In-play year-round but most exquisite from December through April, a luxury Caribbean cruise is the epitome of casual fun. And while it’s tempting to bring multiple clothing items, seeing as how you only have to unpack once, cruise packing takes a bit of effort.
Advanced planning helps streamline your suitcase, so dressing will be effortless and comfortable for men and women alike – and so you don’t end up with a bag full of just flip-flops and tank tops. Here is a brief checklist:
Two chairs on the tropical beach
1. Mix and match.
Try to have everything in your luggage go together in some way. Break it all down into one color palette. This eliminates the guesswork.
2. Love the neutrals.
Prop everything up with versatile neutrals – white shirt, black shirt, blue shirt, tan pants, black pants. Then, augment everything with a carefully considered selection of accessories to inject color into the look.
3. Dress for the water.
Bring along more beachwear than you think you need. That way, you don’t have to launder anything or get bored with the same clothing every day. Coverups, too.
4. Just bring one.
One jacket, one suit, one skirt, one pair of khakis. Embrace the power of two with shorts, coverups and leisurewear. If you’re not going to wear something at least twice, leave it at home.
5. Pare down the shoes.
Again, one pair of everything: one dressy, one casual, one or two sandals, one pair of running shoes. Make sure at least one pair of comfortable shoes is waterproof. Add a hiking or trail shoe if your plans are active.
6. Keep outerwear simple.
A zip-up for the plane and for morning hikes, an unstructured jacket, maybe a pashmina, boom – you’re done. No bulky sweaters required, especially in the Caribbean.
7. Don’t go overboard with accessories.
Never pack jewelry you can’t afford to lose. Keep this extremely simple onshore, so as not to draw unwanted attention to yourself.
8. Go easy on the toiletries.
While bathroom essentials are just that, pack items that provide as much double-duty as possible – i.e. moisturizer with an SPF, shampoo and conditioner in one, scented body lotion so you don’t need as much perfume, etc.
9. Leave denim at home.
The Caribbean is far too breezy to bother with jeans, which are too hot to wear and don’t fare well in extreme humidity.
10. Lighten up.
Be sure to leave heavy things at home, i.e. no books or magazines, just a tablet. Speaking of which, you don’t need both a laptop and an iPad. Pack the point-and-shoot and not the SLR camera, and leave things like travel steamers at home. Bon voyage!