Packing for 7-night NE/Canada cruise in August

[blythe]

I would appreciate any comments/suggestions for how to pack as efficiently as

possible for a cruise from Boston to Montreal in early August. I realize the need for

layering and would like to know how others pack to accommodate hot to cool/rainy

weather and the various port activities along this route. We usually cruise the

Caribbean and have never done the New England/Canada route. Thanks.

[geocruiser]

3 hours ago, blythe said:

I would appreciate any comments/suggestions for how to pack as efficiently as

possible for a cruise from Boston to Montreal in early August. I realize the need for

layering and would like to know how others pack to accommodate hot to cool/rainy

weather and the various port activities along this route. We usually cruise the

Caribbean and have never done the New England/Canada route. Thanks.

Bring some warm clothes.  I have done 5 Canada New England cruises.  The coldest one that I have been on was in the first week of August.  Besides the rain wear I need a scarf, gloves and a hat.  It must have been a out of the ordinary weather.

[Lois R]

I sailed that itinerary in OCT before and yes, it was chilly.  I was in long sleeves and long pants most of the time. I would say to layer.  I am guessing August will be warmer but evenings can get chilly.  Actually, my suggestion is something I do for myself and that is to check weather.com about 5 days before I leave and it helps me a lot with packing.  I put in the time frame for the cities visiting and it usually comes up with the correct temps/forecast. 

 

Hope you have a great cruise......

[blythe]

Thank you, Lois and geocruiser, for your input. The tip to check weather.com is very good.

Am I safe in thinking that long pants, comfy tops, and a sweater or two will suffice for

days in port? Of course, I'd bring along a rain jacket, gloves, maybe a medium weight

hooded jacket? This is so different than planning for Caribbean cruises. I want to have the proper

clothes but also want to avoid overpacking.

[Lois R]

Hi, yes, I think your attire is perfect.  I would bring a cardigan style sweater (but that is just me).  A lightweight pullover would be good as well.  But that is what I would wear during the day too.   Yes, it is very different than a Caribbean Cruise but the places are awesome. I have not been to Montreal but I did sail out of Boston and went to different spots in Maine and other ports in Canada.  I would also bring comfy shoes for daytime as well. 

[waterbug123]

I'd pack a pair (or two) of "trekking" or hiking pants in quick dry fabric....the kind you can get from Columbia, REI and other outdoor outfitters.  Athleta also makes some similar ones.  They are thin, so will keep you cool if it's warmer than expected, but you can layer leggings or tights under them if it's cooler than expected which makes them extremely versatile for varying temps.  They can also be rinsed or washed in the sink and dry quickly when hung up, so you can wash them mid-cruise and get a lot of wear out of them.  Often they have a lot of snap/zipper pockets too, so you don't have to carry a big bag with you.  I wore a pair on a bicycle excursion last year in Austria specifically so I could remain hands free by putting cards/ID/money in one pocket, lip balm and tissues in another etc.  (Wore my camera cross body style.)

 

Take a variety of casual tops, both short sleeved and long sleeved, as well as a thin sweater/lightweight fleece or two to layer for warmth, and an all-weather jacket.  Add a scarf and gloves for particularly chilly or windy days.  Pack some shorts and sandals too though, for warmer days and/or walking around inside the ship or onboard when in port (and wind isn't an issue) on sunny days.  Even on Alaska cruises I often just throw on shorts and flip flops if we leave the cabin for breakfast or to go get coffee, so I always like to have at least one pair of each regardless of the itinerary.

[Hoyaheel]

I too always bring something to wear in case of temps much higher or lower than the "expected" forecast - for me, a sundress is great when it gets warm but with a sweater I can wear for much cooler temps. I've read recommendations to have something for 20 degrees warmer and/or cooler, but I think that sort of depends on what you're expecting the temps to be and how warm/cool you usually are. I'm hot blooded - my MIL isn't and keeps her coat on in our house, so I get that we're all different (NO, I don't keep my house THAT cold, my MIL is just super sensitive - I live in NC, not MN 😉

[blythe]

Thanks, waterbug, for the trekking pants suggestion. I've never had any of those but

will do some research. I want items that will do double or triple duty.

When in the Caribbean, I usually just take a pair of white sneakers (I wear a lot

of white), sandals and one pair dressy shoes. Somehow, white sneakers 

don't seem appropriate for this cruise even though it's August. Am I over-thinking

things? Would a pair of darker walking shoes be better? Any suggestions are welcome.

[Hoyaheel]

What do you wear at home in spring or fall? If you're dressing for temps in the 60s/70s (in general) and still wear a lot of white, wear the white shoes. But if you're wearing darker colors, to me I don't like white with darker colors. But wear what you like 😉

 

I have had many pairs of trekking pants over the years. Right now, Mumbai pant from Columbia and the Incline pant from Eddie Bauer are my faves. I'm just this side of plus and a lot of athletic companies don't fit - they don't go up to 16, or if they do, it's a pretty dang tiny 16 that doesn't work with my butt or thighs.....

[awhfy]

We were in Maine last August (in Bar Harbor). During the day I wore a shirt sleeved technical fabric T-shirt ($5 at Penney’s) & a pair of technical fabric capris (Columbia outlet, $12) & my Birkenstock sandals. In the evening I added a flyaway cardigan (Kohl’s, under $20). Your white sneakers & white clothing will be perfect. You may encounter rain (that’s why everything is so green). I had a hooded rain racket with me (it never left it’s pouch), our friends want to know when we vacation next year because it was the only 2 weeks this past August/September that didn’t have rain...just a lucky break. 

[waterbug123]

21 hours ago, blythe said:

Thanks, waterbug, for the trekking pants suggestion. I've never had any of those but

will do some research. I want items that will do double or triple duty.

When in the Caribbean, I usually just take a pair of white sneakers (I wear a lot

of white), sandals and one pair dressy shoes. Somehow, white sneakers 

don't seem appropriate for this cruise even though it's August. Am I over-thinking

things? Would a pair of darker walking shoes be better? Any suggestions are welcome.

 

Here are a few examples:

https://www.columbia.com/womens-saturday-trail-ii-pant-1579851.html?cgid=women-bottoms-performanceActive&dwvar_1579851_variationColor=337#start=1

Some, like this one, are convertible...there's a zipper to remove the lower legs and convert them into shorts.  Columbia has lots of other others though.

 

https://www.rei.com/product/861361/rei-co-op-classic-sahara-convertible-pants-womens-petite

 

https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/womens-pants-shorts-casual-hiking/womens-aphrodite-20-pants-nf0a2uop?variationId=DYY#hero=1

 

https://athleta.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=210531002&cid=1105218&pcid=1059471

[blythe]

Thank you to everyone who replied. I am going to use Lois' suggestion to monitor the

weather about a week ahead of time. That will help in deciding what clothes to take. I want

to keep packing as simple as possible. Wish me luck!