PACKING FOR A CRUISE

Now that I’m back from my cruise I feel like I can really share tips on packing for a Caribbean cruise.  These methods worked for me and may be beneficial to you as you plan out your cruise vacation. This was our second cruise in two years and this time we decided to switch cruise lines. Our last cruise was aboard the Norweigian Escape for a Western Caribbean vacation and this time we sailed the Eastern Caribbean aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas and visited St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, and Labadee. We had such a great time! I also think my packing had a lot to do with my cruise running smoothly for seven days. So let me share my packing tips that are tried and true.

Packing For A Cruise

After cruising two destinations in the Caribbean, I feel like I’m sort of a cruise critic, where I finally have honed in on what works for me. One thing I’ve realized is that it’s hot traveling to the Caribbean on a ship and staying cool and comfortable is my top priority. I also love wearing looks that are cute, so it’s a balancing act. I want to look cute and be comfortable at the same time.

A New Approach

This time around, I decided to take a minimalist approach and pack everything into a carryon. I knew my room was going to be crowded with suitcases, so I made it a goal for me to pack seven days worth of cruise clothes in a carryon. My husband thought I was crazy at first and didn’t believe I could do it. Well, of course that made me want to prove him wrong. Ha ha! I was determined and delighted that everything fit nice and neat in the carryon. Which I found it to be such a nice way to travel.

Plus, when you board the ship, you don’t have to have checked luggage. You can just go straight to your stateroom and unpack right away, instead of waiting for your luggage to arrive in your room.

J.Crew Factory Pom Pom Top / J.Crew Point Sur Shorts / J.Crew Capri Flip Flops / J.Crew Straw Circle Cross-body Bag / J.Crew Sunglasses / J.Crew Turban Knot Headband

 

When it comes to packing for a Caribbean cruise it’s important to think about the activities and events that will be taking place on and off the ship. It’s great to make a list and check off the items as you pack. I always use a packing list when I’m traveling.

Oops…

The one year I decided to just wing it, I ended up forgetting my laptop. I was in such a panic! Working as a blogger, without a laptop for seven days is not a way to pack. Thankfully, my son had time to drive home and get my laptop for me before we headed out of the country. I owe him forever for that favor!

If you think that’s bad, someone in my family was traveling to Europe and forgot all of her underwear at home. She had to find a store in Europe to buy new underwear. It made for a good laugh, but you know that many of us plan our underwear on what we’re wearing, so make sure you check your packing list twice before traveling. Trust me! I’ve learned my lesson. Lol!

Below, I listed some categories that everyone needs to take into consideration when packing for a Caribbean cruise. These are things you want to make sure you pack, because they are not available on the ship.

Things to Pack for a Caribbean Cruise

Swimsuits

Make sure the swimsuits you pack are perfect to wear on the boat or on an excursion. I typically like to pack at least two bathingsuits for a cruise. One swimsuit is usually a bikini and the other a one-piece.

Toiletries

I highly recommend buying a tioletry bag that rolls up and can be hung by a hook. Bathrooms on the ship can be small and have limited counter space, so keeping all of your toiletries in a hanging bag is smart. It also makes it so easy to pack up too. Just roll it up, zip it closed and you’re done.

ID’s

It’s highly recommended that you make paper copies of your drivers license and passport to take aboard the ship. We make paper copies and also take photos of them with our iPhones. The room key of the ship will have all of your info on it including passport information, however if you lose it you will need a backup just in case. You will use your cruise room key at the cruise ports. While you’re on the ship you can lock up all your valuables including your passports in your stateroom’s safe.

Tourism Outfits

Depending on what you plan for excursions, you will need to pack accordingly. For example, when we spent the afternoon on Royal Caribbean’s private island I wore my swimsuit and coverup the whole time. In Puerto Rico I wore a cute top and shorts, because I knew we were not going swimming there. One tip I have is to pack your snorkle gear from home to save money. My son did that this time and was able to use them at one of the ports.

Dinner Outfits

You will probably make reservations to eat in the fancy dining room while on the ship, so make sure to pack a couple of dresses for those nights, especially if they are formal nights. Some people like to really get dressed up for formal nights and others prefer to dress casually. It’s up to you. We dressed nice casual for our dinners and found that to be perfectly fine. I wore a pretty J.Crew dress, my Carrie Forbe Sandals and I was good to go.

