Creating a cruise packing list can be overwhelming. You might find yourself asking questions like: How do I know what I need? What should I wear? Am I allowed to bring shampoo?

The thought of packing for different ports, different weather scenarios, and multiple days of cruising can be hard to wrap your head around. And then throw in cruise-specific packing wear, like formal night and the sports deck? It’s amazing that no one gets on a cruise without having four pieces of luggage each!

After taking seven different cruises in the last five years, I’ve been able to narrow it down to the things you really need on a cruise (hint: you don’t need to buy organizers or packing cubes). Instead, you need to focus on things that will make your vacation that much more relaxing without overpacking. Whether you’re a cruise veteran or a newbie, here are almost 40 different recommendations I have for your cruise packing list.

NOTE: None of the links below are affiliate links. They’re products I believe in and want to recommend for your list!

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Clothing

1. Warm Weather Clothing – Depending on the itinerary and length of your cruise, you will need at least a few days of warm-weather clothing. This can include tank tops, dresses, shorts, etc. – whatever makes you feel comfortable! I usually have at least two options for shorts and a T-shirt, as well as an informal sundress. Limiting it to this stops me from overpacking while also giving me the flexibility to either walk around a port or sit by the beach, depending on where my cruise is going to.

2. Formal Clothing – Depending on your cruise length, there are usually at least one to two formal nights. Typically, the rule of thumb is there is one formal night for cruises five days or less and two formal nights for cruises seven days or more. Make sure to look up what is the formal night policy on your cruise line before you go, since not all cruise lines even have formal nights anymore! Formal night clothing can vary, and you’ll see all definitions of formal onboard. So wear what you feel comfortable in! Want something simple? Be my guest. What about a full ball gown? Go for it! My husband David prefers not to wear suits and usually goes for a button-up shirt and a tie. I try to find dresses that are lightweight but don’t need to be hung up so I can keep them folded in my suitcase or in a drawer. No matter what you wear, make sure to include 1-2 formal outfits on your cruise packing list.

3. Jacket or Sweater – You might be headed to warmer weather, but at night and when you’re on the ship it gets cold! I’m the kind of person who gets cold just in air conditioning, so I try to have something lightweight to wear inside, even when we’re in the Caribbean. This usually includes either a zip-up hoodie or a lightweight jacket.

4. Sunglasses – Whether you’re heading to the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, sunglasses are a must for your cruise packing list. You’ll be in the sun most of the day, even if you just stay on the ship. And if you forget or lose yours, you’ll probably be out $20 or more at the ship’s store. Make sure to bring an extra pair that you don’t mind losing too. When we leave the ship, we bring some of those cheap, plastic sunglasses that are usually given away at conferences and such, so if we lose them we still have a good pair back onboard. For guys, David likes these sunglasses (they’re very durable!) and for girls, I like these.

5. Bathing Suits – Bathing suits are practically required on a cruise. Even if you don’t get the ocean, you’ll need one or two bathing suits for the onboard pools or hot tubs! Make sure to bring a few because you’ll more than likely have to pay if you need one washed, so it will be cheaper to have a few options.

6. Water Shoes – A MUST for any cruise packing list! You’ll feel goofy, I know. I do too. But they’re so helpful on a cruise! When you’re enjoying the pool, it’s nice to be able to get out and grab a drink or go to the bathroom without having to go find your shoes (or even worse…going barefoot). If you get in the ocean while at the port, the water will be rocky and the sand will be hot, so it’s easier to have shoes protecting your feet while you’re walking around. I got a pair of kid’s water shoes at Walmart years ago for $5 and they’re still going strong. Since you won’t use them often, you don’t have to spend a lot on them but they will be so worth it when you do!

7. Sneakers – If you plan on spending time walking around ports or even the ship, then bring a pair of sneakers. They will save your feet, especially if you do a day of walking around a new town. Additionally, some sports activities on the ship won’t let you participate with open-toed shoes – so make sure you bring your sneakers if you want to enjoy activities such as the zip line or go rock climbing!

8. Waterproof Watch – If you’re like me and you rely on your phone for the time, then you’ll be surprised when you get onboard. Since most people don’t get cell service on a cruise, many people lock their phones up in the in-room safes. Clocks are also scarce on cruise ships and you don’t want to be that person asking the staff what time it is all day. Bonus points if your watch is waterproof and you can wear it in the pool or the ocean. And the best part of bringing a watch? You know you can turn your phone off and keep it off while you’re on your cruise.

9. Rain Jackets – Anyone traveler knows that the weather can be unreliable while on a trip. If you bring a lightweight rain jacket, like this one that can easily be rolled up into a carrying pouch that fits in any hole in your luggage, you will be ready for whatever weather your cruise may throw at you! The other bonus? This jacket can be cinched to keep the rain out at both the top and the bottom, letting you stay dry no matter how hard the rain is coming down (and the hood also eliminates a need for an umbrella, which will help keep you from packing more than is necessary!)

