Semester at Sea Packing Guide

Semester at Sea Packing Guide…

Packing everything you could possibly need for a three-week trip can be challenging enough. Now try packing everything you could possibly need for a four-month trip around the world, on a ship, with limited recourses.

When it was time to pack for my voyage, I struggled trying to figure out what I absolutely needed and what was really just a waste of space. To help make this process a little less stressful, I created the SAS Packing Guide that you will find below. It is full of everything that either I used or that I recommend bringing.

Since everyone’s packing list looks a little different, feel free to print the PDF checklist to follow or to use as a starting point for your own checklist.

Enjoy!

Free Printable PDF

Check out my Amazon Storefront for a quick overview of all SAS essentials!

Luggage

This is hands down the most important part of the packing process. Suitcases can be expensive, but this is something I recommend spending money on. They last a long time and you do not want them to break. Just keep in mind there is a bag limit so check the SAS website for up-to-date information on that.

I highly recommend only bringing two suitcases, one for clothes and the other for the items that you do not plan on bringing home (such as toiletries, snacks, etc.) That is what I did and ended up leaving the ship with a carryon size suitcase full of everything I purchased on the voyage.

Suitcases: YOU DO NOT NEED A ROLLING DUFFLE!!! So many people said that you must use rolling duffle bags rather than traditional suitcases. I took my chances and packed everything in two traditional hardcase suitcases and had no problems. If you do not already have the rolling duffels, I would recommend saving the money and using what you already have. These are similar to the ones that I used, and I love them.

Travel Backpack: I decided to go with a cheaper hiking backpack since I knew it would get really dirty through all of the in-country travel. I found this one on amazon and was really happy with the size and how durable it was. It was also really easy for the ship security to go through it when getting back on the ship.

Small Hiking Backpack: I was so happy that I brought this small backpack with me. I used this as a school bag as well as a day bag if we were just leaving the ship for a little while. It is also waterproof so that was a major plus!

Small School Backpack: This is definitely not a necessity, but if you would like to bring a small school backpack I would definitely recommend one like this that has a space for your laptop.

Packing cubes: I also got these from amazon but did not use them for clothes. I packed all of my toiletries and snacks in them to keep them confined in one place.

Clothes

I packed way too many clothes. Do not make the same mistake as me and pack stuff that you will never wear. The ship is very relaxed when it comes to clothing. Everyone tends to wear the same 4-5 outfits that mostly consist of athletic shorts, leggings and oversized t-shirts. My biggest tip would be to lay out what you think you will need and then put half away. Trust me you will not wear it!!!!

The list below is not what I packed. This is what I recommend bringing based on what I actually used.  Feel free to add or takeaway but remember your closet is only so big!!

6 shirts: 5 basic tees and one t-shirt (if you want to rep your home university). I got similar ones to these from Amazon in neutral colors and loved them.

2-3 blouses: You will have to dress “professional” for field classes, so I recommend bringing a few nicer shirts.

3-4 tank tops: Two athletic tanks and two cute ones.

2 long sleeve shirts: great for more conservative countries or layering if it’s cold.

1 sweatshirt: You will probably buy a SAS sweatshirt, maybe two, so save some room in your suitcase.

1 zip-up Jacket: I brought this one since I could also use it as a rain jacket.

2 Pairs of Jeans: One regular denim and one black pair (for field classes).

3 pairs of leggings: I wore these almost every day on the ship and in-country when I could.

2 sets of pajamas

2 pairs of athletic shorts: These are great because they have a zip pocket.

2 pairs of “other” shorts: jean/cute

1 pair of joggers: I have a similar pair to these and love them.

2-3 swimsuits: I would recommend not bringing more than three.  

Socks/Undergarments: use your best judgement, you know what you need!

1-2 dresses: For fancy dinner and the alumni ball at the end of the voyage.

2 Pairs of tennis shoes: One nicer pair and an older pair that you are good with getting ruined. I ended up throwing away one pair at the end of the voyage.  

2 Pairs of “other shoes”: I brought these sandals and a nicer pair of shoes to wear at fancy dinner and for the alumni ball.

Accessories

Hat/Gloves: It gets really cold in Japan and China during the months SAS is docked so these came in handy. Check your voyage itinerary to see if this is something you should consider packing.

Scarves: Not only can they be used for the cold, but they are great for covering your shoulders or head in certain countries. One like this would work really well!

Necessary Jewelry: This is really up to you. I do not wear much jewelry to begin with, so I just brought two pairs of basic stud earrings and a necklace that I wore every single day.

Sunglasses: I broke my sunglasses during the first week on the ship so I had to go without until I could buy another pair. I would recommend bringing two cheaper pairs incase this happens to you.

Baseball hat: You’ll want this for hikes or any other outdoor activity.

