One More Lesson in Packing
Cruise Packing 101 |
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![]() Besides incurring the wrath of her male traveling companion, who pointed out in gentlemanly fashion that he would have to wrestle with excess baggage from car or cab through airport terminals and beyond, she quickly tired of trying to cram her belongings into tiny closets and bureaus. To win the battle of the bulging bags, the now savvy seafarer follows her own "Gospel of Prudent Packing" which states: Thou shalt put into one's suitcase only that which will fit neatly in the allocated storage space without hogging every available nook and cranny for thyself. Of course this rule is quickly amended when traveling in a penthouse suite on Crystal, Princess' Grand-class ships, Cunard's Queen Mary 2, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises' Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Voyager, or Silversea's Silver Whisper and Silver Shadow -- because these upper-scale accommodations come with large walk-in closets and lots of shelf and bureau space. These days, for the most part, cruising has become much more of a casual vacation -- even on more formal lines. A couple of hints: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The Female Wardrobe First Things First: Short shorts are only ever appropriate on the pool deck or while working out in the fitness center. You can stretch it by wearing them to lunch in the lido buffet ... but that's it. Bathing suits are even more limited, and should be worn only at the pool (though attractive cover-ups are fine for lido lunching). The Daytime Guide: Good bets for indoor activities include walking shorts, slacks, casual skirts and sundresses. Outdoors, of course, swimsuits and oh-so-casual shorts and t-shirt ensembles are de rigueur. On Shore: Rules of taste vary; if you are heading off to a kayaking expedition or a snorkeling sail, the most casual of shorts is appropriate. If you're heading into town, opt for those items specified above in "Daytime Guide." Evenings: For all but the most formal of evenings (and even on the more casual, upscale ships), resort casual -- or the slightly more elegant resort chic -- is the common dress code. That means elegant attire, though not in the silk gown milieu. Think flowing cotton dresses or silky mix and match pants outfits. The Male Wardrobe First Things First: Consider khakis and a navy sport coat -- a can't-miss uniform when accompanied by everything from a polo shirt to (nice) t-shirt to an Oxford. You can wear this type of outfit just about anywhere but dinner on formal night. Also, unless you're hanging by the pool, some kind of shirt is, well, required. The Daytime Guide: Shorts are pretty versatile (athletic versions for working out and the pool deck, not-quite-knee-length for indoor activities). Jeans work, too. T-shirts and sports shirts go everywhere. On Shore: Again, going too casual (tank tops, scruffy jeans, any kind of athletic garb) is considered disrespectful in many ports of call. And let's face it: You'll generally be more warmly welcomed in restaurants and shops if you're dressed nicely. The only caveat for men is the same as for women: On active shore excursions, ultra-causal is just fine. Evenings: You can pack a tuxedo -- hey, if the mood strikes you've got a much more elegant photo op -- but tuxes are increasingly being outnumbered by business suits on formal nights. On some ships you can rent a tuxedo. But for most folks, we'd recommend that you do pack at least a suit, and tie, because some onboard alternative restaurants are so elegant (such as those on Celebrity's Millennium-class shops) that you really will feel out of place without it. Don't forget the shoes! Otherwise, on non-formal nights the khaki uniform works well. Unisex ![]() ![]() ![]() The Formal Night Conundrum Cruise ships assign daily dress codes -- casual, informal, resort casual, formal -- that take effect in public rooms and restaurants from 6 p.m. onward (daytime is always casual). Read your "Before You Go" brochure very carefully (it comes with your travel documents) because it offers explicit fashion guidelines. Normally, on a seven-night trip, you can count on two formal nights, a couple of casual evenings, and between one and four semiformal occasions. If you're still not sure, check out the fashion IQ of some of your favorite cruise lines below: Carnival Cruise Lines: very casual by day; almost anything goes by night. Celebrity Cruises: resort casual by day, resort chic at night, more tuxes than suits on formal nights. Costa Cruises: casual by day, not overly dressy at night. Crystal Cruises: stylish resort wear by day, elegant by night, with lots of tuxedos on formal occasions. Cunard Line: stylish resort-casual by day. Formal nights are extremely formal (and tend to occur more often than on other cruise lines' seven-night cruises). Pack the ballgown, pack the tuxedo. Disney Cruise Line: casual by day and resort casual by night. Holland America Line: always casual by day, evening dressiness depends more on itinerary than anything else -- in Europe (and on world cruises) passengers really do dress up. Norwegian Cruise Line: Because of its "eat when (and where) you want" Freestyle Dining, you'd expect the tally of super-formal outfits to be slim to none. Actually, we were quite surprised that our recent cruise's one (optional) formal night was well-attended -- with more men in tuxedos than in suits! Oceania Cruises: resort casual by day, resort chic at night. Princess Cruises: casual by day, resort casual in the evening, about half and half tuxedos to suits on formal night. Royal Caribbean International: casual by day with a mixed bag at night that leans more to suits than tuxedos. Seabourn: casual chic by day, tres chic by night. Silversea Cruises: resort chic by day and night. Windstar Cruises: Casual by day, still casual (but a bit more resort-like) at night. |