what to pack for a crossing?

We are traveling on the crossing in November from lisbon to Miami on the Explorer. We will be in Lisbon for 3 days prior to boarding the ship.

Can someone give us some tips as to what to pack and what the weather may be like???? Sure hope to hear from Travelcat and anyone else who did the first crossing in November. We only pack in carry on so this is critical. thanks in advance for all help.

It is probably going to be cool. I have done the reverse (Miami to Lisbon) in April, and it was cool the whole time. I did not pack any shorts or capris and would not have worn them had I packed them. I packed slacks and nice jeans, tops and sweaters that could be layered, for daytime. I took a rain jacket and a fleece jacket which could be layered and did use both.

We did the crossing last November on the Explorer and it was much warmer than expected (generally above 70 degrees every day). Weather is fairly unpredictable and we are doing another crossing in just under two weeks. I've checked the weather forecasts and it should be in the sixties all the way.

While I packed wrong for our last crossing (needed shorts and short sleeved tops), I am in the middle of packing now and have a some things for cool weather and some for warmer weather. I take into consideration that 65 degrees with sun is beautiful weather for us in Washington state but passengers from Florida could be quite chilly at that temperature.

Most importantly, I purchased a featherweight jacket for both my DH and I for the last cruise. It is amazing light and you can stuff it in a corner of your suitcase (and they have a good for rain). This is something that I'll pack for most of our cruises when there is a possibility of cool weather.

The above ladies have it about right! Layers are important. One thing that I learned on a TA a year or so ago, is to take a warm hat and some gloves. We wound up spending a small fortune in the Faroe Islands for a couple of hats and some mittens....and that was in late August!