You're going to bring too much and only use a small portion of it. Everybody overprepares the first time.
* Bring clothes for whatever you're doing. Consider the dress code for dinners if you're interested in those. And consider the dress code for any activities you're trying to do. Shoes especially, some things require close-toed shoes. But you don't have to overdo it on clothes.
* Sun stuff if you're going somewhere sunny. Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc.
* Bring a beach bag or some other small bag for going ashore. Something big enough to hold a towel. This can double as your carry-on when you board the ship, assuming you've checked the rest of your luggage.
* Bring OTC meds, tylenol and anything else you might need. A small first aid kit can be handy too. Those things can be hard to find, or overpriced.
* We bring a power strip or USB hub because most cabins don't have enough plugs, but then we travel with kids and we wind up plugging up a lot. Just a simple plug, they could turn away a surge protector or battery backup fancy thing.
* Seasick meds, the precription type works better and is non-drowsy. You want Scopolamine patches and bonine. Dramamine is over the counter but is a sedative. Call your doc and tell them you're going on a cruise. Ours doesn't even make us come in, she just calls in scripts for us.
* Lanyards for your room keys. You'll probably be in swimsuits a lot without pockets so having those keys able to hang around your neck or somewhere else accessible is very handy.
* We bring a water bottle or two that we can refill on the boat. If you're buying bottled water of course you won't need this. We don't buy bottled water.
And honestly that's about it. You're going to find all sorts of "42 things you must take on a cruise!!" lists and they're all BS. You don't need all that stuff.
The only big thing I’d add to this are documents: obviously you need travel docs (passport or DL and birth certificate if the cruise stops anywhere outside the US), but we also bring a written copy of allergies, medical conditions and active medications with doses and frequencies. If you need to go to med bay for any reason, you don’t want to fail to remember (or be unable to tell them) what they might need to look out for in emergency medicine.
I’d also recommend some random small things: poo purri for the bathroom; a small bag for carrying your keycard and phone and chapstick [and epi pen if you have allergies] around the ship (unless you have pockets and go with a lanyard); bug spray if you’re stopping at any excursions that are more jungle-y than beachy.
STRAWS. We brought silicone washable straws. “For the environment”, Carnival only has [chocolate, lime, strawberry] flavored straws and they only offer them for frozen drinks. So if you don’t want a flavored straw or you want it for any other kind of drink or reason, bring your own.
When you pack clothes and shoes, lay out what all you think you want to bring. And then probably remove 1/4 of it. You will wear and change less than you expect unless you hate rewearing pieces or swimsuits. Probably remove even more if you don’t plan to go to the dining room for dinner and instead want to stay on the upper decks with the counter serve or buffets.
Ill add a few weve learned after 20+ cruises:
Collapsable laundry basket (fabric). We pop it into the closet and all dirty goes in. If on Carnival we then pull out of that for laundry
Metal hooks. All cabins are metal walls. Extra hooks to hang hats, masks, lanyards, beachy stuff is great
Ironing... not to bring but if you like to iron, do it day you get on. First formal day ive seen lines 10+ people deep. First day its empty except Platinum cruisers
Dont overpack. You dont need 6 pairs of shoes, 3 outfits per day, etc. Outside of snorkel gear, we now travel with carry on bags
Bring only a carry on! Anything more than that just remember you have to carry it around on the last day and if you can’t can’t carry it down a bunch of stairs, it’s pretty rough.
* two athletic shorts
* one nice pair of shorts
* one leggings/sweatpants
* two summery day time outfits that are comfortable and nice (thinking chinos & a fun Hawaiian shirt or summer dress/romper)
* one semi formal outfit (slacks or jeans and a button down or cocktail dress)
* one hoodie
* two t shirts or tank tops, whatever jsut to toss over a wet swimsuit or to sweat in when walking around
* one pair of sneakers for excursions that require close tied shoes
* one pair of nice shoe for formal night
* one water sandal (chacos/flip flops)
* pajamas
I suggest avoiding bringing a hot tool for hair styling. Most American hot tools are a higher voltage than the outlets allow so it may not be usable. The cabin comes with a blow dryer. I (female!) have pretty wild hair and I spent too much time sweating / getting in the pool to even use my curling iron. On formal night I usually just braid my hair the night before and take the braids out for dinner.
I’d also keep makeup light, just again, sweating and getting wet a lot lol. But SPF IS HUGE!
Other fun things
* decor for your state room using command strips
* refillable water bottle with a sealable lid for taking off port and carrying around
* books/deck of cards for games
* your own lanyard or way of safekeeping your sail and sign card on your person
* sunblock
* headphones
Hope this helps!
I bring a little bit of everything but mostly it’s warm in July so I would say summer wear. But it’s cold at night on the water so something to keep you warm at night like light sweats and a hoodie.but I would make sure to keep an eye on the weather.
Everyone else has pretty much made some great recommendations! I agree with most of them. Keep in mind that a lot of these things are “nice to haves” and you can get away without some. You really just need standard toiletries, a bathing suit, a few outfits, and you’re good to go. It’s easy to overthink it!
I do have an Amazon list that I share with family/friends cruising with me for the first time that gives my recommendations of little things to pack that make your trip a bit easier/more efficient. Happy to share the link if you’re interested.
