Ready for a little rest and relaxation? Looking to take some time away and set sail on a magical cruise? When most people think of cruise destinations, they think white sands, beautiful blue waters, palm trees, and warm weather….. but what if your cruise is taking you somewhere a bit chilly? Maybe you’re longing to see the glaciers of Alaska, quaint towns of New England, or that bucket list cruise to Norway. In that case, what do you pack? Here are our best Disney Cruise Packing Tips For a Cold Weather Cruise.
We recently sailed on the Disney Magic for our Halloween on the High Seas cruise. To keep it festive of course(we love a good theme), we decided to sail north to see all the fall beauty of New England and Canada. Because it was early October, we knew it was going to be cold, or at least chilly, so we basically stalked the weather app for weeks leading up to the cruise. Not only were we dealing with low temps, but also rain. Not ideal cruising weather, but we are from Ohio, and this is the weather we are used to, so luckily, we already owned most of what we needed. Aside from the basics that you would normally pack, here are some of our suggestions for the things you may be wondering about.
Contents
Pack Layers
Let’s be honest, whoever said diamonds are a girl’s best friend never met a great set of layering pieces for cold weather. Layering will be your absolute best friend on this type of trip because not only do your clothing needs change during different times of day but also because it will really depend on where you are. Is it raining out? Then likely, you’ll be hanging out inside the ship, rather than lounging by the pool. Grabbing your morning cup of coffee while enjoying the view? You’ll want to make sure you’ve got your sweatshirt or jacket for those chilly mornings. Headed off the ship to a port adventure? Bundle up Buttercup, it could get cold windy, or rainy. This is by far one of our best Packing Tips For a Cold Weather Cruise.
You see where I’m going with this. While we are always fans of packing layers for our trips, it is essential for a cold-weather cruise simply because there will be a lot of different temperature situations you may be encountering. We love oversized sweaters, cardigans, lightweight tees, and thermals for layering.
Pack Winter Accessories
Packing for a cold weather cruise means, well, packing winter hats. And maybe gloves and scarves. I remember our first day on our Halloween on the High Seas cruise at lunch talking to one of the other passengers we were having lunch with and she mentioned that she had read on a Facebook Group that you should pack winter hats and gloves. She laughed at the idea and I blurted out awkwardly, “I packed a winter hat!” Of course, the whole table got quiet and we got to experience those lovely moments of awkward silence that happens when dining with strangers. But a few days later, she actually stopped me and said she wished she would’ve at least brought a hat. You can see how these are essential Packing Tips For a Cold Weather Cruise.
My point? You’re on the ocean, it’s going to be colder than you expect. Even if you are used to cold weather, even if it says it’ll be 45 degrees and that’s not “cold” to you, it’s going to be colder than you think. Between that ocean breeze and nothing (i.e. trees, buildings, etc.) to really shield you from the cold, you’re going to wish you had a hat. We would recommend bringing along some gloves and a scarf while you’re at it, especially if you’re hoping to spend some time on the upper decks.
Pack a Coat
You didn’t really think you’d get away with not packing a coat, did you?! Where you are going will really determine what kind of coat you need, but we highly recommend at least one good, weather-resistant coat. We also loved having a teddy coat for onboard when we were up on the deck. They were warm and felt like wearing a robe. Who wouldn’t love that?!
Pack Hiking Shoes
While we’ve rounded up loads of options for the Best Shoes for a Disney Trip, there’s something to be said about a few select shoes and boots you’ll want for Fall anyway! We are a little bit biased, but we practically live in Duck Boots for most of the fall/winter season. They’re comfortable, and water resistant, and the fact that they’re also really cute when layered with boot socks is a huge plus. We used these Packing Tips For a Cold Weather Cruise on our Disney Alaska Cruise, and if you’re going anywhere cold, you’ll need them too.
If you’re doing a nature excursion, you’ll want to make sure you have proper footwear for whatever type of conditions you’ll be in. Aside from that, who wants to be clunking around the boat in hiking boots? As much as we like to pack light, this was one trip we found ourselves with quite a few pairs of shoes. We brought fall booties for some of our nicer sweater outfits for dinner, and Converse or Vans(which we basically live in) for sea days when we were just lounging around.
Should You Pack a Swimsuit for a Cold Weather Cruise?
A swimsuit…. wait, what?! Ok, ok I know. We are talking hats, gloves, winter coats, and now swimsuits?! Hear us out. We personally didn’t use the pools or waterslides during our cold weather cruise, but we were surprised at how many people were! Between the jacuzzi in the adults-only section and the heated pool, I was surprised to see how many people were using the pools. People love the waterslides on the Disney Cruises and don’t want to miss out, so even when it was cold and windy, lots of people were using it! There was one day in particular when it was 60ish degrees and sunny and you would’ve thought we were in the Caribbean. The deck was crowded, and there was a line for the slide. Granted, it was still chilly, but apparently warm enough for the pools.
My point is that, if you’re going on a cruise, you may want to bring a swimsuit. It may get warm enough and you may regret not having one. And swimsuits are small enough to pack that even if you don’t use it, at least it didn’t take up too much room in your suitcase.
Disney Cruise Packing Tips For Cold Weather
Packing for a cold weather cruise can be a little more challenging than your typical cruise, but with a little bit of planning, you’ll be ready for any kind of weather- and look great in the process. Check out all our Disney Vacation Packing Tips whether you’re in the park or on a cruise. Happy packing!
Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she's not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip .
Hello! Love this post! Where did you get your 1/4 zip sweaters??? they are adorable. Thanks, Lanisa
Hi! Thanks so much! I got them from a seller named The Blonde Ruby, however she closed her shop recently. You can check her out on Instagram at @theblonderuby to see if she ever reopens, but for now I know she is closed.