Every travel expert seems to have advice on how to travel with just a carry-on bag, but I'll overpack every time for my cruises.
I understand why many recommend packing light as a general tip for how to travel smartly, but I really think that advice is rooted in air travel and saving money on checked luggage.
Like many aspects, cruise ships are very different from air travel or staying at a hotel.
While packing light has its advantages, I still think you're better off overpacking for a cruise.
You can't as easily buy something you need
If you forget something you need on a cruise, it's more difficult to get it compared to on land.
When packing light for land travel, you can always stop at a store to pick up clothes, toiletries, or almost anything else you might need. Heck, I'll just order it on Uber Eats and have it delivered to my hotel.
That's not really an option on a cruise.
Sure, you could go to a store in a port you're visiting, but that might conflict with your shore excursion plans. And it might be a day or two before your first port stop.
The shops onboard a Royal Caribbean ship stock some basics, but it's limited and you're going to pay full retail price for a lot of things.
Plus, what's available to buy on the ship might not be the brand or style you prefer.
When I was on Enchantment of the Seas for a January cruise, I regretted not bringing shorts so I relented and bought a pair onboard. There was only one option, and it wasn't the style or look I wanted. So I bought it and then promptly threw it away when I got home.
I'd rather bring too many things as to feel confident I (probably) won't need to go out of my way to buy something.
There are themed nights, port days, and evening wear to consider
Another key difference on a cruise are all the occasions that necessitate different outfits.
Royal Caribbean offers themed nights to add a fun element to how you dress up. So if you want to get a cute family photo of everyone in their matching tropical attire, that's a separate outfit that only gets worn once on that trip.
Another nuance of cruises is your day is often split between time in port and time on the ship in the evening. Not only are there different clothes for each, but if you're cruising in the warm months, you might end up sweating through clothes.
While you don't have to have three outfits a day, I do think you'll need more clothes overall for a cruise compared to a trip to a city or resort.
There are no luggage fees on a cruise
One major reason why so many travel experts advocate packing light are to avoid airline baggage fees.
To be fair, you might need to fly to your cruise and then their advice holds up. But once again, I think my other points earlier in this article necessitate paying for checked luggage.
The good news is Royal Caribbean doesn't have any baggage fees. This is even better if you can drive to your ship.
Plus, if you end up paying for airline baggage fees, you won't get hit again with the same fees on a cruise.
I'd rather regret having too much
In my mind, I weigh the emotion of fear of too much or too little.
If I overpack, I ended up bringing things I didn't need, but there's no financial or logistical impact. It's more of an annoyance that I thought I'd need that gym outfit but ended up at the bar instead.
On the other hand, I will get frustrated with myself when I forget something at home that I needed.
When I don't have something I need, I get angry at myself, and then start an internal debate of do I really need to go out of my way to buy it.
If I'm lucky, I'll catch the mistake the night before the cruise and buy it in my departure city (because you should always fly in the day before the cruise begins). But it seems I always discover the missing thing once I'm on the ship and unpacking.