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Toiletries

10. Sunscreen and Aloe – One of the first things on your cruise packing list needs to be sunscreen. And then more sunscreen. And then some more sunscreen on top of that! And don’t forget aloe. Especially if you’re headed to the Caribbean. You’ll be spending more time outside than you normally do, so make sure to bring more sunscreen than you think you need. The Caribbean sun, or even just the sun on the pool deck, can be harsh for pale desk workers like David & I. We have been on six cruises, and on at least four of them we have had to go to the ship’s store to buy more sunscreen because we have run out (one of these days we will bring enough….we never learn). At ~$10 a bottle, cruise sunscreen can get expensive, so save your money and make sure to bring extra.

11. Bug Spray – You may remember a few years ago when Zika was in the news and people were canceling cruises left and right due to the scare. Unfortunately, Zika is still as much of an issue now as it was then, it’s just not as highly publicized as it was before. So the more bug spray, the better. And make sure you wear it whenever you’re outside in the Caribbean, not just when you get off the boat (this means when you’re spending time on the ship’s deck as well). We invested in a travel-size of extremely high-strength bug spray. This type of bug spray can be dangerous if used frequently, so we make sure to only use it on cruises (and don’t touch your face while it dries). But it does the trick and we haven’t been bitten yet.

12. Hand Sanitizer – Cruises are notorious breeding grounds for diseases. Colds, stomach bugs, diarrhea, you name it. You don’t want sickness to ruin your vacation, so make sure to put hand sanitizer on your cruise packing list and then use it as often as you can (your ship will also have plenty of hand sanitizer on board as well).

13. Motion Sickness Medicine or Band – If you’re like me, you get nervous that a rough sea will ruin your cruise. Let me be the first to assure you: I get motion sick very easily, but I haven’t had a problem on a cruise. I have been on six cruises and I have only had one night when I got sick (and that was when we were outrunning a thunderstorm, so the boat was moving fast). Even the small ships are very good at stabilizing and you will probably be fine! But if you’re worried, it doesn’t hurt to bring a band or some anti-nausea medicine just in case.

14. Acid Controller and Anti-Diarrheal – Food on a cruise is very rich; so is the alcohol. And you will probably be eating and drinking all day. If your body is not used to this, you will definitely feel it by the end of your time onboard. These two pills will help you through any reactions you have so that you will be ready for another round in the dining room later that night! 😀

15. Advil/Hangover cure – If you drink alcohol, there is bound to be one night where you have a little too much. It’s OK – you’re on vacation. No one is judging you! But like the pills above, these are always good to have just in case. David and I swear by this hangover cure and we highly recommend adding it to your cruise packing list. It works quickly and you don’t have to swallow any pills when you’re not feeling good.

16. Additional Essentials – Our cruise packing list includes extra pairs of contacts, saline solution bottles, medicines, etc. Whatever you think you may need extra of, make sure to bring it. Cruise stores only have a limited supply of products and since you’re not on land, you may not be able to find what you need. Or if you do, it can be very expensive (see: sunscreen above) In terms of toiletries, more is good when you’re on a boat!

Excursions & Ports

17. Waterproof container – During our very first cruise, we put our sea pass cards into David’s swimsuit pocket, because we thought there would be no issues. Outside of some towels and cash, they were the only things we brought off the ship and we were very proud of ourselves for packing light. We spent the day swimming in the Caribbean ocean and, once we were tired, we got out to get a drink. And what did we find? That the saltwater had peeled off the ink on our passes! We couldn’t buy a drink, we weren’t buy anything at the shops, nothing. The card simply didn’t work. Luckily, we were on Royal Caribbean’s private island, Coco Cay, so they knew we were passengers on the ship and they let us back on the boat to get new cards reprinted. But ever since then we make sure to bring a waterproof container with us. In the container, we still try to pack light: some cash, our sea pass cards, and our driver’s licenses (we leave our passports onboard instead, in case the container is stolen). We have found that this is just enough to get us around any port or island, even if it’s not a private island, but not enough that we would be devastated if we lost it. We have used this case for years. It seals well, is very sturdy and it floats to the surface when it falls out of your pocket.

NOTE: We do not pack our phones in this container. The container is very waterproof, but it’s not perfect, and we don’t want to risk losing our phones. Instead, we bring a waterproof camera (see below) to catch some photos and a waterproof watch to keep time. We find that these things replace the need for a phone, and are much cheaper to replace if something happens to them.

