Best Cruise Packing List in 2024: 13 Main Essentials You’ll Need
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|Updated on October,13,2024|
Your first cruise can feel scary. You’re probably worried about being out on the sea and forgetting something that you can’t buy at the gift shop. Then you are stuck for the rest of your vacation without it!
Take a deep breath. You will be fine.
Even if you’ve gone on cruises before, you may still take inventory of what you forgot that you missed during your first cruise. You may re-evaluate what you over-or under-packed in for your cruise packing checklist. It’s a learning process. However, fight the temptation to bring everything “just in case” on your first cruise.
Instead, look no further than these cruise essentials for your packing list. They will help you enjoy your vacation prepared and stress-free!
Best Cruise Packing List in 2024: 13 Main Essentials You’ll Need
1. Sling Backpack
At first sight, sling backpacks look so small. They look like they wouldn’t be able to hold anything. Once you use them, you will immediately change your mind. They’re easy to fall in love with.
They have become a must for the cruise ship packing list and you will not want to leave home without them. Sling backpacks are incredibly lightweight, easy to wear, and stylish. If you don’t want to go for an active look, they make lovely sleek model designs, too. They can hold a water bottle, sunglasses, your cards, and important paperwork, a notebook, your portable charger, headphones, etc. You’ll never have to worry about losing your small items and keep your hands completely free.
2. Essential Documents
Now, this seems obvious, but it has happened to so many newbies before. What a disaster to take a 14-day cruise and get to exotic and luxurious Santo Domingo, and realize you have the wrong visa paperwork, or something wasn’t approved. You do not want this kind of damper on your trip.
Look at your cruise itinerary list and see if you need a visa, a passport, or a special form that was in the fine print of the itinerary. You should always carry all your most essential documents in your personal bag or carry-on and never in your checked bag. You should be very vigilant to have your carry-on and personal items with you at all times. Never put your purse or bags down where anyone can get to them.
3. Medicine and Hygiene Essentials
This is the part of the cruise packing list where people tend to blank. Don’t forget the medicines you need day to day: birth control, medicine for mental health, and any sort of critical medicine you cannot go without. Be wary that medical marijuana, even with a license, usually is not allowed on cruise ships.
Bring vitamins! You will need the extra immunity boosters on your cruise. Don’t forget plenty of sunscreens, whether you are going north or south, you are going to be bathed in UV rays throughout the day and should protect your and your family’s skin. Consider motion sickness wristbands or patches.
Also, although you think you may not get your period, bring your tampons, pads, Divacup, or panty liners. You never know. Your cruise line will almost certainly provide soap, shampoo, and conditioner. If you are okay with the generic brands, then don’t waste the space in your suitcase on large shampoo and conditioner containers
4. Bring 7 or 14-Day Pill Organizer
Here’s the biggest tip that will save you from a big headache. Don’t bring the entire medicine container. Get a weekly or monthly pill organizer and keep only the doses you will need. For a shorter trip, and for medicines that you may not use as often, only bring 3 to 4 doses. If you think you will use it more often, like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or Pepto Bismol, you might want to bring 5-8 doses for a three-day trip. Be sure to create a quick guide and mark with a permanent marker what the pills are. It will save a ton of space.
This is definitely one of the best items you would not originally think to take on your cruise but turn out to be insanely helpful.
5. Earplugs and an Eye Mask
Speaking of good sleep, earplugs and a good eye mask are essential for a cruise ship packing list. If you are very sensitive to light and noise, these essential items on the cruise are a must-have for you.
6. Headphones
Some cruise ships can be loud, especially Carnival and Royal Caribbean which often have a lot of kids on board. Headphones can be the best way to transport yourself into your own haven. Noise-canceling headphones are even better! There’s no better way to lose yourself than to lie out by the pool and just bathe in the sunshine and your favorite tunes.
7. E-Reader or Notebook
Everyone is different. Some people enjoy journaling to decompress. Others really enjoy decorating my planner or bullet journal with fun stationery. It’s always great to bring something that is fun and just for you. Have a comfort zone item, so when you are feeling overwhelmed by everything being so new, you have something that can make you feel more comfortable anywhere.
8. Power Cord
It is a good idea to bring along a power cord with a USB and three-prong outlets. You can also consider getting an international adapter, but check your itinerary and see if you are onshore long enough for this to be worthwhile.
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9. Clothes
Think about your clothes carefully. If you want to avoid overpacking, this is where most people have the biggest blunder. They bring two of everything and not enough of what they need. Have a capsule wardrobe. A shirt can be dressed up for an evening out and can also be worn the next day with shorts for a casual afternoon.
