Things to Pack for a Cruise Trip: Your carry-on bag is the only item you can access when you board a cruise ship, and that is only until later in the afternoon. You might have to wait until after the first dinner service in the main dining room for your luggage to be brought in. Why? Your heavier bags will be given to porters at the cruise terminal, who will make sure they board the ship.
Crew members bring your luggage to your cabin door later in the day. However, it is an enormous undertaking to deliver bags for up to 6,000 travelers. It’s possible that your bags won’t arrive until late in the afternoon or early in the evening.
Carrying a carry-on bag with the necessities for a first-day cruise is a tip for savvy travelers. Everything you might need for the first day until you can access your luggage should fit in your carry-on.
What to Pack for a Cruise Trip?
Travel Documents, ID, and Passport
During boarding, you must have all of your vital documents, including passports and official identification cards, with you.
Getting on board the ship is a quick and easy process that runs smoothly most of the time. However, you don’t want to stand at the check-in desk for a long time looking for your travel documents.
Important papers you should bring in your carry-on are:
- Boarding pass
- Cruise documents
- Passport
- Government-issued ID
- Restaurant reservations
- Shore excursion and tour tickets
- Drink package confirmation
- WiFi package confirmation
- Travel Insurance
- Proof of vaccination (if required)
- Any other documents required by the cruise line
Bringing both hard copies and photocopies of your important documents is a smart idea.
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If you ever run out of battery on your phone, paper backups come in handy. Additionally, you can leave your priceless documents in the cruise stateroom safe and use the photocopies as identification when you’re in port.
Additionally, to find out whatever documents are needed for boarding, always contact the cruise line. If you do not have the appropriate paperwork, you will not be permitted to board the ship. 1. Pack shoes and clothes appropriate for the activity.
Check out the itinerary on the cruise line’s website before you start preparing for your trip. To what destination are you heading? Which beach outings have you reserved? Will you be eating in the formal dining room every night, or will you solely be going to the casual buffet?
Formal Clothes
You should pack at least one formal item for “formal night” on the majority of cruises. This might mean anything for women, from a ball gown to a lovely outfit. Men should dress in dress pants and shoes, a collared shirt with buttons up, and a tie. Although ties and sport coats are optional on Carnival cruises, many men like to wear them on Cruise Elegant Dining evenings. Although most cruise lines do not mandate it, males are welcome to wear a suit or tuxedo. At the very least, consider “Sunday Best.”
Cover-ups and bathing suits
The majority of travelers choose Caribbean cruises because they want to spend as much time as possible at the beach and in the pool on their shore excursions. It can take some time for the bathing suits to dry out, so be sure to pack at least two! Bring at least a few cover-ups for your bathing suit, sundresses, or shorts and tee shirts. Although you can walk around in your bathing suit, you must wear clothes and shoes to enter the restaurants and casinos.
When going on shore excursions, I advise women to wear a bathing suit cover-up that mimics, or is actually, a sundress. Even though you might be heading to the beach, you should still appear put together because there might be pauses en route.
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Remember to Pack a Sweater
You may not think you will feel cold while cruising to a Caribbean island, but at night, it may get really cold out on the open water. It can become chilly in restaurants and the casino, so you’ll want to pack a lightweight sweater or pashmina to stay warm.
Bring a beach bag or backpack
You’ll need a container for your beach gear when you disembark from the cruise for a shore excursion. To avoid having to balance your book, towels, and sunscreen, bring a tote bag or back pack from home!
If you plan to do any shopping at the cruise port, a tote bag is also quite helpful. Stowing all of your purchases into a tote bag is far more convenient than trying to lug around multiple shopping bags.
Bring after-sun lotion and sunscreen
I advise each member of your party to pack at least one bottle of sunscreen or sunblock. You will need more sunscreen than you can possibly think whether you’re lounging on the beach or at the pool all day! Apply plenty of sunscreen, especially if you are sailing in a sun-filled region like the Caribbean, where the heat and humidity make you perspire more than you would in other climates.
In case we get sunburned, I always bring a bottle of soothing aloe gel. This is essential to speed up your healing if you burn easily. If you’re in too much discomfort to go out and enjoy yourself, you don’t want to squander your holiday time staying home!
