Planning on going on a cruise and not sure what to pack? I’ve been there. We went on a cruise in January and I want to share with you my top tips on what to pack for a cruise. And hopefully you can also learn from my mistakes …

What to pack for a cruise

We went on a MSC cruise in the beginning of the year and we had so much fun. It was a 4 day cruise (which turned into a 6 day cruise – you can read more about it HERE) from Cape Town to Walvis Bay and back. It was awesome and we can’t wait to do it again. Next time I’ll be a little wiser about what (and how) to pack. Ever wondered what to pack for a cruise? Here’s what I’ve learned from our cruise experience.

Your Carry-On Bag

When you board the ship your checked luggage will be taken directly to your room, but you will not have access to it until much later on the day. A lightweight carry-on is a must. I recommend a backpack or tote that can also double as a handbag or used for shore excursions. My leather backpack was a winner.

Absolute Leather backpack

Make sure that your carry-on bag contains all the necessities to start enjoying your cruise right away. I suggest the following:

Your cruise ticket
Travel documentation if required (passport, visas, etc.)
Wallet
A change of clothes, swimsuit and sunscreen
Motion sickness and any other prescription medications you may need
Anything else that you need to be close at hand

Checked Luggage – What to pack

What to pack for a cruise

Clothing

No one wants to be stuck on a ship thinking ‘I have nothing to wear!’ but you also don’t want to pack your whole wardrobe. Planning is everything. The best advice I can give you is to carefully read through your cruise itinerary and keep the weather in mind when you plan your outfits.

Pack clothing that you can mix and match, and if you have items that can take you from day to night, even better.

If you’re cruising to Alaska you’ll probably need that heavy jacket or sweater, but if not, layering is key. Light cardigans and jackets kept us warm on our cruise when the evenings got a little chilly on the deck and inside the air-conditioned dining areas.

Many cruises have themed events and dress codes that you need to adhere to. You don’t want to get caught with your pants down (or should I say ‘with your pants at home’).

Cruise dress codes

Ever wondered what exactly the dress codes mean? Hopefully this will help.

The guidelines for our MSC Cruise was as follows:

On-board attire…

Shorts, t-shirts, slacks, trousers, casual skirts, blouses and sundresses are all perfect during the day, whether indoors or out.

Dinner attire…

Suggested guidelines for these nights are:

Casual: Sport shirts and slacks for men, sundresses or pants for women

Smart Casual: Jackets and ties for men, dresses or pantsuits for women

I attended the MSC Musica launch last year and the gala event called for formal attire. The event was filled with guests dressed in their best. If the night calls for it, why won’t you don that ballgown or tux?!

Shoes

Flip flops are of course a must for lounging by the pool. I packed two pairs as I wore mine most of the day. A pair of sneakers is also a good idea as they can take you from the gym to shore, and keep your toes warm on chilly nights when you can go casual. I learnt a valuable lesson from the seasoned cruisers… elegant sandals are a must. If you have a pair that can take you from the pool to dinner and dancing, you are set. And if you don’t own any, go buy a pair before your next cruise. I most definitely will. What about formal evenings? I wore a pair of heels on the night we decided to dress up, but I envied all the ladies in their elegant sandals later on the dance floor. It’s a good idea to colour coordinate your formal outfits so that you only need to pack one pair of dress shoes. Lastly, make sure your shoes are comfortable. You’re going to be walking… a lot.

Bags

This one is more for the ladies as most gents are happy to walk around with only their cruise card (at least my husband did), but if you’re like me, you can’t leave your room without your bag. My back pack served me well during the day, but I forgot to pack an evening bag. Top tip: Pack a small bag that can take you from day to night. Next time I will be taking a small cross body bag that can hold the essentials while I’m lounging by the pool, going to dinner or dancing the night away.

Cool by the pool

Don’t forget your swimsuit. Or two. Sunscreen and a hat (do we really need to have this conversation again?). A quick drying cover-up or shorts and t-shirt is a must as only a swimsuit isn’t very appropriate (or allowed) in certain areas of the ship. Swimming towels were provided on our cruise, as with most I think. Lastly you just need your sunglasses, a good book and cruise card (to buy all those lovely cocktails) and your are set for a full day of relaxing on deck.

