River Cruise Packing List: 7 Insider Travel Advisor Tips
We have loads of packing lists for ocean cruises from Disney, to the Caribbean, to Alaska/ Expedition, to a general catch-all cruise packing list, but we didn't want to leave our river cruises in the dust (err, wake?).
I mistakenly thought ocean cruise packing translated directly to river cruise packing. It turns out that trying to compare river cruise staterooms to ocean cruise staterooms is an apples-and-oranges situation. When I asked the President of MGA Travel, Michael Graham, how river cruise staterooms compared to ocean staterooms he mentioned, "That is a tricky question on river cruise vs. ocean cruise cabins as there are so many variables."
Indeed, packing for a river cruise merits its own blog real estate! Here's some top tips from seasoned river cruise advisors, plus HAR's signature customizable rive cruise packing list! Here's the dish.
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Top Tips for Packing for Your River Cruise
- Minimize. Don't pack what the river cruise line provides.
- Take advantage of the river cruise lines' more casual dress code.
- But don't forget the destination's dress codes.
- Pack for function and fashion to lighten your luggage load.
- Make sure you can walk a mile in your own shoes.
- Use laundry services during your river cruise.
- Consider accessibility for river cruises.
Customize Your River Cruise Packing List!
Brand HAR's River Cruise Packing List for YOUR Site!
Top Tips for Packing for Your River Cruise
According to Steve Lincoln, Owner of Lincoln Travel LLC, “Staterooms aboard most river ships are quite spacious, ranging from approximately 160 square feet up to a whopping 710 square feet. To maximize space, we generally utilize drawer space, closets, and closet shelving for bulkier items.” Here are a few other key travel advisor tips for packing for a river cruise.
He added he wouldn't be able to do a sound comparison unless I could provide a cruise line for both ends and offered this resource on selecting a river cruise cabin.
Moral of the story? A great advisor will not only put you on the right type of cruise, but they'll also help you select the best class of room for YOU.
Here's 10 more reasons why you should use a travel advisor (versus booking online).
1. Minimize. Don't pack what the river cruise line provides.
River cruise lines offer a lot of extras when it comes to amenities. Lincoln notes that “The cruise lines generally provide robes, slippers, good quality toiletries, hairdryers, umbrellas, and even walking sticks — so there’s no need to bring any of that with you.”
Packing everything you need in one carry-on is the holy grail of river cruising. Elizabeth Psimas, President/Owner of Travel Designers Inc., has minimalism down to a science, “I don’t carry any shampoo or soaps with me as all lines now carry these items in the cabins. In addition, I always try to pack travel-size makeup products and personal hygiene items – less space and weight in a suitcase. I also carry a large zipped purse for traveling and only take one small “evening bag”. When touring, I try to wear pants/jacket with pockets, so I don’t need to carry a purse at all.”
When you go through our customizable cruise packing list, make sure you’re considering the amenities offered and really only packing the bare minimum.
2. Take advantage of the river cruise lines' more casual dress code.
Typically, river cruises lean more casual, so you can leave the ball gowns at home. Most river cruise line dress codes fall somewhere in the ballpark of resort casual or elegant casual (many allowing jeans).
Paugh recommends color coordinating to keep it simple, “There are plenty of hangers if you have blouses or dresses, but again no need for fancy clothes! You can do 1 or 2 pairs of dress pants for the evening and then bring shirts/blouses to change into. If it is summertime, then you'll want shorts. If you're visiting Christmas Markets, you're going to want jeans.”
3. But don't forget the destination's dress codes.
Even if your river cruise is casual, specific points of interest (especially religious sites) may have specific decorum when it comes to attire. Make sure you’re packing with all potential tour stops in mind. This might be making sure the head and shoulders are covered and skirts/pants at or below the knees.
4. Pack for function and fashion to lighten your luggage load.
You’ll be spending a lot of time walking out and about. While you’re clocking in the miles, make sure you’re getting the most miles out of your clothes as well. Any clothing item should meet at least two out of these three requirements: 1. It's versatile (you'll wear it often) 2. it's comfortable 3. It matches your other clothing items
Also, pack things you’ll wear more than once and keep them basic. Ideally, you’d be able to close your eyes and pick any top and bottom at random, and it will go together well enough. Color coordinating before you go can reduce the number of clothes on your river cruise packing list.