18. Waterproof camera – After going on a few cruises, we found that we generally left our phones somewhere at some point when we got off the ship (i.e. on the beach while we got in the ocean, on the bus while we did an excursion, etc.) This left us feeling very vulnerable and uncomfortable because we knew that it would be easy in all of these situations to steal our phones. But because we didn’t have our phones with us, we also missed out on taking photos of our vacation. So we decided to purchase a waterproof camera. We bought one from Costco because we were able to get it at a price point that made us feel comfortable if we lost it (we waited until it was on sale for around $75). The quality is pretty high for something that can go in the water, and it has a buoyant strap so it will float to the surface if it falls off. We use this camera as an alternative to our phones whenever we get off the ship, even if we don’t plan to get in the water.

19. Snorkels – When we first went down to the Caribbean on a cruise, we paid $35 each to rent snorkels for a few hours. It was an amazing time – we swam around, looked at the fish, and marveled at how clear the water was. But when we came back from the cruise, we realized we could have purchased a snorkel set for the same price! We invested in a good pair of snorkels (these snorkels have never failed us…they seal really well so you don’t get that weird mask fog) and we haven’t had to pay the price for a snorkel rental again. We love our snorkels so much that when we did go on a snorkel excursion during our wedding cruise, we decided to forgo the rental snorkels and used our own instead – they’re just that good! We have found that a lot of snorkel rental places will let you use your own instead, so it has never been an issue.

NOTE: This was also the same cruise that David decided to try the full-face snorkel mask. Don’t do this. That mask was not worth it – in fact, David said he almost immediately felt like he was drowning. It was a waste of money and we threw it away as soon as we got off the boat. We would highly recommend buying some of the traditional snorkel masks instead.

20. Money belt – Pair this with the water shoes and yes, everyone will make fun of you. But you need something like this when you get off the ship and aren’t using a waterproof container! As we said above, you will not be allowed back on the boat without your sea passcards. A money belt will keep your cards, your cash, and your IDs safe and on your person at all times, no matter what happens when you get off the ship.

Electronics

21. Chargers – Even if you don’t plan on using your phone throughout the cruise, make sure to bring a charger so your phone is ready when you do want it! This is another one of those things that you don’t want to leave off your cruise packing list because it will cost a fortune if you need to buy one on the ship.

22. Power Strip – Many cruise ships don’t have a lot of outlets in their staterooms. In fact, most of the rooms we have stayed in have only had one outlet in the main cabin and one in the bathroom (and maybe one or two by the bed). So if you plan to plug in more than one thing at a time, any extra power strip is a must. But before you go and put any old power strip in your bag, check your cruise line’s restrictions first. Different lines have different rules about what you can take, and you don’t want your bag to be quarantined inside the security office on the first day just for a power strip.

PRO TIP: A lot of cruise lines have USB-enabled televisions. If you are looking for a place to charge your phone without taking up outlet space, make sure to look behind your TV first.

23. Kindle – If you have a Kindle, now is the time to pack it! I bought a Kindle Fire on sale during Black Friday a few years ago for $30. I read on this Kindle exclusively when I travel. If I lose it or it gets stolen, I’m only out $30, which makes me more comfortable with carrying it around the ship. I’d highly recommend putting an e-Reader on your cruise packing list if you plan to read by the pool or beach.

Carry-On

When boarding your cruise, you will have to leave your luggage with a porter before you board. Your luggage will appear at your stateroom later that day or early that night. So make sure to create a separate cruise packing list for a bag that allows you to have the essentials for your first day onboard.

24. Passport – If you are traveling in foreign waters, you need your passport (on some cruises, a birth certificate will also work. Check with your cruise line before you board!) Don’t pack this in your luggage, as you will not only need it to get on the ship, but you will need it at various points through the cruise, potentially including getting on and off the ship.

25. Medicine – Any medicine you may need should be packed in your carry-on. You won’t have access to your luggage for the whole day, so it’s better to be safe than be sorry!

26. Two bottles of wine or champagne – Most cruise lines let you bring on two bottles of wine or champagne per room, regardless of whether you have a drinks package or not. (If you’re trying to decide whether to buy a drinks package, check out my post that breaks it down for you!) It’s a great option if you want to have drinks in your room or have a special bottle of wine over dinner one night. However, you cannot pack these bottles in your luggage – you must bring them through security with you. Make sure your carry-on is strong enough to hold two bottles until you get to your room!

27. Trip documents – Don’t forget to keep your trip documents with you when you board. This includes your cruise confirmation document, which is the packet that the cruise line will provide to you when you check-in. You will also need to have a credit card ready so that you can attach the card to your shipboard account for any purchases you made on board. If you buy any extras beforehand (like a drinks package or a dining package), make sure to print those confirmations out so you have them ready in case of confusion.

