What clothing to pack for a 7 day cruise???

Question

Okay I'm freaking out! lol We're leaving Sept. 8th for a 7 day crusie to the easter Carribean. I know I have to dress up for dinner each night, but how nice? So I'm basically going to have to pack a casual outfit for the day time and a nice outfit for every night for dinner? And how am I supposed to pack this all in my one suitcase? haha Anyone have any tips?

(If you couldn't tell, this is my first cruise!)

Answer 1

I would take at least one evening gown for dinner and the rest I would leave casual . good luck and have fun on the cruise .

Answer 2

some summer clothes, a swimming outfit, and a dress i guess

Answer 3

Oh, you are just going to love it ... the best way to travel and the least expensive.

I have cruised many times and didn't need half the stuff I brought.  I was mainly in shorts/t-shirts, but do participate in the formal nights as they are a lot of fun.  You don't want to miss them because it is rare that the average person gets to do something formal like that.

Don't forget your swim suit because you will probably spend the majority of your time there, if you enjoy that type of thing.

Have a great time and take advantage of all the amenities on the ship (i.e. free shows, discos, planned activities).

Answer 4

I have been on many cruises and here's what you should pack.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM. So take swim wear, shorts, sandals, beach shoes, your snorkel equipment if you have it, sun glasses and sun screen, lotions, a cap or big hat for the sun, a book if you are a reader, your music player, sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym, your camera, and other personal toiletries.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc.  You do not have to wear different clothes each night; wear each piece at least twice and mix and match tops and bottoms.  Dress sports casual for dinner and then change to some shorts if you just plan to spend the evening around the pool or on your balcony.  

But keep the dressy stuff on if you plan to go to the disco, casino, or show.

Most 7-day cruises have two formal nights when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. But most people do dress up in a tux for men and a long dress (any color) for women. Some men just wear a suit and tie and some women wear a nice dress but not a gown. You will not be denied access to the dining room or anything else if you choose not to dress up. (we usually take off the formal stuff after dinner and pictures anyway).

-Always take soft sided luggage as it stores better under the beds.  You can take two bags per person.  The lines do not weight your bags but they do scan them the same as at the airport security.  But all of your bags should fit under the bed.  We usually take a couple duffel type bags and a suit/dress carrier type for the more formal stuff like suit, dresses and tux.

- Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and and your clothes that you sleep in.

Answer 5

Try www.cruiseclues.com for some great packing lists.

also www.cruisediva.com has a great series of packing lists.  

     Remember a good wide hat to keep your face from the sun,good quality sunscreen, sunglasses. As far as dinner time, I would bring a nice dress, or slacks and a blouse. On a 7 day cruise there are about 2 formal nights which means you would wear those.  Other than that its very casual-meaning shorts, swim suits, jeans ect.  Have a great time.