Packing
Melanie Carden
Sometimes you just need to get away from it all, and by “all,” we mean the never-ending time suck of our overly chaotic to-do lists. Work, errands, appointments, and obligations of every variety can sometimes feel overwhelming, but there’s one place where all that seems to disappear: a cruise. It’s basically like living in a slow-motion Instagram Reel — everything’s luxurious, including the all-you-can-eat buffets festooned with food art. So much so that it might convince you that cruise ships offer the absolute best buffet options. Plus, the open ocean makes each day feel like a blissful eternity, timestamped by poolside naps and cocktails.
It’s no wonder that Statista reported that even during the industry’s recovery from pandemic-related decline, over two million North Americans cruised their cares away in 2021. But if you want to maximize the blissed-out cruise vibes, a little pre-cruise packing strategy can go a long way, according to U.S. News and World Report. Among the obvious checklist items for your cruise, there’s one pro tip in particular that will ensure smooth sailing.
Don’t let this chore create a wrinkle in your cruise vacation
Nesolenaya Alexandra/Shutterstock
No one wants to do chores on vacation, especially laundry-related tasks. It’s one of the very reasons you’re on vacation, after all. Sure, there’s likely an iron or steamer on the cruise ship, but with a little cruise packing strategy, you can avoid that hot mess altogether. For under $10, you can grab a wrinkle release spray formulated to gently soak into the fabric to plump the fiber and release the wrinkles.
It generally goes like this: spritz-spritz, shake, done. Wrinkle release sprays are designed to be a light mist, so your clothes are ready to go immediately — no drying time necessary! This is among the vacation-related laundry mistakes that are surprisingly easy to fix.
With all of the cruise-packing advice out there, we noted that the cruising experts at Life Well Cruised — whose popular YouTube tutorial has over 570,00 likes — advise people to leave their irons at home. But here’s the thing: You’ll need to pack a lot of clothes for your voyage, everything from casual outfits to formal cruise attire for the traditional captain’s dinner. Of course, the chance of your clothes getting wrinkled in your suitcase is nearly 100%, but with a bit of vacation packing prowess, it won’t distract you from your piña colada!
