Heidi BucoloMost cruise packing advice tells you what to bring. Almost none of it tells you where people actually go wrong, and after more than 100 cruises we can tell you the trouble is usually in the process: the order you pack in, the bag you put things in, and the steps you skip because you’re in a hurry.
These are the cruise packing mistakes we still see people make, including a few we’ve made ourselves over the years, and the easy fixes. From the week before you leave to the morning you walk off the ship, here’s how to pack like a pro.
1. Not checking the prohibited-items list first
Every cruise line has a list of things it will confiscate, and it catches people every sailing. Power strips with surge protection, irons, steamers, alcohol, and drones are the usual casualties. Pack these items and security will pull them from your bag, plus it will delay your luggage arriving to your cabin on embarkation day. Many cruise lines also have restrictions on what food and drinks you can bring onboard, so your bottles of water and gatorade might need to be thrown away in the terminal.
Do this instead: Read your line’s prohibited-items list before you pack. It takes five minutes and saves you a confiscated bag and a visit to the “naughty room”.
2. Not checking the weather for your destination and season
Packing for a Mediterranean cruise in early May is quite different than one in the middle of summer. The Caribbean cruise you picture in your head is sunny, but the actual week might not be especially if you’re cruising during hurricane season. Alaska can have huge temperature swings, so you might not need that parka you purchased for the trip. With limited space in your suitcases, don’t waste it by packing the wrong items.
Do this instead: Instead of packing what you think you’ll need, check the forecast for each port and the season you’re sailing, then pack for conditions that are expected during your trip. Our Alaska and Caribbean packing lists break down what each one actually calls for, from layers to bathing suits and everything in between.
3. Not packing for your actual itinerary and activities
Weather tells you what it’ll be like during your cruise. But your itinerary tells you what you’ll be doing, and those are different. Knowing both are key when packing. A perfect 75-degree day still ruins a shore excursion if you packed only sandals. People pack for “a cruise” in the abstract and forget the specific things they may need for tours and activities.
Do this instead: Go through your itinerary day by day and pack accordingly. Closed-toe shoes for a hiking excursion, a swimsuit for a catamaran day, an outfit you wouldn’t mind getting dirty during your ATV tour, a wrap to enter the European church, and a day bag to go ashore. Throw in some workout clothes if you actually plan to use the gym and a dressy outfit for the steakhouse.
4. Not knowing the cruise line’s dress code and themed events
There are two cruise packing mistakes here. The first is not knowing the dress code and either hauling formal wear you don’t need or getting turned away from the dining room for being underdressed. The second is not knowing if there are any themed nights. These aren’t mandatory but you may want to bring a red outfit for Virgin’s Scarlet Night, white for the white party, or something for Disney’s Pirate Night.
Do this instead: Check your line’s dress code so you pack the right amount of evening attire, mixing and matching items is the perfect way to cut down on the number of outfits. Then look up whether your sailing has themed parties and pack one outfit for each if you want to join in on the fun.
5. Not checking the onboard laundry situation
Whether your ship has a self-service laundromat changes how much you need to pack, especially on longer sailings. People either assume they’ll do a load mid-cruise and pack light, then discover their ship has no facilities. Or, they overpack a full outfit for each day on a ship where they could wash and reuse clothing.
Do this instead: Confirm before you pack whether your ship has self-service laundry. If it does, pack lighter and consider bringing detergent (you can also purchase on the ship). If it doesn’t, plan your outfits for the full length of the cruise or budget for the ship’s send-away service. You can also check your loyalty benefits as laundry is a popular perk for higher statuses.
6. Packing new shoes you haven’t broken in
Cruise ships are bigger than people expect, and port days mean miles on your feet over cobblestones and inclines. A brand-new pair of shoes chosen to match your outfits turns into blisters and limping by day two. Trust me: I’ve been there! Don’t assume just because you have the same pair in a different color that the new ones will be fine.
Do this instead: Only pack shoes you’ve already worn and walked in, unless you plan on packing an endless supply of bandaids. If you bought something new for the trip, break it in at home over the couple of weeks before you sail.
7. Not weighing bags against airline limits
If you’re flying to your homeport, this packing mistake becomes an airport fee. People pack to fill the suitcase, often not considering the airline’s weight limit. We’ve seen too many people find out at the counter that the bag is over and start opening suitcases to remove items. Don’t be that person because it’s stressful and it holds up everyone behind you.
Do this instead: Weigh each bag at home against your airline’s limits before you leave, with a little room to spare for what you’ll add on the way back. We always travel with a luggage scale so we can weigh our bags on the return trip as well.
8. Waiting until the last minute and packing from memory
The night-before scramble, done from memory instead of a list, is a classic packing mistake. It’s how the phone charger and the medications get left on the counter. You’re tired, you’re rushing, and the thing you forget is always the thing you need most. We get it, life is busy, but never wait until the last minute to start packing for your cruise.
Do this instead: Start gathering items at least a week out from your trip, and pack from an already-thought-out checklist rather than off the top of your head. Plan outfits that match your excursion needs and what you’ll wear around the ship. Then add in all the other items you’ll need for the vacation.
9. Overpacking
Too many shoes, too many formal outfits, a different outfit for every day of the trip. Overpacking on autopilot means lugging around heavier bags and then fighting to fit it all in a small cabin. Take it from the experts, there are plenty of things you’ll regret packing.
Do this instead: Plan outfits for each day and night instead of just dumping multiple options in the suitcase, and lean toward pieces you can mix and re-wear easily. Then do the same for shoes. A common rule of thumb: pack about half to two-thirds of the clothes you think you’ll need, and a couple extra of the small things like swimwear and underwear.
