You booked a river cruise and your departure date is coming. Now, you’re panicked about what to pack.
You want to pack the lights because you don’t have much space in your cabin to store your bulky suitcase. However, you also want to prepare for unpredictable weather on the river, visits to religious sites, and the many walking and cycling trips you intend to do in the harbor to make it unpredictable weather on the river.
How will you carry everything with you?
It seems a lot, but there is no need to feel overwhelmed by the packaging of river cruises. I’ve done more than 125 cruises, including many river sailings.
Here are my top packaging tips, and also a list of river cruises for river cruises in Europe, the United States, Asia or Africa. Follow these tips to relieve stress on travel preparation.
What to pack on a river cruise
The first thing to understand is that your cruising location will determine what you pack. The Nile in July will be completely different from the Rhine in November, and you need different clothes and equipment.
However, river cruises are often carried out during warmer times of the year, where ice and snow may not be visible. Usually, a heavy coat is not needed (although I used to snow for a few hours a day on a cruise on the Tennessee River in early November).
This is the packaging for the minimum suitcase to the maximum use.
Related: Book your first river cruise? Here’s what you need to know
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Lightweight layer
The key to river cruise packaging is layering.
On some rivers in Asia and Africa, such as the Nile in Egypt, it can get very hot during the day – we are talking about 90 degrees Fahrenheit – but it’s cool at night.
The weather in Europe also changes frequently in late summer. During the river cruise in the Netherlands in early September, some days were hot, while others were rainy and cold. For all these destinations, you will want to be able to peel off the layers and put them on again.
The floor is also convenient if you need to cover your shoulders and legs to access religious buildings such as temples, monasteries and cathedrals.
A light scarf can be used to cover the shoulders of religious places and to cover the head and face when it is hot or dusty. A brightly colored scarf may also be a great focus for on-board dinner outfits.
For the best layering, consider packing a few thin long-sleeved T-shirts along with a jacket like an outdoor zipper jacket or a vest from Patagonia. I often bring a dark denim jacket for layering. It’s warm and looks stylish when wearing a T-shirt and a scarf.
Related: Cruise Packaging List: The Ultimate Guide to Cruise Packaging and What’s the Best
Casual clothes for day and night
River cruises involve a full-day tour on land, so casual and comfortable clothes are key.
Cargo pants or shorts are a great idea for river cruises, especially for popular cycling and walking tours. Large pockets allow you to hide your phone, thin wallet, or even sunscreen or bug spray to get your hands out of your bike or crutch.
This may sound counterintuitive, but for very hot places in Southeast Asia, India, Egypt, Egypt, the Amazon region and Europe in August, it is best to wear long sleeves when touring – even in the hottest summers. This will protect you from sunburn.
Prepare for all temperatures and package lightweight breathable fabrics. I prefer thin cotton tops, while my husband likes Arcteryx and similar brands of absorbent shirts. Both take up space in the small suitcase and dry quickly when washing hands.
Some newer riverboats have small pools on routes such as Amawaterways and scenic luxury cruises and excursions, so pack your swimsuit if you want a little dip.
When it comes to dining, river cruises are usually casual. You can even wear dinner on your afternoon tour. I won’t wear cargo shorts for dinner, but I will wear jeans.
That said, especially when it comes to European river cruises, most people prefer to wear a nice shirt or top, dinner, with a nice scarf, vest or thin and easy-to-fold jacket. Passengers on high-end river cruises in Europe (such as Uniworld River Cruises and Amawaterways) dress up more at night than on affordable cruises.
No River Cruise Company would expect you to carry a suit or a shiny outfit. But I saw women wearing cocktail parties in sports jackets that cruised Europe and Mississippi River.
Related: What to wear when cruising: Cruise Clothing and Cruise Dressing Requirements
Shoes
Bring a pair of sturdy sneakers or lightweight hiking shoes for a tour which may require strolling in Europe and the United States, or hiking or hiking on off-road lands in India, Laos, Cambodia and Amazon. No alpine style hiking boots are needed.
For Southeast Asia and Indus parades, bring comfortable sliding shoes, such as a pair of crocodiles, which are easy to get off; you have to take off your shoes before entering the temple. Usually you can wear socks, so pick up multiple light ankles or unshowed socks as they walk off the dirt and wash them easily in the cabin sink.
Ideally wear a third shoe in the cabin and inside the boat, such as sandals, boat shoes, flats or any casual lightweight shoes you like. I would never travel without my pink birdenstocks; they are cute and versatile without or with socks.
Accessories and travel equipment
Clothes aren’t the only thing you need to pack a river cruise. The first accessory you should pack is a lightweight backpack, waist bag or suspender bag for easy hiking, bike tours or a more active trek.
