Cruise Packing List
By the NanoPack team · Updated on · Checked against official sources
What to pack for a cruise: for a typical week-long sailing, pack for three modes: relaxed sea days, active port days, and one or two dressier evenings. Bring layers for the cold dining rooms, a day bag for excursions, and the cruise-specific extras most people forget: magnetic hooks for the steel cabin walls, a non-surge power strip (banned on Royal Caribbean), motion-sickness remedy and small notes of cash for tips. Surge protectors are confiscated at the gangway on every line.
Cruise essentials at a glance
- Passport or ID and your cruise boarding pass
- Swimwear (2 to 3)
- One dressy outfit per formal night
- Comfortable walking shoes for ports
- Reef-safe sunscreen and after-sun
- Motion-sickness remedy
- Magnetic hooks for the steel cabin walls
- A non-surge power strip (check your cruise line)
- Small notes of cash for tips and taxis
- A day bag for shore excursions
The hardest part of packing for a cruise is the cabin itself: storage is tight, the walls are steel, and anything you forget you will either overpay for on board or do without for a week. So this list is built to be complete but lean, grouped the way you actually pack, with quantities for a standard 7-day sailing and the reasoning behind the less obvious items. Where your itinerary changes the rules, the Alaska and Caribbean lists further down cover the differences.
Documents and money
- Passport or ID
- Cruise boarding pass or SetSail documents · printed or in the app
- Printed luggage tags
- Lanyard with a waterproof card holder
- Cash in small notes · crew tips, port taxis, bar staff
- Credit and debit cards
- Travel insurance details and copies of documents
- Printed excursion tickets
Cabin hacks
- Magnetic hooks ×6 · walls are steel, this triples your storage
- Over-the-door shoe organiser · toiletries and small items
- A non-surge power strip or USB hub · check your line, see the tips below
- Highlighter · mark up the daily program
- Small nightlight
- Command strips and a few clips
- Pop-up laundry hamper
- A small clip fan · inside cabins get warm
- Travel-size air freshener
Clothing, daytime
- Tops ×1 per day
- Shorts or skirts ×1 per 2 days
- Trousers or jeans ×2
- Light dresses or casual outfits ×2 to 3
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- A light cardigan or layer · everywhere is air-conditioned
- Activewear if you will use the gym
Formal and evening
- One dressy outfit per formal night · usually 1 to 2 on a 7-day cruise
- Dress shoes
- A blazer or jacket
- Accessories or jewellery
- A wrap for cold theatres and dining rooms
Swim and pool
- Swimwear ×2 to 3 · one is always drying
- Rash guard or swim shirt
- Cover-up
- Flip-flops for the pool deck
- Goggles
- A waterproof phone pouch
Shoes
- Comfortable walking shoes for ports
- Sandals
- Water shoes · rocky beaches and wet excursions
Toiletries and health
- Travel-size toiletries
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Deodorant and skincare
- Reef-safe sunscreen SPF 30+
- After-sun and aloe
- Lip balm with SPF
- Any medication · original packaging, in your carry-on
- Motion-sickness remedy and bands
- Hand sanitiser · norovirus is the enemy at sea
- Basic first-aid: plasters, painkillers, antacids
Electronics and gadgets
- Phone and charger
- Power bank
- Travel adapter for ports abroad
- Headphones or earbuds
- E-reader or tablet with downloads
- Camera and spare memory card
- Spare charging cables
Day bag and excursions
- A packable day backpack
- Refillable water bottle
- Cash and a copy of your ID
- Snacks
- Binoculars · wildlife and scenic cruising
- A light rain jacket
Entertainment and laundry
- Books or an e-reader
- Playing cards or a travel game
- A journal and pen
- Wrinkle-release spray
- A stain-remover pen
- Zip-lock bags · for wet swimwear
What not to pack
Items that are prohibited or pointless to bring. Some are confiscated at security.