10. Forgetting the essentials
In the rush to plan outfits and pack clothes, don’t miss the most important things like medications, chargers, travel documents, money, and your passport. Don’t forget other items that you’ll need too, like sunscreen and sunglasses, a rain coat or umbrella, a refillable water bottle, hand sanitizer, and personal sized toiletries to name a few.
Do this instead: Pack the non-negotiables first, before a single shirt or pair of shoes goes in the bag. Then always recheck these items before leaving home to head to the cruise port. Remember: you won’t get far without your required travel documents, and a passport is the simplest way to sail. Plus, meds can be very difficult to replace while traveling. You can always purchase an over-priced version of everything else.
11. Not leak-proofing toiletries
Cabin pressure changes and rough handling of your luggage can turn an unsecured shampoo bottle into a mess across your clothes. Never toss loose toiletries in your suitcase. It would be a shame to spend all that time packing and end up with empty bottles and stained clothing.
Do this instead: Use travel bottles that seal, and pack all liquids together in ziploc bags. If your suitcase allows, try to pack the toiletries in a separate compartment than your clothes as well.
12. Not leaving room for souvenirs
Pack the suitcases to capacity on the way out and you’re sitting on them trying to zip on the way home. Not to mention, you’re paying overweight fees at the airport. If you’re leaving the house with 49.5 lb suitcases, you’re doing it wrong.
Do this instead: Divide your items between two suitcases so you have some space for the return trip, or pack a foldable bag that stays in your suitcase until you need it for the trip back. This is exactly where the travel luggage scale comes into play!
13. Not tracking checked bags with AirTags
If you’re flying to the port, especially with connecting flights, there’s lots of opportunities for your bags to go missing. Delayed luggage is frustrating, but it’s even worse when you have no idea where it is. Never hand off your suitcases to airline staff or porters at the terminal without knowing that you can track them.
Do this instead: Technology is great. We don’t know how we ever traveled without AirTags. Place one (or a similar tracker) in each checked bag before you fly. If a bag is lost or delayed, you’ll know where it actually is instead of relying on the airline to tell you. If they can locate it quickly, they might be able to deliver it to you at your next port of call.
14. Packing meds, necessities, and documents in your checked bag
At the pier, you hand your suitcases to a porter and may not see them for hours. If your medications or other necessities are inside, you’re stuck without them until they arrive at your cabin later in the afternoon.
Do this instead: Keep medications, documents, valuables, and anything you can’t replace in the bag that stays with you when you board the ship. The checked bag is for the things you can wait a few hours on.
15. Not packing a proper carry-on for the first few hours
Related, and another common embarkation day mistake, is boarding with no day bag. Without a properly packed carry-on, you’re on the ship without sunscreen, sunglasses, a charger for your phone, or a bathing suit until your luggage arrives hours later. While everyone else is already lounging by the pool, you’re trying not to get sunburned on the first day of the trip.
Do this instead: Pack a carry-on with a swimsuit, a change of clothes, sunscreen, and your essentials, so you can start your cruise the minute you board. Pack like the rest of your luggage won’t arrive until dinner time.
16. Packing wine in your checked bag at the port
Most lines let you bring a bottle or two of wine or champagne onboard, but only if you carry it on yourself. Put it in the bag you hand to the porter and it gets confiscated during security screening. Another mistake is trying to sneak on other types of alcohol; bottles of liquor are not allowed on most cruise lines.
Do this instead: Check your cruise line’s specific policy on quantity before you pack it. Then carry your allowed wine or champagne bottles on the ship with you in your day bag.
17. Forgetting to attach luggage tags
The cruise line tags are how your bag finds its way to your cabin after you hand it off to the porters in the terminal. Skip them, or attach them so flimsily they tear off, and your suitcase goes to a holding area while you wait stressing about whether or not you’ll have your belongings in time to change for dinner.
Do this instead: Print and firmly attach your cruise line luggage tags before you head to the cruise terminal (but after you arrive in the ship’s homeport). We also recommend using plastic sleeves for the luggage tags to reduce the chance of them falling off.
18. Not unpacking once you’re onboard
Living out of a suitcase on the sofa all week is another cruise packing mistake we’ve learned the hard way. For years, we dug through our suitcase for what we needed and repeated the routine for the next six days. Eventually it clicked that we were doing it completely wrong. This actually makes a small cruise cabin feel even more cluttered.
Do this instead: Use the closet and drawers to fully unpack your clothing, hang what wrinkles and put packing cubes with everything else into drawers or shelves. Then you can slide the empty suitcases under the bed, where they stay, completely out of the way, until you’re ready to go home. Now, the cabin feels twice as big and you actually find your things.
19. Forgetting to leave clothes out for disembarkation morning
Part of the disembarkation process is setting your checked bags out the night before. The crew collect them, and they’re waiting in the terminal for you the next morning after you leave the ship. But if you pack absolutely everything then you’re left with nothing to wear off the ship the next morning, except your pajamas.
Do this instead: Always make sure to set aside a full outfit, shoes, necessary toiletries, and other essentials like medications for the next morning before you put your larger bags out to be collected. These few items can then go in a smaller bag that you carry off the ship with you the next day.
20. Forgetting to check the safe before you disembark
The in-cabin safe is the obvious place to stow away your passports, extra cash, jewelry, and any other valuables during the cruise. But it’s often the last place you remember to check when you’re in a rush to pack and disembark the ship. Too many times, it’s out of sight, out of mind, and off the ship without it.
Do this instead: Make a final safe-and-room sweep part of your disembarkation routine. Open the safe, check every drawer, the closet, under the bed, and the bathroom before heading for the gangway. Many travelers even recommend putting one of your shoes in the safe the night before, so you’ll never leave without one final check.
Comments
Which of these cruise packing mistakes have you learned the hard way? Are you still guilty of some of these? Drop us an anchor below to tell us the packing mistake you’ll never make twice.
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