Cruise Vacations for Mature Travelers by Kerry Smith

Author:Kerry Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2011-03-08T16:00:00+00:00

WHAT TO PACK, WHAT TO PACK …

Seasoned travelers pack very little. The women have a complete wardrobe of mix-and-match outfits that allow them to wear something different every day, created artistically with three skirts, three blouses, one dress, and a small bag of scarves, pins, and belts. The men pack two pairs of shorts, three pairs of pants, four shirts, one dark suit, and seven ties. They’re efficient people. I admire them tremendously. Frequent travelers consider light packing a badge of honor, with the best of the best able to fit everything needed for a seven-day cruise into their carry-on luggage. Personally, I want to flip through eight shirts before deciding which one I want to wear; I don’t like picking out a whole week’s wardrobe before I go. How you pack depends on the type of person you are—and the amount of luggage you’re willing to tote around.

With that said, less luggage is better. Cruise lines have few rules governing the amount of suitcases that may be brought on board, though the amount of drawer space inside a cabin varies tremendously. Still, most cabins have enough space for two people to unpack comfortably for a seven-day cruse. Suitcases usually slide neatly under beds with a bit of space left over for shoes and souvenirs.

The main constraint to an Imelda Marcos-sized collection of clothing comes from airlines that mandate limits such as “two suitcases and one carry-on bag per person.” If the stack of suitcases by the front door keeps getting taller as you prepare to depart, check with the airline first. If taking a long cruise and you need everything, ask about the charges for extra bags.

These following guidelines apply to all mainstream cruise ships. High luxury ships may require more suits and a higher class of casual wear; economy lines require fewer suits and accept more T-shirts. A handful of cruise lines, usually touting themes such as “casual elegance” or “barefoot luxury,” never require a jacket or tie. Still others, the soft adventure cruises, don’t worry about a dress code at all, figuring people will dress for the weather and the activities rather than the social occasions. Still, 90 percent of the cruises out there adhere to the following guidelines:

FORMAL WEAR: Most seven-day cruises schedule at least two formal nights. For men, that means a tuxedo or dark suit—black or deep blue. Women will feel at home in either an evening gown or elegant dress. On a mainstream cruise, expect maybe 10 percent of the men to be in a tux, perhaps 80 percent to wear a dark suit, and 8 percent to wear a light suit. The remaining 2 percent of rugged individualists wear a suit without a tie, or a pair of khakis and the best shirt in their closet. On an economy cruise, the number of rugged individualists grows and the number of tuxes drops. The level of female elegance parallels that of the men.

For those who wish to rent a tux, check first with your travel agent to see if they offer that service onboard.

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