Support TFG by using the links in our articles to shop. We receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) so we can continue to create helpful free content. We earn from qualifying purchases made to the featured retailers. Thank you, we appreciate your support!

One of our readers wanted to know what to pack for a cruise for women over 60 when traveling to the Mediterranean and the Seine River. Find out our suggestions!

What to Pack for a Cruise 60+

Travel Fashion help! Reader asks:

“I am trying very hard to pack carryon for a 38 day trip which includes a 21 day Mediterranean cruise on Princess Cruises and a Vantage River cruise on the Seine River ending in Paris for 2 nights.

We have a flight on Vueling Airlines which has similar baggage requirements to Ryanair. I’m concerned that I’ll have to check my carryon bag and don’t want the bag to be ruined by luggage handlers.

I thought about bringing my Samsonite carryon, which weighs about 9 pounds – almost half of the weight allowed on the Vueling Airlines carryon. I’m also worried that the baggage handler may damage my bag.

At 66 years of age and wearing a size 22, nothing I own is small and lightweight, including medications & supplements. However, I’m trying to carryon even with four formal nights on the cruise and one on the river cruise. I do plan to do laundry on the 21 day cruise.

Can you please help me figure out what to pack for a cruise?

Also, I was watching the video that Alex did on the Osprey Ozone rolling suitcase. Did I hear Alex correctly that she was going to retire this suitcase? Which suitcase is she going to use instead?”

Osprey Ozone 22 | Delsey Traversee Lite

TFG Says:

I’ve temporarily retired my Osprey Ozone 22 because I’m no longer traveling full-time, but I still love it and use it for long trips to non-city destinations. I do think it’s slightly too tall to fit as a Ryanair carryon.

Ryanair has extremely limited baggage restrictions and they’re very strict. If you’d like to go carryon, I’d recommend choosing a bag that weighs around 4 lb. My favorite soft-side carryon suitcase is the Delsey Traversee Lite – it’s so light! Use slim packing cubes to help you organize and even compress your belongings to maximize your space.

For more luggage recommendations, this article reviews the best lightweight suitcases!

General Tips on What to Wear on a Mediterranean Cruise:

Start by reading the clothing tips in these articles to ensure you only pack the clothing you need and avoid overpacking things that might not be necessary:

• What to Pack for a Mediterranean Cruise
• 5 Items to Add to your Mediterranean Cruise Packing List

General Tips on What to Pack for a Cruise:

In addition, here are some general cruise packing tips:

• Cruise Packing List
• 10 Unexpected Things You’ll Find on a Cruise
• What to Pack on a Cruise

The most common piece of advice offered by our readers is that there will be so many people on board the cruise that it will be difficult to tell if anyone wears the same thing twice.

You can even take just one formal dress then dress it up with a colorful or print pashmina, scarf, or light coverup. If you choose a dress in a classic solid color, such as black or navy, then it will automatically look more formal even if you choose a less dressy fabric.

Want to look your best when traveling but still be comfortable. Read my travel tips to Pack Light Stylishly!

Tunic | Blouse | Shirt | Short Sleeve | Top | Longsleeve | Pants 1 | Pants 2 | Dress 1 | Dress 2 | Scarf | Shawl | Sandals | Wedge | Shoes | Bracelet

What to Pack for a Cruise to the Mediterranean

Above you’ll find an example Mediterranean cruise packing list. Use these items as visual inspiration and choose items from your own wardrobe that follow the general principles explained below. (Here are more tips on how to customize our clothing visuals for your trips.)

For clothing, you can bring two to three bottoms in neutral colors and bring five to seven tops. If you choose items that are interchangeable and can mix and match, then you can rotate them to have a new outfit almost every day for your entire trip.

The same goes with shoes. Bring three pairs in neutral colors that are interchangeable with your clothing: one for everyday cruise walking, one for sightseeing excursions, and a pair to dress up at night.

Read more about how to choose the best shoes for travel!

Just changing your shoes in the evenings and adding costume jewelry can make you look dressier for business casual days.

You can then do laundry about once a week and hand wash items more frequently as needed (such as underwear). Some cruise bathrooms have a laundry line already in your cabin. However, you can also bring an additional line like this so you can dry more clothing as needed.

One of our readers mentioned that Princess Cruises has washers and dryers, but not all cruise lines do. You can bring your own laundry pods like these.

Read these tips on how to hand wash clothing while traveling!

3/4 Sleeve | Tunic | Linen | Blouse | V Neck | Tee | Pants 1 | Pants 2 | Dress 1 | Dress 2 | Scarf | Cardigan | Sandals | Wedge | Shoes | Necklace

The same principles described above can be applied to women of all sizes, which you can read about more in this post on carryon plus-size packing tips.

All the clothing shown in the above sample cruise packing list is available in extended sizes.

We also have a plus-size packing list and it even has a short video to show you how we packed carryon only using packing organizers like these.

You can find more ideas about how to mix and match your clothing in our Signature Packing Lists. The visuals shown are only to be used as examples, so you can apply them to your own wardrobe and style preference.

For instance, a skirt signifies any bottom or a sleeveless top only stands for a top. The exact style is up to you. Read more about how to use our visuals here.

See our top picks for comfortable and stylish travel shoes for women over 60!

Traveling with Medications

Packing prescription medication can get a bit complicated especially when traveling for extended periods of time. You should always pack your prescriptions in your carryon.

Depending on the amount you need to pack, this may limit your space. If you do need to check a bag, avoid bringing a carryon in addition to a checked bag. Try to limit your baggage to two items such as a regular suitcase in addition to one personal item you bring on the plane with you.

Read more about carryon personal items for flights!

While the occasional issue occurs with baggage handlers, try not to worry too much about this as it’s not a frequent incident. There were many times I checked my carryon over my nine years of full-time travel and thankfully, I haven’t had an issue with broken luggage at this point.

If you’d like extra protection, you can pay to have your luggage wrapped at the airport. Any time I’ve had to pack delicate items such as souvenirs, this little trick has worked very well!

What are your tips on what to pack for a cruise in Europe? Share and comment below!

For more cruise packing tips, please read:

• What to Pack for the Bahamas
• What to Pack for a Mediterranean Cruise
• What to Pack for Alaska Cruise
• What to Wear on a Cruise to the South Pacific
• Caribbean Cruise Wear Essentials

LIKED THIS POST? PIN THIS PIC TO SAVE IT!

We hope you liked this post on what to pack for a cruise. Please share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Thanks for reading!