Cruise Packing Checklist
cruisedayguide.com · updated August 11, 2026 · free to print and share
Checked bags are collected outside the terminal in the morning and often do not reach your cabin until mid-afternoon. That single fact decides this list: it is ordered by when you need a thing, not by what kind of thing it is.
The bag that never leaves you
Hand luggage only. You carry this through security and onto the ship, and it has to cover you from the terminal until your suitcases arrive.
- Passport or birth certificate plus photo ID
- Boarding pass and luggage tags, printed
- Wallet, cards, and the card you registered on board
- Phone and a charging cable
- All medications, in their original containers
- Swimsuit and a change of clothes
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- A refillable water bottle, empty
- Motion-sickness remedy, taken before you feel it
- Any valuables, jewelry, or electronics
Day one, before the suitcases land
Pack these where you can reach them without unpacking everything. The muster drill and the first dinner both happen before you are fully settled.
- Sandals or deck shoes
- Something to wear to dinner
- Toothbrush and a small toiletry kit
- Light layer for aggressive air conditioning
- Hat
- Small bag for the pool deck
Checked bags
Everything with time to spare. Soft-sided bags stow more easily under a cabin bed than hard shells.
- Clothing for each day, plus one spare outfit
- One outfit per formal or elegant night
- Closed-toe shoes for shore excursions
- Underwear and socks
- Light rain jacket or packable shell
- Toiletries and any refills
- Laundry bag or packing cubes
- Over-the-door organizer and magnetic hooks — cabin walls are steel
- Reusable tote for port days
- Small first-aid supplies and blister plasters
Documents and admin
The category with the highest cost of failure. Nothing else on this list can stop you boarding.
- Online check-in completed and arrival window confirmed
- Travel insurance policy number and 24-hour assistance line
- Visas or entry documents for every port of call
- Vaccination records if the itinerary requires them
- Copies of documents, stored separately from the originals
- Cash in small bills for tips and port taxis
- Parking or hotel reservation confirmations
- Emergency contacts written on paper, not only in your phone
Do not pack these
Every rule below was read on the cruise line's own published policy page. Lines revise these without notice, so confirm against yours before you pack — and note that what one line permits, another confiscates.
- Clothing irons and garment steamers. No line lets you press clothes in the cabin. Pack wrinkle release spray and fabrics that tolerate rolling
- Power strips, extension cords and multi-plug adaptors. The biggest per-line gap on this page. A cruise-approved non-surge strip is normal on Carnival and reviewable on Princess, and taken on Royal Caribbean
- Candles and incense. Universal, and the same logic explains Norwegian's separate ban on paper door decorations
- Drones. The rule that varies most. Carnival will store one for you; Norwegian and Princess will not carry it at all
- CBD, cannabis and marijuana. A gummy bought legally at home is a prohibited item on all four, and three of them name CBD explicitly
- Outside non-alcoholic drinks. Never assume a case of water is fine. Norwegian will direct you back to your vehicle with it, or dispose of it
- Wine, beer and spirits. Wine is the exception on every line. What differs is the fee, the count, and whether extra bottles are welcome at all
- Coolers. A soft 12-inch cooler is the largest that travels reliably, and only on the lines that permit drinks in the first place
- Knives, scissors and razors. Princess draws the line at 2.5 inches and Carnival bans scissors outright, so a pocketknife that cleared one ship may not clear the next
Packing for a specific itinerary? The Alaska and Caribbean lists cover what changes. For the reasoning behind every rule above, read what not to bring on a cruise and what to wear.