The Caribbean is one of my favorite places to be. Between the sun, the sand, the food, the music – it sets my soul on fire! A cruise is a fantastic way to get to experience multiple Caribbean locations all in one trip. So what exactly do you need to pack for such an adventure? Here we’ll break down everything you need to bring, in our ultimate Caribbean cruise packing list!
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For tons of information to help make your next cruise perfect, check out our expert advice and top tips for cruising. Also be sure to read our list of 37 cruise travel essentials you’ll need for your trip, to make sure you don’t forget anything important!
Where Is The Caribbean?
The Caribbean is a wonderful subregion of the Americas, technically consisting of the Caribbean Sea and 13 sovereign island nations. Those nations are as follows:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Grenada
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
There are also numerous islands in the Caribbean that are part of other countries, such as the United States, France, England, and the Netherlands. These islands include the following:
- Anguilla
- Aruba
- British Virgin Islands
- Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba
- Cayman Islands
- Curacao
- Guadeloupe
- Martinique
- Montserrat
- Puerto Rico
- Saint Barthelemy
- Saint Martin/Sint Maartin
- Turks and Caicos
- US Virgin Islands
Many Caribbean cruises also stop at numerous ports in the Americas. Some of those include the following:
- Belize City, Belize
- Cozumel, Mexico
- Costa Maya, Mexico
- Colon, Panama
- Roatan, Honduras
- Cartagena, Colombia
- San Andreas Island, Colombia
- San Jose, Costa Rica
- Key West, Florida, USA
What Is The Weather Like In The Caribbean?
Before packing for any vacation, it’s essential to understand the local weather conditions. You want to make sure you’re bringing appropriate attire for your trip! Below we’ve touched on what type of weather you can expect on your Caribbean cruise. It’s always important to keep an eye on the weather forecast while you’re packing so you can be sure you’re bringing the right stuff!
Temperature In The Caribbean
The Caribbean is situated near the equator, and as such, the climate tends to remain warm all year round. Average high temperatures range from the high 70’s to the low 90’s, but temperatures can easily get over 100°F.
Different islands have slight differences in average temperatures, depending on their elevations, but overall the weather in the entire Caribbean is extremely pleasant. Winter months have less humidity than summer months, making them quite ideal for a getaway.
Precipitation In The Caribbean
The Caribbean is tropical, therefore you should expect some rain. Rainy season generally starts in June and goes through November, however, some islands get very little rain all year.
Don’t be discouraged by the prospect of rain though! Frequently, it only rains heavily for a very short amount of time, and the sun comes right back out again. You may get heavy but brief tropical rain showers, except during hurricane season when you may get a full tropical storm.
The Caribbean Hurricane Season
Peak hurricane season in the Caribbean is late August through October. Some islands in the Caribbean have a high chance of being blasted by hurricanes, and there’s significantly more rainfall.
Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, also known as the ABC Islands, are pretty well-protected from hurricanes because of their locations. There are tons of awesome things to do in Curacao in fact, including swimming with sea turtles and dolphins!
Barbados and Grenada also rarely get affected by hurricanes, so if you’re looking for the safest option as far as hurricanes go, cruise itineraries visiting these islands are probably your best bet.
Best Time To Take A Caribbean Cruise
Because of hurricane season, the best time to visit the Caribbean on a cruise would be December through April. This is the dry season, consequently it’s the most popular time frame for taking a Caribbean cruise. Since it’s the most popular time for cruising, there tend to be more options. It’s also the busiest and most expensive time of the year to cruise.
Summer months tend to be more popular for families, as kids are on school break. Cruises in the summer are usually cheaper than winter cruises, as rainy season has started, and the weather is more humid then.
Your own personal best time to take a Caribbean cruise depends on your budget, your preference for crowd sizes, and your tolerance for wet weather. Use our guide when planning your trip so you can be sure you’re picking the perfect cruise for you!
What Types Of Things To Pack For A Caribbean Cruise
For a Caribbean cruise, you will need a variety of clothing and footwear items. If you’ve ever been to a tropical all-inclusive resort, you’ll be familiar with the types of things you’ll need to pack.
