Top 8 Cruise Packing & Planning Tips

Use Travel Agents - When selecting a cruise vacation, there are a lot of considerations to keep in mind. What length of cruise do you want, what cruise activities are you looking for, what cruise line should you pick, what cruise ship should you go on, what type of cruise atmosphere is best for you, what are your cruise dining preferences? All of these questions will enter into your cruise vacation selection. One of the best cruise planning tips is to use a cruise vacation travel agent to help you. They will know all of the details of each cruise line, the cruise ship, the cruise activities, etc...

Get a Mid-Ship Stateroom - Almost all of the cruises I've been on have been very smooth sailing. I'm the type of person who can't read in the car without getting sick, so on my first cruise I was a bit nervous about motion sickness. Much to my surprise, I wasn't effected at all. As a matter of fact, I could barely tell I was on a ship at all. Of course, the size of the ship makes a difference, but all of my cruises have been on mid-sized ships. All that being said, if you are concerned about motion sickness, here is a gem of a cruise tip - reserve a stateroom that is towards the middle of the ship. This is the ship's center of gravity and is effected less by any type of motion.

Take a Power Strip - This is one of my favorite cruise packing tips. Cruise staterooms normally only have one standard outlet. Most of us travel with more than two things that need to be plugged in. My favorite is a power squid. This is useful for the larger bulky plugs that come standard with anything that require re-charging, such as a cell phone, camera, etc...

Transfer Service - Another great cruise planning tip. Getting to and from the port can be a hassle. Very often the cruise line will offer a transfer service from the airport/hotel to the port, and then from the port to the airport at the end. To make the beginning and end of your cruise more trouble free and relaxing, let someone else worry about the logistics. It may cost a bit more, but you are on vacation after all!

Book Excursions Early - Cruise vacations offer a variety of excursions, which fill up quickly. Book these early. Don't worry about the weather. The excursions are once in a lifetime experiences, you'll be sorry if you miss them.

Passport - It can take up to 12-13 weeks to get a passport, be sure to apply early! You can get expedited service, but it costs more. For most, the local post office is the best place to apply and get help. Once you get started, it doesn't really take that long.

Bring a Backpack - This cruise packing tip is a must. The day you arrive to the ship, it will take them awhile to get your luggage to your room. Pack the items that you need/want right away, swim wear, medication, change of clothes, etc..., that way you can begin enjoying your cruise immediately. During the cruise a backpack is great for excursions, it can carry another layer of clothes, camera, and bottled water. The last night on the ship you'll put all your luggage outside of your room. The backpack is great for packing up all the remaining items like your pajamas, beauty and shaving items, medications, etc...

Pack Light - True for all travel, this definitely makes the top cruise packing tips list and is very helpful to make for an easy cruise vacation. Simply, pack as light as you can. After each cruise vacation, take a look at what you used and didn't use. Make a list, that way next time you can lighten the load. Don't worry about forgetting something, the cruise ship will most likely have it onboard.