packing for a 38 day cruise

[wengod]

How much and how little can I get away with.  I know there will be 5 formal nights but I do not have enough gowns or dresses to do all this.  Any suggestions would be welcome.  Wendy

[Shmoo here]

11 minutes ago, wengod said:

How much and how little can I get away with.  I know there will be 5 formal nights but I do not have enough gowns or dresses to do all this.  Any suggestions would be welcome.  Wendy

We always pack for 7-9 days.  Lots of mix and match things.  Shirts that "go" with 2 or 3 bottoms, and skirts/slacks that will go with 3 or 4 blouses.  Really, how long do you go at home before you wear the same slacks, or blouse again?  Same rule onboard, no one will remember, or care, that you wore that shirt 4 days ago.  

 

I have two formal outfits.  A basic dark blue long gown (that I can change accessories for, making different looks), and black dress slacks with a sparkly top (that utilizes some of the same accessories).  All that will get me through 5 different formal nights before repeating.

 

That's gotten me through cruises (and trips) up to 2 months in length.

Edited June 10, 2019 by Shmoo here

[mom says]

Like Shmoo,  I pack enough for 7-9 days and plan to do laundry as needed. It's true that no one will remember or care what you wore a few days ago. I bring tops and bottoms that will mix and match with each other,  both for day wear and evenings.  Because  I find  dresses limiting in their versatility, I prefer separates for the more formal nights. On our last cruise we had 6 elegant nights. I brought a long black chiffon skirt and a pair of black palazzo pants, along with 3 dressy tops and a silk pashmina. And only one pair of strappy black sandals for evenings.  My entire wardrobe fit into one suitcase. 

[getting older slowly]

Only thing I would say ...... is at least pack two of everything....

so one can be in the laundry.....

 

I wear the same thing every formal night.... the better half has different tops for formal nights.......

 

Wear what ever you are comfortable with and don't pack too much...... at the most it is  three pairs of shoes each..

 

Cheers Don

[2BACRUISER]

I find black trousers(pants) and a long skirt in Navy blue silk/chiffon/satin work well with several different tops, also if you have a simple maxi dress you can put tops over it to create a new look for formal nights.  I have this maxi skirt and trousers from Kaleidescope in the UK.

[Markanddonna]

A lot depends on which cruise line you choose. The trend has moved away from gowns and tuxes. Like the others said, plan for seven days of mix and match, schedule laundry, etc. 

[spookwife]

pack for no more than ten days.   get a nice pair of black palazzo pants and  three sparkly tops for formal nights.  use different accessories to change things up.  

 

I have 6 skorts that are patterned.. a few basic like black and white polka dot, but a few in fun prints as well.   I have about 10 basic tops in solid colors that will go with at least 2 of the shorts.  I usually bring 3 of the skorts and 6 of the tops.   they are thing, pack easily and are appropriate for all day touring  as well as dinner in any of the dining venues.

 

 

[cabin4three]

Mix and match basics with a few accessories, a statement necklace or scarf can make an outfit look very different and doesn't take much space.

Have a look at www. theviviennefiles

Has lots of photos to show how a few basics can be combined.

I normally pack about 10 days worth for adults and take laundry detergent if not flying. If kids are coming take extra for them.  

Don't forget to take gym clothes or clothes with elastic waist or stretch for that final week 😄

[evandbob]

Pack for a week, use the ship's laundry service and bring mix and match items to wear.  You may be able to get all of it in one 22" carry on bag, if you are cruising in a tropical zone.

 

Obviously you won't be able to do this for temperate or cold weather cruising.

[Tonopah]

9 hours ago, wengod said:

 I know there will be 5 formal nights but I do not have enough gowns or dresses to do all this.  

 

As others have said, mix and match. I was on a 7 day crossing with three formal evenings. I wore the same outfit twice. I took several silky pashmina (red, silver, black) and mixed and matches accessories. You can absolutely do 5 formal nights with only a couple of outfits. No one will notice or, if they do notice, they won’t care because they are doing it as well. 

 

You are going to look lovely. Enjoy every one of your formal evenings.

[Joebucks]

Depends how much you care about being seen in the same clothing. Oh the horror. Everyone else probably has 38 different outfits!

 

For me, it would be whatever could fit into my suitcase. Not going to pay to bring another suitcase, not going to leave things out for a 38 day cruise because I feel accomplished eliminating things for no reason.

[Blondilu]

10 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

Depends how much you care about being seen in the same clothing. Oh the horror. Everyone else probably has 38 different outfits!

 

For me, it would be whatever could fit into my suitcase. Not going to pay to bring another suitcase, not going to leave things out for a 38 day cruise because I feel accomplished eliminating things for no reason.

This.  I pack whatever I want, but it has to fit in the suitcase.  If the trip you are taking is a 38 day cruise with no pre or post where you will be lugging around that bag, then why not 1 checked bag, one carry-on (that can be stacked on top of the suitcase for getting to the airport) and your personal item (large purse).  No extra fees and you have all the room you need to pack for 10 days to 2 weeks.  And the time spent lugging the extra bag is minimal.  Or get a larger suitcase (mine is 25 inch, so maybe a 28 inch?) skip the carry-on sized bag AND large purse.  Carry a tote or small duffel on the plane instead.

