After months of planning your cruise, it’s finally time to start packing your suitcases before you set sail! Packing can be equally stressful as it is exciting, especially if you are limited on packing space. First-time cruisers might struggle particularly if they aren’t sure what to expect for their cruise vacation.
Whether you choose to pack a carry-on suitcase or you want to check luggage, you still have to determine what exactly you plan to bring on your cruise. And because cruise cabins are especially tiny, it’s important to pack only what you actually need.
If you overpack, you’ll find your small stateroom to feel cluttered and cramped. Instead, you should make the most of your space by packing effectively and efficiently. Typically, limiting your luggage makes for a more seamless travel experience. You can more easily navigate the airport, cruise terminals, hotels, and train stations when you aren’t hauling around excessive luggage.
I recently returned from a 7-night cruise to Canada and New England onboard Norwegian Jade. Because most of my cruises are in the sunny Caribbean, I struggled to pack for this cooler-weather cruise. Moreover, I didn’t want to pay for checked luggage so I opted to cram all of my clothes in a carry-on suitcase.
As a longtime cruiser and world traveler, I typically feel like I’ve mastered the art of packing. With 49 cruises under my belt, I have my go-to packing list and necessities for traveling. Packing is normally a breeze for me; however, that wasn’t the case this time. Here’s how my strategy went amiss, including a few items that I forgot and some that wasted space.
Weather consideration
While packing for this cruise to Canada, I realized quickly that packing for a Caribbean cruise is much easier. Shorts, swimsuits, and sundresses take up less space in carry-on luggage while coats and jeans are bulky. Similarly, Caribbean cruise weather is consistently warm while cruises further north can experience weather shifts.
I studied the forecast before packing for our cruise and saw a wide range of weather predictions. Our cruise was departing from Boston, Massachusetts, which had a forecast of being 80 degrees and sunny. As we cruised further north to Canada, the weather would change with cooler temperatures. Rain was also in the forecast, although most days would be sunny with temperatures around 65-70 degrees.
When packing for any cruise, there are three different categories that I consider: dinner outfits, daily wear, and lounging-on-the-ship attire. With only a carry-on, this meant I had to be somewhat strategic with my outfit choices. I wanted to choose versatile outfits that I could weather around the ship and in-port for the varying temperatures.
I opted to pack the following:
- 3 pairs of pants (jeans and linen pants)
- 1 lounge outfit
- 2 sets of pajamas
- 2 pairs of shorts
- 2 athletic skorts
- 3 evening dresses
- 1 casual dress
- 2 jackets (jean jacket and raincoat)
- 3 pairs of shoes (white sneakers, casual sandals, dinner sandals)
- 4 shirts
- Undergarments
Read more: Cruise wear for women: What you need to pack for your next cruise
Packing strategies
For this cruise, my goal was to maximize my carry-on space to ensure I had a variety of outfits. I planned to have versatile outfits that could mix and match well, which is always a good plan of attack for carry-on travel.
To save as much space as possible, I opted to use compression packing cubes. These not only help you stay organized, but they also have a second zipper that squishes your clothes down. You won’t save any weight with these, but you can save space in a carry-on suitcase by compressing your clothes.
Packing cubes are a favorite of mine. These help with organization - and as someone who isn’t super organized, these keep my suitcase manageable. When you’re onboard a cruise ship, it’s also very easy to unpack your luggage when using packing cubes. You can simply place the packing cube into the drawer or shelf.
I also opted to use my largest carry-on suitcase with an expander option. Although this meant my suitcase was quite heavy, I was happy that I didn’t need to check any luggage. Similarly, we ended up changing our flights on the way home, and having carry-on luggage only gave us more flexibility.
Finally, I limited my cosmetics and liquids substantially to save space. It’s easy to get carried away with packing makeup and cosmetics, especially since I use a variety of products at home. But, with limited space for packing, I wanted to prioritize space for clothes by cutting down on my products.
Limiting my cosmetics was more difficult than I anticipated. I slimmed down my makeup bag to just the bare necessities. I packed versatile products - like tinted sunscreen - to save space. I also utilized travel-sized products for both makeup and cosmetics. This included travel-sized deodorant, lotion, and face wash. I used an old sauce bottle from my home delivery meal kit to pack my face wash, actually!
Although I normally like to travel with my own shampoo, body wash, and conditioner when cruising, I decided to only bring conditioner for this cruise. I knew Norwegian Cruise Line would provide shampoo and body wash, so I felt this wasn’t entirely necessary.
Forgotten items
I felt confident in my packing for this cruise, even with limited space. However, I quickly learned onboard the cruise that I miscalculated when packing. There are some key items that I completely forgot to pack, which I either needed to borrow or purchase in port.
