You almost certainly will have to fly to the European port of embarkation for your cruise, which means you should pack with current airline baggage restrictions in mind. A good rule of thumb is to plan for one checked bag, one carry-on bag and a garment bag with a tuxedo, suit or formal dress for dining and/or special occasions. This final item can be carried on board or checked, depending on the airline's regulations.
The checked bag, in which you should pack the bulk of the clothing you will wear during the cruise, should weigh no more than 50 pounds when fully packed. Go over the limit, and you almost certainly will have to pay extra. Carry-on bags should have a total linear measurement of no more than 45 inches, as in a bag that measures 22 by 14 by 6 inches. That's a general guideline, so it is important that you check the baggage limit of the airline you'll be flying.
No matter where you are headed in Europe, certain essentials must be packed. These include travel documents, including passports and visas (if required); another picture ID; ATM card; prepaid international phone card; traveler's checks; credit cards; airline tickets and cruise vouchers, along with copies of both, and a list of the prescription medicines you take, along with copies of the latest prescriptions. Other basics include reading materials, eyeglasses and/or contact lenses, camera equipment, toiletries, prescription and over-the-counter medicines, a small first aid kit, an umbrella, hats and caps and Woolite or some other detergent for washing clothes overnight.
The one important piece of clothing information you'll want to obtain from your cruise company is whether your cruise has one or more dinners and/or special occasions for which formal attire is mandatory. Cruises---at least some of them---seem to be the last bastion of formal dress, so you will have to pack a tuxedo or formal evening dress if they are required on your cruise. The wardrobe bag mentioned earlier is the ideal way to transport formal attire.
There is a tendency to dress up for dinner on most cruises, so even if your ship has no requirement for formal attire, you'll want to pack a suit or two, as well as a couple of evening dresses for the women. Apart from that, you'll want to devote most of your packing space to casual clothing, good walking shoes and the appropriate underwear, lingerie and socks. A light windbreaker is important, even if you'll be cruising through warmer waters, as the breeze off the sea in the evening and early morning can be a bit chilly. Heavier outerwear is a must for cruises in Northern Europe, especially Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the British Isles and Ireland.