 

I would do a 38 day cruise like this: 38 divided by 2 is 19.  That's 9 outfits, more or less, worn twice then laundered and then worn twice again. Tops take up less room than bottoms so squeeze in an extra top or two.  Separates for your formal nights as stated above: palazzo pants with sparkly tops.  I always wear a completely different outfit for the 2 travel days that is not included in my count.  That outfit can fill in any gaps if planned accordingly.  Think stretchy and comfy like leggings with a long shirt that will also work for lounging on sea days or if you want to go to the gym.  

 

In the past my biggest sin is thinking I needed "special" clothes to cruise.  Truth is every thing I need is already in my closet.  It just takes a little thought.  Make a list of every day and your projected plans. Check online the projected weather to help determine if you need warmer or cooler clothes.  

 

An roll, roll, roll your clothes.  Really does help you get more in your bag.  But pick up a luggage scale so you don't go over the weight limit for your airlines.  I hate when that happens. 

 

 

 

 

[Husky61]

I only wear slacks and a shirt to any formal night.  For us we send out our laundry as needed.  My wife does not wash and dry clothes while on a cruise.😃

[iancal]

We pack for 7 days.  Does not matter if it is 7 days or 7 weeks.  All the same to us.  Carry on is about all that we can each physically handle on longer trips that include land.

Edited June 10, 2019 by iancal

[cb at sea]

No one will notice if you wear something more than once.  Vacationer's aren't paying attention to you at all....and few actually "dress up" for "formal" nights in gowns/tuxes anymore!

[Hlitner]

We normally pack for about a 2 week cruise and use the ship's laundry.  Formal nights have become non-existent or a joke on most cruise lines where many no longer dress-up or even make much attempt to look good.  DW and still do take some formal wear but she will do a little mix and match along with some accessorizing to avoid the sameness issue.

 

Hank

[crystalspin]

16 hours ago, wengod said:

How much and how little can I get away with.  I know there will be 5 formal nights but I do not have enough gowns or dresses to do all this.  Any suggestions would be welcome.  Wendy

Hi Wendy,

What line/ship/itinerary are you on? Most if not all "mainstream" lines have relaxed their formal nights to No Jeans, Collared Shirt For Men, and not much else for guidance. They may write that "This is the time to shine" or something like that, but you are not required to do anything beyond that.

 

I have taken a long black skirt, a four-way tank top, and a black 'topper' to hide the back of the tank! And a little sack of costume jewelry to go with the color of the tank that shows. I'm going to swap out the skirt for a dressier legging -- black with a velour stripe down the side -- as the skirt is too voluminous! Dr'spin hates to change clothes during the day; getting him to switch to a white collared shirt (saved for the Gala nights) with whatever cargo pants he has on and topped with a "grandpa cardigan" is all he will cooperate with!

 

Alternatively, you can eat in the buffet any night, in anything but your swimsuit!

 

As far as the rest of your packing, our longest cruise so far was 26 days with a day of travel on each end. We packed in hard-shell spinners, since changed out for IT Luggage soft roll-aboards and a saving of like, 5lb each. Since many airlines are stating weight limits for carryons too. I pay attention to the clothes I wear at home and note the pants or leggings that can be worn multiple days without baggy knees or looking like a wrinkled mess. Then choose two tops for every bottom (if they go with more than one bottom, so much the better) and a jacket or cardigan that goes with all. Try to wear the outer layer on the plane if flying. 

 

We are people of size, and can get three-four pants or leggings and the tops to go with them, plus socks/undies/PJs, plus the any extras for evening, and any outerwear deemed necessary (rain or cold layers) in a carryon. If you are smaller and/or going to warmer region, you can get more outfits in and do less laundry! As far as laundry, I did hand-wash on that long cruise (many seadays), but on recent transAtlantics we used the "by the bag" option -- so also chose clothing undemanding of special care. The lines we've sailed with have clotheslines in the bathroom if you do need to wash out anything by hand.

[bonsai3s]

Same as most...pack for 7 days...do laundry before the end of the week...repeat.

Sidebar: We were showing our cruise pictures to family (we are in the process of scanning all our pictures and getting rid of all the heavy photo albums)...anyways, I loved wearing my tuxedo on formal nights.....didn't realize it until one of the grandkids said "Hey grandpa, how come your always wearing the same suit?".........after that comment, I stopped wearing my tuxedo....my luggage is not so heavy now. ☺️

[jocap]

 Hi, Wendy- we usually do a long cruise in winter, so we travel in warm clothes, and need them for the first few days at sea. Then, everything is washed and packed away under the bed, for us to repeat on the way home.

Actually, the line we use for longer cruises does have formal nights which really are formal, so I have several evening trousers and various tops. I find that black velvet trousers don't crease, and they're a staple for formals.

If you're on a line with launderettes, take some tablets/washing sheets, and dedicate a couple of hours  of a sea day to going through your things. I always send OH's evening shirts to the laundry.

Have a great cruise- where are you going?