Packing your suitcase can be as difficult as, if not more so than picking the right cruise these days. With so much variety on offer from the American-style cruising of Celebrity and Princess Cruises, the quintessentially British experience of P&O Cruises or Fred. Olsen, the traditional cruising of Cunard, the freestyle cruising and amazing variety of food and entertainment onboard NCL or Royal Caribbean, the luxury cruising of Regent Seven Seas or Silversea Cruises, the club cruising of Azamara or Oceania Cruises, the exploration of Hurtigruten or Voyages of Discovery, the list is endless as are the possibilities of what to take.
With this is mind here are your Top Cruise Essentials. When you grab your suitcase these are the first things to think of, not the last bits to squeeze in.
Passport and Correct Visa
Without trying to bore you, forgetting your passport can be a real downer at the port or airport, or even worse packing it into your suitcase and not realising when you try and check in. Passports are for jacket pockets, handbags and manbags. Keep it near and keep it safe. Another tedious part of your paperwork are visas. If you are heading to China or India you need to pre-arrange your own visas, if you are going to Russia and don't plan on taking the organised excursions you also need to obtain a visa and for the U.S. of A you need to pre-register an E.S.T.A.
Shirts, Shoes & Cocktail Dresses
On the majority of modern cruise lines there is usually at least one formal night, now you don't have to attend but how often do you dust off the tuxedo and dickie bow or get out the Cocktail dresses with matching shoes, clutch and hair? Whether full or designer or high street maxi dresses (check out Oasis latest cruise holiday range) it is great fun to attend the captain's cocktail party or head to one of the shows decked out in your finest. How often do you have the excuse to pack as many pairs of heels as the amount of days your on holiday! Luckily for the chaps we only need comfy well polished footwear and dickie bows to match our partners accessories.
Fantastic Plastic
The vast majority of cruise lines now offer cashless environments, bar the casinos, and therefore you will need to take a debit or credit card to register to your onboard account, some cruise lines will only accept a credit card so double check before you leave. The advantages of this are you needn't worry about forgetting your wallet all holiday and there won't be any dodgy bartenders trying to fleece you.
Location, Location, Location
Cruise holidays are a great way of seeing some fantastic parts of the world while enjoying fabulous food, superb entertainment and incredible service without having to go anywhere. Before you go it's always worth checking out the ports of call online or grabbing a travel guide. Do you fancy checking out the Sistine Chapel, the stunning architecture of St. Petersburg or the wonderful wildlife and natural beauty of Alaska or Norway's fjords?
The organised excursions are fantastic, they will take you site seeing, bear watching or quad biking, but sometimes you can't beat wondering off into the 'old towns' of Europe's gothic cities, or heading to quieter, beautiful beaches. Find out which ports of call you can stroll into instead of waiting for shuttle buses or overpriced taxis, and if you are like me find out the best places to grab a coffee, cocktail or glass of wine on your day out.
Quick Fit
Now I know this is supposed to be a holiday, but with the stunning array of food on offer, the sumptuous rich main courses and addictive deserts, you're going to need to visit the superb onboard fitness centres. A couple of trips to the treadmill, sauna's and a cheeky spa treatment or two will help prevent a Sue Sylvester style grilling from your favourite personal trainer when you get home.
With this in mind you should be nicely prepared for your next cruise holiday. There are a few other bits to consider too, sun cream and beachwear for the Med or Caribbean, swimwear and jumpers for the Fjords and binoculars to enjoy nature's finest treats (and not passing ships balconies). The main thing to remember is relax, have fun and take advantage of the amazing service and cocktails on call.