What to pack for a cruise?

Show all answers

TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

I have cruised the Caribbean in December a few times, including the Southern Caribbean, and it was always very hot. Temperatures will be in the 80's and above and you will be able to use the pool(s) on ship and also get in the water and engage in water sports at the beaches. Evenings will be a little cooler but you will not need a sweater or jacket unless it gets windy. Here's what I suggest that you consider taking.

Always pack your passport and cruise documents in your carry on bag ONLY.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM, so take:
-swim wear (at least 2),
-shorts, tank tops and "T's"
-sandals,
-beach shoes,
-your snorkel equipment if you have it,
-sun glasses and sun screen,
-lotions,
-a cap or big hat for the sun,
-a book if you are a reader,
-your music player,
-sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym,
-good walking shoes,
-your camera, and
-other personal toiletries including tooth paste, mouth wash or lotions.

Your cabin will have towels and soap provided, including pool and beach towels, and a hair dryer. It will also have a generic hair shampoo so you do not need to bring that unless you like a specific brand.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports or resort casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, (like a bank employee), shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc. Don't over pack , take clothes that you can mix and match tops and bottoms and plan to wear each piece twice. If you are going to the Caribbean you will likely be in shorts and/or swim wear most of every day so evening clothes don't usually get much wear.

Your cruise will have a formal night or two when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the shipâ€™s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. You will not be denied entry to the main dining room if you decide not to dress up, as long as you are at least sports casual. But most people do dress up. A gown or party dress for women and a suit or tux for men. Some people dress up both formal nights, some don't.

- Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage.

- Pack using the vacuum clothing bags (about $20 for 3 at Target) so that you can get more in your bag AND so that if the TSA at the airport opens your bag they can see what's inside without rummaging through your things.

-Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and your clothes that you sleep in.

- If you can take a six-pack of bottled water and soft drinks in your carry-on for your cabin. You will have to pay for both on the ship and its nice to have those handy in the cabin.

- If you are taking your cell phone, MP3 player or other item that needs to be plugged in take an extension cord as the plugs in the cabin are generally not in the best places and there are usually only one or two.

- Take a small bottle of hand sanitizer and/or hand-wipes. There are generally sanitizer dispensers at the entrances of restaurants, the buffets and dining room, but some times the are not there or not working. The sanitizer helps prevent the spread of the Norwalk Virus that sometimes occur on cruise ships.

-If you plan to get into the pools or hot tub as soon as you get on ship (they will be open), bring those clothes in your carry on bag; you other luggage may not get to your cabin until much later in the afternoon.

- Take a can of air freshener for your cabin bathroom. The bathrooms do not have exhaust fans.

- Take a few zip lock bags of various sizes; they always come in handy.

- Take some one dollar bills (also maybe a few $5's) for tipping the porters in the airport, at the pier (they do not work for the ship), and they will come in handy in port stops for buying small items in the markets and at vendor stands; especially bartering places.

Time travler

Bring one sweater, but you will probably not need it. Leave the pants at home unless you need them in the dinning room. In the caribbean, all I wear are sun dresses, sandals, shorts and tops, all light weight stuff. Have a great time.

gone!

It will be VERY WARM. but it's always sensible to take at least one pair of pants and a light jacket, even if you don't use them. They won't take up much room. Pack and wear cool clothing and bathing suits and shorts during the day. dressy things for evenings and one good dark suit or Tuxedo for special evenings.

I love answering questions

Puerto Rico is very Windy it is warm.. Light jacket would work best..

I would bring like two pairs of carprees, it is mostly where HOT!

j d

Tinkertoy has given you excellent advice. I cannot add anything to that post, but do NOT take air freshener for the bathroom in your stateroom. All the cruise ships I was on had exhaust systems in the bathroom. They function all the time and serve to eliminate steam from the shower and any unwanted odours. Your cabin is cleaned daily, and that includes the bathroom.

As for your clothes, pack what you think you'll need and then remove two-thirds of it. Bring clothes that mix-and-match very well. You don't need an extensive wardrobe. You can wash in evening before going to bed and clothes usually dry overnight. Remember the vents in the bathroom? They also provide a circulation of air that dries clothes nicely. Just a thought. Some cruise lines have laundry rooms where you can do your laundry.

If it's your first time cruising, bring the fancy dress stuff for the experience of the Captain's Dinner. I don't bother with it anymore - the suit, shirt, tie and shoes take up too much valuable space in my suitcase to be worn for 1 or 2 nights. Some cruise lines provide a rental service for these clothes, but check ahead of time if they do it. If there's a speciality restaurant where you can go sport or business casual (no jeans or shorts in the evenings, though), pay the $10 or $20 fee. However, if you're sailing with NCL, it's freestyle so you can go to the Captain's Dinner in sport or business casual. For other lines, like RCCL, you'll need to dress up.

Royal Caribbean tells you to "Get out there!" and NCL encourages you to do "whatever, whenever". Enjoy your cruise!

Todd's wife

I just got back from the Bahama's yesterday and I wished I would have took more pants. It is hot during the day time. Shorts and t-shirts but at night sitting on the decks, it is very windy and a chill to the air. Also sitting in the clubs and stuff on the ship it got a little chilly sitting there too. I played in the casino a lot and I worn pants about every night. I not talking about jeans or heavy pants just pants that are light weight or Capri's worked really well too. I hope this helps you. Good luck and hope you, family, and friends have a great time because I did!

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: