If you are a first time river cruiser, heading out on your first river cruise you may be struggling to work out what to take with you. Taking the right clothing and accessories with you can, in many cases, make or break your holiday. It is important that you get it right if you are not to be put off river cruising in the future.

For obvious reasons (like ice) many river cruises tend to run in the summer months. Because of this cruise passengers can generally pack quite light with summer shirts, shorts and skirts. Obviously sun and insect protection is also a good idea. It can be cool in the evening so a sweater and perhaps a light raincoat are also a good idea.

For footwear, it must be borne in mind that these cruises stop and allow passengers to explore multiple ports along the length of a river cruise. Taking good shoes for exploring in is a must. A sure-fire way to ruin your holiday would be to spend it with blisters and sore feet.

When booking your cruise you really need to check if there are formal attire requirements for meals or entertainment. If there are you will probably require evening wear, tuxedo, formal kilt outfit or ball/evening gown. Not all cruise lines have this requirement, although it may be wise to pack a jacket and tie even for an informal cruise.

When considering what luggage to take, bear in mind that your cabin on a cruise ship is not always the most spacious of holiday accommodation available. Rather than taking large, solid luggage that sits taking up room once emptied, consider taking softer pack-away luggage that you can stuff in a drawer once you have unpacked. This will make your cabin more comfortable over the length of your holiday.

No doubt you will visit the occasional shop on your shore excursions as part of the cruise. Everyone does it, but if you spend money on souvenirs and gifts to take home you should ensure you have got enough room in your luggage to get it all your purchases home. It is a good idea to fill your outgoing luggage only half full when leaving for your cruise. That way you should have more room to treat yourself and buy some gifts for your family and friends.

Before you leave for your cruise you should carefully lay out all the items you are taking with you and catalogue them. Take photos of these items all laid out and leave the photos at home. Doing this means you have a list of all your luggage items that can be presented to a travel insurance company in the event that your luggage goes missing or is damaged. This applies to all holidays, not just to cruising.

A final consideration is that in most cases your luggage will have to be transferred onto a flight to get you home. You should ensure that you keep within the weight and size limits specified by the airline or you may be hit with a surplus luggage charge at the airport - not a pleasant way to end any holiday.