Byte Size Cruises here and welcome back! If this is your first post checking us out, we are a small travel agency outside of Philadelphia looking to share all things cruising with YOU! Today, let's look at the things you don’t need to worry about packing when getting ready for your next cruise. 

1: Towels or Linens

Don’t bring them! Don’t bring your beach towels, wash clothes, etc. The cruise line will supply all of these things and wash them for you when needed. Even when you are going to a private island or stopping at a port, you can check out towels from the cruise line to take with you and as long as you return them, you are good to go! (Photo 1)

2: Hair Dryers

First off, you are not allowed to bring a hair dryer with you to the ship. Second, they are provided! There is a hair dryer in each cabin for your use.

3: Beach Chairs

Don’t bring them! The cruise line will not allow you to put them on the pool deck anyway. Bringing them is a waste of space and energy; they are provided for you by the cruise line on the ship and on private islands. (Photo 2)

4: Formal Attire

Caveat here; you certainly CAN bring formal attire if you want to or the dress code for your ship requires it for certain meals or experiences. However, for most contemporary cruises, formal attire is unnecessary. Always double check with your cruise line and the recommended dress code and plan accordingly.

5: Several Pairs of Shoes

Hate to disappoint shoe lovers here, but you won’t need tons of shoes while on a cruise. First off, remember cabin space is limited and you won’t be able to have a lot of things out on the floor. Secondly, you really only need a few pairs for what you’re going to do. Most likely that’s a pair of flip flops or sandals, sneakers for adventures and travel, and maybe a nicer pair of shoes depending on the dress code of your cruise. 

6: Full Size Toiletries

You won’t need big bottles of things! Pack your own toiletries (they will be nicer than what you can purchase on the ship) but you won’t need full sizes. Remember, you’re only going away for a selected period of time and full size bottles will take up a ton of unnecessary space in your luggage. 

7: Books

We are all readers here at Byte Size and we love reading on cruises! However, we don’t recommend you bring tons of books with you on a cruise. Instead, use an e-reader of some kind like a Nook or Kindle OR visit the library! On most cruise ships there is a library or reading area that has books available for you for use while you are away. (Photo 3)

8: Irons and Ironing Boards

First off, you are not allowed to bring an iron with you onto cruise ships, so don’t try! (Really, anything that gets hot they don’t want you bringing with you.) Remember, cruise ships offer laundry service, so you can get your things pressed and ironed without needing to lug these tools with you onto the ship. Alternatively, if you don’t want to pay for laundry service, you can simply bring a wrinkle release spray with you to use while you are away.

9: Extra Gadgets

Try to not bring lots of gadgets that all overlap in use. For example, you don’t need a laptop, a kindle, an ipad and a camera! Pick one or two things to bring with you and use them for multiple things. Keep in mind, the more things you bring with you, the more things you risk losing or breaking while away. (Photo 4)

10: Tons of Snacks

Don’t bring them! A part of paying for a cruise is paying for your food on the ship, so don’t waste the time and money bringing extra food items with you. If you’re worried about being able to take food with you, bring some ziplock baggies with you so you can pack a few cookies or snacks from the buffet and you’ll have them with you for later. 

Those are our top 10 things you DON’T need while cruising! Always remember to double check the specific policies of your cruise line. Anything else you would recommend to leave at home? Comment below!