Hi friends, welcome back to Sequins and Sales! Last week I got back from my 10-Day Greece & Malta cruise, so today I wanted to share What Clothes to Bring on a Mediterranean Cruise! Packing for a mediterranean cruise can be a bit daunting especially if you’re from the United States. This post will hopefully help you decide what to bring, and how to best maximize your space.
If you’re planning a cruise (or any trip abroad), you might be asking yourself what to pack for Europe in September! Everyone online says it’s “great weather,” but if you’re like me, 80 degrees is still very hot! Especially in direct sunlight. Linen/light and airy clothes are THE way to go. Keep reading to see what I wore on my trip, and how I planned what I should wear in each location!
How to Best Plan What to Wear for a Cruise
When packing for a mediterranean cruise, it’s best to list out all the places you will be stopping, places you want to take photos, and then plan the outfits you’ll wear in each place! This ended up working SO WELL. I laid out all the items I planned to bring, then took pictures of each of them.
After that, I uploaded them all into Canva, removed the backgrounds of the images, and then started piecing them together! This made it so easy to get my outfits ready before the next day. I swear I saved HOURS of time by doing this! See an example of the photoshoot recap and outfit planner below:
Interested in checking out Canva? Click here! It is my absolute BEST investment when it comes to photo collages and editing images.
Rome
When trying to decide things to pack for Italy in September, I knew I needed to pack lighter clothing! Everyone said it would have such nice temps, but except for slightly cooler evenings, it was really very hot. Almost nowhere had air conditioning as well!
Trevi Fountain
The first outfit I wanted to share was the look I wore to the Trevi Fountain outfit! I planned this look before I’d even booked our flights out of the country. The water is such a lovely shade of turquoise that I knew the best color pairing would be with yellow! When I came across this Banana Republic Canna Silk Dress, it was an immediate purchase.
Villa Borghese
I’ve seen photos from this location and knew it would be a GORGEOUS area to take some photos. There’s this old pavilion in the middle of the lake, and you can rent a boat for $10/person! They give you 20 minutes to row around and it was such a Notebook moment. This dress was one of my Nuuly grabs from August and I’m so happy I brought it with me! I also love these Jeffrey Campbell platform sandals from Anthropologie and they are surprisingly comfortable.
The Colosseum
Before we went on this trip, Jasim purchased me this look from Tory Burch! I saw it on the sale rack and knew I could not leave the store without it! The Veronica Plaid Pleated Skirt is so flattering and was actually immensely comfortable too. As someone who loves to mix patterns, I instantly gravitated towards the Jacquard Knit Mock-Neck top in the photo below. It was the perfect look to kick off our three days in Rome at the Colosseum!
The Roman Forum
Not going to lie, the Roman Forum was HOT and the stone pathways made walking so hard. Even though I was able to wear these shoes most other places, I suggest opting for a pair of sneakers (I love this pair from Reebok) My dress is from one of Target’s designer collaborations a few years back, but I linked some similar ones!
Spanish Steps
Living my best Lizzie McGuire life on the Spanish Steps with my love! I knew I wanted a Selkie-inspired dress to wear at this location. This one was the perfect option! I also went searching for a unique sun hat and came across this one on Instagram! It’s a bit pricey, but truly so cool. I got it in a Size M!
Athens
Athens was such a fun city. There is so much culture and history to be seen! We had a few stops throughout our day, and there’s a special Halloween edition coming out of our day there that you’ll be able to see in a few short weeks. I tried to keep these looks fun, bright, and colorful!
Acropolis
The Acropolis was an absolute TREK, but once you got to the top, it was an outstanding sight! This was the Temple of Athena which was an easier spot to take photos at. My top was actually purchased for me by my grandmother a few weeks before we left for the trip! My skort is from Zara and was actually so insanely comfortable (no thigh chaff here).
Trastevere
I found this little neighborhood on Instagram before we got to Rome! It honestly gives strong Mykonos and Santorini vibes with the white buildings. I saw this Puff Sleeve Corset Midi Dress from Abercrombie on TikTok, and my friend Amber convinced me to get it for my trip! It’s truly so flattering and I want to buy it in every color.