One key item that I forgot to pack was a portable charger. My phone battery dies fast these days, yet I left my portable charger at home. Because of this, my phone was constantly dying during our cruise. Luckily, Hayley had packed a portable charger that she let me borrow throughout the vacation to keep my phone charged.
Second, I should have packed some sweatpants or lounge pants to wear around the ship. I only brought some lounge shorts and a crewneck sweatshirt. The weather was sunny and brisk, meaning it was too cold for shorts sometimes. However, wearing jeans around a cruise ship is not my cup of tea.
Third, I forgot to pack a pair of black leggings. For women, these can be so versatile between daily outfits, gym attire, or loungewear. I am not sure why I didn’t think to pack some basic, black leggings for this cruise.
Wasted space
Carry-on space is very limited with precious real estate for packing. As much as you can plan, you are likely to pack items that you didn’t need or wear. You can prepare for the worst-case scenario (such as multiple days of rain) and then you will probably have sunny weather for most of the cruise; that’s just how it goes!
I was disappointed to realize that I wasted space on some items while also forgetting some important things as well. The two items that I absolutely wasted space on included two pairs of shorts. These shorts were in addition to lounge shorts and two skorts that I packed as well.
Because the forecast looked to be unusually sunny, I worried that I was packing too many cold-weather items. I decided at the last minute to pack more shorts in case the weather was hot. Unfortunately, these items were a total waste of space and I didn’t wear the two pairs of shorts at all.
I also packed a swimsuit that I was hoping to use in the hot tub, but we never ended up going to the pool. Luckily, one swimsuit doesn’t take up too much space. But, when you have limited space, anything wasted is space that wasn’t properly optimized.
Other packing mistakes
My packing might have felt strategic, but I still miscalculated a few important items for my cruise. For instance, I miscalculated how much I should pack for undergarments. Usually, I opt to pack more than needed because there is nothing worse than running out of your daily necessities. I ended up having to do some laundry in the cabin sink and shower because I ran out!
Another small, but important, thing that I forgot is a package of cotton pads. I use these to remove my makeup each night, and I only packed about 6 in my small cosmetic bag because room was limited. I had to do some shopping in port to find some cotton pads so I could take my makeup off each night.
With limited cosmetic space, I packed a travel-sized toothpaste. Unfortunately, this only lasted for me until Day 5 of our cruise. I had to borrow toothpaste from Hayley for the rest of the cruise, although I was grateful I didn’t need to purchase the overpriced toothpaste onboard!
Also, I had no intention of shopping in the ports of call because I wanted to cut down on costs. However, I should know better that I love to shop while traveling! I ended up shopping much more than anticipated with t-shirts, jewelry, trinkets, coffee mugs, and more. I hadn’t planned to shop and, therefore, I had no space in my luggage for my new treasures.
On the way home, my suitcase was busting at the seams because it was so full. The overhead compartment could barely close on my flight because the plane was smaller. I also had to pack my personal item to the brim; it was so full that the bag barely fit under the seat while flying home.
Read more: I packed for a European cruise in just a backpack - here's how I did it
Lessons learned
Much to my surprise, my packing for this cruise was not as strategic as I had hoped. Although packing might not be a perfect science, I am typically confident in my planning! I forgot a few very important items while also wasting space on others.
I am still going to continue packing and cruising with just a carry-on whenever possible. This simplifies the traveling experience and keeps travel costs down when I don’t need to check luggage. Also, it saves time at the airport and cruise port when I don’t need to check luggage. Finally, there is extra flexibility when you only have carry-on luggage, such as the opportunity to change flights at the last minute.
Moving forward, I am going to ensure I leave enough room for souvenirs even if I don’t anticipate shopping. Accounting for souvenir space also allows for an easier time repacking the suitcase when there is some wiggle room. I hate having to spend time on the last day of a cruise trying to repack my suitcase strategically. I prefer to throw it all into the suitcase and get back to my vacation!
When cruising to cooler weather, I will make sure to pack some lounge pants instead of only shorts. Perhaps I’ve been living in Florida for too long, but I forgot to pack any leggings or sweatpants on this cruise and regretted it terribly!
Finally, it’s better to overestimate the necessities than underestimate. For instance, I didn’t pack enough undergarments on this cruise and I was forced to do laundry in the cruise cabin sink. I also needed to purchase cotton pads in port because I ran out - even though I have tons of these at home!
Allie Hubers
Allie Hubers has been cruising since she was a tiny toddler. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising and adventure. Allie's been on over 45 cruises all over the world. She even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents.