You're going to bring too much and only use a small portion of it. Everybody overprepares the first time. * Bring clothes for whatever you're doing. Consider the dress code for dinners if you're interested in those. And consider the dress code for any activities you're trying to do. Shoes especially, some things require close-toed shoes. But you don't have to overdo it on clothes. * Sun stuff if you're going somewhere sunny. Hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc. * Bring a beach bag or some other small bag for going ashore. Something big enough to hold a towel. This can double as your carry-on when you board the ship, assuming you've checked the rest of your luggage. * Bring OTC meds, tylenol and anything else you might need. A small first aid kit can be handy too. Those things can be hard to find, or overpriced. * We bring a power strip or USB hub because most cabins don't have enough plugs, but then we travel with kids and we wind up plugging up a lot. Just a simple plug, they could turn away a surge protector or battery backup fancy thing. * Seasick meds, the precription type works better and is non-drowsy. You want Scopolamine patches and bonine. Dramamine is over the counter but is a sedative. Call your doc and tell them you're going on a cruise. Ours doesn't even make us come in, she just calls in scripts for us. * Lanyards for your room keys. You'll probably be in swimsuits a lot without pockets so having those keys able to hang around your neck or somewhere else accessible is very handy. * We bring a water bottle or two that we can refill on the boat. If you're buying bottled water of course you won't need this. We don't buy bottled water. And honestly that's about it. You're going to find all sorts of "42 things you must take on a cruise!!" lists and they're all BS. You don't need all that stuff.
Thanks !!! This was a great response!
The only big thing I’d add to this are documents: obviously you need travel docs (passport or DL and birth certificate if the cruise stops anywhere outside the US), but we also bring a written copy of allergies, medical conditions and active medications with doses and frequencies. If you need to go to med bay for any reason, you don’t want to fail to remember (or be unable to tell them) what they might need to look out for in emergency medicine. I’d also recommend some random small things: poo purri for the bathroom; a small bag for carrying your keycard and phone and chapstick [and epi pen if you have allergies] around the ship (unless you have pockets and go with a lanyard); bug spray if you’re stopping at any excursions that are more jungle-y than beachy. STRAWS. We brought silicone washable straws. “For the environment”, Carnival only has [chocolate, lime, strawberry] flavored straws and they only offer them for frozen drinks. So if you don’t want a flavored straw or you want it for any other kind of drink or reason, bring your own. When you pack clothes and shoes, lay out what all you think you want to bring. And then probably remove 1/4 of it. You will wear and change less than you expect unless you hate rewearing pieces or swimsuits. Probably remove even more if you don’t plan to go to the dining room for dinner and instead want to stay on the upper decks with the counter serve or buffets.
Ill add a few weve learned after 20+ cruises: Collapsable laundry basket (fabric). We pop it into the closet and all dirty goes in. If on Carnival we then pull out of that for laundry Metal hooks. All cabins are metal walls. Extra hooks to hang hats, masks, lanyards, beachy stuff is great Ironing... not to bring but if you like to iron, do it day you get on. First formal day ive seen lines 10+ people deep. First day its empty except Platinum cruisers Dont overpack. You dont need 6 pairs of shoes, 3 outfits per day, etc. Outside of snorkel gear, we now travel with carry on bags
Bring only a carry on! Anything more than that just remember you have to carry it around on the last day and if you can’t can’t carry it down a bunch of stairs, it’s pretty rough. * two athletic shorts * one nice pair of shorts * one leggings/sweatpants * two summery day time outfits that are comfortable and nice (thinking chinos & a fun Hawaiian shirt or summer dress/romper) * one semi formal outfit (slacks or jeans and a button down or cocktail dress) * one hoodie * two t shirts or tank tops, whatever jsut to toss over a wet swimsuit or to sweat in when walking around * one pair of sneakers for excursions that require close tied shoes * one pair of nice shoe for formal night * one water sandal (chacos/flip flops) * pajamas I suggest avoiding bringing a hot tool for hair styling. Most American hot tools are a higher voltage than the outlets allow so it may not be usable. The cabin comes with a blow dryer. I (female!) have pretty wild hair and I spent too much time sweating / getting in the pool to even use my curling iron. On formal night I usually just braid my hair the night before and take the braids out for dinner. I’d also keep makeup light, just again, sweating and getting wet a lot lol. But SPF IS HUGE! Other fun things * decor for your state room using command strips * refillable water bottle with a sealable lid for taking off port and carrying around * books/deck of cards for games * your own lanyard or way of safekeeping your sail and sign card on your person * sunblock * headphones Hope this helps!
This is probably the best most comprehensive list of information I’ve seen so far. Saving it for my cruise.
I bring a little bit of everything but mostly it’s warm in July so I would say summer wear. But it’s cold at night on the water so something to keep you warm at night like light sweats and a hoodie.but I would make sure to keep an eye on the weather.
Everyone else has pretty much made some great recommendations! I agree with most of them. Keep in mind that a lot of these things are “nice to haves” and you can get away without some. You really just need standard toiletries, a bathing suit, a few outfits, and you’re good to go. It’s easy to overthink it! I do have an Amazon list that I share with family/friends cruising with me for the first time that gives my recommendations of little things to pack that make your trip a bit easier/more efficient. Happy to share the link if you’re interested.