Congratulations! You have been accepted to work on a cruise ship. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to extend your horizons, visiting new countries, experiencing new cultures and meeting a variety of people that ordinarily you may never have met. Before you embark on this adventure, you need to prepare for sailing.
Packing for any extended period away from home can be tricky. You need to take clothing that is appropriate for a variety of cultures, occasions, and climates. When you are packing for a lengthy stay on a cruise ship, you have the extra pressure of making sure you have everything that you need, and the challenge of making it fit into a limited space. After all, you do not have much space to call your own onboard.
Your recruiter will forward you a list of the essentials that you need to pack. What that list contains will depend on the role that you are undertaking. If you are working with children, for example, you will need to make sure that you have a more extensive variety of clothes than say, a bartender who is given a uniform.
How to choose what to take
There is only a limited capacity for clothing that you can take. Choose clothes that complement each other and can be combined to make different outfits. You may be familiar with the phrase ‘capsule wardrobe’. A capsule wardrobe is one that contains a minimum number of items that have been selected for their compatibility. The idea behind a capsule wardrobe is that it limits the time and effort it takes to look great. It is the perfect antidote to cruise liner living.
How to define your capsule wardrobe
Go through your closet and select your favorite key pieces. These are your go-to clothes that you select when you need to feel great. They could be your favorite jeans, a shirt that flatters your shape or a sweater that benefits your skin tone. These are the essential items that you need to take.
You will now need some clothes that can be worn with them, that can be mixed and matched, but worn with each of the pieces; think neutral tees, a smart blazer or pencil skirt. Everything that you pack in your capsule wardrobe should be versatile, colors that complement, and shapes that work together. If you don’t have the budget to buy these additional items, check out Bonsai Finance for payday loans. You need to invest in these items to carry you over during your time at sea.
If you are going into the passenger areas, you will need to dress smartly. Even though it’s your time off, your face will be recognizable to the passengers, and you need to be able to represent your employer positively. You don’t need a dress for every day but ensure that you have the option to create a smart look from within your capsule wardrobe.
Remember, every purchase that you make needs to have the ability to be interchangeable and co-exist with your favorite pieces. Do allow yourself to pack a couple of statement pieces that you can wear for special occasions, you don’t want to feel deprived of being able to express your individual style.
Accessories
Accessories are an easy way to update your look, and the good news is that they are compact. You can transform the look of your outfit with the careful addition of a statement necklace or scarf. Accessories are a great way to add variety to your wardrobe without the need for more bulky garments.
Underwear
Of course, you will pack underwear, but laundering your clothes on a cruise ship can be problematic. Cruise ships employee an army of people who all live onboard and have access to the same limited number of washing machines. Your recruiter will probably suggest that you pack enough underwear to last you a week; however, it is wise to pack as many pairs as you can. Apply this logic to socks too.
Lotions and potions
While at sea, the water that you use to drink and bathe in is processed from the ocean, which makes sense. However, the change in water quality can detrimentally affect your skin and hair. You will find that you need a better quality moisturizer and hair conditioner than you typically use at home.
Assess your makeup too. Ideally, your makeup should contain SPF to protect your skin from sun and wind damage. If you buy products that have a dual function, you will be able to save space when you are packing.
Reading material
If you are an avid reader, it will be worth your while taking an e-reader pre-loaded with your reading list. There will be times onboard when you may not have access to the internet, so be prepared. Don’t forget your charger and a travel adaptor plug as the cruise ships often have different plugs.
How to pack
Now that you have selected your items to take with you, you are left with the challenge of how to pack them all into your luggage! Packing for a holiday is very different from packing for an extended trip away, as each centimeter matters. Whereas your parents may have instilled in you the importance of folding your clothes so that they are not creased when you get to your destination, you now need to pack to maximize space.
The most space efficient way of packing is by rolling your clothes. This method does require some folding, but only to reduce the size of the roll. Check out the dimensions of your case to see how small you should fold each item. For example, a shirt can be folded in half so that the sleeves are brought together, to reduce the roll size. Rolling your clothes also helps you to keep your luggage better organized.
Don’t forget to pack toiletries in plastic bags. You do not want to find that your lotions and potions have leaked over your clothes when you unpack.
You are now ready to start your life sailing on the seven seas. You will work very hard, but the rewards that you gain from this new experience will make your efforts all the worthwhile.
