Courtney GThe packing list is the most important item for your travels. It tells you everything you need from what clothes to wear, to what type of bag to bring. Here is how I came up with my packing list for the New Orleans cruise trip.
The first thing I focused on to figure out what to pack was weather. While this was a cruise vacation it was still in the middle of January where it’s practically peak winter time. I immediately started researching what the temperatures were like around this time for New Orleans and Mexico. I wasn’t worried about Mexico after I saw they stayed in the 80s around this time of year. New Orleans was another story.
I saw that it could be in the 70s one day and the 60s and 50s the next day. Because of the uncertainty that mean I should pack in layers for New Orleans. The only problem was, I only wanted to take a carry-on.
You’re probably thinking, “A carry-on for a 10-day trip? Girl, no.” But I made it work…kind of. I’ll get into that a little later.
Dress for the Weather
Once I figured out the weather, I started looking at items I should bring for the cruise. I was reminded that the cruise has formal nights. Because of the length of my cruise, there would be two formal nights.
I’ll discuss more about formal nights during the Day 2 post. But, being there were formal nights, I needed to pack a dress for each night. Unfortunately, neither night was my birthday. And I wanted to look good on my birthday so that meant a third dress. We also choose another specialty dining restaurant that didn’t land on a formal night. I didn’t have to dress up but I thought I might as well so that meant a fourth dress. So, now I’m packing four extra outfits on top of the 9. Not mention pajamas, workout outfits if I wanted to work out, bathing suits, and undergarments.
These were just the clothes!
Packing for the Cruise
I also wanted to make sure I had what I needed to function during the trip. I looked at so many YouTube videos from Royal Caribbean Blog, Life Well Cruised, and Life With Us TV to gather a list for items cruisers pack:
- Motion sickness pills
- Bug repellent
- Lanyards
- Printed Boarding Pass
- Reusable Filter Water Bottle
- Waterproof Bag
- Zip lock bag
- European plug adapter
- Portable phone charger
- Magnetic hooks
- Wrinkle release spray
- Travel Lock
Some of these felt obvious but I really didn’t think about packing my filtered water bottle or a waterproof bag until I watched those videos. They all were really good purchases, too (though I still don’t know how the wrinkle release spray works).
Item for GERD
Besides these cruise-specific items, I also bought an inflatable wedge pillow. I have GERD and sleeping on an elevated pillow keeps me from getting chest pain at night. When I realized I was going to be gone for over a week without my wedge pillow, I looked for ways to resolve it. I was doubtful the cruise ship had wedge pillows lying around so looked for one that I could squeeze in my carry-on or backpack. The self-inflatable ones would be hard to fit in because of the bulky electronic mechanism. They were also more than what I was willing to pay.
So, I bought one I had to inflate myself. The first night of the cruise, my friend made me stop every two minutes to make sure I didn’t get light headed. It didn’t take long to inflate and it stayed firm the entire cruise.
The Simple Packing List
After I nailed how many outfits I wanted to pack and the new items I needed to buy, I added that to my usual packing list:
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste (3 oz.)
- Mouth wash (3 oz.)
- Face wash/toner/moisturizer (3 oz.)
- Lotion (3 oz.)
- Sunscreen (3 oz.)
- Deodorant
- Bar Soap (optional)
- Shampoo/Conditioner (3 oz.)
- Hair gel/moisturizer (3 oz.)
- Hair ties
- Shower cap
- Shower shoes
- Tylenol
- Mini First Aid Kit
- Neosporin
- Band-Aids
- Bug repellent
- Passport and ID
- Covid-19 Vaccination Card
- Camera
- Phone Charger
- Headphones and charger
- Lysol (3 oz.)
- Masks
- Umbrella/Poncho
Now think about putting all of this in a carry-on bag. Why did I want to do this you ask? I’ll tell you.
Have you ever checked a bag with your airline and cried a little at the fee? Well, the crying part might be just me.
I was used to flying on standby because one of my family members worked for an airline. One of the perks included checking a bag for free. However, when I was leaving college after graduation, I needed a guaranteed flight back home. I used my miles that I’d earned to cover the flight. While the miles covered the flight they did not cover the bag I was checking. I was not expecting the $60 fee. From then on, I was determined to fit what I could in carry-ons during trips.
