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<\/div>\nThe ultimate cruise packing list put together by a mom who has been on over ten cruises in just a few years with her family. I\u2019ve included things that I bring on every cruise as well as things you\u2019ll specifically want to pack for a Disney Cruise as well as for other cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival. <\/p>\n If this is your first cruise, it can be overwhelming to think about packing. Formal nights, port excursions, pool days, shows. There are a lot of things happening all in one short time and it\u2019s not like you can just run to Target and grab something you forgot. <\/p>\n I\u2019m here to go through everything you could possibly need to bring on your cruise based on my past trips. I\u2019ve included what we used the item for, what you might use the item for, and also a note on whether I think it\u2019s really necessary or just maybe nice to have. <\/p>\n Every family is a little different and while some like mine may need to bring extra snacks, others may not. I can\u2019t tell you what the essential items are other than the most important items in the important documents section below!<\/p>\n I\u2019ve also included sections specifically for a Disney Cruise since there are some unique things about those as well as a section specifically about Royal Caribbean (also good for Carnival, Princess, Celebrity, and more). <\/p>\n If you\u2019d prefer to just shop what we personally brought, you can get my full shoppable packing list right here on Amazon to add to your own cart! <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Let\u2019s start with the section of items that work for any cruise no matter what cruiseline. <\/p>\n I\u2019m going to start with these things because they\u2019re the most important and irreplaceable. And if you don\u2019t have these, getting on the cruise will be much harder than if you forget your pair of sunglasses at home. <\/p>\n Port Arrival or Confirmation Form <\/strong>\u2013 when you check-in, your cruise line will give you a port arrival form that includes a code and details for your reservation. You can provide it digitally, but I personally like to print it out as well just case technology shuts doesn\u2019t work when you need it the most.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Travel Documents<\/strong> \u2013 if you\u2019re doing any travel before or after the cruise, make sure you have all your confirmations and plans handy. Same thing with flights, rental car confirmations, etc. If I have time, I typically like to print them out if I can and just put them all together in case my phone dies or I have issues with my cell phone (no service, etc.). That being said, a digital copy is probably fine as long as it\u2019s easy to find.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Credit Cards<\/strong> \u2013 I recommend bringing a credit card and a second credit card or debit card. Or all three. Why all of those things? I\u2019ve been on trips before where I had a fraud alert come through and we had to close down my main credit card. I was able to use my secondary card because I had one. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Cash<\/strong> \u2013 even if you\u2019re planning to pay with credit cards on the cruise, I typically always bring cash with me as well. The amount I bring depends on what we\u2019re doing in the ports, how many ports we\u2019re going to, etc. but I like to be able to have cash to use in ports for taxis, shopping, excursion tips, and more. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Pack all of these things in your carry-on bag if you\u2019re flying so you don\u2019t lose them if your bags get lost. Then keep them in the bag you\u2019ll keep with you Disney Cruise embarkation day so you them for check-in! <\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re going on a Disney Cruise, there really aren\u2019t formal nights or dress codes although you will likely see people dressed up in costumes for things like pirate night or a Marvel dinner. <\/p>\n For other cruise lines, there are typically nightly themes for dinner if you want to dress up. For example my most recent Royal Caribbean cruise had two dress-up nights, three cruise casual nights, one Caribbean themed night, and one white\/Latin themed night. People dressed up and people did not, no one really cared so that\u2019s up to you. <\/p>\n For any Caribbean cruise, you\u2019ll want the following: <\/p>\n Shirts\/Tank tops<\/strong> \u2013 My rule of thumb is to bring at least one shirt per day of my trip plus one in case one gets dirty. I plan my tops based on what I\u2019m doing each day! <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Shorts or pants<\/strong> \u2013 I like to bring neutral shorts and pants (jeans, leggings, solid colors, etc.) that I can wear with all sorts of different tops and then mix and match throughout the trip if it\u2019s a longer trip. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Light jacket or sweatshirt<\/strong> \u2013 no matter what time of year you\u2019re cruising, it\u2019s always a good idea to bring a light jacker or sweatshirt with you.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Swimsuits<\/strong> \u2013 don\u2019t go crazy and pack a different swimsuit per day (unless you really want to), but I do recommend bringing at least a couple of different ones.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Swimsuit cover-ups<\/strong> \u2013 something to wear over your swimsuits.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Undergarments<\/strong> \u2013 underwear, bras, sports bras, shapewear, and socks <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Pajamas<\/strong> \u2013 I typically just bring one or two sets since I barely wear them! <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Workout clothes<\/strong> \u2013 totally optional but if you\u2019ll workout, bring them. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n When I pack for trips like this, I typically write the activities and themes for each day on a post-it note and then lay it out like the picture below. I take pictures of each individual day\u2019s outfits (because I mix and match outfits from earlier in the week) with the post-it note to have in my phone for a reminder on the cruise! <\/p>\n I ordered a bunch of stuff from Amazon for our cruise. Instead of creating an entire post about my wardrobe, I made a shoppable list here with everything I ordered and wore. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Walking or closed-toe shoes<\/strong> \u2013 choose these based on your excursion. If you\u2019re doing something like zip-lining or or ATV driving, you\u2019ll likely want closed-toe shoes. I bring my tennis shoes so I can double them as workout shoes. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dress shoes<\/strong> \u2013 this can be whatever you want it to mean from high heels to dressier sandals. You can also just wear sandals for women. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n A couple of other clothing items and basic accessories that I think go with your clothing. I don\u2019t have a ton to say about these, but wanted to make sure to include them for you to consider: <\/p>\n First, I highly recommend a hanging toiletry bag like this with a hook that holds all of this stuff. Space is at a premium in the bathroom, especially counter space. You can use magnet hooks to hook the toiletry bag to the back of the door, leaving space for the things you need regularly, like the soap dispenser.<\/p>\n Shampoo + Conditioner<\/strong> \u2013 there is normally some provided, but I know I like bringing my own. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss\/floss picks, mouth wash<\/strong> \u2013 if you forget, call guest services and they can often give you a junky disposable one. