The thought of taking an eight-day cruise was incredibly appealing, the thought of packing for said cruise, not so much. Unlike other holidays, aside from the shops onboard, there is no option to zip out and buy a little something, so I needed to actually be prepared. Not my strongest travel trait. But with a little help from some local brands, I managed to nail it (she says as she brushes off her shoulders)! Here’s my list of the top 6 to pack for a cruise holiday.
Carry On Watson
When planning an eight-day trip as a gal, you would think a rather large suitcase is required (minimum two outfits per day, no?). Especially because on a cruise, you can unpack. So I was a little perplexed when avid traveller and gorgeous designer Catherine Bell gifted me a stylish, trendy and compact Carry On Watson. It’s exactly as it sounds! It’s carry on size designed to fit in an overhead compartment, [insert eyes wide open looking perplexed emoji].
I did the ol’ lay it all out on the bed and stared at my unpacked wardrobe wondering how I would fit 4 pairs of shoes, 8 dresses, 6 jumpsuits, a skirt, 3 full piece bathers, a hand full of tops, pj’s, socks and jocks, a toiletry and makeup bag, 2 large books and my laptop?! Don’t judge. But with the nifty roll trick (and the help of a large handbag) to my disbelief, I managed to fit all the above. I’m a magician. Having carry-on luggage meant I didn’t have to wait at the airport and I was able to keep my luggage with me when I boarded the ship. Plus, it’s so well designed that it effortlessly rolled beside looking oh so stylish.
I can’t wait for our next adventure together.
tonic Hanging Cosmetic Bag
While there is a bit of bathroom space on a ship, you never know when the rough seas are going to take hold of your toiletries and throw them around the bathroom. So I took along my tonic hanging toiletry bag. It easily fit everything into it, and because of the square bottom shape, everything could stand upright while the bag was hung up. Also, there are a few compartments for things like cotton buds, earrings and my contact lenses so it saved me from scratching around looking for stuff.
I also snuck along with me the attachment from my hanging cosmetic bag which is perfect for shorter trips. It helped neatly keep all my makeup together while matching my hanging bag. Sneaky I know.
Born Again Body
I’ve never been one to have an elaborate beauty regime, the only thing I’m fussy about is moistening daily. Especially when I’m on a summer holiday, and I spend my time in the sunshine. This trip I tried out a moisturising spray for the first time. I had my doubts that it would be able to provide the same level of moisture that my traditional cream moisturiser does. After being outside in the sunshine all day, I would jump in the shower and then spray the most refreshing and cooling Born Again Body moisturiser on my skin. It’s like the feeling you get from brushing your teeth. So fresh! I’m converted.
AQI Care
Even though I had my large Tonic toiletry bag with me, I still didn’t want to pack all my full-sized toiletries. Instead, I tried out AQI‘s travel sampler pack which had five well-sized products. Shampoo, body wash, face wash, moisturiser and a skin moisturiser I chucked in my bag on port days. The high-quality meant I only needed a pin sized blob of each product, and the AQI products smell like a fancy spa treatment, deliciously decadent.
AROMABABY
Margot Robbie came out recently and revealed her secret to sexy lips is a baby product, so I know I’m in good company when I share my baby product secret. AROMABABY’s Barrier Balm is the only cream of it’s kind and while it’s intended for nappy rash, it works amazingly well at soothing and healing dry skin. It’s also great for sunburn, windburn or dry lips. Plus, their 30+ sunscreen is a great protector of precious skin that 30+ year-olds don’t want to wrinkle.
Morrisday The Label
As you can tell but the number of items shoved into my Carry On Watson, I love dresses and jumpsuits. One of the reasons I was able to pack so many, is because I had a few that were very light and able to be packed into a tight roll. I took along a Morrisday The Label Saint Rodeo jumpsuit and dress, which were super cute, easy to wear to the beach and at the pool and didn’t crumple too much in my bag. They were a perfect addition to my cruising wardrobe.
And I never leave home without travel insurance, so I was thrilled when my trusty buddies at Fast Cover actually had a specialised insurance package that covers cruising. I was most worried about covering my laptop, camera and phone (the important stuff right!) but with the comprehensive policy I was covered for up to $7,500 Luggage and Personal Effects Cover (up to $3,000 per computer, up to $3,000 per camera, up to $1,000 per phone and up to $750 per other unspecified items). Plus I also had unlimited emergency, medical and cancellation cover, cause you know actual important stuff!
