PACKING LIST (cruise ship)

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Before you even start packing, it is crucial to consider the countries your cruise ship will be visiting. There is no point in packing bikinis and flip-flops if you are going to Alaska. So the first thing you will do is go on cruisemapper.com, type in the name of the ship that you will be going on, and look at the itinerary.

If you are unsure of what the weather will be like in the countries you will be visiting, I would also suggest researching that, so you know exactly what type of weather to pack for.

Sometimes, you may be on a cruise ship that goes to lots of different places so, chances are you will experience all weather during your time on board. For example, when I was on Royal Caribbean Radiance Of The Seas we started in Alaska and moved over to Australia so I had to pack for all eventualities.

MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS

  • Passport with all necessary visas
  • Seaman's book (If required)
  • Medical certificate
  • STCW Certificates (If required)
  • Vaccination booklet (If required)
  • Flight details
  • Employment contract
  • Bank cards & Bank information
  • Driving license (2nd form of ID)
  • Alarm clock
  • Medication
  • Flight details
  • About $20- $30 in cash in whatever currency the ship uses $/£?
  • Food intolerance documents (If required).

THINGS FOR THE CABIN

  • A padlock
  • A universal adapter
  • Magnets to hang pictures on the wall
  • Family photos
  • A laundry bag
  • A single quilt cover
  • 2 fitted sheets (one to wash one to use)
  • Ear plugs
  • A blanket
  • Fairy lights/ batteries
  • Draw organisers (3 large/2 medium/3 small)
  • Water bottle
  • Adhesive velcro strips
  • A shoe holder that hangs on the back of the door

TECHNOLOGY

  • Phone & charger
  • Camera/ Go Pro & charger
  • Portable charger
  • Laptop/Ipad & charger
  • Headphones & charger
  • Hardrive & memory sticks

LAUNDRY

  • Laundry detergent
  • Dryer sheets
  • Air freshner for the cabin

RANDOME

  • Ruler
  • Notebook
  • A padlock
  • Pen
  • Laundry bags

This is a list for both men and woman so pick out what is relevant to you.

HAIRSTYLING

  • Straighteners/ Curling wand
  • Hair grips
  • Rollers
  • Hair bands
  • Hairdryer
  • Hair peice
  • Hair brush/ Comb
  • Hairspray

Toaletne Potrepštine

  • Sun cream/ Body moisturiser/ after-sun
  • Shampoo/ conditioner/ dry shampoo
  • Shaving cream/ razor/ new razor heads
  • Nail clippers/ nail file/ nail varnish
  • Deodorant & perfume
  • Cotton pads/ ear buds,/ flannel
  • Hair mask/ Hair oil/ serum
  • Your facial skincare products
  • Toothbrush/ toothpaste/ mouth wash/ Floss
  • All makeup
  • Body wash/ hand soap

ACCESSORIES

  • Sunglasses
  • Bag (Day/ Night)
  • Sun Hat/ Baseball Hat
  • Earrings/ Watch/Necklace/ Rings
  • Belt

This is a list of items you should bring with you for a cruise ship contract, regardless of the itinerary. Now let’s move on to clothing. This part of packing requires you to consider the countries you’ll be visiting. Ask yourself: Are you going to a warm climate or a cold climate? If you’re going to a warm climate, will you be in the United States, where you’ll need plenty of swimsuits for the beaches, or in the United Arab Emirates, where city life requires culturally appropriate clothing? If you’re going to a cold climate, such as Norway, where you’ll do a lot of hiking and outdoor activities, or France, where you’ll mainly walk around cities, your clothing choices will differ.

WOMAN

Underwear

Underwear (16), Socks (16), Bras, Sports bra, Fluffy socks, Tights (3)

Tops

Vest, T-shirt, Long sleeve top, Smart Shirt/ Top

Gym wear

Sports bra, Gym leggings, Gym top, Gym trainers

Jumpers

Hoodie, Zip-up hoodie, Blazer, Thin jacket

Swimwear

Bikini, swimsuit, cover-up

Bottoms

Jeans, Leggings, Work trousers, Shorts, Skirt

Footwear

Work shoes, Trainers, Sandals, Heels or smart shoes, Steel toe cap boots (if required)

Dress

Casual dress , Going out dress. Formal night Dress (if required)

Bags

Day bag, Evening bag, Beach bag

Nightwear

Lounge Wear, Night dress, Pyjamas

Outerwear

Thin jacket/ Coat (weather dependant)

MEN

Underwear

Boxers (16), Socks (16)

Gym wear

T-shirt, Leggings, T-shirt, Trainers

Tops

Prsluk, majica kratkih rukava, majica dugih rukava, elegantna košulja

Swimwear

Swim shorts

Jumpers

Hoodie, Zip-up hoodie, Blazer, Thin jacket

Footwear

Work shoes, Trainers, Sandals, Heels or smart shoes, Steel toe cap boots (if required)

Bottoms

Jeans, Chinos, Work trousers, Shorts

Bags

Day bag, Evening bag, Beach bag

Nightwear

Lounge Wear, Pyjamas

Outerwear

Thin jacket/ Coat (weather dependant)

Occasions to Envisage

Day at the beach

When thinking about beachwear, consider how often you’ll go to the beach. If you’ll frequently visit ports like Hvar (Croatia) and Santorini (Greece), it’s recommended to bring a larger selection of swimsuits. However, if you’re visiting only a few beaches, like those in Split or Cagliari (Sardinia), one or two swimsuits should suffice.