Casual Outfits

I made sure to pack lots of casual outfits to wear while at sea and on land. A casual outfit can include shorts and a top, lightweight dress, romper, etc. Things that you can throw on and look adorable in. You’re going on a cruise, so have fun with your vacation wardrobe! Make it bright and cheery. Maybe try out a new trend like pretty hair accessories or a fun crossbody bag.

J.Crew Turban Knot Headband / Vintage Cotton V-Neck T-Shirt / Point Sur Seaside Shorts / Rattan Cross-Body Bag / Cabana Sunglasses / Steven Greece Slides (fit TTS) & here

 

How To Pack For A Cruise

One of the biggest tips I can share about packing for a Caribbean cruise is to be prepared beforehand with ironing your clothes. Royal Caribbean does not allow you to pack an iron or steamer, nor do they loan you one while on the ship. We found this out about an hour before we left to the port.

I steam everything, so you can imagine how stressed I felt while imagining myself wearing wrinkled clothes for an entire week. I quickly went to work and heated up my iron. Then, I took everything out of my carryon and ironed all my clothes. After I finished my ironing, I layed each item down nice and neat on one side of my carryon and zipped it up.

My mistake was that I didn’t iron the dresses. I should have ironed them too, because I had to figure out how to get the wrinkles out while on the ship.

Packing Tip

Iron or steam everything and hang the dresses in a garment bag. Once you board the ship, take everything out right away and hang them in the closet or lay them down in the drawers. It was actually a treat to not have to iron anything while on the ship. You can bet I’m going to do this for my next cruise.

Here’s how I got the wrinkles out of the dresses without ironing. I wet the creases or wrinkles on the dress with water and let it air dry during the day while I was exploring the ship. That really made a difference.

You can also hang your garment in the bathroom while people take showers in your room. We tried this and many of the wrinkles from my son’s clothes came out. I guess it depends on the fabric of the article. You can also buy something at the grocery store that gets wrinkles out, however, I didn’t get a chance to buy it and didn’t want to try it for the first time while on the cruise.

Packing Tip

Bring one large beach bag you can use as a shopping bag while at the various ports. I had fun shopping for some treasures and was happy that I had my beach bag available to carry these things back to the ship and home after the cruise. My beach bag proved to come in very handy.

My coverup outfit: J.Crew Embroidered Indian Cotton Beach Tunic / Point Sur Seaside Shorts / Rattan Cross-Body Bag / J.Crew Turban Knot Headband / Cabana Sunglasses

 

My outfit in front of the ship: J.Crew Point Sur Shorts / J.Crew Capri Flip Flops / J.Crew Straw Circle Cross-body Bag / J.Crew Sunglasses / J.Crew Ruffle Tank Top / Mark & Graham Oversized Beach Tote c/o / Mark & Graham Beach Hat c/o (similar)

 

Here is my personal checklist of everything I packed for my recent Eastern Caribbean cruise with Royal Caribbean. I decided to pack everything into one carryon and was pretty excited that I was able to make it happen. I also brought a large beach bag which held my laptop and makeup bag.

My Checklist for Packing For A Cruise

7 Shirts (include 1-2 dressy tops, tank tops, and t-shirts)

7 pairs of shorts that are comfortable to wear all day

2-3 dresses (I prefer cute dresses that can be dressed up or down depending on the shoes and accessories)

light sweater

9 pairs of underwear (include some beige ones to wear under white shorts)

2 pairs of pajamas

2-3 swimsuits

2 coverups

1 pair of sneakers to work out and possible wear on excursions

2 sets of workout clothes

2 workout bras

two pairs of socks for workout

2-3 pairs of sandals that can be your walking shoes on and off the ship

1 crossbody bag

1 beach bag

blow dryer

flat iron

curling iron

toiletry bag (preferebly one folds out and can hang from a hook) I have this one in a different pattern! Also love this one.

hair accessoriess

shampoo & conditioner

toothpaste and toothbrush

makeup bag

facial cleanser and moisturizer

sunglasses

everyday earrings and dress up earrings

BTW

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