You’re going to need casual clothes to hang out in, nicer clothes for dinners, swimwear, and shoes to go with it all. Typically, cruises have a formal night or two, so you will need a dressier-than-usual outfit for that.
There are plenty of little items people bring on cruises that you may not even be aware of. Folks bring things to make their experience more comfortable or convenient, such as power strips and towel clips.
You’ll also want to pack your usual electronics and chargers – phones, e-readers, tablets, cameras, etc. although many people do use cruises as a chance to unplug from a lot of that.
Pro Tip: Join Facebook groups for your particular cruise line, ship, or sailing! There you can find specific and up-to-date information regarding your trip. This may include theme nights, special get togethers, port information, and more!
Clothing To Pack On A Caribbean Cruise
Casual Outfits
When packing for your cruise, you’ll want be sure you have plenty of comfortable casual outfits. This could range from jeans or shorts and t-shirts, to sundresses, to flowy linen pants and tops. You’ll spend the majority of your time on the ship in casual wear.
We recommend bringing a casual outfit for every day. This is the stuff you’re going to wear both on the ship and when you go off to the ports, so make sure you have enough for every day of your trip. Don’t forget to bring an outfit to travel back home in!
We also suggest bringing a hoodie or sweater. The temperature sometimes drops quite a bit at night, and the wind can be stronger than you would expect. You very well may need another layer if you want to hang out outside on the ship at night, so be sure to pack one!
Dinner Outfits
Dinner time on cruise ships gets a bit less casual. If you dine in the restaurants or main dining room, you likely won’t be able to wear certain items. Tank tops, flip flops, sports jerseys – all of that is considered inappropriate for dinner wear on many cruise lines.
Instead, think “resort casual” for your outfits. Men can wear nicer pants or jeans with button downs or polo shirts. Women can wear skirts or pants with nicer tops, dresses, or jumpsuits.
Again, you may want to bring a sweater or shawl for cooler temperatures. Even the AC in the dining room may be enough to prompt you to put on another layer, so be prepared!
Formal Wear
Many cruises have what’s known as “formal night”. You may hear it being referred to as “Captain’s Night” as well. This is when people tend to bring out their best attire.
Men typically don suits, with or without ties, or even tuxedos. Women wear nice dresses or evening gowns. There is no limit to the glamour that’s allowed on formal nights! You’ll see some folks in business casual attire, and some in outfits fit for a royal gala. Depending on the length of your cruise there may even be more than one formal night.
Swimwear
You obviously will need to bring swimwear with you on a cruise, especially one to the Caribbean! There’ll be pools on your ship, hot tubs, and some even have miniature water parks complete with water slides.
Not to mention, in the Caribbean it’s almost impossible to pass up an opportunity to snorkel in the crystal clear waters. There are excursions galore that you’ll need a swimsuit for. You might swim with dolphins or sea turtles, take a ride on a catamaran, go cave tubing, or maybe even try parasailing!
Most folks bring at least 2 swimsuits on their cruise. Some pack one for every day. However many you decide to bring, you should be sure to also bring a coverup or two. You’ll also need a coverup over your swimsuit for when you hit up the buffet, or are roaming around the ship.
Footwear To Add To Your Caribbean Cruise Packing List
Sandals/Flip Flops
Typically, tropical weather means sandals of some sort! Bring a versatile pair of sandals to go with your casual outfits. Women tend to be able to get away with wearing casual sandals to dinner too, if they mesh well with your dinner clothes.
Of course, you’ll also want to pack a pair or two of flip flops in your luggage. You’ll use these when hanging out by the pool or at the beach.
Sneakers/Walking Shoes
Cruise ships have TONS of activities all day long. There are basketball and tennis courts, rock climbing walls, group workouts, scavenger hunts, and so much more. Most of these will require you to have on a pair of sneakers, so make sure to bring one along.
