What to Pack for a Cruise (By a Ship Employee)
After working on cruise ships for 5 1/2 years and cruising as a passenger for years before and after, I’ve learned that packing for a cruise is a little different than packing for a regular vacation. I’ve cruised through the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Canada, and Central America, and I’ve worked for Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and even helped launch Virgin Voyages. So when it comes to knowing what to pack for a cruise, I’ve made pretty much every packing mistake there is!
The biggest thing I’ve learned is that there isn’t one perfect cruise packing list for everyone. What you need will depend on your cruise line, the size of your ship, the season you’re sailing, and where you’re going. Packing for Alaska is obviously going to look very different from packing for the Caribbean, and a week on a massive resort-style ship can require different things than a smaller vessel.
In this guide, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned about packing for a cruise, including what to consider before you start packing, the things to pack for a cruise that you really shouldn’t forget, clothing and footwear, toiletries, electronics, medication, photography gear, alcohol, prohibited items, and my best tips for getting your luggage to and from the ship.
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Things to Consider Before Packing for a Cruise
Before you start throwing everything into a suitcase, there are a few things you should consider when deciding exactly what to pack for a cruise. Your cruise line, itinerary, season, and ship can all make a pretty big difference in what you actually need to bring.
🌎 Your Cruise Destination
Where you’re going is obviously one of the biggest factors when figuring out what to pack for a cruise.
A Caribbean cruise will call for plenty of swimwear and lightweight clothing, while Alaska may require layers, warmer jackets, and completely different footwear. Each destination has certain things to consider when it comes to how you should dress during your travels.
💡 On Mediterranean itineraries you might be visiting churches and mosques, which require you to cover up.
☀️ The Season
Don’t just look at the general climate of your destination. Check the weather for the time of year you’re actually sailing.
Even warm destinations can have cooler evenings, rainy days, or unpredictable weather, while places like Alaska can have major temperature changes throughout the day, requiring various layers.
🚢 Your Cruise Line
Every cruise line has its own rules, dress codes, theme nights, and policies, so don’t assume that something allowed on one cruise will automatically be allowed on another.
This is especially important when it comes to alcohol, prohibited items, and what you’ll need for formal or themed nights. Always check the rules for your specific sailing before you pack.
🛳️ The Size of Your Ship
The size of your ship can make a surprisingly big difference when deciding what to pack for your itinerary.
On a massive ship, you can easily spend the entire day walking from one end to another, attending activities, or doing things that might impact what you’d wear like a rock wall, zip line, or an ice rink. Thinking about what you’ll actually be doing onboard will help you be prepared, and also not overpack.
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What to Pack for a Cruise
Now for the fun part! This is my ultimate cruise packing list, including the things I personally recommend bringing after years of working and traveling onboard
🪪 Documents & Money
Your documents are the most important things to pack for a cruise, so don’t put these in your checked luggage!
Depending on your itinerary and cruise line, you’ll generally need a passport or the specific combination of identification and proof of citizenship required for your sailing.
For some cruises, that may mean a driver’s license and birth certificate, while others require a passport.
You’ll also want to bring your cruise documents, travel insurance information if you have it, and any visas or additional documentation required for your itinerary.
I also recommend bringing some cash for ports, transportation, tips, and small purchases. You’ll also need a credit card to put on file for your onboard account, since most ships use a cashless system for purchases during the cruise.
💡 Double check your passport expiration date to make sure you’re in compliance with the country you’re sailing from!
👗 Clothing
When packing for a cruise, people tend to go crazy with clothing. Understandably so – you’re likely going to be at the pool during the day, dressing up at night, and doing other activites in between.
Planning your outfits each day and night is key to helping you not overpack, and making sure that you also don’t miss out on anything important.
Here are a few things you’ll absolutely need though:
💡 Check the itinerary for themes nights! Popular ones are white night, tropical night, and 70’s/80’s/90’s themed parties.
👟 Footwear
Shoes can take up a ridiculous amount of room in your suitcase, so choose wisely.
You’ll want comfortable sandals for walking around the ship, especially if you’re cruising on a large vessel, and a pair of sneakers that you can also use for the gym if you plan to work out. You’ll also want flip-flops for the pool and beach areas, as well as comfortable walking shoes for your ports.
If your cruise has a formal night, you may also want heels or dress shoes, but you don’t need to bring five different pairs of fancy shoes. Choose versatile options that you can wear more than once.
🧴 Toiletries
I highly recommend bringing your own toiletries instead of waiting to buy everything onboard.
