Less & More: The WFH Mom Edit

Let’s pack our bags and set sail….

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Come sail away, come sail away with meeeeee. 

Styx? No? Ok, moving on. 

Is the April-May timeframe just cuckoo bananas insane for anyone else? I feel like I haven’t had a second to breathe and what a better time to escape the day-to-day? For Christmas this year, my parents decided to take their kids, my kids, and my grandma on a quick cruise to the Bahamas to celebrate my mom’s incoming retirement and just do all the cruise-y things. We will be swimming with the pigs, eating dessert from the buffet at 11pm, and truly living our best unironic travel lives. It’s a quick cruise and my kids have been counting down for months so you know I’m packing suitcases weeks in advance and being overly prepared. That is just who I am, people. 

A couple of years ago I went on a European cruise and it was SO much fun. Between packing for that international water-based trip and working in cruise/tourism PR for years, I have fine-tuned my shiply packing skills. Here are some of my must-pack items when setting sail. Fun fact, I worked for the cruise industry for YEARS (including through the pandemic and that was quite a time to be doing cruise PR) and I feel like I know a lot of the ins and outs of a ship and making the most of a cruise. Is cruising for everyone? Nah. But is it fun? Absolutely, just ask the 19 million Americans that are expected to cruise in 2025.

Here’s what I’m packing to keep my little family afloat: 

• Little Necessities: On top of the usual things I pack for a vacay, I try to be mindful that on a cruise it’s easiest to have things at my disposal and wind up not needing them rather than vice versa. On top of the essentials like Sunscreen, I also bring protein bars (it can be rough to be gluten free in a sea of gluten) and a suitcase-friendly  first aid kit. 
• Entertainment: There are TONS of things to do onboard a cruise ship but you still gotta have things to do, you know? Getting on and off the ship can take a while, you make have travel time to excursions, or you might want to unwind solo. I stuff my kids carryons (and mine) with the usual books, headphones for kiddos or adults, and little books of wordsearches or decks of cards. My husband also stocks his e-reader with downloaded books so that sometimes spotty ship WiFi doesn’t get in the way of a good read.  
• Travel Tools: On top of a good suitcase and roomy carryon, I believe firmly in two things for a cruise: a passport and travel document holder that can hold IDs and all the necessary paperwork for the whole family and a good ol’ lanyard for that cruise pass.  
• Clean Kween Stuff: Do you wipe down a hotel room or cruise cabin when you get there? Cause I do. Those cleaners work HARD and I just like to give myself extra peace-of-mind so I pack disinfectant wipes  and sanitizing spray on every trip. As I unpack I give the room a wipe n’ spray down to ward off germs. I also always bring a laundry bag because nothing is more annoying than mixing clean and dirty clothes on vacation, especially in the limited space of a ship cabin. 
• Ship Staples: Some must pack items for cruising include large beach towels. I know, most ships have them but I like to be prepared! And if you have beachy excursions it can be nice to bring your own. I invest in chair clips (which I reuse at our local pool all summer like a really cool mom) and reusable  water bottles (no drink package here). I also always bring a durable tote bag for the pool or excursions. My Lands’ End tote was a gift years ago and is still my trusty go-to when on vacation since its roomy and washes easily. 
• Magnetized and Secure: My head stays on a swivel so when staying anywhere on land or sea, I bring a  doorstop  to shove under the door at bedtime. Is this a fire hazard? I have no idea but it makes me feel a little safer. When I’m not spiraling about safety and unseen danger, I am decorating the cruise door with door magnets to make it fun and make our door easy to spot in a cookie cutter hallway. I *do* avoid putting any identifying info on the magnets though because I am CAREFUL. 

Looking for more tips? I loved this post about organizing and unpacking your cruise cabin from Life Well Cruised. Looking for what else I’m packing?  You can check out what I’m shopping on ShopMy and keep up with my travel dreams on Pinterest, too. 

Setting sail or keeping it land-based, what are your must have travel items?