Are you stressing about packing for a Caribbean cruise? Use this handy cruise packing checklist to make sure you have everything you need, from cruise essentials to fun things to bring on a cruise.
What you need to pack for a Caribbean cruise depends, of course, on how long the cruise you’ve booked is. Mine was one week long so this Caribbean cruise packing guide is created with a seven night cruise in mind, but if your trip is shorter or longer you can easily adapt the cruise packing checklist to suit you.
Whether this is your first sailing and you need a cruise checklist for packing or you’re looking for cruise packing hacks, this guide has you covered so you can sit back and relax as you sail away.
So… where are you cruising?
The Ultimate Caribbean Cruise Packing List
The cruise essentials mentioned in this guide are useful for all Caribbean or tropical weather cruises, and you can just adapt the amount of underwear, swimwear and outfits to suit the length of your cruise.
You can click any of the links in this Caribbean cruise packing guide and you’ll be directed to buy the product on Amazon.
Essential cruise documents to pack
You won’t get far without these! I like to keep digital copies of my phone as well as paper copies.
- Passport / photo ID
- Printouts of travel insurance info
- Flight and hotel details
Best luggage for a Caribbean cruise
When I’m going on a cruise, I like to take one large four-wheel suitcase for my clothes, toiletries etc. This case is usually taken off you when you check in at the cruise terminal (at least on P&O and Royal Caribbean cruises), and it reappears in the corridor in front of your cabin later on the same day.
To save space in your luggage, use packing cubes (this set has excellent customer reviews and my mum loves them). They keep everything organised in your case and you can even use them to split your laundry into whites, darks and delicates on the way back.
I use a beach bag or large tote bag as my carry-on bag for a Caribbean cruise. If you’re flying to your cruise embarkation port, this is an efficient way to pack your essentials for both the flight and the cruise.
A beach bag is usually large enough to carry all the stuff you need for the first day, when you might not get your big suitcase until later in the day. The beach bag can then be used to carry your towel, book and sun lotion etc on sea days, and of course you can put all of your port day essentials in it too.
I also pack a smaller cross-body bag with a zip to keep my passport safe. You can either wear this or just slip it into your beach bag. I try to bring one that doubles up as an evening bag, but I’ll also pack a clutch for formal nights.
My recommendations for cruise luggage
Clothes to pack for your Caribbean cruise
Everybody packs differently when it comes to clothes for a holiday, but this list covers all of the main clothing you’ll need.
- Underwear x 9 (Always pack more than you need when it comes to pants!)
- Swimwear x 5 (Or pack two sets/swimsuits and just rinse and alternate if you don’t have the means to buy a lot of swimwear)
- 5 x ankle socks
- 2 x shorts
- 3 x casual daytime tops
- 3 x coverups for pool days and beaches
- 2 x shorts / skirts
- 5 x casual/dressy night outfits
- 2 x formal night outfits (skip these if you’re not into dressing up, nobody’s going to force you!)
- Workout clothes
- Lightweight waterproof jacket – a Mac in a Sac or similar comes in handy for Caribbean downpours!
Check out my guide to what to wear for formal evenings on a cruise if you’re unsure about what to pack for formal nights.
My favourite cruise outfits
What shoes to pack for a Caribbean cruise?
- Flipflops – best for wearing around the ship during the day
- Sandals – It’s useful to have a pair of comfortable strappy sandals to wear on port days. For example if you want to do a zip line like the one in Labadee, you won’t want to risk losing your flip-flops! You can wear these in the evenings back on board too.
- Trainers – comfy walking shoes will be useful for some of the ports, particularly if you plan to do much walking or an active excursion. Plus, there are gyms onboard.
- Heels – for formal nights or if you feel like dressing up during your cruise.
Best shoes for a Caribbean cruise
Fashion accessories for a Caribbean cruise
- Sunglasses
- Sun hat – the bigger the better, in my opinion.
- Jewellery
- Belt
- Clutch bag
A few of my favourite cruise accessories
Electrics and gadgets to bring on a Caribbean cruise
- Kindle – a much easier way to carry multiple books on your cruise. I am 100% converted and take mine on every trip.
- GoPro – got to get those underwater shots in that clear Caribbean sea!
- WiFi device – Think there’s no way around super expensive WiFi on your cruise? It may work out a lot cheaper to invest in a portable WiFi device. I use a Rent n’ Connect device. You can get 10% off your WiFi rental using code ‘dannielle10’.
