What key items should I pack for a cruise?

What key items should I pack for a cruise?

Dan Ilves (Dan Ilves, CTC, MCC) gives expert video advice on: What key items should I pack for a cruise?; What are some tips to save money while on a cruise? and more...

Clothing for your cruise vacation is really going to be a function of where you're cruising to. If you're cruising to a colder climate such as Alaska where you're going to be in glacier country, you need a jacket. It gets cold outside, even in Summer. If you're in a hot climate, like the Caribbean, you definitely don't need a jacket. The other typical question is, "Do I have to dress up for a cruise? Do I need to take a tux or a suit or a tie?" Again that depends on the cruise. There are some cruise lines now that have a completely casual dress. Even on luxury cruises now, they're are some cruise lines that are addressing dress requirements but it doesn't require a coat and tie or a formal gown for a woman. On the other hand, most cruises are still rather traditional. On most cruise ships, in a seven day vacation, there will be two formal nights. On that formal night, there will be people who wear tuxedos and the more sophisticated or luxurious the cruise, the more dressy it might be. But even on the least expensive cruises; you see less of it today but still there may be a dress up night, if they don't call it a formal night where a coat and tie would be appropriate. Nobody's going to kick you off the ship for not bringing a tie, but people in the industry are realizing that people don't necessarily want to dress up on their vacation. So what were the traditional requirements of dress up for the ship have really lessened over time and continues to get more and more casual.