Cruise Packing

I love packing for a cruise vacation! If you have watched any of my YouTube Vlogs on, Dana's Cruise Adventures you will see I love to dress up.  This can be a little difficult when flying with all the weight restrictions and luggage fees in effect.  I usually pack about (2) outfits per day (I know men don't call them outfits) for a seven day cruise.  Most days I am in flip flops and beach attire but at night I like to dress to the nines.  In order to dress up I need dressy shoes and accessories.  My packing routine is simple.  First, invest in a luggage scale.  It doesn't have to be fancy,  a basic one will do.  I first lay out all my outfits for the trip with shoes and accessories.  I will always travel with a carry on (small suitcase) for my shoes.  The shoes normally will weigh down your checked luggage and it will already be heavy due to your trial size hygiene products.  My shoes are actually my most important accessory and many of them cannot be replaced.  I also place belts and jewelry, because this luggage will be with me always.  Another thing to remember is your carry on luggage is not weighed.  It has to be small but who says you can't pack it to capacity?  I then use the "roll method for my everyday clothes and place my evening wear on top in plastic to minimize wrinkles.  My last step is to weigh my luggage.  I always check with the airline carrier for the weight restrictions on checked luggage.  On my return home, I will always discard the trial size hygiene products to make room for a few souvenirs.  I have been on over (23) cruises and this method has yet to fail me.  I hope my experiences and tips will help the next future cruiser.