Ultimate Cruise Packing List (Printable PDF) (2024)

If you’re planning an upcoming cruise vacation, you’re probably working on a list of things to pack for your trip. If so, we’ve got you covered. No matter which of the major cruise lines you are sailing, the cruise packing checklist below will help you get organized.

Whether you’re sailing on a short, three day cruise itinerary or you’re lucky enough to enjoy one of the longer cruises, the printable packing list below will help you prepare for your trip.

In the post below, we have organized cruise necessities into several categories. You’ll find packing checklists for your boarding day carry-on bag, cruise essentials (including outfit planning), beach must haves, tips for cabin organization, and baby necessities.

You’ll also find our free printable cruise packing list, which is available in PDF format for you to print for your trip. Before you print the checklist, we highly recommend reading through this whole post since we detail exactly why each item is needed. So, continue reading below for helpful cruise packing tips and your free printable cruise checklist!

(This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Please see my disclosure policy at the bottom of this page for more details.)

Free Printable Cruise Packing List

If you’re looking for a checklist of items to pack for your cruise, we’ll provide our full list below. You’ll notice that some of the (bold) items might seem strange or unique for a trip. If you’re wondering what we use each item for, you can scroll through the article for a more detailed explanation as well as specific brands my family uses. For a quick view of our packing checklist, this is our family’s list of essentials:

We like to print our list so that we can easily mark off each item as we pack. You can find our free printable cruise packing list here or by clicking on the image below. You’ll notice that the items are organized into sections in this printable cruise packing list. We also include a blank page for you to add your own items. The free printable comes in PDF format and is a great cruise planning tool.

If you would like additional resources for packing for your cruise vacation, we created a 30+ printable cruise planner for our Etsy shop. This digital planner includes planning tools like hotel comparisons, daily itinerary plans, trip budget worksheet, outfit planner, and more. You can find this cruise planner in our Etsy Shop at the image below.

For more information about our packing list items, including links to the specific brands we use, you can check out the information below.

Carry-on Bag Packing Checklist

We are going to start with items you will want to carry on the ship with you. My family and I tend to board the cruise ship with a carry-on backpack.This allows us to organize our carry-on items in the different sections of the bag. The backpack is also super easy to carry around on the ship.

Many cruise lines do not allow you to have access to your cruise cabin until mid-afternoon. This means you’re basically stuck with your carry-on bag until your stateroom is open. So, make sure you choose a carry-on bag that is comfortable to haul around with you until you can store it in your room.You can see the bag we use here. (Amazon Affiliate Link)

Note that your carryon bag must be able to fit through the security machine upon entering the cruise terminal. Similar to the airport X-ray machine, your bag must be able to slide through the machine. The items below are important items that my family and I make sure to pack in our cruise carry-on bag:

• Passports/Identification Documents– We use our passports at check in and then store them in the stateroom safe throughout the trip.
• Driver’s License– Since we leave our passports onboard the ship, my husband and I take our driver’s licenses off the ship and into each port. It’s also a good idea to carry a picture of your passport just in case.
• Cash– Put $1 bills or $5 bills in your carry-on for tipping. We tip our driver to the port and the porters who handle our luggage when we arrive.
• Sea Sickness Remedies– I pack motion sickness remedies in my embarkation bag just in case I need them before our luggage arrives in the stateroom. This includes Seasickness Bracelets. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
• Other Important Necessities– glasses/contacts, cell phone, camera, chargers, prescription medication, luggage tags

See Also

Cruise Packing List {FREE PRINTABLE} - Mama Loves FoodCruise Packing List | Ultimate 2023 Checklist [With Printable PDF Download]Easy, Printable Cruise Vacation Packing ChecklistThe Ultimate Cruise Packing List (+ Downloadable PDF Checklist!)

