It has been a little over a week or so since our Caribbean cruise with Carnival and I’m only just now adjusting to life back on dry land. I will say, that the first night spent sleeping in my own bed, I still could sort of feel the ebb and flow of the ship beneath my bed. I must have gotten used to the sway of the sea lulling me to sleep over the seven nights we spent at sea.
We planned our Caribbean cruise several months before setting sail, so we had plenty of time to do all the research we needed to figure out exactly what to pack for a week-long cruise. I honestly felt that I packed better for this cruise than any prior trip I’ve ever been on before. Mostly because I planned in advance and knew just what to bring. I will say, some of the “what to pack” lists I stumbled upon were honestly a bit frivolous. As most of our group were first-time cruisers, we packed these items anyway …. and didn’t even use them. So today, I’m telling you what to pack for a Caribbean cruise, 17 essentials – that you actually will use – along with a few things that some others may say to bring along that you might not actually need at all. More below – along with a bit of outfit inspiration too!
WHAT TO PACK FOR A CARIBBEAN CRUISE:
1. Comfortable Clothes for Days Spent at Sea
You may spend your fun day at sea reading a book from our lounge chair, visiting the spa, playing a game of trivia in one of the common areas or soaking in the blue ocean views from your balcony. No matter how you spend it, you’re on vacation – which calls for being at ease as you could possibly be. For me, that means wearing something comfortable (but also chic) no matter what I’m up to.
I packed a few breezy lightweight beach coverups, loose shorts, soft tee shirts and slip-on sandals for my days spent at sea. I rotated these pieces with my swimsuit throughout the day depending on what I was up to next. I would suggest packing 1-2 extra outfits for your days at sea. You never know what exactly you’ll be up to next with so many different activities aboard a cruise ship. And who wants to lounge around in wet clothes all day after an impromptu ride down one of the cruise ship’s slides?!
SHOP OUR FAVORITE COMFORTABLE CLOTHES FOR A CARIBBEAN CRUISE:
2. Large Brimmed Sun Hat
A sun hat is key to any tropical vacation, but especially a cruise. The sun’s rays aboard the top deck of a cruise ship can be brutal. I always make sure to pack one so I can read my book in a lounge chair with ease. When picking a hat to take aboard a cruise with you, make sure you find one that sits very secure on your head or comes with a necktie. The wind aboard a ship and the ocean breezes at those Caribbeans beaches can get pretty intense. I’ve linked a few of my favorite summer hats for traveling below.
SHOP OUR FAVORITE SUN HATS FOR A CARIBBEAN CRUISE:
3. Comfortable Shoes
Another obvious addition to your packing list is comfortable versatile shoes. Between frolicking about the ship and adventuring on your excursions, sometimes you’ll find yourself waiting in a long line or two. We were on our feet a pretty good amount during our Caribbean Sea getaway and I was so glad I not only packed these simple yet comfy slip-on sandals but also a pair of sneakers too.
SHOP OUR FAVORITE COMFORTABLE SHOES FOR A CARIBBEAN CRUISE:
4. A Spacious Beach Bag
A spacious beach bag or backpack is a must for a cruise passenger. This is not only what you’ll tote up to your Lido Deck lounge chair with, but it’s also the bag that you’ll bring along with you to each port. From towels to sunscreen, an extra change of clothes to plenty of space for souvenirs, something easy to carry and spacious is key. I packed the straw tote snapped above that I typically bring to the pool or beach with me back home. It worked great for this trip, but if I were to cruise again I would bring something with a longer handle so I could carry a bag on my shoulder as opposed to just in my hands. Port days involve quite a bit of walking and sometimes you’re carrying other things too (like a toddler for instance) so a bag you can toss over your shoulder or wear on your back is your best bet. A few of my faves are below.
SHOP OUR FAVORITE BEACH BAGS FOR A CARIBBEAN CRUISE:
5. Laundry Bag
Just wait and see how much laundry you can pile up during seven days spent at sea! We sure returned home with a decent amount. A simple easy to pack laundry bag like this one from Amazon saves space and keeps your soiled garments tucked away in your cabin and on the return flight home.