That’s easy for weekend trips or even 4-day trips but what about a week long trip or more? I was able to fit
- 12 pairs of underwear
- 7 Shirts
- 7 bottoms
- 6 dresses/rompers
- 4 pairs of shoes
- 2 bathing suits
- 2 PJ sets
- 2 work outfits
- A bra
- Shapewear
As well as toiletries, makeup, and other miscellaneous items in a regular 22”x14”x9” carry-on suitcase and book bag.
Packing for a Carry-On
I’ll be honest and say it’s probably easier to fit more in the compact carry-on because there are two deep sides but if you already have a standard carry-on bag like I do, you can do what I did as tips to help:
- Plan out your outfits
Planning out what you’re going to wear for your trip can help you gather an idea of the space you’ll need. Where you’re going will affect your space.
Because I was going to Mexico for majority of the trip, I packed a lot of light clothing. If you’re going to Alaska, you’ll be packing boots, sweaters, thermals, and a big coat. It is a bit tougher for colder weather destinations but you can still try to make it work.
- Get a bag for your toiletries
This can be a hit or miss with space. I bought a toiletry bag for this trip and it took up a chunk of space that probably could’ve fit one more pajama set. However, I was still able to pack all of my items. The toiletry bag will keep all your lotion, deodorant, toothpaste and other travel sized (3oz or less) items together. It will keep it from accidentally getting all over your clothes.
- Practice packing
I practiced packing which helped me see how much I could fit in my bag. My shoes were always at the bottom of the luggage. I tried the rolling method and I could fit a lot, however, doing the Marie Kondo folding method where you fold your clothes like a brick, I was able to fit all of my clothing items in the bag without the use of the extender.
- Make sure it can close without the extender (if you can)
Some airlines won’t let you use the space extender on your suitcase so try and see if you’re able to close the bag without it. I’m not sure why this happens but I remember one time I was bringing a bag with me and the gate agent told me to close the extender.
The standard size is 22″ x 14″ x 9″. If the extender puts it above that 9 inches, you’ll more than likely have to close it.
- Wear the same outfit when you fly-in and out
Wearing the same outfit to fly in and out of your destination will give you one less outfit to pack. It’s even better if you’re wearing your thickest set of clothes to save space in your bag.
- Make your personal item a backpack
If you are someone who normally carries a purse, swap the purse for a backpack (or put your purse inside the backpack). This will give you more space to bring things that you may not have been able to fit in the carry-on. I put a camera, sunglasses, wedge pillow, and all of my medicines in my book bag.
I was able to fit all of my items but barely. I still ended up having to check the bag at the gate (but at least I didn’t have to pay for it).
The Full Packing List
Below is the full packing list I used. You can use this as a base for your own cruise trip and alternate as needed.
Bathroom
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste (3 oz.)
- Mouth wash (3 oz.)
- Face Wash/ Moisturizer (3 oz.)
- Lotion (3 oz.)
- Sunscreen (3 oz.)
- Deodorant
- Feminine Hygiene Products
- Bar Soap (optional)
- Shampoo/Conditioner (3 oz.)
- Hair Gel/Moisturizer (3 oz.)
- Hair Ties
- Shower Cap
- Shower Shoes
- Makeup
- Makeup Wipes
Clothes Items
- Socks
- Underwear
- Shapewear
- Bathing Suit
- Workout outfits (2)
- Pajamas
- Bonnet
- Formal/Theme night outfits
- Jewelry
- Nice Shoes
- Tennis Shoes
- Casual Shoes (flip-flops)
- Belt
- Shorts
- Jeans
- Cardigan/Jacket/Hoodie
Medicine
- Motion Sickness Pills
- Tylenol
- Mini First Aid Kit
- Lactaid Pills
- Antacid
- Neosporin
- Band-Aids
- Birth Control and Other Medication
- Laxative Pills
Important Docs
- Lanyards
- Document Folder
- Printed Boarding Pass
- Cash and Credit Card
- Passport and ID
- Covid-19 Vaccination Card
Misc.
- Bug Repellent
- Reusable Filter Water Bottle
- Waterproof Bag
- Camera
- European Plug Adapter
- Portable Phone Charger
- Phone Charger
- Headphones and Charger
- Magnetic Hooks
- Wrinkle Release Spray (3 Oz.)
- Lysol (3 Oz.)
- Travel Lock
- Masks
- Umbrella/Poncho
One thing my friend bought that ended up being useful as well were towel clips. The cruise pool decks can get pretty windy when the ship is in motion so they came in handy.
What do you always pack on trips? Leave it down in the comments below!
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