Last but not least

Toiletries Most cruise ships provide the basics like shampoo, a shower cap, etc. but if you’re like me, you want to take along your own. Small travel containers are also something to consider when you want to take along all your lotions and potions (again, like me). No need to take a hairdryer as a small one is supplied in the cabins on most ships.

A lanyard/key card holder They say you’ll be spotted as a newbie cruiser from a mile away, but a lanyard will make your life so much easier. You need your cruise card at hand at all times (especially for those cocktails by the pool) and hanging it around your neck just makes sense.

Binoculars Not a necessity, but it would have been nice if we had ours on the trip.

Poo-Pourri I had such a laugh when I read this online (can’t remember where), but I think it’s actually a great tip. Most cabins don’t have a source of fresh air and this ‘before-you-go toilet spray’ may just save you from an embarrassing moment or two. There’s actually a variant called ‘Ship Happens’… so appropriate.

Now that you know what to pack, make sure that you read the T’s and C’s on your cruise ticket on what NOT to pack. You don’t want to be caught red-handed ;)

I think that’s it. I really hope that this post is helpful to you. Did I miss anything? I would love to hear your tried and tested packing tips.

xoxo

PS The bags featured in this post are all from Absolute Leather. I am totally obsessed with this local family business. Their bags are all beautiful and of the highest quality. And the people behind the brand are the nicest you will ever meet. It’s my birthday soon and I will hopefully be spoiling myself with another Absolute Leather creation… watch this space.

We went on a cruise! And what a fantastic holiday it was. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. We are more ‘sitting-by-the-braai’ type holiday-goers, but MSC Cruises, you’ve got us hooked. Not sure if the cruise life is for you? Stay tuned and I’ll tell you why we loved our recent MSC cruise aboard the Musica.

MSC Cruises - We went on a MSC cruise and it was awesome

We went on a MSC cruise and it was awesome

In January we embarked the MSC Musica and cruised from Cape Town to Walvis Bay and back for what was supposed to be a four night cruise. Our plans changed a bit though. Did you see the articles in the news about the marooned Musica in Cape Town? That was us!

MSC Musica Pretty Please Charlie

The Cape Doctor kept the ship from docking and we had to spend 2 extra nights aboard the ship. Although it wasn’t part of the plan, we weren’t complaining.

I had such a giggle when I read an article posted on Times Live whilst we were stuck at sea:

‘But while those on board are unlikely to start eating fellow passengers anytime soon – and there are enough lime slices at the bar to stave off scurvy – those waiting to board are feeling the pain.’

I did feel very sorry for the passengers who’s cruise was cut short due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control. But back to our cruise…

THE MSC MUSICA

TO CRUISE OR NOT TO CRUISE

A cruise ship is a floating hotel that offers a lot of perks.

The biggest perk for me was the fact that a cruise is all-inclusive. Your MSC Cruise ticket price includes your cabin, meals, on board activities (games, quizzes, craft classes, etc), 24-hour room service, use of the card room, library and fitness centre, nightclub admission and Broadway style shows. And I’m sure you know this, but kids cruise free! Not included are your drinks (see my tips below), spa treatments, shopping, etc.

You can choose your cabin according to your budget. We opted for an inside cabin, but hopefully next time we can go for a balcony suite. Our cabin was lovely. Although a tight squeeze, it had everything we needed. You only spend so much time in your cabin anyway. I did however take an afternoon nap every day of the cruise. I never nap! It was absolutely lovely.

Food, glorious food. Included in the cruise is dining at one of the main restaurants where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can choose between early or late dining when booking and your table will be reserved for the entire duration of your cruise. 20 hour a day dining is also available at the buffet restaurant. We chose to have most of our meals at the buffet restaurant or outside on the deck. We thoroughly enjoyed all our meals. I was disappointed to hear that people often complain about the food. You can’t expect to get caviar and foie gras at every turn and may I remind you that you get what you pay for. We were more than happy with the extensive breakfast buffet (waffles for the win!), pizzas, fresh salads, pastas, the carvery, freshly baked breads, etc and I also really enjoyed the vegetarian meals at the main restaurant. If it wasn’t for all the walking on the ship, I would have most definitely added quite a bit to the weight of the ship by the end of our cruise ;)

Drinks. This is where you need to listen up as I have a great tip for you.