Other items to consider: Water bottle, Sunscreen, Speaker, Beach towel (Cruise ship towels are often small, so you may want to bring your own.)

A day in town

After researching the ports you’ll visit, think about clothing that’s appropriate for those destinations. For example, what is suitable in Lisbon won’t be the same as in Dubai. Both are warm places, but they require very different outfits.


Ask yourself:

  • -Will it be hot or cold?
  • -Is it likely to rain?

Work

Uniforms are usually provided, but sometimes you’ll need to obtain your own. If that’s the case, the most important thing is to have comfortable shoes. You’ll spend a lot of time on your feet, so it’s wise to invest in quality footwear. Additionally, ensure you have at least three shifts’ worth of uniforms, so you’re not forced to wear dirty clothes and have enough time to do laundry.


Other things to consider: Comfortable work shoes, Socks that look good with your uniform, Hairpieces that are appropriate for work like a hair doughnut etc, Jewelry that isn't too flashy, Steel toe cap shoes (ask your employer if required).

A night out in The Crew Bar

When people first go to the crew bar, they tend to dress up. However, they soon realize that going to the crew bar is like going to a local pub—everyone dresses very casually. So, there’s no need to overthink your bar outfits; most of the time, you’ll be in jeans and a T-shirt. If there’s a costume party or special night, you might want to dress up, but even then, avoid nightclub attire.

Dinner on the ship

During your contract, you may have a free evening to dine at one of the cruise ship’s specialty restaurants. When choosing your outfit, remember that although you’re off duty, you still represent the company, so you must dress respectfully and elegantly in passenger areas.
Things to consider: Think about the cruise line you will be working on when selecting outfits for this occasion. You will have to be a lot more formal on a Cunard ship than you will on a Carnival ship.

  •  Girls: Not too much cleavage and not too much thigh on show.
  •  Boys: No shorts, traksuit bottoms or trainers.

Adventures

Working on a cruise ship is an adventure in itself, but this refers specifically to excursions that are more exciting than exploring a local city. Naturally, this will depend on the destinations your cruise ship visits.


For example, in Alaska, you can visit glaciers; in Hawaii, you can explore volcanoes; and in Norway, you can go hiking and witness breathtaking landscapes. With all this in mind, pack clothes suitable for activity-filled days.


Items to consider: Hiking boots, Backpack, Water bottle, Rain jacket, Hat and
gloves, Sunscreen etc.

Relaxing in the Cabin

Although you probably won’t spend much time in your cabin, it will be your small new home, so it’s worth bringing comfortable clothes for relaxing during downtime.


Things to consider: Slippers, tracksuit, hoodie, pyjamas.

Going to the gym

Regardless of the cruise ship, there will be a crew gym onboard, and you may also have access to the passenger gym. Even if you don’t regularly go to the gym, it’s recommended to pack workout clothes since it’s free, and you might want to give it a try during your contract.

So that is the clothing done, and if you have thought about all 8 of those occasions I am confident that you will have all the clothes that you need during your contract. However, if you find that you don't, you will be able to purchase things in the ports that you are visiting so don't worry too much.

PACKING TIPS

Suitcase

Ideally, you want to take two soft cases with you or hard cases that fit inside each other when empty. This is because in a shared cabin there is going to be space to store two hard cases, so if you and your roommate each take two hard cases there will be no room to store all four of them comfortably.

For this reason, it is best to assume that your cabin mate has taken too hard cases. So ideally take to soft cases because they fold down to nothing which means that they're not going to take up space in your already very small cabin.

Packing

When packing your suitcase, rolling your clothes as opposed to folding them is a great way to save space so you can fit more into your case. If done correctly, rolling your clothes will also stop them from creasing excessively which means you won't have a load of ironing to do when you get on board.

Half and half

Be sure to put half of everything in each case, for example, if you are taking six pairs of shoes you should put three in each case. If you are taking four T-shirts you want to put two in each case. This is so that, if you lose one of your cases on the flight to the cruise ship, at least you have a little bit of everything in one case.

Hand luggage

Your hand luggage should contain everything on the 'most important items' list but, you should also have one set of uniform in your hand luggage (if you are taking your uniform on with you). This is so that if the worst happens and you lose both of your cases, you can still go to work looking presentable. You should also have a few spare pairs of underwear and socks in your hand luggage for this reason.

Coat hangers

If you have room in your case I would also recommend taking coat hangers. This is especially true if you are going on a brand-new cruise ship because they usually allocate five hangers to each cabin which for most people, is not enough. Even if you are going on an older ship the coat hanger situation is usually quite dire, so I would recommend taking at least 10 coat hangers yourself if you have space. However if not hangers are definitely something that you can purchase in one of the ports that you will be visiting.

Weight limit

Although you want to make sure you take all of your essentials with you, I am sure that you are going to buy things during your time working on this cruise ship. So, please bear that in mind If you are hitting your 40 kg baggage allowance on the way out just consider how you are going to bring extra stuff home at the end of your contract. Usually, a lot of weight in your case is taken up by toiletries and theoretically coming home you will not be bringing those toiletries back with you so, that should free up some space.

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