We sailed on the Viking British Isles Explorer 15 day itinerary in August/September 2023. We spent a couple days in London before the cruise, for a total of 19 days. The weather at this time of year can be quite unpredictable, so we planned for everything from sunny and warm to rainy and cool. We had mostly great weather and sunshine, so we were incredibly fortunate on this trip. I have posted my full packing list at the bottom of this article. 

I used my Travel Pro 20″ two wheeled bag and an 18″ Lovevook backpack. I flew Delta Premium Select (premium economy cabin), which includes dedicated overhead bin space, and the bag fit perfectly in the overheads. Delta does not have a weight maximum for cabin bags or personal items. We did not fly together, as Steve caught a jump seat on his airline. We cross packed one complete outfit in each other’s bags, in case I am forced to gate check my bag, and it is lost in transit. In addition, I also packed one outfit and one pair of shoes in my backpack, for the same reason. If my bag is lost, I will have the outfit I am wearing, the outfit in my backpack, and the outfit I cross packed in Steve’s bag. (Steve doesn’t have to worry about losing bags when jump seating on his airline. He flies for a cargo carrier and does not go through the passenger terminal.) It’s not a perfect strategy, but we try to minimize our risk within reason. 

I try to pack a capsule wardrobe with pieces that can be coordinated to create different looks. I usually choose two or three neutral base colors, and add a couple of other colors to coordinate. My base colors for pants and skirts were black and navy, and I added dark pink, light blue, and teal for accent colors. For layers, I packed a blue hooded jacket, a black cardigan, a long black cardigan, and a pink quarter zip. I added a black floral scarf and a couple necklaces to change up the look, but I’m not a big jewelry person. Many of the pieces I took were Merino wool or cashmere, such as all four tees, three of the four dresses, two sweater, the leggings and tights, and the jacket. To learn more about why we love Merino wool, you can read our article. The collages represent all of the clothing pieces I took and some of the different ways I wore the outfits. 

The outfit I wore on the flight is part of my clothing for the trip. I hand washed it when I got to the hotel in London, and wore those items again on the trip. We tend to pack clothing that will dry quickly when sink washed, such as lightweight nylon hiking pants and various merino wool items. Viking ships offer free self-service laundry machines, so we took advantage of those on this trip. 

As for liquids, I pare mine down as much as possible so I can be in compliance with TSA rules. I use a variety of small containers such as lip gloss tubes, plastic pots, and contact cases. I decant my liquids into these smaller containers and use out of them at home to see how long the product will last. Try this and see how you do. It’s a game changer for carry on travel. I do not pack shampoo as I just use the hotel and cruise ship shampoo. Incidentally, Viking has very nice Freyja shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and body lotion supplied in the cabins. Read my complete article on packing liquids for lots of helpful information. 

I pack everything I will need for the overnight flight in a pouch in my backpack that I can pull out and put in the seat back pocket. That way I’m not digging through my backpack for things during the flight. I use a vinyl zip top pouch that can be wiped clean. One of my all time favorite items is my handheld fan which also serves as a power bank and a flashlight (and a cute little bear, but that’s not important right now). It’s indispensable in airports and on the airplane as it keeps me from carrying an additional power bank, and the flashlight is better than my iPhone if I need to find my lip balm that I somehow dropped on the floor (yes that got wiped clean also). Please see my article on all my favorite gadgets for the link to the fan.

What would I have done differently? Each time we take a trip, I learn something about packing and what I need and don’t need. Here are my lessons: 

1. I definitely did not need two pairs of sneakers, but was glad to have the Chelsea boots for wet weather and to wear with my tights and Rip Skirt or Brooklyn dress.
2.  While I did wear both Rip Skirts, I could have done without one of them. They pack super small though, and I was glad I had them. 
3. I could have done without the navy Wool& Kalle dress. I did wear it to dinner a couple times, but it’s a heavier French Terry type of fabric, and was bulky to pack. 
4. The Columbia hiking pants and the linen pants from Old Navy were winners that I wore multiple times. 
5. The merino wool items are always winners, and I wore the four long sleeve tee shirts multiple times each. Merino is fabulous for travel as it is naturally antimicrobial and does not need to be washed as much as synthetic tees. See my article on why we love merino wool for more info. 

A couple notes about the packing list:

The Loop earplugs are soft earplugs that we use at concerts to protect our hearing. They are great for deadening the noise on an airplane to help me sleep. Peeps are glasses cleaners that are game changers. The tiny flashlight has a lantern setting so it will sit upright on the bathroom counter and keep me from turning on the light in the middle of the night. The white noise machine is tiny and much better for me than an app on my phone. I don’t hear the annoying “loop” sound in the background like I do on an app. The universal USB A-C cord is super convenient. One end is a USB-C and one end converts from USB-A to USB-C for different devices. It came with my Anker power bank. I carry it in my day bag with the handheld fan to charge my phone if needed. We carry rubbing alcohol in a small spray bottle to refresh our merino wool tees as needed. As far as the COVID tests, this trip was in 2023, so we were in the habit of routinely packing them at that time.

Hope you find this helpful for your planning and packing. Let me know if you try any of these tips and how they work for you.

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