Riverboats that offer guests a bicycle should be provided with helmets, but these options may not always be the way you like. If you plan to ride a bike regularly (we ride bikes every day, sometimes twice a day on the Amawaterways and the Belgian River cruise in the Netherlands), consider bringing your own. A helmet may take up valuable real estate in your suitcase, but it is a must if you’re picky about your head.
I like to wear thin baseball caps under my helmet borrowed from a cruise ship. A sun visor can keep sunlight or rain away from your eyes, and if you feel uncomfortable wearing a helmet you used to wear, a hat can be a barrier to getting straight to touch your helmet. You can also tie the turban to your head before putting on the borrowed helmet.
Ask your cruise if you provide passengers with reusable aluminum water bottles to fill and use during coastal excursions. If you don’t, bring your own lightweight, refilled water bottle as an environmental exercise to reduce single-use plastic waste.
Related: 20 Must-Board Cruise Items-Including a Roll of Tape
Especially in river cruises in Southeast Asia, India, South America or Africa, bring a small bag of your preferred medicine because you may not find the brand or name to use in the port. Also, bring your choice of painkillers and anti-Diarrhea medicine just in case. Even when cruising Europe and North America, I packed up essential medicines for convenience, so I didn’t have to run around the port to find them. (Remember, there are no doctors on board, so the crew will not distribute any medication to passengers, even aspirin.)
Similarly, during tropical cruises where tropical mosquitoes and other bugs are prevalent, carry a small container of insect repellent for a tour and your room.
Since there is very little evening entertainment for river cruises – usually after dinner music or music with nothing – consider packing your own nighttime entertainment.
Bring a book, e-reader or tablet, but make sure to download books and movies to your device before traveling. Wi-Fi can be weak on a riverboat anywhere in the world, so you may not have the signal to read the newspaper in real time or play the latest episode of your favorite show.
Tips for river cruise packaging
River cruise cabins are usually located in small ways compared to cabins on large cruise ships, so you don’t want to overpack.
Riverboat huts are not as unified as those on coastal boats. The European fleet may be more similar, but the routes in North America and Asia may have quirky, unique ships. Don’t think you have as much space on one line as another.
A riverboat under the bed may not provide much (or any) space for a bulky suitcase. The closet is compact, so a small suitcase or soft suitcase is ideal.
However, there are one exception, such as high-end riverboats in Europe from routes like Uniworld and Amawaterways, riverboats for American cruises, riverboats for American rivers and coastal waterways in the United States, and luxury lines like Aqua Expeditions for Asia and Amazon. These boats provide more storage space in the usually larger cabins.
Related: Cruise Packaging Mistakes You Want to Avoid at All-Precautions
Many riverboats also do not have a self-service laundry (although some of the luxurious European Riverboat Clubs). Some people also do not have laundry services. If you want to pack the light, bring your underwear and layer it and dry it quickly so you can wash it in the bathroom sink and hang it to dry.
River cruise packaging list
With all this in mind, here is a recommended packing list for your river cruise vacation:
- Multiple lightweight tops and t-shirts, including long-sleeved versions for sun protection
- Bottoms such as leggings, lightweight cargo pants, jeans, khakis, slack and skirts
- Evening dress, casual clothes, casual pants and beautiful shirt
- Multiple pairs of lightweight underwear and socks
- Lightweight cotton scarf or apron
- Lightweight but warm coat, cardigan and/or thin wool for cold mornings or evenings
- Sturdy shoes, such as sneakers or simple hiking shoes
- Comfortable sliding shoes for visiting religious places or on board parties
- Lightweight backpack or waist bag tour
- Waterproof zipper or small bag for phones and cameras to protect them in rainy weather
- Local and US currencies buy drinks, snacks and souvenirs in small bills and tips local guides
- Reading materials (books and e-readers) and/or tablets
- Sunscreen and bug spray
- sunglasses
- hat
- Lightweight compact umbrellas are used for rainwater and sun protection (umbrellas are available on many river cruises, but they are usually large non-folding types that are not convenient to carry around all day)
- Prescriptions and essential medicines
- Your electronics charger, as well as portable chargers, to ensure your phone is always added on long trips
- Multi-head adapter, so you can use North American 100 to 1220 volts and European 220 to 240 volts on a river cruise ship (the latest luxury river boats may have standard USB charging sockets in the lamps on the bedside table)
Bottom line
The key to river packaging boils down to two important themes.
First, don’t over-pack or bring a giant suitcase that doesn’t fit your cabin.
Second, there are many lightweight layers for successful dresses. Learn about the climate and activities you will experience in your river cruise destination and you will have the secret to the perfect packaging job.
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