You also may decide to do various walking tours or explore whatever port you’re at for the day. In this case, you’ll be very glad to have on a comfortable pair of walking shoes.
Dress Shoes
For dinners you will need a more elegant pair of shoes. Loafers, leather shoes, Chelsea boots, high heels, and elegant sandals are all appropriate footwear for dinnertime.
We recommend bringing only one or two pairs of dressy shoes with you. Try to match as many outfits as you can with your shoes, so you don’t have a million pairs of shoes taking up all your luggage space.
Excursion-Specific Shoes
Depending on your specific excursion choices, you may or may not need specific types of footwear. This may include hiking shoes or boots, or possibly water shoes. This will be entirely dependent on the types of activities you plan on doing at the ports.
Before you go on your cruise, you will be able to see a list of available excursions through your cruise line. The requirements for individual excursions will be listed to allow you time to prepare for exactly what you will need to pack.
You also can research excursions that aren’t offered on the ships. We book our own excursions in St. Lucia, for example, but we tend to stick with the excursions offered on the ship in some other places.
Gear and Gadgets To Pack For A Caribbean Cruise
Camera
Photographs are my favorite vacation souvenir. More often than not, I simply take photos with my phone. Most modern phones come equipped with quite powerful cameras nowadays. However, occasionally I prefer to use an actual camera to take pictures.
You may be perfectly content with simply using your phone to take pictures, but if you’d rather more professional looking photos I suggest bringing a Camera with you like this one below.
Power Strip
A lot of cruise ships have very few outlets in the staterooms. Therefore, you will need to bring a power strip with you in order to charge all your devices.
My daughter prefers the classic snorkel set, but personally I prefer the full faced style of snorkel mask. I find it much easier to breathe, plus it doesn’t fog up on me like the classic masks tend to. It also gives me a wider view, so I can enjoy more of what I’m seeing!
Snorkels/Masks
Snorkeling is one of the most popular activities in the Caribbean, and for good reason! The tropical waters are home to thousands of different species of sea life, and the crystal clear water ensures you’ll be able to see so much more than you could imagine. You will be able to rent snorkel gear at most locations, but we always prefer our own to that used by hundreds of other people.
My daughter prefers the classic snorkel set, but personally I prefer the full faced style of snorkel mask. I find it much easier to breathe, plus it doesn’t fog up on me like the classic masks tend to. It also gives me a wider view, so I can enjoy more of what I’m seeing!
Nightlight
Cruise cabins get extremely dark at night, and it can be a bit dangerous trying to navigate your unfamiliar small stateroom if you need to get up for any reason in the middle of the night.
This is why it is strongly recommended to pack some sort of nightlight with you. I suggest bringing a small motion-activated nightlight for use, especially if you are cruising with children.
![Night Light Motion Sensor [Battery Powered] with Rotating Base for Indoor Use in Bathroom, Hallway, Cruise Cabin & More White](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/316OwWqsmhL._SL500_.jpg)
Portable Fan
Cruise cabins can get stuffy, especially if you have an interior room. Do yourself a favor and pack a portable battery operated fan. Use it to move fresh air into your room, or cool yourself off when it gets really hot.
Beach Bag/Backpack
You definitely want to have some sort of bag to tote around your stuff, both while you’re on the cruise ship and while you’re in the ports. Whether you choose a beach bag or a backpack is up to you, but you will have stuff to carry, so make your life easier by bringing a bag.
![EasyAcc Portable Desk Fan Desktop Fan, Battery Operated Fan 6-Inch Foldable Travel Fan [ Ultra-Quiet Step-less Speed Control ] 160°Tilt Standing Hanging Cooling Fan for Travel Office Home Outdoor](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Db2QtyvJL._SL500_.jpg)
Pro Tip: Use the same bag as both your carry on for the airplane and for use on vacation!
Personal Care Items To Pack
First Aid Items/Medications
Any time you go on a vacation it’s important to bring your medications, and a cruise is no exception to this. You absolutely want to bring any prescriptions you might have. Don’t forget glasses and/or contacts if you wear them! It’s also a very good idea to bring various medications such as those for pain relief, fever, nausea, allergies, etc.