Things like shampoo, conditioner, skincare products, toothpaste, deodorant, razors, feminine products, and other personal items can be expensive or limited once you’re on the ship.
If you have specific products that you use every day, bring them from home. This is one area where it’s much better to be prepared than trying to find something once you’re already sailing.
🔌 Electronics
You’ll obviously want your phone and chargers, but there are a few other electronics that can make your cruise much easier.
Bring:
- phone and charger
- portable power bank – especially for long port days
- camera – we love bringing a telephoto lens for photographing sail aways
- memory cards – we always take more pictures than we anticipate!
- headphones or earbuds – just basic decency to the people around you
- travel adapters if needed (most cruises have US and European plugs)
Many cruise ships have both US-style and European-style outlets, but the exact setup varies by ship, so check your specific vessel before you go.
And don’t forget that some electrical items are prohibited onboard, so don’t assume every travel gadget is allowed just because you use it at home.
💊 Medication
If you take prescription medication, make sure you bring enough for the entire trip and keep it with you rather than putting it in checked luggage.
I also recommend bringing basic medications that you may need during the cruise instead, as options are super limited onboard.
And if you get seasick, definitely consider bringing something like Dramamine or whatever seasickness medication you normally use. Even if you’ve never gotten seasick before, it’s better to have something available than spend the first day of your cruise feeling miserable.
⭐️ Be EXTRA Careful
Cruises are a place where there’s a lot of sexual energy in the air. ALWAYS use protection – but bringing a Plan B is also recommended.
My friend had an incident and needed to get one while we were in Bermuda for 3 days. Turns out Plan B needs a prescription in Bermuda! She had to go to the nurse onboard, and it wasn’t a fun or quick experience.
While it’s not something you should anticipate, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
📸 Photography Gear
If you’re anything like us, you’re going to want to document your cruise!
For water activities, I absolutely recommend bringing a GoPro. It’s perfect for snorkeling, swimming, boat excursions, and any other activities where you don’t want to risk your regular camera.
An Insta360 is another great option, especially if you want photos and videos of yourself while exploring. Bring the selfie stick too because that’s one of the best parts of using an Insta360! It can give you drone-like shots onboard, since drones are not permitted.
🍷 Bringing Drinks Onboard
Did you know some cruise lines actually allow you to bring a bottle or two of wine onboard? While liquor and beer usually can’t be brought onboard, wine, sodas, and bottled water can be taken on certain ships.
It’s important to check the requirements beforehand, since they vary by cruise line.
🧲 A Few Fun Cruise Cabin Extras
One thing you’ll notice on cruises is that the cabin doors are often decorated! When we worked on cruise ships, we decorated our own rooms all the time, and because the walls and doors are magnetized, it’s really easy to personalize your space.
You definitely don’t need to bring decorations as a guest, but if you want to join in on the fun, you can bring a few small magnetic items. It’s also really common to see passengers using magnetic whiteboards on their doors to leave messages for family or friends.
A few fun things you might see on cruise doors:
🧲 Magnets and small decorations
📝 Magnetic whiteboards
📸 Photos
🎉 Personalized cruise decorations
Prohibited Items & More Tips for What to Pack for a Cruise
After 5 1/2 years of working on cruise ships, these are some of the little things I think can make a huge difference when packing for a cruise.
🚫 Prohibited Items on Cruise Ships
This is the part of the cruise packing list you really don’t want to skip!
Cruise ships have strict security rules, and bringing a prohibited item can mean having it confiscated, having it held until the end of the cruise, or potentially being denied boarding depending on the item and cruise line.
Policies vary, so always check your cruise line’s current prohibited-items list before you pack. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Virgin Voyages all have their own policies and restrictions.
Some of the common categories of prohibited items include:
🚫 Weapons and firearms
💥 Explosives and fireworks
🌿 Illegal drugs and marijuana
🕯️ Candles and items with open flames
🔥 Certain heating appliances
🛠️ Tools
🛹 Certain recreational equipment
🚁 Drones
🔌 Certain electrical devices and power strips
🧪 Dangerous or flammable substances
🔪 Certain knives and sharp objects
Don’t assume that something is allowed just because you were able to bring it on a previous cruise. Rules can change between cruise lines and even between specific ships.
For example, Royal Caribbean specifically prohibits items such as irons, steamers, candles, incense, and certain heating elements, while curling irons and hair dryers are permitted.
💡 Both bath towels and beach towels are provided, and can be taken off the ship.