- Chargers for all of your electronic devices
- Memory cards
- Headphones
- Portable speaker – great for getting ready in your cabin or taking to the beach
- Plug adapters – even if your ship has the same sockets as you use in your home country, you may need adapters for port days. Perhaps you need to charge your phone in a cafe on land?
- Power bank – never run out of battery in your phone on a port day, or have to go back to your cabin to charge up and lose your lounger at the pool!
- Hair tools – though I prefer to go natural in the Caribbean! The hairdryer in my Royal Caribbean Stateroom was decent so I’m glad I didn’t pack one.
Toiletries to pack for a cruise
Top cruise packing tip: I pack my cosmetics etc in a hanging toiletry bag. This is a great cruise packing hack because not only does it keep everything organised in your suitcase, but it also saves surface space in the cabin bathroom, which is usually in short supply.
Before you decide which toiletries to bring on your cruise, check what your specific cruise company provides. Many cruise lines offer complimentary shampoo, shower gel etc in cabins.
I love these refillable bottles for travelling. I use them for all of my trips and simply decant my favourite products into them, labelling everything so I know what’s what.
- Insect repellant – we got bitten to death in Cozumel!
- Razors and shaving cream (or do what I do and use conditioner)
- Tampons / sanitary pads
- Shower puff
- Sun lotion – the P20 brand is perfect for the Caribbean because it lets you avoid constantly reapplying.
- Face SPF – This high factor face SPF is the only one that doesn’t make me break out.
- Lip balm with SPF
- Aftersun
- Toothpaste, toothbrush and floss
- Contact lens solution / dental cleaners etc if you use them
- Hand sanitiser
- Hair products and hairbrush
- Facial skincare e.g. cleanser, toner, moisturiser, eye cream
- Deodorant
- Nail file
- Perfume – or buy it onboard.
- Make-up
Essential products for a cruise
Medical supplies to take on your cruise
If you have any prescribed medication, always pack more than you need, just in case you’re stuck somewhere due to adverse weather. It happens!
- Seasick tablets (you can buy these onboard but they’re often expensive) and travel sickness bands
- Aspirin / paracetamol
- Birth control
- Plasters
Handy cruise accessories
These cruise essentials are loved by seasoned cruisers, but if it’s your first cruise you may not think about them! These are my best cruise packing hacks and they made my Caribbean cruise easier.
- Wet bag – great for keeping your damp swimwear or sandy shoes separate!
- Waterproof phone pouch – trust me, these will save your phone! Whether you’re river tubing in Jamaica or spending a day at a beach, a phone pouch will keep your lifeline safe and dry.
- Padlock – some ports have lockers and while most have locks, you might feel safer if you travel with your own padlock.
- Hanging wardrobe organiser – great for keeping your accessories, shoes and other smaller items in one easy-to-access place
- Towel clips – it gets windy on the deck!
- Money belt – useful to keep your cash safe on port days, or even just keeping it within easy reach on the ship.
- Refillable bottle – handy for taking off the ship on port days so you don’t have to pay for a cold drink.
- Pack of highlighters – use these to highlight all the activities you’re interested in doing in your cruise planner.
- Air freshener / diffuser – with the tropical climate in the Caribbean, some cabins can smell a little musty.
- Clothes line – ideal for drying rinsed swimwear on your balcony.
- Travel towel – some cruise lines don’t allow you to take their towels off the ship. A compact, sand-repellant travel towel is essential for beach days.
More useful things to pack for your Caribbean cruise
If you will be visiting any countries where there’s a lot of poverty, try to pack extra toiletries or small toys, colouring in books and crayons etc, to leave for local children. Every little helps and it’s important to be a responsible traveller.
Make sure you also have some local currency for tips. Most cruise lines are cashless onboard but you will still need to tip your cabin attendant, any great bar or waiting staff and of course staff you encounter in ports. Local cash also comes in handy for lunch and drinks on port days.
I like to carry a photocopy of my passport and other essential info in a waterproof wallet, just in case. I take this off the ship on port days.
I hope you have found this Caribbean cruise packing list useful for your trip! This is everything I packed for my first Caribbean cruise plus some packing hacks I learned from experienced cruisers.
If you’re interested in realtime updates from a Caribbean cruise, check out my Royal Caribbean cruise on my Instagram Story highlight. I’m also on Twitter and I have a Facebook page where I share my travels too.
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