What To Pack For A Cruise Vacation

Cruises can sometimes be challenging to pack for, especially when you have a large family. The staterooms are not huge and don’t have unlimited storage for your bags, so how can you make the most out of the space you have? Packing efficiently is definitely helpful, so here are a few tips from me. I made it through our recent 5 night cruise with a small carry-on rolling bag and a travel backpack (and also 5 days in Jamaica with the same bags), so it can be done! I included links for easy shopping! (Disclaimer: the links will take you to my Amazon Affiliate Store. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. No need to purchase through these - though I do appreciate the support - I just want to make it easy for you to find the products I use/recommend!

My biggest tip is to use packing cubes! Compressible ones if you can, but any kind is helpful. I recently bought these for my trip to the UK and they are great!

Consider sharing a checked bag between family members to save space. Sort your clothes by family member and/or by type of clothes (dinner clothes, casual clothes, pajamas, etc). Pro tip: store your luggage underneath the stateroom bed.

Stock up on reef safe sunscreen before you leave and put it in your checked luggage. Make sure you have enough to last your entire trip because buying it on the ship or in port is very expensive. (Reef safe is becoming a big recommendation for tropical destinations to help save the waters!)

If you are like my family and like to use carry on luggage only, packing sunscreen can put a damper on this plan. However, if you have time, you can stop at a store on your way to the port or use a delivery service like Instacart to have sunscreen delivered to your hotel the night before you board the ship. This saves you from having to pack it and you can still take advantage of the lower pricing at a place like Target or WalMart. I also pack travel size to throw in my daily bag.

How dressy do you need to be on a cruise? Well, that answer depends on the cruise line. Many offer the option of a formal night, but it is usually not required. Do you want to dress up? Go for it! But do know there aren’t irons or steamers available (if you have a portable one, check with your cruise line requirements to see if you are allowed to bring it on board), so unless you want to use the ship’s laundry service, pack carefully and hang things up as soon as your luggage is delivered.

Most of the time you can get by with casual clothing (think business casual - dresses, polo shirts, khaki pants, slacks, etc). I have personally had good luck packing this style of dress. Most cruises have become much more laid back with dress code, but do check with your particular cruise to see if there are requirements in the dining rooms. 

Another tip for packing efficiency is to re-wear some things. Bring a couple of casual outfits to throw on when you eat breakfast or lunch and re-wear them (and try not to spill…this is my biggest problem LOL). I typically bring 1-2 pairs of black shorts and a few shirts that go with.

Bring more than one bathing suit! The likelihood of a suit drying out overnight is not great, so if you plan on wearing one every day, bring at least two so you can wear one while the other is drying.

Bring a wet bag for your items that won’t dry out before you need to pack them. This is great for excursions if you want to change your clothes and for packing before you head home.

Consider bringing a waterproof phone case to use while you are in the water, especially if you are doing any kind of water excursion. I like this kind because it attaches around your neck and leaves your hands free. This is especially useful if you are trying to wrangle your kids!

For those of you who like a more detailed packing list, here you go!

Items in Carry-on Luggage:

• Travel Identification

• Boarding pass, important paperwork

• Wallet with cash, credit cards

• Prescription medication in their original containers

• Personal toiletries

• Change of clothes (consider a swimsuit if you want to hit the pool first!)

• Any other items you may need until checked luggage is delivered

• Phone & Chargers

Items in Checked Luggage: (checked bags may not weigh more than 50lbs)

• Beach Bag

• Reading material

• Resealable plastic bags or wet bag

• Beach toys for kids

• Sunscreen

• Hat

• Sunglasses

• Rain Jacket or poncho

• Light sweater or jacket

• Swimsuits/coverups

• Waterproof phone case

• Comfortable walking shoes (some excursions require closed toe shoes)

• Flip flops/pool shoes

• Undergarments

• Dinner attire (sundresses, slacks)

• Casual attire (shorts, shirts)

• Snacks (must be unopened and prepackaged)

• Drinks-*See drink policy*

*If you use a CPAP machine, you will need to pack your machine in your carry-on luggage.  If you wish to bring your own distilled water with you, it must be hand carried along with your CPAP machine.  Small personal sized coolers are permitted as carry-on luggage.

Are you ready to cruise? What are your favorite packing tips?