You can also have a color palette that makes it easy to rotate items with anything else. Depending on your preference, you can have the philosophy to bring half the clothes and twice the money.
Even if your cruise is casual and beachy, put aside some formal clothes for a nice dinner outfit. You will need 1 or 2 outfits that are formal, dressy, and sexy. Pick something you feel good about. Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruises usually do theme nights, so you want to dress appropriately. This can be fun! You can bring some fun props to take the night to the next level. See if there are accessories or props online. Even better: get creative at the dollar store and DIY some props for a fun evening.
If there are water slides and water activities, bring a more athletic-style bathing suit for those days. For times when you want to lounge in the sauna or sunbathe by the pool, a sexy string bikini might be better.
You are likely going to get a lot of exercise on your cruise and you want to be comfortable. It is a vacation! It is for you to stay active, be comfortable, and be prepared. Weather can be very unpredictable. Stretch shorts and leggings with a comfortable quick-dry workout shirt are essential.
There are lots of opportunities to be active on your cruise. Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian are all well-known for their workout classes, casual events, and active shore excursions. Even if you do not plan on doing a workout class, you are likely going to be walking around a lot and when you get to shore you will be moving and active, so dress appropriately.
Whether you are going to Alaska or the Bahamas, you want to prepare for a variety of weather.
Rooms can sometimes get stuffy, so bring a cool cotton dress to lounge in. If you are going to a warmer climate, be sure to bring more bathing suits. Even if your cruise is shorter, bringing a backup bathing suit gives the other one time to dry.
A lot of people make the mistake of assuming the Bahamas and hot climate destinations only require bikinis and flip-flops. You will be miserable if you don’t bring some warmer layers. Bring a sweater to put over your bathing suit or tank top. Sometimes the breeze from the deck can get chilly, especially after you’re in the water.
10. A Portable Charger
A small portable charger must be a part of your cruise checklist. You want to stay connected, browse the internet, and ensure that you have a charged phone in case of emergency. A portable charger, ideally with a multi-cable, is one of the best items you can bring on any trip, especially on a cruise.
Being able to charge your phone, e-reader, and cameras in one from anywhere is very helpful. They don’t have to be bulky. Many of them are as small as a lipstick tube. If you end up having to buy them at the gift shop, or anything electronic for that matter, it is very expensive.
11. Camera
You don’t want to miss out on capturing these adventures while on your cruise. It is not recommended to invest in an expensive one, especially on a trip, but if there are cheap waterproof cameras that you can keep by the pool or the beach for docked adventures, you won’t want to forget them. Also, it’s just a fun item to pack. Photographing your friends and family trying new things, like the rock climbing wall on Carnival’s cruise ship, is awesome and memorable.
If you have a 14-day cruise or longer, it is highly recommended to take a decent camera for long-distance shots. You will get a lot of use out of it during shore excursions. You can also meet a lot of new people on longer trips like this. It would be too sweet to capture you or your kids making new friends and reconnecting afterward on social media with a photo exchange.
12. The Right Shoes
Okay, so many people overthink shoes for their cruise checklist. It’s really important to not bring too many shoes because they are heavy and take up so much space.
For almost everyone, your essentials should include something dressy, comfortable for every day, exercising, and something for a pool.
Here are a few tips for this
1. Bring dressy shoes that you actually will wear. Don’t break them in during the cruise.
2. Make sure that your comfortable everyday shoes can be dressed up or down, maybe flats, sandals, or chic sneakers. You want to be able to pair it with most of your outfits.
3. Finally, your poolside shoes can be flip-flops or even water shoes. It is up to you. You want to make sure that you feel good in them and not so bulky and athletic if you want to have more of a sleek, sexy look.
13. Ziplock Bags
You’ll want to prevent any of your small items from getting lost in your suitcase. You’ll want to keep any liquid soaps or snacks from dripping into your clothes. Ziplock bags are the best to bring on a cruise for this reason. There are so many things you don’t realize you need to seal and protect until you are out and missing them.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, you may forget something, and that’s okay. It’s going to take a few cruises to really know what you needed the most and what did not work for you. You can always check out the gift shop and see if there are any essentials you forgot or need more of.
Everyone is different and has different needs. You will find your groove and don’t let one thing make or break your awesome vacation. The most important cruise packing list essential is a positive attitude and excitement for a fun, relaxing vacation.
I hope this article Best Cruise Packing List: 13 Main Essentials You’ll Need was useful for you. Happy packing!
|Written by Lindsey O’Neal
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