Onboard Needs

28. A magnet for your door – When you’re walking down rows and rows of rooms, all the doors look the same. Sometimes it can be hard to remember exactly which one is yours (especially if you had a few drinks). Even a small magnet will help you spot your door from far away and avoid that dreaded “Oops, I put my card in the wrong door!” moment.

29. Reusable water bottle – If you’re like me, you don’t drink as much water on a vacation as you do at home (or at all). Putting a reusable water bottle on your cruise packing list can help you make sure that you always have clean, cold water within arms reach. This is especially useful if you don’t have a drinks package or if your cruise ship charges for water bottles. Bartenders will gladly refill your reusable water bottle with tap water. You can also fill the water bottle up at any time in the ship’s buffet.

30. Water package – Even if you bring a reusable water bottle, it doesn’t hurt to order a case of water to be delivered to your room. Many cruise ships allow you to purchase this before you board, and prices can be very cheap. Even if water bottles are included in our cruise line’s drinks package, we usually try to pay for a case of water delivered to our room because it means we can always have cold water ready in our refrigerator.

31. Ship’s app – While I’m a big proponent of putting your phone away on a cruise, your ship’s app can be a very important part of your cruise. The app will have a map of the ship, a copy of the day’s itinerary, and (potentially) a chat option to communicate with the other people you are cruising with. While this is not a vital part of your cruise, it can be a good thing to have in the first few days of your trip while you get used to the ship.

32. Extra Tip Money – Whenever David and I get on a cruise, we immediately go to find our room steward(s) and give them a tip. For us, this is generally on top of the tips that are included in our cruise fare. We do this to show our stewards that we appreciate them and that we can’t wait to spend our cruise with them. This is also a time where we ask for any requests we may need (such as a mattress topper if the bed is hard, more pillows, etc.) so that we can get any up-front requests out of the way and everyone can begin to relax. We also always bring extra tip money for employees that we appreciate during our trip. We give additional tips to our dining room servers as well as any other employees, such as bartenders or cruise staff, that may have given us great service throughout the trip.

33. $100 in Cash for the Casino – This is a trick we found in our first cruise: we bring $100 each to play in the casino. And when the money is gone, we stop. Obviously, we try to make more money so we can either continue playing or walk away richer. Make sure to set a limit and stay within it at the casino – otherwise, your bill may be more than you expected.

PRO TIP: If you want to learn a particular casino game, visit during the day when the casino is slow (especially during a port day). The dealers are glad to help you (they watch more rounds of the game than you ever will) and sometimes they will even give you lessons without having to pay.

34. Cash for your port stops – When you leave the ship, cash is usually more widely accepted than a credit card. Bring enough cash to tip anyone you may come into contact with (such as tour operators or drivers). Cash can also be useful in shops and restaurants, though you may find that a lot of these take credit cards as well.

Miscellaneous

35. Earplugs – One of the biggest things our guests told us on our wedding cruise is that they wished they had brought earplugs! Many of them were sleeping in the same room as friends who they had never shared a room before – and they learned quickly about that friend’s snoring habits. Even if you know that your roommate is not a snorer, there is a lot that some alcohol and fatty food can do to a person. Bring some earplugs just in case.

36. Koozies – These are one of those things that you don’t need until you find yourself wanting one. Even if you don’t have an alcoholic drink, a koozie can be useful for holding a cold drink in the hot sun.

37. Plastic Hangtag for Luggage – On our first cruise, we printed our luggage tags out with the cruise documents and attached them to our luggage. We thought nothing more of it. But later that night, we realized that we had only received two of three of our bags. When we went down to the security office, one of our bags had been in “holding” because the tag had fallen off and they couldn’t find its owner! After that, we bought a pack of plastic hangtags for our luggage and we haven’t looked back since. It keeps our luggage tags in place and we don’t have to worry about them falling off ever again.

NOTE: There are two sizes of hangtags. Make sure to buy the size respective to your cruise’s luggage tags. You can figure that in by typing your cruise line name in and it will give you the right size.

38. Beach Towel – Beach towels are available on the pool deck of a cruise ship. You can also “check” a towel out before getting off of the ship on a port day. (there will be a stand right next to the door you are exiting the ship on for the day). However, if you do not return the towel, it can cost you – sometimes upward of $30 per towel. Rather than lose an expensive towel, it can be worth it to bring your own (preferably cheap!) towels to use both on the ship and in port. This is totally up to you – if you are someone who packs a lot or needs all of your luggage space, then don’t waste any packing a towel. But if you can easily fit a towel you don’t mind potentially losing, then I highly recommend it.

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Have you been on a cruise before? What was essential on your cruise packing list? What would you bring again and what didn’t you need? Let us know in the comments below!

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