You may want to bring various first aid items with you as well. Bandaids in varying sizes always come in handy. I always bring an ace bandage in case of a rolled ankle, as well. A big item to remember if you plan on drinking is electrolyte packs to add to your water.
We strongly recommend bringing sea sickness medication with you on a cruise. Dramamine comes in both kids and adult forms. Scopolamine is a transdermal patch that is used for motion sickness as well.
Sea Bands, which we have found to be very effective for our daughter, use acupressure points on the wrist to prevent and get rid of seasickness. I highly recommend getting Sea Bands for your cruise, even if you don’t believe you will get seasick. You never know how rough the ocean may decide to be while you’re out there, and Sea Bands are one of those things you will be grateful to have packed if you wind up getting a rocky day at sea.
Reef Safe Sunscreen
Do not forget sunscreen!! Tropical sun is strong and it is extremely likely that you will burn without sunscreen, regardless of your skin tone. It’s also important that the sunscreen you bring is reef-safe if you plan on going in the ocean.
Most tours and excursions will check that you have reef safe sunscreen before they let you in the water, and if it’s not you will have to purchase some from them, or go without.
The chemicals present in regular sunscreen can cause significant harm to the fragile marine life, which is why it’s imperative to use products that are safe for tropical waters. Look for sunscreens that do not contain harmful chemicals such as oxybenzone, octocrylene, or octinoxate. Just because it says “reef safe” on the label does not actually mean that it is reef safe.
Aloe Vera
In case you’re not as diligent with applying sunscreen as you should have been, (we’ve all been there!), you may want to bring some after sun care with you. Aloe Vera gel is well known to soothe sun burns, so I recommend bringing a bottle along.
You also should do yourself a favor and get a bottle of this after sun care. It’s like magic in a bottle and will soothe your burned skin immediately upon application. It’s a miracle gel that isn’t sticky and works wonders, and you’ll be happy you brought it with you.
Hat and Sunglasses
The tropical sun on a Caribbean cruise means you should definitely bring some sort of hat. You can do any type of hat you want – a baseball cap, a bucket hat, or my personal favorite, a floppy straw beach hat.
Make sure you bring sunglasses too. I actually recommend bringing an extra pair of sunglasses in case you lose or break your first one.
Toiletries
Cruise ships provide hair dryers, so you don’t need to bring your own unless you are very specific about the type you like. Bring any other hair care appliance you may need, such as straighteners or curling wands.
Cruise ship toiletries leave much to be desired. If you are ok with a 2-in-1 or even a 3-in-1 shampoo/conditioner/body wash, then by all means, leave your products at home. If you’re anything like me, however, you prefer your own hair and body products. Grab small toiletries bottles like these ones and fill them with your own favorite products from home.
Women may want to bring menstrual items just in case, even if you’re not expecting to need them. Pads and tampons can be very expensive on cruise ships!
Additional Items On Your Caribbean Cruise Packing List
Passport
Although technically you are able to take some cruises without a passport, and just show your birth certificate, we strongly recommend having a passport. Getting a US passport isn’t difficult, but does take time, so start the process at least 4 months before your intended cruise.
Over The Door Shoe Organizer
Space in cruise ship cabins is extremely limited. Staying as organized as possible is key, and one way we do this is by utilizing an over the door shoe organizer. Not for shoes, but for toiletries! Hang it on the inside of the bathroom door, and you now have multiple spots for your various items.
We use it for all of our shampoos, conditioners, body washes, lotions, toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorants, perfumes and colognes – everything. It keeps everything you need daily easily accessible, and out of the way. Your cabin stays tidy, and you don’t have to worry about anything rolling around if the ship rocks.
Magnetic Hooks
Did you know that cruise cabin doors and walls are metal? Even the ceilings are made of metal! This means that you can easily increase your ability to stay organized in your room by using magnetic hooks to hang up wet clothes, lanyards, decorations, and anything else you may think of.
