<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><em>The other day I got a listener email about cruise packing and how much someone should pack for a seven-night Caribbean cruise.</em></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Lets get right to it. As a general rule for cruise packing, pack anything you would need as if you were staying at a resort hotel in the same geographic area of your cruise.&nbsp; Avoid over packing by reading the recommended dress section of the cruise line&nbsp;website.</p><h3 style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Save Space</strong></h3><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">It’s a good space saver in your luggage if you purchase space saver bags.&nbsp; They can be found in drug stores and Walmart.&nbsp; You pack them with your clothes then roll out the air inside and double the space allowing you to pack twice as much inside your bags.&nbsp; They are waterproof, reusable, and a good investment for your trip.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">I used one for the first time a couple years ago and I am glad I did, we landed in a rainstorm and my fellow passengers clothes were soaking wet.</p><h3 style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">It gets chilly</h3><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Even in the warm Caribbean, you might need a sweater on the decks at night. The air conditioning can also be icy.</p><h3 style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">Port</h3><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Bring a pocket calculator to help you figure your ports of call exchange rates. Bring a white T-shirt if you plan on going snorkeling or you may have a burned back when you are done. You might also pack some drinking straws to use while at port. This will help you to avoid touching your lips to a can’s top. The top might be covered with contaminants that will make you sick. Coming from someone who got really sick on a cruise, trust me on this one.</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">A lot of cruise ships still have dinners where more formal clothes are appropriate.</p><h3 style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">Alcohol</h3><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">There is always a big controversy regarding packing your own alcohol for use on board.&nbsp; Most cruise lines&nbsp;will allow you a bottle of champagne for a special occasion, but an extra suitcase filled with liquor is generally frowned upon.</p><h3 style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">Carry On</h3><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Packing a carry-on bag is important.&nbsp; Items of value should never go in your checked luggage.&nbsp; These would include cash, jewelry, medication, travel documents and a list of everything in your checked baggage.&nbsp; Since luggage is often not delivered to your cabin until late afternoon, be prepared and pack a change of clothes in your carry-on as well.</p><h3 style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, Trebuchet MS; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;">Misc.</h3><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">You might also consider one-day items, in other words all the items you would need to make it through a 24-hour day, just in case your luggage goes missing. Keep lots of crisp one-dollar bills wherever you keep your money</span><font color="#333333">. This will come in handy when dealing with all the skycaps and porters.</font></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">There are just a few packing tips that could help you along the way.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><br></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><br></p>