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Body wash<\/strong> and deodorant <\/strong>\u2013 body is another optional one because they do provide it, just if you want your own. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Razor & shaving cream <\/strong>\u2013 there is a place to plug an electric one in, but it\u2019s always a bit awkward with the shelves. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Glasses\/contacts<\/strong> \u2013 this includes glasses, contacts, contact solution, and a contact case. I also recommend you bring an extra contact for each eye in case something happens to one. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Hair products, hair brush, products, etc.<\/strong> \u2013 They do have a handheld hair dryer in each of the staterooms you can use. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n I also love these Cadence travel toiletry containers. They are magnetic so not only do they stack together in your toiletry bag, they also stick to the magnetic wall leaving more space on the counters! <\/p>\n Cruise Wifi has come a long way since I first started cruising but it\u2019s pricey so unless you need to be connected, I recommended just disconnecting for the length of your cruise. Even without purchasing the internet package, my husband and I were able to use the apps to communicate with one another. <\/p>\n The electronics I do recommend bringing: <\/p>\n Phone<\/strong> \u2013 obviously. I recommend looking up your specific boat to see the outlet situation on your boat because some of the newer ones have USB plugs, some have USB-C, and some just have regular outlets. You\u2019ll want your phone and a charger for it! <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Chargers<\/strong> \u2013 if you\u2019re bringing an electronic, don\u2019t forget to bring its charger or a charger that works for it. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n e-Book Reader<\/strong> \u2013 I personally love my Kindle and bring it everywhere. I have a waterproof one so it doesn\u2019t matter if it gets splashed at the pool or gets wet when my kid climbs on me at the beach.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Other electronics<\/strong> \u2013 I brought my computer and the kids iPads mostly for travel but I did use them a bit for downtime in the room. Download things ahead of time since there is no WiFi. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Headphones<\/strong> \u2013 another optional thing but my boys used them a lot when we had downtime in the room (while we were getting ready for dinner, etc.). <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n There are a ton of things that you can do to make your room feel more spacious, more organized, and more manageable. Are any of these things absolutely necessary? Nope. Are they nice to have? Sure. <\/p>\n Old gift card<\/strong> \u2013 in order to keep the master light on, you have to put a card into a slot at the front of the room. They\u2019re designed for you to put your stateroom card in there but if you don\u2019t want to have to use your stateroom card, bring an old gift card or card of any sort and use that instead.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Clothespins<\/strong> \u2013 if you want to use the drying rack in the bathroom, clothespins makes much better use of the space!<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Highlighter<\/strong> \u2013 I liked to get a paper schedule and go through it with my boys with a highlighter to highlight the things they wanted to do. Might just be me but I enjoyed it!<\/p>\n<\/li>\n All cruises have a pool of some sort and water areas. And a lot of Caribbean ones make a stop at ports with beaches that you likely will visit. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re planning to spend any time at the pool or at the beach, make sure to include these items: <\/p>\n Water toys<\/strong> \u2013 I\u2019m going to caveat this by saying that I only recommend bringing water toys for playing with in the ocean. This would be balls to toss around, etc. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Swim diapers<\/strong> \u2013 kids under the age of three and that aren\u2019t potty-trained aren\u2019t allowed in the pools, but that doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t still have fun in the water. Most cruise ships have some sort of splash area and those require swim diapers for the littlest cruisers. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Snorkel gear <\/strong>\u2013 you can rent gear on your excursions or just bring your own. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Goggles<\/strong> \u2013 my boys don\u2019t like to swim without them, so these are a must for us!<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n So it may seem weird to be talking about food and drinks when you\u2019re going on a cruise with free unlimited food and drinks, but hear me out on these ones. You may save yourself a headache and a bunch of money by reading this list!<\/p>\n Water bottles<\/strong> \u2013 if you\u2019re someone who likes to drink spring water or filtered water, you can bring a case of bottled water on the ship with you in your carry-on luggage. Or depending on the cruise you\u2019re going on, bottled water may be included with a drink package. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n![\"Cruise](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/disney-cruise-packing-list-3.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nCruise Packing Guide<\/h2>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nShop My Recommendations<\/h2>\n
What to Pack for A Cruise<\/h2>\n
Important Documents & Essentials <\/h3>\n
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Important Tip!<\/h4>\n
Clothing <\/h3>\n
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![\"clothes](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-771x800.jpg\"\/)
![\"clothes](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-771x800.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nGet My Cruise Wardrobe<\/h4>\n
Shoes<\/h3>\n
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Accessories <\/h3>\n
![\"family](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-11.jpg\"\/)
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<\/figure>\nToiletries <\/h3>\n
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![\"cadence](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-17.jpg\"\/)
![\"cadence](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-17.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nElectronics <\/h3>\n
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![\"charger](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-20.jpg\"\/)
![\"charger](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-20.jpg\")
In the Room<\/h3>\n
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![\"magnet](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-24-scaled.jpg\"\/)
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![\"laundry](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-19.jpg\"\/)
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<\/figure>\nPool and Beach Essentials <\/h3>\n
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![\"beach](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-13-790x800.jpg\"\/)
![\"beach](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-13-790x800.jpg\")
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![\"boys](\"https:\/\/www.playpartyplan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cruise-packing-list-items-5.jpg\"\/)
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<\/figure>\nFood & Drinks<\/h3>\n
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