How to Pack Perfectly for a Caribbean Cruise

Ready to set sail? Make sure you have all your cruise essentials and other necessities ready to go. Use this guide to help you pack perfectly for a wonderful Caribbean cruise.

For the purpose of this guide, I will assume you are setting sail for a 7-night (8 day) cruise. Be sure to adjust accordingly if your cruise is longer or shorter. That said, if you are fortunate enough to be packing for a 28-day cruise, please don’t multiply by 4 when you pack. Sometimes you really do need to re-wear clothes or do a bit of laundry.

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What Clothing to Pack for Your Caribbean Cruise

Everyone approaches cruise clothing differently. Some people love to pack a different swimsuit and cute cover up for each day to be oh-so-ready for those insta-worthy moments. Me, I am just too darn practical. Besides, I am also not photogenic so there are really never any insta-worthy moments that include my outfit (particularly if it is a swimsuit). That said, I hate putting on a damp swimsuit, so I always pack 2.

Here is my practical guide for what clothes to pack for your cruise:

Day Wear

• 2 swimsuits
• 2 cover-ups (these should cover sufficiently to be worn in the buffet area – check your ship’s dress code)
• 2-3 pairs of shorts or skorts (mostly for port days)
• 3-4 t-shirts (again, for port days)
• 1-2 sets work-out clothes (yes, I re-wear these)
• 1 casual dress for around the ship

Evening Wear (for dining room and the show)

• 1 black slacks or skirt
• 3-4 blouses
• 1 dressier outfit (optional if you wish to dress up for formal nights)

Note: There are typically 2 formal nights on a 7-night cruise. Some people will go all out for these nights. On Caribbean cruises, most people these days remain fairly casual and some totally ignore the suggested dress code. Many ships have dress code requirement to enter the dining room on any night, but these rules seem to be enforced less and less as the years go by.

Shoes

• 1 black dress shoes or sandals
• 1 athletic shoes
• 1 flip flops

Other Items

• 1-2 pairs of PJs
• 5-7 sets of undies (these are easily hand washed)
• 4-5 pairs of socks

Toiletries

Most cruise ships will provide a liquid soap, but other than that you should plan to pack your own toiletries. Everyone’s list is a little different, but I recommend you check out my Best Toiletry Kit for a comprehensive list of items that are important for almost any trip. When you pack for a cruise, I would make one small change to the kit.

Cruise ship shower stalls are TINY! Instead of packing individual bottles of liquids, I suggest you use this great shower bottle lanyard. It will keep everything together and easy to use. These bottles are larger than I typically need for a week, but my usual roomie and I use the same products, so it works out great!

Medicine

Don’t forget any prescription medications you will need for your cruise. I always throw in an extra few days of meds, just in case I have a flight delay on my way home. You can grab almost any over-the-counter meds you need from the shops onboard your ship, but they will cost a small fortune. Instead, pack my DYI Great Medicine Kit for your cruise.

Be sure to add motion sickness prevention items to your kit. I believe in preparing a two-prong approach to ensure that motion sickness doesn’t wreck my cruise. My favorite combo is to pair Non-Drowsy Dramamine and Sea Bands anti-nausea wristbands.

Other Caribbean Cruise Essentials to Pack

There are several other important items you should be sure to pack for your cruise. Check out my Cruise Essentials post to see my recommended brands but here are the basics:

• Waterproof day pack
• Towel bands or pins
• Sun hat
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Books or an eReader
• Camera (or a good one on your phone)
• Selfie stick
• Charging equipment for electronics
• Phone thermal case (phones get super hot when you are spending time by the pool)
• Waterproof phone bag with lanyard
• Poo Pourri

What Bags Should You Use to Pack for Your Cruise?

Everyone has a different approach to packing for a cruise. When my sister packs for a cruise out of Galveston, she will pack a ginormous (28”) suitcase because she doesn’t have flights to deal with. She has a valid point with this approach, but I absolutely despise waiting for my turn to get off the ship and enter the massive luggage claim area.

How To Pack to Self-Haul Your Luggage Off the Cruise Ship

I like to use my Perfect Carry-On Combo allowing me to self-haul my luggage down the stairs and disembark right away. This 20” roller bag and backpack with a trolly strap is perfect for a 7-night cruise if I don’t allow myself to throw in things I really don’t need. The challenge is if I want to shop on board or in port. Fortunately, I tend to limit myself to jewelry and an occasional Christmas ornament.

How To Pack to Have the Cruise Ship Luggage Fairy Haul Your Bag Off

That said, when my family flew to Tampa for a cruise to Cuba, I utilized my Checked Bag Trifecta. My parents could not self-haul anyway, so I took a 24” suitcase, backpack with luggage trolly strap, and travel purse/daypack (inside the backpack). The advantage of this combo is that I can shop till I drop! The trick to doing it right is to not increase the amount of items you pack just because you have a larger suitcase.

How do you pack for a cruise?

One last thing – don’t forget to get luggage tags for your specific cruise line!

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