A few weeks ago, I took my very first cruise aboard Le Lyrial, a 122-cabin ship from the France-based line Ponant. I’d never been called to cruise before, but Ponant felt different.
The ships are small and elegant, with itineraries that tend toward the curious: a voyage to Antarctica, a sail up the Mediterranean (the one I took). But as a first-timer, I had no clue what to pack. What do you wear to a captain’s dinner? I wondered. And, do I still need an adaptor?
Enter Ponant’s COO, Navin Sawhney, who, with 20-plus cruises behind him, knows a thing or two about packing like skipper. Here’s what I learned.
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Don't forget the umbrella.
"One thing that I have regretted not packing, twice, was a small, lightweight umbrella," Navin says. "You don't need it on a ship, of course, but you go on a ship to go ashore, where it might rain! And don’t forget that it’s also a great sun shield for warmer climates."
Bring bug repellent.
They won’t be a bother on the ship, but "for warm-weather destinations, like the coast of Central America, you should definitely bring a bug repellent for when you go ashore," he says. Navin prefers an organic lemon eucalyptus oil, which is easy to find and "smells much better than other repellents."
Bring ginger.
I never felt seasick, but there were a few rocky nights when I was relieved to have packed a bottle of ginger capsules, just in case. The ship can provide over-the-counter meds like Dramamine, but Navin recommends stashing a bag of Trader Joe’s ginger candy — portable and delicious.
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