Maximize Your Cruise Wardrobe With These Packing Tips

Cruises are a fun opportunity to dress up and look your best but how do you look fresh every day without bringing your whole closet?

The first thing you need to think about is what type of clothing you will need. Will you be attending fancy dinners or dressing casual the whole time? Is there a theme party you would like to attend? Will you be dancing until dawn in your best dance dress? Some of these may necessitate bringing special attire and you want to make sure you have room set aside in your luggage for this.

If you will be dressing for dinner, one way to stretch your cruise wardrobe is to coordinate separates. Stick to no more than 3 coordinating colors such as black, white and tan. This way you can bring 1 pair of slacks, 1 skirt, 2 nice shirts and 2 jackets and make them look like 8 brand new and fresh outfits by mixing up what piece you wear with what. For example, the slacks paired with shirt 1 and jacket 1 could be one outfit, substitute shirt 2 with the same slacks and jacket for a whole new look! Now substitute the skirt in and you get another whole new look! In addition, you can use scarves and accessories to give each outfit a whole new look.

The same method can be applied for your casual wear. If you stick to a coordinating color scheme, you can get more mileage out of each piece since it will tend to look different when it is paired with a different top or bottom.

Deciding which shoes to take is perhaps the hardest of all! If you are anything like me, you have a perfect pair for each outfit and you'll want to take them all! Of course, you may not have room in those suitcases so you must be selective in what you bring. I suggest you wear your bulkiest shoes, like sneakers, onto the ship - this way the will not be taking up space in your luggage. Bring a dressy shoe and a more casual shoe as well. Make sure you think about color when you pack the shoes, if you are bringing only black dressy slacks then white sandals might not look so good!

Finally, to get more space in your suitcase for clothes, find out if the ship will be supplying beach towels and hair dryers. If they are then you can leave yours at home and free up some suitcase space for more clothes!

Lee Dobbins is editor of http://www.choose-your-cruise.com where you can learn about cruises, get cruising tips and choose your next cruise.

In The News:


How to take a cruise vacation to Alaska
KVAL, OR - 19 hours ago
And on our particular sailing in late September with the much shorter days, it was too foggy and we ran out of daylight before we could get to the glacier. ...

Dream home smashed on uncharted reef
Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand - 12 hours ago
"It was purposefully built for offshore (cruising), very solid." Mr Cole said it was insured for about half its value of about $300000. ...

Cruising Tales: Bermuda - The Devil's Isles
All At Sea, U.S. Virgin Islands - 23 hours ago
By lifting up a section in the middle of the bridge, an opening was made which is just wide enough for the mast of a small sailing boat to pass through. ...

Boston Globe

North Shore man braves storm, dodges flying fish in around-the ...
Boston Globe, United States - Nov 20, 2008
(Photos courtesy of sitesalive.com) By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff A North Shore man is sailing off the Cape Verde islands today, 11 days into an ...

On the Bay
Manhasset Press, NY - 22 hours ago
The previous few weeks of cruising after leaving Darwin, Australia offered smooth sailing, after Sunderland had faced harsh conditions in the Indian Ocean. ...

Ottawa Citizen

Sail away with Silver
Ottawa Citizen,  Canada - Nov 19, 2008
"I got my first boat in 1973, and started reading voyaging books and thinking about long-distance cruising. In a sense, the dream started there. ...

2008 Adventure Industry Research Report Analyzes, Reveals Global ...
MarketWatch - 21 hours ago
For example, significant growth is reflected in: -- Tours that offer biking, diving, sailing, surfing, expedition cruising; -- Service offerings including ...

MSC Cruises Ends Fuel Surcharge Beginning With April 2009 Sailings
MarketWatch - Nov 17, 2008
The surcharge will not be levied on any new bookings for cruises sailing from that date on, and the accounts of guests already booked on these cruises will ...

Cruise lines to end fuel surcharges - in 2010
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - Nov 14, 2008
... longest stint there) and will sail a series of 12-night cruises among Northern Europe's capitals, including two days in St. Petersburg, Russia. ...

Friday Flyer

Near and Far with The Friday Flyer: Cruising through Europe
Friday Flyer, CA - Nov 20, 2008
While traveling in Europe, Ron and Mary Jane took the Grand European Tour on the riverboat, “Viking Spirit,” sailing from Budapest, Hungary, to Amsterdam, ...
cruising sailing - Google News

The Absolute Best Romantic Gift Idea!

We all want to please and impress that special someone... Read More

Fun and Fat Free Cruising

This year more than 10.5 million people will go on... Read More

Family Cruise: Family Get-Together for Fun

Family Cruise: Happy Times you will not forgetA family cruise... Read More

The Merchant Navy and the Internet

A web site dedicated to the writings of the sea,... Read More

Royal Caribbean Cruises! Where Their Slogan Is Get Out There? And They Mean It

Imagine a cruise line where choices include ships with golf... Read More

At the Boat Ramp

The weekend is finally here. You're all loaded up (well,... Read More

Crossing Paths With a Legend

When 13-year-old Bill Lefakinis first visited the famed yacht Christina... Read More

Asia Cruise Expert Guide

Ever since Marco Polo returned from his 24-year trek to... Read More

Online Shopping for Cruise Deals, Travel Deals & Great Vacation Packages!

Are you contemplating a travel vacation and don't know how... Read More

Back to Nature: Observing Marine Life When Boating

"Whether you boat on fresh water or on the ocean,... Read More

The Alaska Cruise- A Living Memory

The Alaska cruise is a major attraction drawing vacationers with... Read More

Short Cruises - The Perfect Match For First Time Cruisers

Would you like to try a cruise, but aren't sure... Read More

How To Save Money On Cruises

1. If you're 55 or older, you can get senior... Read More

Taking a Deaf Cruise

Deaf and hearing impaired individuals are no different from anyone... Read More

Atlantic Ocean at Great Depths

The Atlantic Ocean is Earth's second-largest ocean. It covers approximately... Read More

Silversea Cruises! Committed To Elegance, Luxury, And Gracious Hospitality

Committed to elegance, luxury and gracious hospitality, Silversea Cruises is... Read More

Water Molecule Alignment for Increased Speed In the Water

A submarine can move faster thru the water if the... Read More

Asia Cruises: A Journey in the Exotic World

Asia Cruises: Lasting Impressions of Culture and TraditionAn Asia cruise... Read More

Amazon Cruise Expert Guide

An Amazon cruise is the ultimate jungle adventure. From the... Read More

Boat Timeshares - A Unique Vacationing Experience

If you've dreamed of sailing the seven seas, but don't... Read More

The Delightful Land beyond Imagination

The kids are grown and gone, the mortgage is paid... Read More

Marina Dock Cleaning Equipment

Docks needs to be routinely pressure washed or they become... Read More

Wanted! Adventurous Guests Looking For a New Experience on a Royal Caribbean Cruise

Wanted! Adventurous guests looking for a new experience on a... Read More

School for Sails, by Capt. Cary Hanna

Gorgeous, acrobatic, and lit-up, Sailfish rank as the # 1... Read More

Cruise The Nile of Cleopatra

For centuries, the Nile River has been at the center... Read More