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🛳️ Cruise Packing List
Everything a week at sea asks for: boarding documents, port days, formal night, and the cabin items that make a small room work — including the one power strip rule most lines enforce at the gangway.
🗓 Planning the days too? Cruise Itinerary Template
| Category | Item | Qty | Packed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documents & money | Wallet | 1 | |
| Documents & money | Photo ID / driver's license | 1 | |
| Documents & money | Debit / credit card | ||
| Documents & money | Cash in small bills | ||
| Documents & money | Keys | 1 | |
| Documents & money | Boarding pass (printed or in the airline app) | ||
| Documents & money | REAL ID-compliant license, passport, or another TSA-accepted ID — US domestic flights, age 18+ | 1 | |
| Documents & money | Hotel / rental confirmations saved offline | ||
| Documents & money | Cruise boarding documents + printed luggage tags | ||
| Documents & money | Passport — or birth certificate plus photo ID on closed-loop US sailings | 1 | |
| Documents & money | Excursion confirmations with meeting times | ||
| Documents & money | Small bills for porters and tips | ||
| Clothing | Underwear | 1 per day + 2 | |
| Clothing | Socks | 1 per day + 2 | |
| Clothing | T-shirts / tops | 1 per day | |
| Clothing | Pants, jeans, or skirts | 1 per 2–3 days | |
| Clothing | Sleepwear | ||
| Clothing | Dressier outfit for formal night | 1 | |
| Clothing | Jewelry or accessories | ||
| Clothing | Sunglasses | 1 | |
| Clothing | Wide-brim hat or cap | 1 | |
| Clothing | Shorts | ||
| Clothing | Lightweight breathable tops | ||
| Clothing | One layer for over-air-conditioned rooms | 1 | |
| Footwear | Everyday shoes | 1 pair | |
| Footwear | Dress shoes | 1 pair | |
| Footwear | Sandals | 1 pair | |
| Footwear | Water shoes for rocky or reef entries | ||
| Toiletries & health | Prescription medication in its original bottle | ||
| Toiletries & health | Pain reliever (ibuprofen or acetaminophen) | 1 | |
| Toiletries & health | Adhesive bandages + antiseptic wipes | ||
| Toiletries & health | Toothbrush + toothpaste | 1 | |
| Toiletries & health | Deodorant | 1 | |
| Toiletries & health | Shampoo + conditioner | ||
| Toiletries & health | Body wash or soap | ||
| Toiletries & health | Hairbrush or comb | 1 | |
| Toiletries & health | Razor + shaving cream | ||
| Toiletries & health | Glasses or contacts + solution | ||
| Toiletries & health | Motion sickness remedy (tablets, patches, or bands) | ||
| Toiletries & health | Sunscreen SPF 30+ — reapply at least every two hours | 1 | |
| Toiletries & health | Lip balm with SPF | 1 | |
| Toiletries & health | After-sun lotion or aloe | ||
| Toiletries & health | Insect repellent | 1 | |
| Toiletries & health | Enough prescription medication for the trip plus a few spare days | ||
| Toiletries & health | Nail clippers + tweezers | ||
| Toiletries & health | Small first-aid kit | 1 | |
| Tech | Phone | 1 | |
| Tech | Phone charger + cable | 1 | |
| Tech | Headphones | 1 | |
| Tech | Power bank — spare lithium batteries fly in the cabin, never in checked bags | 1 | |
| Tech | Power strip with NO surge protection — most lines ban surge protectors | ||
| Tech | Spare charging cable | 1 | |
| Bags & carry-on | Quart-size bag for liquids — 3.4 oz / 100 ml per container in carry-on | 1 | |
| Bags & carry-on | Luggage tags with your phone number | ||
| Bags & carry-on | TSA-accepted luggage lock | ||
| Bags & carry-on | One change of clothes in the carry-on | 1 | |
| Bags & carry-on | Neck pillow + eye mask | ||
| Bags & carry-on | Day bag for port days | 1 | |
| Bags & carry-on | Packing cubes | ||
| Beach & water | Swimsuit — two, so one is always dry | 2 | |
| Beach & water | Cover-up or beach shirt | ||
| Beach & water | Rash guard for long days in the sun | ||
| Beach & water | Wet bag for damp swimsuits | 1 | |
| Beach & water | Goggles | ||
| Beach & water | Waterproof phone pouch | 1 | |
| Kids & family | Swim diapers | ||
| Extras | Reusable water bottle | 1 | |
| Extras | Lanyard for your key card | ||
| Extras | Magnetic hooks — cabin walls and ceilings are steel | ||
| Extras | Over-the-door organizer for bathroom clutter | ||
| Extras | Highlighter or pen for the daily program | ||
| Extras | Laundry sheets or pods for a mid-trip wash | ||
| Extras | Book, cards, or something for the line |
Free packing list — itinerarysheets.com/packing-lists/cruise/
Tick items off here — this browser remembers what you packed. Print it for a paper copy, download the CSV for Excel, or open it in the builder to add your own rows. Free, no signup, nothing uploaded.
Cruise Packing List FAQ
What is not allowed on a cruise ship?
Most major lines prohibit surge-protected power strips and extension cords, irons and steamers, candles, and drones, and they X-ray bags at embarkation. Alcohol policies vary by line, and confiscated items are usually returned on the last night. Check your line's current prohibited-items page before you pack — it is the one list that differs between operators.
Do I need a passport for a cruise?
On a closed-loop sailing — a round trip that starts and ends at the same US port — US citizens can generally board with a birth certificate plus a government photo ID. A passport is still the safer document: it is what lets you fly home if you miss the ship in a foreign port. Sailings that start or end abroad require one.
What do I actually need for formal night?
Most lines schedule one or two dressier evenings on a seven-night sailing and print the dress code in the daily program delivered to your cabin. One outfit covers it — the dining room is the only place it is enforced, and the buffet stays casual every night.
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