6. Formal Attire for Dinner Aboard your Caribbean Cruise
Many cruise lines have designated formal nights. Our 7-night getaway came complete with two! It’s funny, with all of the research and planning we did beforehand, we kind of forgot about packing for those special formal dress nights. Luckily, I had a few beach-ready maxi dresses that worked perfectly for the occasion but I still felt underdressed compared to many of the other cruise passengers. Many of them went all out for the formal night, in gorgeous cocktail dresses and even black-tie evening gowns. It can really be as fancy as you make it!
My brother and my dad both totally had no clue that there even was going to be a formal night. Oops! We had dinner reservations at one of the ship’s fancier restaurants that night so they really were encouraged to dress up. The restaurant itself, Fahrenheit 555 – so delicious BTW, head a dress code actually. My younger brother ended up having to buy a pair of pants from the shop aboard the ship and my dad was able to throw something together at the last minute with what he packed. Just something to be mindful of when packing if you want to check out one of the nicer spots to eat aboard the ship.
SHOP OUR FAVORITE OUTFITS FOR A CARIBBEAN CRUISE:
7. Dramamine
Another item you see on every cruise passenger’s packing list. Dramamine is an antihistamine used to prevent and treat nausea. Seasickness is a common culprit to sneak up on a cruiser’s getaway. Thankfully, I didn’t experience any sort of nausea whatsoever throughout our trip. I did pack Dramamine pills and a nausea relief bracelet just in case it came a calling – you really never know. And as the girl scout’s like to say, “Be prepared!”
8. Swimwear
This one should seem obvious, and yet my younger brother forgot his on our recent trip!! I, on the other hand, packed along 3 – which I felt was a good number. Depending on how often you plan to swim, with at least 3 suits you’ll always have a suit dry and ready to go. Stateroom cabins come with plenty of hooks to hang dry your wet bathing suits but let’s be honest, nothing feels worse than slipping into a cold wet swimsuit!!
These days, I’m loving stylish and supportive one-pieces or two-piece sets with full coverage and a bit of something extra. Kortni Jeane makes some of my favorite suits of all. They come in prints and silhouettes you just don’t see anywhere else, plus they offer children’s swimsuits to match! You can find our floral set here and a few other suits I’m loving below.
SHOP OUR FAVORITE SWIMWEAR FOR A CARIBBEAN CRUISE:
9. A Jacket for Chilly Nights
This was a tip I received from one of my readers. Thank you, sweet follower! I would have not even thought to pack a jacket during a mid-summer cruise but one of you sweet ladies DM’ed me and suggested it. She mentioned that with the evening temperature drop combined with the windy night on deck, you’re almost always going to want some sort of a jacket or sweater. And that I did! I packed a light anorak jacket and a simple sweatshirt. I wore the sweatshirt in my stateroom and on our balcony and the anorak over dresses or while I was roaming about the boat. A cute caftan, denim jacket or lightweight knit sweater would make for great options as well.
SHOP OUR FAVORITE JACKETS FOR A CARIBBEAN CRUISE:
10. Sunscreen
This is another one of those obvious things that of course I am sure you are already planning on packing. These days, it seems like simple sunscreen just doesn’t even cut it anymore, considering how many different sun protection products you can find on the market. I packed a bottle of SunBum SPF50 for every day, Alchemie Forever SPF25 moisturizer for under my makeup and then Neutrogena Face Sunscreen SPF 55 for on top of my makeup, an SPF lip balm and SunBum’s cooldown lotion for afterward. Combine all that with my wide brim sun hut and long-sleeve coverups, I’m pleased to say I didn’t get a speck of sunburn! Linking a few sunscreens I rotate below!
SHOP OUR FAVORITE SUNSCREEN FOR A CARIBBEAN CRUISE:
11. Zip Lock Bags
This one I’ve got to thank my mom for packing. She read to bring along zip lock bags on some other packing list and filled her suitcase with a handful of them. We used at least one every single day of our trip! They were great for wet bathing suits during shore excursions, snacks, to protect sunscreen in our totes and to even toss a diaper in if needed. Again, if you happen to be traveling with a toddler. She brought along both the gallon size and sandwich size. We didn’t touch the smaller bags but used almost a dozen of the gallon size throughout the week.
