Here are 20 tips that can make your cruises more luxurious, organized and safe without packing more than a carry-on and a personal item. Select your cruise stateroom now, then read on about how to experience travel the easy way!
20 Great Tips: Experience Travel Now!
- YOUR PERSONAL ITEM: PACKABLE BACKPACK AND A SASH BAG
First, check with your airline about the permitted size of your personal item. Inside my fully zippered packable backpack I keep my cosmetic box, tablet (with keyboard), liquids, medications, toothbrush, toothpaste and flossers, pen and notebook, a book, snacks and all clothing I will I need for the overnight stays at the hotels before boarding the plane and then the ship. Sometimes if arriving somewhere hot, my 
swimsuit goes in the personal item too. I also carry a Sash bag as a purse, so this may also have to be placed inside the personal item backpack if the flight attendant notices it under my clothing. I have only been asked a couple of times to take off and stowe my never-leave-home-without-it Sash bag. - COMPRESSION PACKING CUBES I am a big fan of compression packing cubes. Inside both my carry-on luggage and especially my personal item, various sizes of compression cubes keep things very organized, even for loose items like notebooks, pens, medications and headphones. You will be surprised how much I do get into my carry-on and I always dress up for dinner and often change my clothes more than three times per day! I do like to unpack almost everything, but leave small items inside the packing cube in the drawers.
- FACIAL ROUTINE AND COSMETICS I have simplified my cosmetic case, but I definitely make room for my
facial devices. I bring the Braun Facespa Pro (3 in 1 facial tool with epilation, spinning brush attachment and tapping top), Solawave and Nuface mini microcurrent devices with their chargers and the connectivity gel for them which I decant into a smaller dollar store travel tube. I also bring these items because I would otherwise go to the spa to keep up my facial routine (so worth bringing myself). I use make-up wipes for convenience on shorter trips. - HAIR TURBAN My preferred hair product I decant into travel tubes and I love to bring my hair drying turban as a little luxury.
- NAIL WRAPS
I now use nail wraps instead of nail polish. For this past cruise and for the first time I bought them for my toes too. These come in flat sheets and changing your nail colour is so simple and the results are spectacular. Very protective and easy to change out. Make sure you have a nail file to finish the wraps at your nail tips. I am never going back to polish. - SILK ROBE I bring a short silk robe if a bathrobe is not going to be provided, again, it is easy to pack and so nice to have small luxuries when you are relaxing.
- HIGHLY VERSATILE CLOTHING
I love dressing up for dinner and I am a fan of Diane Kroe travel clothing for women, specifically because of her dresses. The fabrics are divine, wrinkle-free, quick-drying and her designs keep packing simple because there are so many styling options with each of her pieces. I saw a sample of the upcoming Travel Blazer (it’s reversible!) and the short Goddess dress. Both are very shortly also going to be in my carry-on. Three of her dresses and a few tops gets me new looks for two weeks of dressy dinners. She also offers a capsule wardrobe package deal. Love, love, love her beautiful clothing. - QUICK-DRYING UNDERWEAR AND A BANDEAU BRA If you are hand-washing and drying in the cabin, make sure your underwear can dry effectively. This goes for mens underwear too. I really will not leave my country without both of these items. The bra is because I do wear the above mentioned dresses strapless or one-shouldered sometimes. A bandeau also works with sheer tunics, off-shoulder popover sweaters and a sexy peasant blouse pulled off the shoulders.
- KITTEN HEELS OR FLATS I do not wear high heels on a ship or anywhere anymore. Movements make me unsteady, so instead I pack kitten heels which are comfortable and still elegant.
- MAGNETIC HOOKS Ship cabins are modular metal boxes. Minimum 6 magnetic hooks – you MUST bring these!. Really handy for hats, the laundry line, wet swimsuits, my hair turban in the bathroom and holding our laundry (grocery) bag upright for easy loading. They also can suspend things from the ceiling.
- LAUNDRY DETERGENT SHEETS Laundry detergent in sheets is amazing for sink washes. I cut them into small pieces before putting them in a baggie for packing.
- LAUNDRY LINE
This past cruise was the first time I brought a laundry line. I really like that this one separates hangers if needed and if tied to your closet clothes bar these hangers could fall vertically for scarves and short pieces of clothing like t-shirts. Fourteen feet was too long so I will cut the length to about half for the next trip. 
- AROMATIC SHOWER STEAMERS These pucks smell gorgeous and turn your shower into a deluxe spa experience. While you have the shower on, the aromatic steam can also refresh a few items like a sports coat or dress if needed.
- RECHARGEABLE MOTION-ACTIVATED LIGHT I have a magnetic strip attached to the back of mine to make it easy to move around and recharge. Especially great for the inside cabins. Also put one inside the bathroom for discreet lighting that won’t disturb your partner.
- MINI SWISS ARMY KNIFE I always keep one in my purse and recently has been getting through airport
security (not so lucky for my corkscrew on US flights – keep reading). My small pocket mini has a toothpick, a tweezer, file, knife and scissors. The scissors double as nail clippers when I travel. - POO-POURRI Cruise cabins are small. Buy the Poo-pourri.
- POWER STRIP OR SIMILAR WITH USB (NOT SURGE PROTECTED) Surge protection strips can damage the ship’s electrical, so make sure the one you get is suitable. Ships often also have a European plug access. If you also bring an adapter, you get an extra outlet.
- CORKSCREW WITH THE DISC FOIL CUTTER Most cruise lines allow you to bring aboard some wine (up to two bottles per cabin often). Corkscrews with the disk-type foil cutters will get through airport security, but not the folding knife.
- MEDICAL DEVICES If you have a CPAP or other medical device, let the cruise line know so your cabin steward can set up an acceptable extension cord for you (using your one precious outlet unless you plan ahead with #20). A friend discovered that distilled water is sometimes complementary on the ship and you may not have to bring your own, so it is worth inquiring ahead so you don’t have to lug it on board (like she did).
- PHONE WITH AN E-SIM If you plan on spending a few days away from the ship this will be an absolute necessity. This phone allows you to buy your temporary phone plan on-line instead of inserting a physical chip at each port of call.
Conclusion: Experience Travel Now!
While you have a choice to pack pretty much anything, the list of 20 great tips for cruising well is a list of items that will 1/make your packing and cruise stay more efficient 2/ includes self-care items you will sorely miss if you don’t pack them, and 3/includes tips for other items you can’t go without While I don’t mention packing a bottle of wine per person, this is something you want to purchase for your trip. Most cruise lines are ok with this allowance, though it is better to keep your bottles in your personal item when you arrive at the port so that can be searched and verified prior to embarkation. After all, you need a something to uncork with the corkscrew you packed.