Little Kook Tea Shop
Little Kook Tea Shop was the one place in Athens I NEEDED to go to! It’s an Alice in Wonderland themed tea shop with an entire transformed alleyway. I wanted an outfit that was kooky and fun just like this location! Sister Jane is one of my favorite shops to get unique clothes, so when I found this Flutter Gingham Maxi Dress, I had to grab it!
Not sure what necessities are needed for a cruise? Be sure to click here to read my post about 15 Things You NEED to Pack for Your Next Cruise!
Santorini
Santorini has been on my bucket list since I was in high school. It’s always been this gorgeous destination with blue domes, white houses, and a gorgeous view of the island. When deciding what to wear, I wanted bright, solid dresses, and blue items to match the sea/churches!
Imerovigli
I wanted to give Jasim a break, and also knew I wanted a flowy, Santorini dress shoot! If you’ve seen these on social media, you know they are ALL the rage. This was definitely a splurge at €540, but 1) it was a write off since it was for my blog and 2) it’s been on my bucket list for YEARS.
The turn around time is about 30 days, so expect a blog post once the official pics come back. Jasim captured this one while watching the shoot! I rented my dress from the company for €90, but linked some from Etsy below.
Kastro Houses
This was one location I knew I wanted to shoot at! The color of the buildings gave a pueblo feel, and they were just gorgeous in person. The stairs to get down were a bit steep, so wearing my fav Camper Twin Sandals was the best idea I had! I loved wearing these because they’re comfortable and had so many colors.
It helped them match almost all of my outfits! My top is from Farm Rio and is on sale for only $50. The skirt I’m wearing is vintage and I ended up purchasing it in Rome!
Blue Domes
The iconic blue domes of Santorini were on my list to shoot with as soon as I booked this cruise! I have loved how gorgeous this place is since I was in high school. To keep with the flowy, light and airy trend, I purchased this orange Sleeveless Ruffle Hem Dress on Amazon for only $25!
Mykonos
Mykonos is one of the most touristy/expensive Greek islands. When visiting here, I wanted my style to fit the vibe of unique, yet expensive! I also knew this was MY PLACE to wear color….so I did! It’s also the city that is RIGHT on the water which is honestly the reason I chose this last outfit.
Blue Door + Bougainvillea Tree
Mykonos is known for its blue doors and bougainvillea trees. I knew when I stumbled upon this location, I wanted to shoot this STUNNING Sabina Musayev Shine Midi Dress from Anthropologie. I’d worn it to dinner the night before, and just loved the ethereal vibe it gave off.
Pandora Store
What better place to showcase my Dr. Martens Fisherman Sandals than in Mykonos! This location is where the Pandora store used to be, and just highlights how gorgeous the city is. This Farm Rio Sunset Stripes Tiered Midi Skirt was a last minute purchase, but one that I am SO HAPPY I made. It matches absolutely everything!
Mykonos Gift Shop
I searched for this dress for THREE MONTHS. I knew I needed to shoot this in Mykonos, but I couldn’t find it ANYWHERE. I finally caved and begged people in one of my Facebook groups to try and help me find it in a size 12.
They immediately found it for me on Nuuly and it’s what made me sign up for the program! I also needed to bring along these lobster sandals which locals and cruise goers alike complimented me on (they’re also surprisingly comfortable too).
Barcelona
If you’re wondering what to wear in Barcelona in September, look no further!
Sagrada Familia
The Sagrada Familia was one of the most stunning places I have EVER been. This location was across the street, and gave the BEST view of the church. I got this jumpsuit from the Rent the Runway sample sale in June for about $30, but I am linking some similar ones for you to shop!
Park Güell
Park Güell was one of the most amazing places to be. Yes, it was immensely crowded, but the view is EVERYTHING! It’s covered in gorgeous tiled mosaics, so I knew I wanted to wear something colorful here. This Farm Rio Dancing Stripes set was the perfect pairing (and I shall be wearing this until the end of times tbh).
I hope you all enjoyed this post! I had the BEST time on my 10-Day Greece & Malta Cruise and these were all the best looks from my trip! I picked ones where I was able to link to them in case you wanted to shop them for a trip you’re going on too.
If you’re trying to decide What Clothes to Bring on a Mediterranean Cruise, the outfits I listed above are ALL winners! If you end up purchasing any of these looks for your cruise/trip, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see how you style it!
These are all so good but I love your pic at kastro house best! Such a good memory pic.