Additionally, you may need extra items if you plan to swim on embarkation day. My kids wear their swimsuits under their clothes when boarding. So, I pack a change of clothes for them in our carry-on bag in case their clothes aren’t in our stateroom by dinner time. If we plan to spend time on the pool deck, I also include sunglasses, sunscreen, and a hairbrush in our embarkation day carry-on bag.

Cruise Essentials

In addition to cruise essentials like pajamas, socks, undergarments, and shoes, you’ll want to add other clothing items to your packing list. The items below are included in our printable cruise packing list, but we will explain them in more detail below:

Clothing

In general, you can wear what makes you comfortable on cruise ships. Most of the cruise lines have rules stating they don’t allow swimsuits or tank tops in certain areas of the ship. However, if you dress in what you would wear to a restaurant at home, you should be fine.

Even on a formal night, you will see lots of people wearing casual outfits and some in formal clothes. Therefore, you shouldn’t feel out of place in a formal gown/tux or in a sundress/polo shirt.Plenty of people will be wearing both types of clothing, so you will fit in no matter what you decide to do.

Swimsuits

We like to pack 3 swimsuits per person. This way we have an extra suit to wear while the other one is hanging to dry.Since we sometimes wear swimsuits at two different times during the day, we pack a third swimsuit to be safe.

There’s nothing worse than putting on a wet swimsuit! Even though we pack 3 swimsuits, I tend to only take 2 coverups per person. If you have extra space in your suitcase, you can always pack a third one though.

Dinner Outfits

Depending on where you choose to eat on the ship, you can typically dress in a smart casual manner. My husband usually wears golf attire (polo and pants), and my daughters and I wear casual dresses for dinner in the dining room.

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I ALWAYS pack a cardigan or light jacket for my kids and me because the dining rooms can get chilly.Additionally, your cruise itinerary may include a theme night or two like pirate night, Caribbean night, 70’s night, etc. If you would like to participate in a themed night, you will want to pack accordingly.

Day Outfits

In addition to your swimsuit and coverup, you will probably want an outfit to wear during the day. We tend to return to our stateroom after swimming to change into dry clothes before going back out for other activities.Day outfits can consist of anything from athletic wear to sundresses.

If you plan to work out on the trip or utilize the jogging track, make sure you pack sneakers and appropriate clothing for this as well. Also, try to determine what types of activities you may want to experience during the day. Some of these may have dress requirements. For example, an ice-skating rink may require long pants and socks.

Toiletries

You will typically find items like soap, shampoo, and conditioner inside your cabin’s bathroom. However, many cruisers prefer to bring their own items. You may also want to pack the following:

• Toothbrushes/toothpaste
• Floss/mouthwash
• Deodorant
• Face moisturizer
• Shaving cream/razors
• Lotion
• Sunscreen
• Hair brush/Hair products
• Makeup
• Perfume/cologne
• Air freshener
• Flat iron/Curling iron
• Hair Dryer (Most ships have this item, but we like to bring our own.)
• Dish soap/Bottle brush- If you bring refillable water bottles, you will want to pack dish soap to clean them in the bathroom. I also pack a bottle brush to reach down into the water bottle for cleaning.
• Downy Wrinkle Releaser- This is a miracle product! You just spray it on your clothes, smooth them out, and the wrinkles disappear as it dries. You can find travel sized bottles here. (Amazon Affiliate Link)
• Liquid hand soap- This may just be my family, but we prefer liquid hand soap by the bathroom sink. The bar soap that is typically provided tends to dry out our hands, and it makes a huge mess.

Caribbean Cruise Packing List

If your cruise itinerary includes the Caribbean islands or the Bahamas, you are probably going to be spending time on a beach. If so, these are the items I recommend adding to your cruise packing checklist. (Note that the links below are Amazon affiliate links that take you to the product we use on Amazon.)

