What to Pack on Your Caribbean Cruise Vacation

Are you struggling with what to take on your cruise vacation? Here are some things I have learned about packing for a cruise. I hope the information is helpful. Of course we all have our own preferences about what we need and want on a cruise vacation. And I personally like to pack light so I do not have to handle too much luggage.

I think about packing in threes and adjust up or down depending on the item (for a one week cruise). For example, I might pack three pairs of shorts and three t-shirts and three bathing suits. Increase the amount of short and t-shirts if you plan on spending more time exploring than swimming or sunning, and decrease the bathing suits. Or vice versa.

This works for dresses as well. Pack a formal dress, a sundress and sometimes a skirt to wear with various tops. You can adjust this up or down if you want too. For men this means a suit, long pants and button down shirts. Now you are ready for those fabulous dinners.

Think about what to wear in cooler weather. You will want to pack a light sweater or jacket and possibly a packable raincoat.

Water shoes or water sandals are helpful for those beaches that are rocky or have a lot of coral. Of course do not forget sunscreen, it will be expensive if you have to buy it there. Include sunglasses, a bag for the beach or for shopping, and after sun lotion. A separate cover-up or two is great to have.

Remember your prescription medication ; pack them in your carry-on. You may want to include seasickness medicine just in case. You can buy it on the cruise ship or at the infirmary if you need it. I usually pack some anti-diarrhea medicine and anti-inflammatories as well. Make sure they are appropriate for you and your medical status.

Other things to think about are small binoculars for possible whale or dolphin watching. You may want to include a Cassette player, MP3 player, or ipod for music on the beach or sunning on the ship. I like to take some paperback books for casual reading as well. Do not forget your passport or other important papers. Some people like a special small packet to carry all of them in.

Cruise ships will have shops to purchase casual and dress clothes, bathing suits, sunscreen, souvenirs and other items. Usually you will pay a little more, but the shopping can be fun. I try to plan on having a little extra space in my luggage for items I purchase to take home.

If you decide on the shore excursions you want to do ahead of time, you can then decide if you need to take other items. Most of all pack a positive and fun attitude! You are going to have a great vacation on your cruise. The cruise line will do all they can to make this your best vacation ever.