We brought this set with us, and it really came in handy for when we needed to hang our swimsuits to dry, and when we decorated our cabin for our son’s birthday! We also placed a hook right by the door, to hang everyone’s lanyards containing our Sea Passes, that way they never got misplaced.
Lanyards
When you take a cruise you are given a sailing card. This serves as your ID, your door key, and your credit card. Therefore, you need to keep it with you at all times.
Instead of keeping it in a pocket where it can fall out, or a wallet where you have to keep retrieving it, use a badge holder on a lanyard. This is especially crucial for kids, to ensure they don’t lose their cards.
Luggage Tags
When you take a cruise, you are required to place a tag on your luggage indicating your name and cabin number. Without a holder for this tag you run the risk of it getting ripped off, wet, or otherwise becoming illegible. This would be very unfortunate for you, as the ship attendants wouldn’t then be able to deliver your luggage to your room!
These tags are perfect for attaching to your luggage.
Refillable Water Bottle
Even though you can get whatever drinks your heart desires while on the ship, it’s always a good idea to have a refillable water bottle with you. I keep mine with me all the time, since I drink a lot of water throughout the day.
You definitely want to have one with you when you leave the ship to visit the ports or go on excursions, at the very least. Here are our top picks for water bottles.
Towel Clips Or Bands
Another helpful item to pack on a Caribbean cruise is a set of towel clips or towel bands. These are great for both keeping your towel on the chair the way you placed it, and also for helping you to distinguish your chair from the sea of identical looking ones on the deck.
Wrinkle Release Spray
Cruise ships do not provide irons. In fact, irons and clothes steamers are on the extensive list of things you can’t bring on a cruise ship. So what do you do about wrinkly clothes?
First, before you pack you should iron out your clothes that are prone to wrinkling, and then pack them carefully in garment bags. This will help prevent wrinkles from happening in the first place. Second, you should unpack your luggage as soon as possible and hang everything up.
Some folks try to hang their clothes in the bathroom while they take a hot shower, and let the steam try to work out some of the wrinkles. But cruise ship bathrooms are very small, and this method isn’t always as effective as you want it to be.
Instead, once you’ve hung up your garments, use this Wrinkle Release Spray and gently tug and smooth the wrinkles out of your clothes.
Door Lock
Any time I travel anywhere, both in the US and abroad, there are a couple safety items I always bring with me. That is not to say any particular location is inherently dangerous. It’s just that I always want to exercise caution, no matter where I am. Cruise ships are no exception to this rule.
One such item I always bring with us is an extra door lock for our room. This set of two is what I purchased, and bring with us on every single trip, no matter where we go, including cruises. These just give me a little added peace of mind when we’re away, that the room is secure while we sleep.
What Not To Pack On A Cruise
There are many items you cannot pack on a cruise, regardless of the cruise line. These of course include weapons of any kind, real or fake. Nor can you bring anything that constitutes a fire hazard. You also are not permitted to bring anything that may pose a health or safety risk to yourself or others.
Therefore, the following are some of the items you must leave at home when packing for your Caribbean cruise.
- Weapons and ammunition
- Drugs including marijuana, and alcohol. (Note: some cruises allow you to bring a bottle or two of wine with you.)
- Anything posing a fire hazard including irons, steamers, coffee makers, toasters, hot plates, candles, incense, fireworks, flares, torch lighters, tea kettles, heated blankets, surge protectors, etc.
- Anything wheeled, such as skateboards, rollerblades, scooters, hoverboards, wheeled sneakers, etc. Of course mobility items are allowed such as wheelchairs, strollers, and motorized scooters.
- Items which can pose a safety hazard, such as drones, kites, and other flying objects.
Be sure to check the prohibited items list for your specific cruise line when packing for your Caribbean cruise.
IMPORTANT NOTE: In many Caribbean locations it is illegal to wear anything camouflage. This includes all clothing and accessories, including hats and bags. If you wear camo you will be detained and possibly fined. Do not pack camouflage items when traveling to Antigua, Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, or Trinidad and Tobago.