Toiletries

This is where it gets tricky. Yes, all of this stuff can be found in different countries, but if you are picky about brands, I suggest you pack enough for at least 5 months. If brands do not mean much to you, save the room in your suitcase and purchase products along the way! Here are the basics that I brought with me.

Shampoo/Conditioner: I brought a large bottle of both shampoo and conditioner with me. I know a lot of people like to buy the bar shampoo/conditioner, but I wanted to stick with what I normally use on my hair. Click here to read all about the beat travel hair care!

Face and body wash: Instead of bringing numerous bottles of both, I decided to save some space and use bars of soap. If you plan on traveling by plane in country, this is also much easier to travel with.

Dry Shampoo: BRING DRY SHAMPOO!!! Since the ship does not allow any type of air sole cans, I purchased the powdered dry shampoo and loved it! I used it every day and it was perfect for in-country travel where a shower was not easily accessible. Check out my list of my favorite dry shampoos for travel!

3 Toothbrushes: one for the ship, one for your travel bag, and an extra just to be safe.  

Toothpaste/Floss: One tube of toothpaste will be plenty. Every country has toothpaste if you need more.

Razors/Shaving cream: I recommend the razors that you can just replace the actual blades rather than the entire razor, it saves a lot of room (I brought these). If you use shaving cream, make sure it is from a bottle rather than a can. This is the one I brought, and It worked fine.

Lotion: Since the water on the ship is just filtered from the ocean, it can really dry out your skin. Bring a lot, you will use it like crazy.

Deodorant: You live in close quarters with everyone else, smell good please!

Chapstick: duh!

Hand Sanitizer: You will go through this like crazy, so bring a couple bottle of it. I had ones like this where there was a clip on them so I would not lose it.

Sunscreen/Aloe: You are sailing along the equator… It’s hot.  Bring it and use it!! Always try and make sure you bring reef safe sunscreen since you will be in the ocean!

Band Aids: I never use band aids at home, but I was so glad I brought them with me. You will probably use them more than you think.   

Feminine Products: You know what you need. Just make sure you have enough for at least 5 months.

Kleenex: I brought a pack of small Kleenex pouches and I was so happy that I did. Many countries do not supply toilet paper so make sure to bring them with you when traveling.

Travel Size toiletries: This is where it can get overwhelming. I highly recommend only bringing one of each product in travel size. Many people brought so many different travel size products with them and it took up so much space in the room and suitcase. If you bring one of each you can refill them with the bigger size products you bring that you keep on the ship. I brought one travel size shampoo/conditioner that I would refill and 3 travel size toothpastes (since you cannot bring a full, normal size, tube back onto the ship).

Hairbrush/hair ties: I brought a small wet brush and a handful of hair ties. See more of my travel hair necessities here!

Makeup: After the first week you probably won’t wear it so I would recommend not bringing a ton. The ship is very relaxed when it comes to this stuff.

TIP:  When it comes to toiletries do not get tricked into all of the travel sized products. They take up so much room when packing and you do not really need them!!

Medication

I rarely ever get sick so I was struggling to figure out what medications I should bring and if I should even bring them. In the end, this is what I decided on and I am happy I did.

Seasickness Treatment: If you have never been on a ship or you get seasick, BRING YOUR OWN MEDICATION! I never had to take any medication the entire time but almost all of my friends did. The seas can get very rough from time to time and everyone reacts differently to the motion of the ship. Some of the most common treatments are:

• Seasickness medication (Dramamine): they provide this free of charge outside the clinic on deck 3 if you forget to pack it or need more
• Seabands: these were the most popular
• Behind-the-ear-patch: You can get these over the counter or prescribed

Malaria Prescription: Passport Health only prescribed me 14 pills and that was not enough.  Make sure you ask for at least 60 to be on the safe side. I personally used Malarone but there are other options as well. If you run out on the ship, the clinic has a limited supply for sale. I attached the handout/map we got if you want to take a look.

Bug spray: SAS recommends bug sprsy with a high level of deet. Remember you cannot bring aerosol cans onto the ship so you will need to find a lotion. I used this one and it worked great.

Advil/Tylenol: Always good to have on hand if you need it.

Cold/flu medication:  I highly recommend bringing this. Through all the different climates and living on a ship with 600 people, if you get sick the clinic sells medicine but I recommend bringing your own because it is a lot cheaper and does not take up that much space.

Vaccinations: The list of vaccinations SAS recommends you get it crazy long and what you decide to get is up to you. Personally, I only got Yellow Fever and Typhoid. Yellow fever is required so that is the only one you MUST get.

Travelers Diarrhea Medication: TD is a thing and you will end up using the medication. I brought this one and took it before eating something that I was unsure of. It prevented a lot of possible problems!