12. Versatile Outfits for Days at Ports
Depending on your excursion at each port, you’re probably going to be wearing something totally different than what you would don at sea. Our excursions included beach days, boat rides, lunches at darling restaurants, and Mayan ruin exploration in the jungle. Versatile indeed! Most days, I wore a coverup with a swimsuit underneath and packed a change of clothes and undergarments for the second half of the day. When we visited the ruins in Cozumel, I changed from a swimsuit and sundress to denim shorts and an easy-breezy top with comfortable shoes. Squeezing extra options into your tote bag makes for a more comfortable (and drier) day spent exploring. A few similar pieces to what I wore out and about in the Caribbean are linked below.
13. Extra Cash $$
Many ports take US dollars so you don’t have to worry about exchanging your money before heading out on a cruise. However, almost always they take their US dollars in cash. I definitely did not pack enough cash and missed out on a few clutch souvenirs I would have gladly liked to have taken home with me. Next time, I’ll plan better! It’s also great to have extra cash for tipping the cruise employees who go above and beyond with their service.
With Carnival, you have an option to do a lump sum tip on your Sail & Sign card that goes towards your regular servers and cabin steward, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that John Smith who served you dinner at one of the specialty restaurants, who also did a dance to entertain your daughter, AND sang your family a song will get the exact amount you’d wish to reserve just for him in that lump sum.
14. Shout Wipes / Wrinkle Release Spray
These are two things I would have not thought to have packed that I have to thank my mom and one of my reader’s for, so thank you! Both Shout Wipes and Downy Wrinkle Releaser Spray came in clutch during our trip. Shout Wipes thanks
15. A Good Book or Two
If you’re a speed reader, you may want to pack one or two spare books. I didn’t spot a bookstore onboard our ship but there was a library. Let me rephrase that, there was a Library “Bar.” Here you could find a drink but maybe not your next beach read. We visited the bookstore before we left and scooped up a few reads and a stack full of magazines before setting sail.
16. Binoculars
You never know what you’ll spot from your balcony or atop the ship when docked at port! This set is only $10 from Amazon and can fit into the smallest corner of your suitcase for an impromptu bit of fun later.
17. Workout Wear
Many cruise ships, especially Carnival’s, come equipped with state of the art floating gyms. After several visits to the Lido Deck’s delicious buffet lunches, a visit or two to the ship’s gym might not be a bad idea. Unless that is, you forget to pack your workout gear! I made sure to toss in a pair of running shoes, sports bra and leggings just in case the feeling of fitness were to strike.
& What You May Not Need to Pack for a Caribbean Cruise
We stumbled upon several items on lists with packing recommendations that once we actually had aboard the ship, we realized we didn’t need at all.
One of which was a set of walkie talkies. Without cell phone service, we were convinced it would have been the only way to communicate with my dad and brother from afar. Turns out, the walkie talkie channels were already overpopulated with what I’m assuming were cruise line employees. Every time we tried to use one we felt we were interrupting someone else. Carnival also had an app that we could use aboard the ship with an option to use in-app onboard texting. It was an extra $5 a person for the week but definitely worth it if you’re with a big group.
The other item we didn’t use at all was a set chip clips. You’re probably thinking, “Chip clips!?” My mom read somewhere that you could use chip clips to secure your towels to the lounge chairs aboard the ship, thus securing your spot for the day. Turns out, you can’t reserve lounge chairs all day long anyway, out of respect for other guests. And would you believe it, but when we did lay the towels over the chairs, they were secure all by themselves with no need of a chip clip at all. So save yourself some room and leaves those behind ha!
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Are there any must-pack items that I’m missing on this list about what to pack for a Caribbean cruise that you found helpful for your most recent cruise!? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll be sure to add them in the roundup.
My family had such a fun time cruising with Carnival and I hope a bit of our insight from our experience helps to enhance yours! As always, thanks for stopping by the blog!