✈️ Flying to Your Cruise?
If you’re flying to the port, remember that you’re dealing with airline baggage restrictions before you even get to the cruise ship.
Don’t pack your suitcase to the absolute maximum weight allowed by the cruise line if you’re going to have to fly with it first. Airline weight limits and fees can be much more restrictive.
And if you’re flying to your cruise, I strongly recommend arriving at least a day early whenever possible. Missing your ship because your flight was delayed is not how you want your vacation to begin.
🚗 Driving to Your Cruise?
If you’re driving to the port, you obviously have a little more flexibility with how much you bring.
That said, just because you can bring more doesn’t mean you should. You’ll still have limited storage space in your cabin, so packing efficiently will make your entire trip more comfortable.
🧳 Consider Using a Soft-Sided Bag
I actually love using soft-sided luggage for cruises because it’s much easier to work with once you’re onboard.
Once you’ve unpacked, you can often squish a soft bag down and slide it underneath the bed, which frees up valuable cabin space.
📏 Don’t Bring a Really Fat Suitcase
This is something I wish more first-time cruisers thought about.
Cruise cabins are not known for having unlimited storage, and your luggage will generally need to go underneath the bed once you unpack. A suitcase that’s extremely wide or bulky can make this much more difficult.
A suitcase that is long and relatively flat is often much easier to store than one that’s super thick.
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🎒 Keep Your Important Things With You
Don’t put your passport, medication, money, credit cards, valuables, or anything you absolutely need on embarkation day into the luggage you’re checking at the terminal.
You’ll often hand your larger bags over before boarding and won’t see them again until later that day. Keep the essentials in your carry-on so you have access to them when you need them.
👜 Pack a Small Carry-On
I recommend having a small bag with everything you need for the first few hours of your cruise.
I’d include:
📱 No Cell Service Onboard
One thing that surprises a lot of first-time cruisers is that your regular cell service won’t work once you’re out at sea. The scary part though is that it’ll automatically connect to Cellular at Sea, leaving you with a massive roaming bill! That’s why it is SO important to put your phone on Airplane mode.
Many cruise lines now have their own apps that allow passengers to communicate with each other through the ship’s Wi-Fi, but this varies by cruise line and what features they offer.
Some people also bring walkie talkies to communicate with their family or travel companions around the ship. They’re not necessarily something everyone needs anymore, but they can still be fun if you don’t want to rely on the cruise line’s app.
📶 Staying Connected in Ports
An eSIM can be a great option if you need internet while visiting ports, but I wouldn’t automatically recommend buying one for every cruise.
Most cruise itineraries only spend a single day in each port, so purchasing an expensive international eSIM for a short visit may not be worth it. However, if you’re doing an itinerary with multiple stops in the same country, it can make much more sense.
For example, if you’re doing a Mediterranean cruise with multiple Italian ports, an Italy eSIM could give you internet throughout several days of your trip instead of purchasing separate coverage for each destination.
💡 Keep in mind eSims will ONLY work in ports, not onboard.
📝 Check Your Cruise Line’s Rules Before You Leave
This is probably the most important final tip I can give you.
Cruise policies change, and what is allowed on Royal Caribbean may not be allowed on Norwegian or Virgin Voyages. Alcohol allowances, prohibited items, luggage policies, and even what electrical devices you can bring can all vary.
So use this guide as your general cruise packing checklist, but always check the current rules for your specific cruise line and sailing before you zip up that suitcase.
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Final Tips for What to Pack for a Cruise
Knowing what to pack for a cruise can seem overwhelming at first, but once you understand what you’ll actually be doing onboard and where you’re going, it becomes so much easier.
The biggest mistake I see people make is simply bringing too much stuff. You don’t need a completely different outfit for every night, ten pairs of shoes, or every toiletry you’ve ever owned. Pack versatile clothing, comfortable shoes, the essentials you know you’ll need, and a few things that will make your specific cruise more enjoyable.
After working on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Virgin Voyages and cruising through the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Canada, and Central America, I’ve learned that the best cruise packing list isn’t necessarily the longest one. It’s the one that gives you everything you actually need without filling your cabin with things you’ll never use.
📋 Final Cruise Packing Checklist
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👀 What’s Next?
Now that you know what to pack for you cruise, it’s time to help you with some other planning and budget-travel tips.
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So now that you know what to pack for a cruise, it’s time to start planning those ports! We have 800+ destination guides for you to explore, all completely free!
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