• Beach Bag or Backpack
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Reef safe sunscreen
• Lip balm
• Water Shoes (for beaches with lots of shells or rocks)
• Goggles
• Collapsible Sand Pail
• Flip Flops
• Refillable Water Bottles
• Jellyfish Repellent

It’s important to note that you DO NOT need to pack beach towels. The cruise lines should allow you to take a towel from the ship to use on any shore excursions provided you bring it back.

(I also want to mention that I am only recommending items I personally use for my family. Any Amazon link you find in this post connects you to a product that I use for every cruise we take. I do not ever recommend things I have not tried and loved.)

Cruise Cabin Organization

Now that we have covered clothing and other necessities, let’s discuss some fun tricks and hacks for keeping your stateroom organized. These especially come in handy if your room is on the smaller side.

Key Card Holder

Many cruisers use lanyards to hold their room cards while on the cruise ship. While I used to recommend them and used them myself, I now carry my room card in my phone case. Since I tend to keep my phone on me at all times for picture taking etc, it seemed like a good idea to attach my room card to my phone.So, I purchased this phone case, which holds my ID and room card (and credit cards when I’m not sailing).

Power Strip

Some cruise cabins do not offer a lot of charging outlets for devices. Cruise lines are very particular about what type of power strip you can bring aboard. Surge protectors and extension cords are not allowed, but my family and I use this power strip to provide extra outlets when needed.

Laundry Bag

My family and I travel with a laundry bag on every trip we take. It makes it easy to have the kids throw all their dirty clothes in one spot.When we are unpacking at home, it’s easy to see where all the dirty clothes are located.

Packing Cubes

These packing cubes are AMAZING! You can buy them in different colors and assign each family member his/her own color.

You can pack pajamas in one, workout clothes in another, undergarments in a different one, etc. They make it super easy to unpack your clothing because you can pile them on shelves or in drawers without mixing up your items. I highly recommend them as we don’t travel anywhere without them. You can see the packing cubes we use here.

Gallon Ziplock Bags

I pack anything that can potentially leak in a Ziplock bag. I also pack a few extra bags to hold wet swimsuits. This way we can change clothes while on an excursion and put our wet swimwear in a bag.

Magnetic Hooks

These are awesome!Did you know that most of the walls, doors, and ceilings on the ships are magnetic? That means you can stick these hooks virtually anywhere in your stateroom and they will be secure. We like to hang wet swimsuits from the magnetic hooks. Many families also secure the hooks to the ceiling and attach a curtain to them. This serves as a room divider for parents/kids.

Over the Door Shoe Organizer

I also use the magnetic hooks mentioned above to attach this shoe organizer to the bathroom door or to a wall in our stateroom. You can then use the shoe organizer to hold anything from sunscreen to hairbrushes to toiletries. (Amazon Affiliate Link)

Hanging Closet Organizer

I like to pack this hanging closet organizer because it folds up really flat and doesn’t take up much space in your luggage. You can hang it inside your stateroom closet for more storage space.(Amazon Affiliate Link)

Baby Cruise Packing Checklist

If you are traveling with a baby or toddler, you will have extra items to take with you. Some of the items you may want to pack for little ones are as follows:

• diapers
• diaper rash cream
• wipes
• disposable diaper bags
• favorite toys/blankets
• sippy cups/bottles
• pacifiers
• formula/breastfeeding accessories
• swim diapers
• bibs
• baby soap
• Pre-packaged snacks

Final Thoughts on the Printable Cruise Packing List

We know the above information can seem really overwhelming. Packing for any type of vacation is sure to be stressful. If you print the cruise packing checklist and refer to this post for explanations, you should be able to make a shopping list of cruise essentials. If you forget something, try not to fret.

Many of the cruise ships and ports of call offer shops where you can purchase any forgotten items.We hope you found this information really helpful and that you enjoy your upcoming cruise vacation! If you would like to read more about my family’s adventures while cruising, you can check out our Oasis of the Seas Trip Review here!

Did we miss something? What would you add to the printable cruise checklist? Comment below to share with us!