Travel Necessities

Local Currency: I talked about this in my What I Wish I Knew Before SAS post. Order currency from your bank at home so you can avoid the exchange/bank fees in other countries.

Passport: Can’t travel without it!

Yellow Fever Card: SAS will not let you on the ship without it. Make you have it and it is filled out properly.

Water bottles: I had two and I think you should also. I purchased a SAS one from the bookstore and used it on the ship. I also brought this one to use in country since it had a filter and was insulated. One like this also works great!

Beach towel: You are not allowed to bring the towels out of your room so if you want to have one for the pool or for in country make sure you bring your own. Of course, SAS sells them in the bookstore if you forget! (I brought these)

Sleeping liner: I recommend for certain hostiles that you will stay in. I used this one and I was so glad that I brought it.

Ziplock bags: I am so glad a brought Ziplock bags. I put my toilettes in them for in-country flights and also used them to store snacks and different souvenirs. (they are also good for sneaking food out of the dining rooms but we won’t mention that)

Carabiners: I brought 3 and used them all the time. One was attached to my water bottle with my room key so I would not lose it (A lost room key is $50 and I did not want to pay that). They are also really handy to attach to a hiking backpack to hang things from.  Here are some pretty cheap ones!

Copies of passports: In case you lose your passport or it gets stolen, it is much easier to get a new one if you have a copy of it.

Money Belt: good to hide money in so it wont get stolen. Personally I used a running belt (this one) since I thought it was much comfier but many people had one like this.

Toiletry bag: I highly, highly, highly recommend bringing a toiletry bag. This is the one that I got and I loved it. You can hang it in the bathroom and just fold it up and put it in your travel bag when you are in port. Saves so much time and space.

Laundry

On the ship there are two options when it comes to laundry: you can either do it yourself or pay $7 for a small bag. If you decide to send your laundry in to be washed do not be surprised if it comes back two sizes too small or with random rips/holes in it. I chose to do my own laundry and was so happy that I did. This is what I used, and it all worked perfectly.

Laundry Detergent: This one worked great. They were light weight and does not take up much space at all. It worked great!

Tide Stick: If you are anything like me, you spill everything. This was a life saver and I recommend bringing at least one.

Travel Clothesline: There is a clothesline in the shower, but it only can hold a couple of shirts at a time. I used this one and was able to hang up everything that I washed.

Laundry bag: I hung one like this in the back of my closet just to keep my dirty clothes separated from the clean ones.

Electronics

When it comes to electronics, they can take up a bunch of room and add a lot of weight to your luggage. With that, I think you should bring anything you know you will for sure use and leave the “extras” at home. I mainly used my computer for schoolwork, and my iPad for movies. One thing to keep in mind is that the vibration on the ship can cause damage to your computer. Make sure to keep something under your computer when setting it on a table or shelf. I either used my computer case or a sweatshirt.

This is what I would recommend bringing at most…

Laptop/charger: Make sure to back up your laptop before you leave that way you have room for pictures and movies.

iPad/charger: I brought mine for movies

Apple Watch: So many people said not to bring it, but I am so glad that I did. I obviously did not wear it off the ship since it can be an easy target, but I wore it every day on the ship.

Camera/charger: Make sure to bring extra memory cards if you chose to bring one.

USBs: Good for saving pictures and sharing movies. These worked perfect!

Air pods/Earbuds: you cannot use air pods on in-flight entertainment so I brought a normal pair of headphones like these that I could use on planes and non-Apple devices. I would also recommend buying a case for your air pods so you can tell which ones are yours (I had this one that I could clip onto other things so I would not lose them).

HDMI Cord: I know a few people that did so they could watch movies from the computer on the cabin TV. I did not bring one and was glad that I didn’t. Everyone lets everyone borrow stuff so you could always use someone else’s if you wanted. This one is a good size for traveling.

Adapter/Converter: The ship only has EU plugs so you will want to have one to charge all of your electronics. I used this one on the ship and this one in country.

Apple Travel Kit: This is something that is not necessary, but I was so glad I purchased it. For some reason, I was really concerned about charging my computer through a converter. With this kit, you are able to just change the plug on the charger and it can be plugged right into the wall without having to use a converter.

Portable Chargers: A must for in country travel. This one is amazing!

iPhone Charger: I would definitely recommend bringing a longer charger for your iPhone. Depending on where the outlets are in your cabin you may not be able to reach everywhere.

Extra Phone: So many people get their phones stolen while out in country. Many people brought an extra phone that they could buy sim cards for incase that happened to them. If you are aware of your surroundings you should not have a problem though.

School Supplies

Since you are in school, I recommend bringing a few basic school supplies. I brought a lot more than this and ended up throwing it all away. I think these few things will be more than enough!

