🚢 Cruising - what to pack!

Ahhhhhh, fall is here 🍂

This is your dear author’s *favorite* time of year, despite the fact that she cannot stop sneezing and spending all her money on pumpkin spice lattes.

As the environment slowly slips into chillier more crisp weather conditions, many of my warm-weather-loving-friends start thinking back to those crystal clear 80 degree summer days, and wish it back to existence.

Well, as a travel professional, myself and the team here at Insignia Destinations book the solution to the cold weather blues!

✨ Cruises ✨

Did you know that over half the population of cruisers are American? In 2022 alone, over 1.2 million Americans set sail on a cruise 😱

When it comes to booking and sailing on a cruise, we’ve noticed most people do so in the winter months ❄️

So, as that season is fast approaching, and we have looots of clients sailing soon, we thought we could share some of the top things we know are essential for sailing! Starting with…

1. Over-the-door shelving 🚪

 This may be a bit random as the first item on our list, but if you’ve ever cruised before you know how small and cramped those rooms can be!

One of the best ways to enhance your cruising experience is to make more space for your stuff, and have it easily accessible and visible. With the product we linked above, you can put all the little items that are so easy to lose in these organized pockets ~ and once you’re done you can simply just fold it away and pack it into your suitcase 💼

2. Shower shelving 🚿

This also fits into making more space in your cabin, but more specifically in the bathroom/shower. Unless you have a specialty room, most cabin bathrooms and showers are tiny, and don’t have much in regards to shelving to hold your toiletries. This set of organizers is easy to apply (you just stick them onto the wall) and can hold up to 36 pounds!

3. Metal hooks 🪝

 This is a tried and true space saving method all seasoned cruisers know about! These hooks are life savers ~ you just pop them onto the ceiling or wall wherever you need them, and now you’ve got space for your jackets, keys, lanyards, etc. Organized and out in the open 👍🏼

4. Motion sickness meds! 💊

 Even if you don’t think you suffer from motion sickness, I would always bring some kind of motion sickness product. Personally, I didn’t think I had any issue with this, but one boat ride in Barcelona changed that for me! 😂 The product listed above is not a medication you take but something you wear, and it has great reviews on how effective it is!

5. Lanyard 🔗

This is a small little item that most people forget on their cruise getaway, but its sooooo useful! You will usually receive some kind of physical identification card on a cruise, and its quite literally the key to everything. You scan it for your room, for purchases, to get back onto the boat after enjoying excursions, use it to redeem on board credits/perks, etc. By having a lanyard, you’ll keep it safe and diminish the risk of losing it!

6. Bags to put swimsuit in 🛍️

 This is another item most people wouldn’t think of bringing ~ but have you ever gone to the beach, changed out of your clothes, and had nowhere to put your sopping wet bathing suit so you end up stuffing it in your beach bag or in your car and everything around it gets wet? Its happened to us, and its not ideal. Avoid that headache by packing a few of these waterproof bags!

7. Laundry detergent packs 🫧

This may not apply if you’re cruising for just a few days, but most people we send on cruises stay on the boat anywhere between 7-14 days 📆 Even if you pack double the amount of clothes you think you’ll need, sometimes you still come up short! (especially if you’re traveling with kids) The solution? Detergent packs! You can freshen up any piece of clothing quickly, lay it out to dry (maybe on one of your hooks 👀) and its ready to wear again ✔️

8. Towel clips 📎

In this blog, it seems to be a recurring theme that little insignificant items can actually make quite the significant difference to your overall cruising experience! This item fits in that category. Our seasoned cruisers suggest always bringing some towel clips. They have many uses, but the main one is to clip your towels to your beach chair (it can get kinda windy on the deck 🍃) or clip your towel to the edge of a balcony to dry out! You can also do so with your clothes, clip together important papers or items, etc.

9. Dry pouch ❌💦

More often than not, cruises tend to sail to tropical destinations, where the main activities involve swimming or going to the beach. The common denominator? Water. Water everywhere. Things like your wallet, phone, important documents, keys, etc. don’t mesh well with water! 🤣 So if you grab something like the dry bag listed above, you don’t have to worry about your valuables taking a dip too 💧

10. Beach bag 🌴🛄

Going along with the previously mentioned item, having a good beach bag to take along with you can help keep all your items in order when lounging away on those sandy dunes. A good beach bag has lots of space, is resistant to sand, and keeps your items safe and dry. Listed above is the one we recommend!

11. A sweater 🥶

“I’m going on vacation to a tropical, warm place! Why would I need a sweater?”  I can already hear you saying. But trust me, you’ll want it. Any time I’ve cruised there’s always a point where I’m having drinks on the deck at night, or on the bow admiring the ocean, and because of the lack of sun and presence of wind I’m freezing! Save yourself the discomfort and pack your favorite cozy sweater or jacket 🧥

12. Wrinkle release spray 💨

This product is especially useful if you plan on attending and taking pictures for the formal night. We love to pack a nice dress or suit preparing for the occasion, but packing it away all tight in your suitcase can create some really ugly looking wrinkles 😬 By bringing with you this convenient little spray, you can release them in a pinch! 🫰🏼

13. Glasses repair kit 🥸

If you are a glasses wearer or wear contacts, you’ll most likely bring a pair of glasses with you on vacation. Even if you’re not a glasses wearer, most people bring sunglasses on vacation! 🕶️ But what happens if something accidentally happens to them? Will you go the rest of vacation not being able to see? Of course not! Most cruise ships offer glasses repair kits, but at a marked up price. Better to be prepared with your own kit.

14. First Aid Kit 🏥

Now this one is good to have on hand for any occasion, but we’re throwing it in as a reminder in case you don’t have one yet. Unexpected things happen in life, and sometimes it will warrant immediate medical attention for ourselves or our loved ones. In those serious situations, you’d be grateful to your past self for preparing beforehand with a first aid kit!

15. Comfortable sandals/shoes 🩴

Our last pick for cruising essentials would be a good pair of comfortable, reliable shoes. Don’t get me wrong, the cute pair of heels or loafers for formal night are essential! But are those the shoes you want to be walking in the entire time? On the deck/beach/etc? Definitely not. If your shoes kill your feet, your whole cruising experience will be marred since you couldn’t stop thinking about how much your feet hurt. And keep in mind, buying shoes on the ship will be three times as expensive! 😬💸

———————————————————————————- ✈︎

We hope this article has helped you plan out your packing process for your next voyage! 😁

If you need help with your next vacation planning process, you know who to call 😏📞

……ᵒʳ ᵉᵐᵃᶦˡ….ᵒʳ ᴰᴹ…..ᵒʳ ᶜᵃʳʳᶦᵉʳ ᵖᶦᵍᵉᵒⁿ 🐦