things that they might need down the line. Below are gender variations in packing:
Female Apparel
• For daytime agendas – jeans, shirts, walking shorts, slacks, casual skirts and Sunday dresses.
• For pool or shore agendas – short shorts, bathing suits, swimming cover-ups, and gear such as goggles, snorkeling stuffs, flippers, etc.
• For evening agendas – at least two formal dresses, shawls, heels and accessories such as necklaces, bracelets, earrings.
Male Apparel
• For daytime agendas – polo and casual shirts, khakis, jeans, shorts.
• For pool or shore agendas – swim shorts, t-shirt and swimming accessories
• For evening agendas – tuxedo or any elegant attire for a formal gathering, casual sport coat and appropriate shoes
Unisex Apparels
• Hats, sweaters and Jackets – Go with those that are comfortable and at the same time fashionable.
• Shoes – Try to bring those that can fit any type of occasion and are comfortable. A good choice for day trips is a pair of outdoor sandals because they can work when you are by the pool, too. For the evening, a pair of canvas shoes or sandals might also be useful.
Obviously, there are other ways of how to pack but remember to always have a plan before you begin packing. Sometimes it’s just not feasible buy the things you’ve forgotten on your trip. Planning your packing list in advance will make your cruise vacation less stressful and insure that you are ready for any situation.