I am packing for my cruise today. This is cruise number 15 for me and I feel like I now have my cruise packing down to both a science and an art form!  I know exactly what I need to bring and exactly what I will use.

First, and foremost, I only travel with a carry-on suitcase. I am always tempted to bring 15 pairs of shoes, as I am sure many women are tempted to do when traveling, but I resist. I know that I will live in one pair of sturdy shoes for hiking around the cities, and, I will live in one pair of cute sandals on the cruise ship. In lieu of my comfy pink fuzzy slippers, I will bring cashmere slipper socks for lounging in the room. Although the trip is 14 days, I will bring half that number of tops. I will plan to wear each shirt two different days during that time period. I find that dividing your travel days by half will give you a good idea of the number of shirts to bring. This is generally adequate, unless you are a clothes horse. The cruise ship has self-service washers and dryers, as well as, laundry service. I also limit pants to all-purpose blue or black ones, along with some capris, and a skirt. I plan to skip the formal nights in the dining room and eat elsewhere on those evenings, and, I can always dress up a skirt and top a bit for semi-formal nights in the dining room. 

If you really want to attend the formal dining evenings, you can often rent dresses through the cruise line and have them delivered to your cabin. To help things out further, I only pack items that will mix and match with everything else and are in basic colors and no-wrinkle fabrics. If you really feel the need to dress up those basic items further, then you are probably a shopper who will enjoy looking for fabulous jewelry, scarves, and other accessories to wear during the cruise. Don’t bother bringing your accessories from home and enjoy the excuse to shop—you were probably going to anyway. As a bonus, those souvenirs generally take up very little room in your suitcase at the end of the cruise. Are you a minimalist when it comes to packing? 

I never fly with anything more than a carry-on suitcase that fits in the overhead bin and a computer case that fits under the seat.  However, if I ever do err on the side of bringing too much on a trip, it is probably for comfort items. I am a girl who likes her comfort.  For plane flights: I generally pack an inflatable neck pillow and earphones for the plane. I also bring a home-made picnic for very long flights to avoid eating poorly while traveling. For hotel stays: I bring the books I bought cheaply at the local thrift store (so I can justify dumping them anywhere at any time). I also like to bring granola bars (good for a midnight snack or quick breakfast) and a small nightlight (for the hotel bathroom). For all trips: I pack any medicines that I would want to have quick access to when far from home (bringing a few chewable Pepto tablets can be a life saver when you don’t speak the language).  I also pack a few plastic zip-top baggies of various sizes (they are extremely versatile and take no room at all).

My general rule of thumb for packing:
1)            Make sure you really need an item before it goes in your suitcase,
2)            Reconsider again whether you really need an item before it goes in your suitcase,
3)            If it is worth packing at all, bring enough for the entire length of your trip. Don’t plan on “buying more when I get there” for anything of real importance.

As a result of these self-imposed packing rules, I may pack lighter on the clothes and shoes, but heavier on the creature comforts and nice-to-haves.  I would be far more likely to eliminate an entire outfit than travel to far-flung destinations without my favorite tea to drink each morning. This has worked for me over 25+ years of traveling. Try it--you might like that comfortable feeling, too.