Packing a weeks’ worth of clothing and other personal items can become a little daunting, especially when you know that your cabin space is going to be fairly limited. But if you are willing to plan ahead and pick up a few specific items to add to your suitcase, your packing and storage woes can be a thing of the past.
Packing for a Tropical Cruise
Fortunately, most of the attire for a tropical destination is lightweight and requires very little space. Shorts and summer shirts can be rolled to conserve space and are not likely to wrinkle. In addition, these items are easily rinsed out at night so they can be worn again. Pack a few travel size packets of your favorite laundry detergent and you can cut the number of outfits you need to pack in half. Just roll the wet items in a towel and twist to remove most of the water and hang them to dry overnight.
Packing for a Cool Weather Cruise
Clothing for a cool or cold weather cruise is certainly bulkier but there are ways to make the most of your luggage space. Packing a neutral color sweater that can be recycled with many outfits is always a wise step. But by the second or third use, the sweater might have lost its fresh scent. Pack a bottle of clothing freshener to add a pleasant scent to items being worn multiple days. Also, be sure to purchase a few travel size stain removers. They are available in tiny bottles and in wipe form for smaller stains. If you need to wash out a stain, use the hairdryer in your cabin to begin the drying process but be careful not to use extreme heat and damage the fabric.
Use Every Inch
Be sure to take advantage of the space inside shoes or boots when packing. A weeks’ worth of socks and underwear can be rolled and hidden away to leave more space for larger items. When packing largemouth water bottles to use on the ship, place rolled up t-shirts inside to conserve space. You will also find that several travel size shampoo bottles will fit perfectly inside a reusable water bottle.
Planning ahead will allow you to stock up on a few items that will make your packing less of a chore. Visit a local dollar store or department store to purchase travel size personal and cleaning products so that you can reserve your valuable space for clothing and shoes. Then as you dispose of the travel size items after they are empty, you will have extra space on your return trip for small mementos and souvenirs.