If your child will be outside in the sun all day, you might also want to pack a sun hat or visor! Treating a sunburn is far more difficult than preventing one.
Don’t Forget Your Toiletries
Although a lot of cruise lines provide free shampoo and conditioner in the stateroom, these probably aren’t the same goods you use at home. Naturally, I always bring my own hair care supplies, including shampoo and conditioner.
For the bathroom, I also suggest packing a travel-sized air freshener because there isn’t much airflow and you can’t just open the window as you would at home.
If you’re taking a longer cruise, don’t forget to pack a razor and shaving cream!
Bring motion sickness and upset stomach medications
I suggest bringing along a small first aid box that contains all of your regular prescriptions, such as painkillers, medication for upset stomach, antidiarrhea, Benedryl (if you have any allergies), and medication for motion sickness. Sea Bands, which you wear on your wrists to assist prevent motion sickness, are also available. The majority of these items are available at the cruise shops, but they are pricey in comparison to what you would pay at home. Furthermore, when feeling under the weather, who wants to drag themselves down to the cruise shops?
Take a submersible camera with you
I advise packing a waterproof camera if you are going on a cruise and intend to go scuba diving, snorkeling, or to a water park. If you are cruising with Carnival, you may rent one at the beach excursions desk onboard the cruise ship. Once, when Angeline and I went snorkeling in Grand Cayman, I was devastated to discover that I had left our waterproof camera at home! Being able to snap pictures while splashing in the waves or simply relaxing on the beach is so much fun, even when it’s not underwater! For less money than a camera, you may also get a waterproof phone case or a waterproof camera bag.
Have Cash on Hand for Gratuities
Tipping tour guides, bus drivers, etc. is common if you intend to go on shore excursions. Bring cash to avoid embarrassing situations where the tour guide starts talking about how much they love tips when it’s time to return to the port!
Take a portable battery backup charger with you.
To avoid paying roaming fees, I advise you to put your phone on airplane mode while you are at sea. My phone’s battery runs out rather rapidly because I use it a lot to take pictures while driving. You won’t always have a full charge on your electronic devices if you charge them in turns. Most staterooms only have one US and one European electrical outlet. Carry a small backup battery charger with you to ensure you have a backup plan in case the low battery light flashes!
To make using the European outlet easier, you can also pack an outlet adaptor.
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One or two bottles of wine
Upon embarkation, most cruise lines permit passengers to carry alcohol on board. To find out what beverages passengers are allowed to bring on board, you will need to contact the cruise line.
However, you can typically pack one or two bottles of wine or champagne in your carry-on.
Additionally, some cruise lines permit passengers to bring water and soda bottles.
If you are permitted to bring alcohol on your cruise, buy the bottles in advance and place them in your carry-on luggage. While most cruise companies charge a corkage fee if you want to drink your bottles in public areas, you can consume alcohol in your stateroom for free.
Valuables and Jewelry
It’s always a good idea to pack costume jewelry for your cruise vacation and leave your expensive jewelry at home. Even so, costume jewelry can be expensive, and you don’t want to take the chance of misplacing it.
If your jewelry is valuable and you are concerned about theft, put it in your carry-on cruise bag. You can secure your valuables, including cash, jewelry, and documents, in the cabin safe once you’re in your stateroom. Although the cabin safe is small, it can hold a few other necessary goods, cash, and documents.
Cruise Lanyard
I discovered the value of wearing my hotel card on a lanyard after my first cruise. You can make sure you never lose your key card by packing a lanyard and having your card hole-punched at guest services.
You may now start placing orders for specialty coffee, drinks, and souvenirs while wearing your keycard safe around your neck.
Carry-On Bags for Cruise Travel
You can bring a variety of carry-on bags on your trip. Your choice of carry-on bag is a matter of taste. Backpacks, beach bags, carry-on suitcases, and huge duffel bags are a few options for carry-on luggage.
We typically save money when we purchase luggage packages that contain a carry-on. Good hardshell baggage with 360-degree wheels is what we choose for travel. Spinning wheels make navigating airports and cruise terminals easier, and hardshell baggage protects our possessions better than softshell or duffel bags.
We sometimes opt to bring a backpack instead because it’s more manageable.