After sailing on over 100 cruises in my life, I’ve learned what you actually need to bring with you at sea and what you can leave at home.
I often see people boarding ships with full suitcases, and I know that they aren’t going to use half of what they brought. In the interest of trying to keep my travel as easy as possible (from embarking the ship itself, to flying, and everything in between) I find that packing just a carry-on and a personal item is the best way to go.
This upcoming week, I’ll be sailing on a transatlantic voyage on the Queen Mary 2 from New York City to Southampton. It’ll be 7 days at sea, which means: no port days, lots of elegant evenings to dress up for, smart-casual dress-code during the day, and lots of time to hit the gym. With the weather also being fall right now, this means that my clothing items will be a little bit bulkier than usual.
If you’re heading on a transatlantic or luxury cruise anytime soon, this guide will help you pick exactly what to pack–leaving nothing extra to weigh you down. Now, let’s set sail!
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View this post on InstagramThe Embarkation Outfit
Setting sail from New York in style. Wearing my bulky layers on embarkation day frees up critical interior space for the rest of the week.What you put on your body the day you travel to the ship is extremely important. I chose a pair of comfortable white slacks, a white shirt, a sweater, a jacket, and a comfortable pair of flats. The slacks will be worn multiple times throughout the trip–especially because they match with every top that I packed. The white shirt will come in handy as well, to wear by itself or with layers on top.
The sweater here is my true MVP of the trip. This singular sweater will act as my go-to layer for when it gets chilly around the ship. It’s stylish and classy looking, but it has the feel of an extremely comfortable sweatshirt. This will be perfect for when I want to cuddle up in my cabin and read a book or when I want to head to one of the lounges for a glass of wine. This specific one is the Lola Stripe Pullover from Margaret O’Leary.
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Tops and Bottoms
Designed for chilly North Atlantic breezes. These mix-and-match tops and bottoms easily layer under cardigans for breezy strolls on the promenade deck.Let’s start with the bottoms. You’ll want to pack some options that can be worn both during the day and at night–that way they are multi-purpose. With that in mind, I first chose two pairs of slacks. The first pair is the one that I wore to embark the ship, and the other is a soft brown pair. Both of these feel very comfortable to wear all day long, but they also help me feel very put together. On a classy ship like the Queen Mary 2, that’s how I want to present myself. Then, to have a bit more casual options, I packed a pair of blue jeans and a pair of white and black striped jeans.
For the tops, I chose three very basic sleeveless tops that can be worn by themselves or with a layer overtop them. Then, I chose two short-sleeved sweaters, which will provide a bit more warmth but can also be layered upon. I also threw in a thin long sleeved turtleneck, which barely took up any room in my suitcase and will be great when I want to feel a bit warmer. For my extra layering pieces, I chose a black button up sweater and a fun, colorful sweater vest. Both of these can be worn alone, on top of the tops I brought, or with the evening-wear that I packed as well.
Evening-wear Onboard The Luxury Ship
Proof you don’t need a garment bag for formal nights: These elegant evening pieces roll down tight without losing their structure or sophistication.If you’re sailing onboard a luxury cruise line, you will most likely receive a schedule beforehand explaining the dress codes for each night of the cruise. On the Queen Mary 2, we will have an elegant black and white themed night as well as a masquerade night. Every other evening still requires you to adhere to a smart dress code: dresses, smart trousers, skirts–you get the drill!
I went with three dresses. One I particularly know that I’ll wear for the black and white night, and the others are options that I can dress down or up depending on the events of the evening. Then, I packed a satin skirt as well as two different bodysuits to pair with it. All together, this gives me five base outfits for the evenings. I can also add one of my layer-able tops to the dresses or skirt outfits, creating an entirely new look.
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Shoes
The ultimate footwear line-up: Shoes for the gym, versatile flats for sea-day lounging, and sleek heels for formal evenings.”If I could share only one major packing tip, it would be that you don’t need as many shoes as you think. For most trips that I go on, I only pack three pairs of shoes. I did have to break my rule for this voyage, however, because I am planning on doing a lot of gym time–alas, my bulky Nike sneakers had to come along for the trip.
For the other shoes, I needed casual and comfortable options to wear during the day as well as during the more relaxed evenings. I chose two pairs of ballet flats. One is a leather black pair that can look very nice with an evening outfit, but can also be dressed down with a pair of socks and pants during the day. The second pair is a velvety-knit material in a warm brown color. This will be easy to put on with any of my day outfits. Finally, a pair of heels was needed for the gala evenings.
Accessories, Extras, and Neccessities
The finishing touches: high impact accessories and travel essentials.This is the part where people tend to get very overwhelmed–and trust me, I relate. Starting with your every day necessities: toiletries, makeup, and hair supplies. All of these shouldn’t take up that much room. Pair down your makeup to include only what you need. Use travel sized toiletries and skip the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. The cruise ship will have those ready for you in the cabin. You don’t need to bring a blow-dryer, since that is always in any hotel or cruise ship stateroom.
After you’ve packed those into small containers that will keep them organized, move on to your undergarments and pajamas. I only wear one pair of pajamas during a trip (don’t worry, I shower right before bed!). Your underwear, socks, and bras should only take up the room of a small packing cube.
Melissa Cabey
Lastly, I decided to bring a few accessories on this trip. I have a small zip-up bag with various types of jewelry to dress up my evening looks, silk scarves to elevate my looks during the day, and a shawl to throw over my shoulders in the evenings. To finish it all out, I threw in a few workout clothes and one matching sweatsuit. That suit can be worn to relax in as well as on my flight home.
If you pack all of your clothing in packing cubes and play a game of Tetris to get the rest organized, trust me, you’ll have no problem fitting everything you need in a carry-on and personal item!
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