What to Pack for a Cruise (with Printable Packing List)

Whether you’re treating yourself or your fancy bringing back a gift or two for family and friends, remember to leave a little extra space in your bag so you can actually get your purchases back home.

Once you’re onboard and inside your cabin, the last thing you want to happen is to open up your luggage to discover that your various shampoos, body gel and sun cream have leaked all over your holiday clothing. Our answer? Buy a new set of toiletries instead! Unopened products will have far less chance of leaking – just be sure to stick with brands you already know. That way, you won’t risk any irritation or reaction amongst yourself or anyone in your travel party.

One of the best ways to fit more into your luggage is to actually roll your clothes instead of laying them out flat. This allows you to fit even more items in than you probably thought possible, and may help you create a bit of extra space too – which helps with the above. If you roll your clothes, you’re also less likely to get any annoying wrinkles.

If you’re the organised type, then packing cubes might be the way to go. Not only do they keep things tidier, they’ll compress your clothes, keep items separate from one other, and hide certain items (like underwear) that you don’t want others to see. A lot of packing cubes are waterproof too, so you’ll stop any unwanted spillages from getting on your dress or suit too!

Towels take up a lot of room in your suitcase. And if you’re travelling in a big group, then they won’t leave much space for other essentials. The good news is that the vast majority of cruise lines provide towels for their guests – including pool towels. And they’re usually different colours so you’ll know which is which. Leave yours at home and save yourself some space.

If you’re packing a lot of shoes, then make sure you’re taking advantage of the extra space they provide. You can fit a wide variety of things in there from socks to toiletries. To ensure you get the most room you possibly can, stuff what you can into your footwear instead!

There’s nothing more annoying than your luggage deciding to tip and fall over when you’re juggling a variety of other things such as travel documents and passports… As much as you want to curse the bag, it’s usually down to incorrect weight distribution. A handy tip to remember is to always place heavy items, such as shoes, at the bottom of your bag. By doing this, your suitcase will behave and staying up right while you have your documents to contend with.