5. Make sure you can walk a mile in your own shoes.
Comfortable shoes are important for any cruise but even more so for river cruises. Day trips to European destinations may require covering some mileage on uneven or cobblestone roads. So make sure your footwear is up to snuff.
Jean Paugh emphasizes the importance of comfortable walking shoes, “I suggest 2 pairs of good walking shoes so they can alternate each day. Then take your comfy sandals or shoes you love on the river ship. I like my feet to be as comfortable as possible. This helps with back, hip, and leg alignment for the trip. A lot of people are not used to this type of pavement and the amount of walking at a slower pace. It can cause discomfort if you don't have the right shoes.”
6. Use laundry services during your river cruise.
If you’re going on a longer river cruise, don’t pack for more than a week. Utilize laundry services available to you so you can pack light. Most river cruises will offer this, and in some stateroom categories, it may even be included.
Travel advisor expert Jean Paugh puts it best, “I never take more than 4 -5 days' worth of clothes as you can get laundry done for reasonable cost onboard. The older I get, the less I want to hassle with too much luggage. I am not there for a fashion show I am there to immerse myself in the local history, people, and cuisine.”
7. Consider accessibility for river cruises.
River cruise lines may have even more stringent accessibility considerations due to space constraints when it comes to wheelchairs or other adaptive devices.
Steph Lee, Founder of Host Agency Reviews, weighed in with some of her accessibility wisdom as well. She noted that, In addition to the challenges of storing a power chair in a cabin, the gangways at the ports, in terms of boarding and disembarking, aren't typically friendly for those with physical disabilities. European cities, especially smaller ones, may not be easy to navigate if they need assistive devices or have trouble walking on cobblestone streets.
Rita Perez added, "I would also add a recommendation of staying in a suite with a power chair for easier storing. Some river ships also have elevators to get between decks, but that might not include the top viewing deck."
The moral of the story is to make sure your travel agent puts you on the right river cruise for your specific needs.
Customize Your River Cruise Packing List!
Ready to create a packing list of your very own? Here it is below! Just fill it out, and the internet powers that be (aka JotForm) will deliver your custom river cruise PDF to your inbox.
Brand HAR's River Cruise Packing List for YOUR Site!
We think the customized packing list is pretty. We can't just keep it to ourselves! You can go ahead and download our cruise packing list for your site with YOUR branding on it!
If you want to use our form on your site, all we ask is that you link back to this article at the bottom of the page you are embedding it on.
Here's how to do it:
- Reach out to JotForm directly and ask them clone the form from this URL: https://form.jotform.com/242955768558174
- Find our Cruise Packing List Generator Template in our JotForm template hub.
- Check out our video tutorial on how to customize forms (the example isn't this exact form, but the process is the same!)
- Autoresponder Emails: Take a look at the notification and/or autoresponder emails. You'll need to add your email/name and maybe some less template-y text.
- Thank you page: Add your logo or some thank you text specific to your agency.
- Embed to your site and/or share your link with your clients!
Any questions? Just give us a holler at Hello@HostAgencyReviews.com! If you want to use our form on your site, all we ask is that you link back to this article! Thank you!!
Want to Pack Like A Travel Advisor? Why Not Become One?
Our expert packing tips and hacks from travel advisors! Want to join their ranks so you can get a travel agent rate or earn a commission for that group cruise you’re planning for your friends/family/book club anyway?
A great place to start is with HAR’s 7DS Accelerator course. It gives you the lay of the land with seasoned industry experts, 80+ video tutorials, exclusive live course meetups, and so much more. For perspective, you’ll recoup the cost of the course after you earn the commission of your first ~$2,000-$4,000 cruise booking.
Time for Your River Cruise
Buuuuut, we're so much more than just river cruises! There are more packing lists where this came from! Visit all of HAR's cruise packing lists!
- General Cruise Packing List
- Alaska Cruise Packing List (or any adventure/expedition cruise)
- Disney Cruise Packing List
- Caribbean Cruise Packing List
If you’re reading, thinking, “Wow, I didn’t know there were so many different options for types of cruises, let alone cruise lines. How will I ever decide?”
Want to know where else you can find travel advisors who specialize in cruises? We recommend ASTA’s (American Society of Travel Advisors) Connect with a Travel Advisor or CLIA’s (Cruise Line International Association) Agent Finder.
Questions? Comments? Packing tips? Favorite Marie Kondo YouTube video recommendations? Give us a holler in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you!
