There’s nothing more exciting than the days leading up to a cruise. At least, right up until that moment when you realize that the volume of the luggage you’ve managed to neatly pack for your cruise… is approximately three times the volume of the car that will drive you there… Doh!

Resist the urge to over-pack for your cruise by following these guidelines.

True Essentials

There are just two things you absolutely must have when you arrive at the cruise port:

1. Your passport (or other accepted identification)
2. Your boarding pass (or a digital version thereof on your phone)

Anything else can be replaced in a pinch! So let go of the stress of what-if.

Just Clothe Yourself

You don’t need anything fancy for your wardrobe. You’ve got plenty of exciting excursions and enticing beverages to spend your hard-earned vacation money on. Bring enough clothes to keep you comfortable for the length of your cruise.

I said enough — no more!

You can wear a pair of pants twice, even in the Caribbean sun. You will only wear one shirt at a time, so you don’t need “options”. Invest in some nice packing cubes (paid link), roll your clothes to minimize wrinkles, and pack only one outfit (plus plan a transition to dinner clothes) per day.

Individual’s Caribbean Cruise Packing List

• Theme night clothing (one option per night, or less)
• Regular day clothing (one outfit per day, and plan to re-wear those pants!)
• 1-3 pairs of shoes that cover ALL outfits (dressy, casual, and I’ll allow a pair of boots if you sail out of Galveston)
• Socks and underwear (okay, one per day PLUS an extra, I’m not a monster)
• Pajamas (one set per 3-4 days, unless you’re on your honeymoon)
• Swimsuit, cover-up, and swim shoes (two swimsuits, so one can dry while you’re soaking in the hot tub)
• Workout clothes (haha! at most one set, unless you have actually worked out 7 days in the past week…)
• Light jacket for cool evenings on deck (just one, it’s only for emergencies anyway)

Lay these things out on the bed next to your suitcase. Okay, now revisit the parentheses above and cut it down to the number given to pack for your cruise. Really, you’re going to be on a cruise. Relaaaaax, don’t worry about what you’re wearing!

Comfort in Emergencies

Now, your clothes are neatly rolled and compressed into packing cubes, and you still have half of your suitcase available, right? No, no, you don’t need that third pair of dress shoes, I promise, go put it back! Black goes with everything. Okay, at least a quarter of the suitcase available, right? Now, there are a few emergency items that I do recommend you pack for your cruise.

• Seasickness meds (ginger candy, Dramamine, Sea Bands, Bonine – whatever you prefer to have on hand, just in case you need it)
• Incidental meds (travel-size Tylenol, Advil, Tums – you are likely to eat more than usual, and trips to medical are NOT relaxing)
• Nature protection (reef-safe sunscreen, bug spray, chapstick, aloe vera – maybe even one collapsible hat and some shades)

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Fun Cruise Stuff!

Is there still room in your suitcase? If not, skip this section. Nothing here is necessary! But I know for my family, we enjoy having a few cruise specifics on board with us. I’ve mentioned these before, but I will list them here as well:

• lanyards with phone connectors, to carry around our door keys and enable pocket-free Caribbean wear
• a collection of magnetic hooks for hanging up lanyards, wet swimsuits, and such
• a handful of magnet rocks for clipping papers such as excursion tickets up to the wall to keep the desk surface clear(er)
• a hanging shoe organizer (hanging on magnetic hooks) for shoes, sunglasses, and various other sundries
• an assortment of cruise ducks that we plan to hide around the ship for others to find (and passports for them to “carry”)

Be sure to leave a tiny bit of room (or cheat like I do with a separate makeup case) for the inevitable…

Last-Minute Additions to Pack for Your Cruise

You’re almost packed! Just a few last-minute essentials that have to wait until the morning you depart:

• Toiletries (basic skincare, toothbrush & toothpaste, you know the drill!)
• Makeup & jewelry (minimal, and only if you’re the type to wear it on vacation!)
• Charger for your phone

And then check one more time — you have your passport and boarding pass, right? Your plane tickets or parking pass? A bit of cash for the luggage porter? Then you are ready to go!

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I know, it feels strange to pack light when you are used to preparing for every contingency. Just try it this one time. If you find you really can’t live without that bright yellow clutch to contrast your favorite black dress, you can buy a new one in port… and then pencil it into your personal checklist for next time!