Notebook: One should be plenty. If you take notes by hand than maybe two.

Pens, Pencils, Sharpie: Bring a sharpie to sign maps with at the end of the voyage and make sure you have pencils because tests are on scantrons.

Post-it Notes: This is how you communicate on the ship. I brought 4 stacks and used them all.

Textbooks: If you can try and get your textbooks in PDF form DO IT!  There is no internet on personal computers so having them downloaded is really helpful and also saves a ton of space packing.

Miscellaneous/Extras

Door Hooks: I got these and used them to hang bags, scarves and other random things in my closet.

Hangers: These will do the job. Each closet has about 5 hangers, so I brought some extra ones and just trashed them at the end.

Pillow: Save room in your luggage for your own pillow. The pillows on the ship are awful, and I was so happy I brought my own (I vacuum sealed it to save room). If you can’t fit one in your suitcase, buy one at the port of embarkation or in your first port of call! This is a good travel sized one if you want a smaller option.

Blanket: I got a cheap one from target and left it on the ship when disembarking. Just like the pillow, it was nice to have some of my own bedding to make my room feel more like home. Here is a good travel sized blanket.

Shoe Hanger: I got this one and hung it inside the bathroom on the door. Since there are not many shelves in the bathroom, we put our toiletries in it, and it gave us a ton more storage.

Hair towel: You only get one towel on the ship which gets replaced once every 4-5 days. If you like a hair towel, I recommend bringing your own (I had this one).

Earplugs: I am a very light sleeper, so I used these every night on and off the ship. Hostels can get noisy and your roommate might snore!!

Decks of playing cards: Every night is game night on the ship so come prepared! Semester at Sea provides a ton of different board games in Lido Terrace, but decks of cards are hard to come across.  

Journal: If nothing else this is a MUST and I am so glad I brought a journal with me. I got this one and loved it. Also, check out Pack This Journal and use my code SAS10 for 10% off!

Pictures: I recommend bringing pictures of family/friends to hang up in your room. You cannot use tape so post-it notes can be used for this also.

Polaroid/Printer: I had this portable printer with me and loved it.

Small Magnets: The cabin doors are magnetic as well as some walls inside the cabin. I did not bring any with me, but a lot of people did.

Travel Coffee Mug: During non-dining hours, the coffee machine is set up but there are no mugs for you to use. I don’t drink coffee but If you do, I would recommend bringing a small mug like this.

Things I wish I did NOT bring

Straighter: I straighten my hair every day at home, so I decided to bring one with me on the ship. I NEVER USED IT… not even once (your hair will be up half of the time anyways because of the wind). If you needed one, I’m sure one of your friends brought one that you could borrow. If you decide to pack one, make sure it has the auto shut off feature or they will not let you on the ship with it.

Yoga Mat: I was told to bring one since there is only a limited number of them in the gym. Any time I needed one there was always one available so I would think twice about bringing your own.

Snacks: I know this goes against everything everyone tells you but DO NOT BRING A TON OF SNACKS. You will buy so many snacks from different countries and you won’t even end up touching the ones you brought. I had to through away so much food at the end of the voyage because I did not have any room to bring them home.

Perfume/Body Spray: This is more of a personal preference, but I never used it and it just took up space.

Things I Wish I had brought

Cross Body bag:  I had brought a mini backpack that I got at target and I loved it, however, since it was on my back I could not keep as close as an eye on it. I would recommend something like this.

Nail polish: There is a salon on the ship but it’s pretty expensive. I wish I brought my own that way I could still paint my nails if I wanted to.

Peanut Butter: Yep you read that right. Everyone goes CRAZY for peanut butter on the ship and eventually they will run out. If you chose to bring your own, make sure you buy the individual cups that only have one serving or SAS may take it from you.

Things I am glad I did not bring

Hairdryer: Each cabin has a hair dryer and it works pretty well.

GoPro: I was really torn about this but in the end decided not to bring mine and I was so happy I didn’t.  

Hard Drive: So many people told me to bring a hard drive for movies and pictures, but I found a USB worked just as good. If you are looking at buying one though, a lot of people had this one and loved it.

Travel Pillow: You probably won’t use it and it can get annoying to keep track of.

Passport Cover: SAS keeps your passport when you are on the ship so having a cover doesn’t do much.

If you have made it to the end of this list i’m impressed! I know its a lot, but I tried my best to remember everything I either brought, with I brought, or wish I had left at home.

I hope this packing list is helpful or at least gives you somewhere to start if you decide to make your own. If you want, don’t forget to download the free PDF I made so you can check items off as you go.

This maybe a stressful time but believe me when I say, this experience is worth ALL the stress!!

Check out my Amazon Storefront for a quick overview of all SAS essentials!

More Semester at Sea posts HERE!