Drinks are not included in your package (except for select hot and cold drinks at the buffet beverage stations – MSC, here I need to have a chat with you – the coffee needs work). You can purchase drinks with your cruise card or you can opt to buy a drink pass (you save if you buy before the cruise). These booklets contain tickets that you can use to purchase beverages on board. We chose the all-inclusive drink pass, but there are a few packages to choose from. Each ticket holds a set monetary value, but you can use it to purchase any drink that’s included in the selected package regardless of the price of the drink. We soon figured out that we saved money using a ticket for a cocktail rather than a coffee. We used our tickets for cocktails and the like and we swiped our cruise cards for the less expensive drinks. It’s easier to use your tickets and not think about it, but this tip will save you money. Especially if you like cocktails. And the cocktails are goooood. I would give my left pinky for a pina colada right about about now.

Entertainment. As I’ve mentioned, there’s more than enough entertainment on board if you are not one for lounging around by the pool all day. The evening shows on the Musica is a must and the Teatro La Scala is truly breathtaking. The images really don’t do it any justice.

MSC Musica Teatro La Scala

There’s going to be a lot of people. We enjoyed the rabble though. Laughter and smiles were abundant. It was lovely. And if you wanted some alone time, you could choose between your cabin, the spa, the library. And even though there are only so many places you can go to get away from a couple of thousand fellow passengers, we often found ourselves exploring the magnificent Musica feeling like we were sailing the seas all on our own.

I think my favourite part of the whole experience was to be able to disconnect from the outside world. For a while you are able to forget about all the stress of ‘real life’ and just enjoy a well deserved break.

You can also literally disconnect. I purchased an internet package so that we could chat with our daughter in the evenings. For a change, the one with the cellphone was the odd one out. I left my phone in our cabin most of the day, and it was bliss.

Whether you prefer to just relax and stare out into the deep blue, or party up a storm in the disco, or both, a MSC cruise makes for a spectacular holiday.

BOOZE CRUISE OR FAMILY FUN?

We opted for a non-themed cruise which meant that we had a great mix of people cruising together. We had the party-goers, the families, the tour groups and of course, the seasoned cruisers.

The La Spiaggia pool area was always busy and filled with laughter and music and the best place to enjoy a cocktail (or 4!), but I liked that it was still a place where you could relax. The big party cruises may be a little different ;)

MSC Musica La Spiaggia

Last year I attended the launch of the MSC Musica in Durban and, as I focus a lot on parenting on the blog, I was curious to see how kid-friendly the Musica is and what there is on offer to keep the kids entertained. They have great areas for specific age groups and daily activities to keep the little ones and the older kids occupied. In all honesty, I liked the look of what a MSC cruise has on offer for families, but I didn’t see a cruise as a great option for a family getaway. Not for us at least. Not now.

Our MSC cruise in Jan gave me a bit of a different perspective. I didn’t realise how many kids were on the cruise until our final night. Hubby and I opted for a buffet supper on our last night and the first table we found was next to the ‘kids dining area’. The area seemed to be dedicated to the children who’s parents needed a bit of a time-out. There were MSC staff members looking after the kids, singing songs with them and even checking if they were eating their vegetables. They were having a freaking whale of a time. It made me think twice about going on a family cruise.

PS There is a Kids Cruise from Durban to Pomene in March next year and it actually looks like a lot of fun.

WILL WE CRUISE AGAIN?

MSC Musica Whirl Pool Bath

Oh for damn sure! We have our eye on another Cape Town to Walvis Bay cruise in 2020. But if I had my way, I would book for the next available MSC cruise from Durban to Mozambique. A girl can dream, right?

Happy cruising!

xoxo

PS There is actually so much more to tell, but this post is already a long one. I’ll be sharing a post to help you pack for your cruise soon. PPS Did you see our gorgeous Absolute Leather duffel bag in the first image? I am so in love.