- Surge protectors · banned on all lines, confiscated at security
- Extension cords or power strips with surge protection
- Any power strip on Royal Caribbean · fleet-wide ban since 2024
- Candles and incense · open flames are prohibited
- Irons and clothes steamers · fire risk, most lines provide laundry
- Kettles, hot plates and heating pads
- Drones · banned or heavily restricted on most lines
- Hoverboards
- Large speakers
- Alcohol beyond the embarkation-day allowance
- Illegal drugs, including cannabis and CBD · even where legal on land
- Weapons of any kind
What the ship already provides
No need to pack these, though it varies by cruise line.
- Bath towels and pool towels · pool towels may be checked out with your card
- Soap, basic shampoo and body wash
- An in-cabin hairdryer
- Drinking glasses and ice
- Bathrobes · suites, or on request on some lines
- Paid laundry and dry-cleaning service
Packing tips and mistakes to avoid
The power-strip trap
Surge protectors are banned on every cruise line and are pulled at security, because a ship's isolated electrical ground can make them read as a fire risk. A plain non-surge power strip is allowed on most lines (Carnival, NCL, Princess, Celebrity, Disney, MSC and the European lines). Royal Caribbean is the exception: since 2024 it bans all power strips and extension cords. Check your own line before you pack one.
Formal nights, without a suitcase of formalwear
Most 7-day cruises have one or two formal or gala nights. One dressy outfit you can re-wear covers it: a dark dress, or trousers with a jacket. Everything else is smart-casual. You do not need a different outfit for every evening.
Your cabin may not be ready when you board
Cabins often open a few hours after boarding, but your checked bags arrive even later. Put anything you need for the first afternoon (swimwear, sunscreen, medication, a change of shirt) in your carry-on so you can hit the pool while everyone else waits.
Bringing drinks aboard
On embarkation day most lines let each adult carry on one sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne, plus a small quantity of canned soft drinks or water. Limits and container rules vary by line, so check yours to avoid it being taken at the gangway.
The things people forget
- Magnetic hooks for the steel cabin walls
- Cash in small notes for crew tips and port taxis
- Motion-sickness remedy, packed before you feel you need it
- A carry-on with your medication and swimwear, your cabin may not be ready at boarding
What travelers wish they had brought
- A light layer for the freezing dining rooms
- A power strip so two people can charge at once
- A lanyard so the key card is always on you
- Binoculars for scenic cruising
Frequently asked questions
Can you bring a power strip on a cruise?
A non-surge power strip is allowed on most cruise lines, but any surge protector is banned and will be confiscated at security. Royal Caribbean bans all power strips and extension cords fleet-wide. Always check your specific line's current policy.
Can you bring your own drinks on a cruise?
On embarkation day, most lines allow each adult to bring one sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne, and a small quantity of canned or bottled non-alcoholic drinks in your carry-on. Exact limits vary by line, so confirm before you sail.
What should you not pack for a cruise?
Leave out surge protectors, extension cords with surge protection, candles, irons, and drones (banned on most ships). Full-size liquids are fine in checked luggage but follow the 3-1-1 rule for anything in your carry-on.
Do you have to dress up for dinner on a cruise?
Most cruises have one or two formal nights where the dining room asks for cocktail or smart attire, and the rest are smart-casual. One dressy outfit you can re-wear is enough for a typical week.
What do cruisers always forget to pack?
The most common misses are magnetic hooks for the steel cabin walls, small notes of cash for crew tips and port taxis, motion-sickness remedy, and a lanyard for the key card.
What does a cruise ship provide in the cabin?
Cabins come with bath towels, pool towels, an in-cabin hairdryer, basic soap and shampoo, and drinking glasses. Bathrobes are usually in suites or available on request. You do not need to pack towels or a hairdryer.
Do cruise cabins have power outlets and USB ports?
Most modern cabins have a couple of outlets and often USB ports, but older ships can have very few. A non-surge power strip or a USB hub solves the shortage on most lines, though Royal Caribbean bans all of them.
What shoes should you pack for a cruise?
Comfortable walking shoes for port days, sandals or flip-flops for the pool, one pair of dress shoes for formal nights, and water shoes if you have rocky-beach or wet excursions.