I have never been on a cruise and I dont know what to bring

Its a 7 day cruise, other than the obvious how many dresses would you bring, casual and formal? thanks

Re: I have never been on a cruise and I dont know what to bring

you kinda need 2 wardrobes for a cruise! day/evening

I'm assuming its caribbean, so during the day, you need island wear...i usually wear a sundress and sandals. and you'll need dresses for dinner/shows/evening. I'm sure there's at least 1 day at sea (usually coincides with formal night) where you'll really only need a bathing suit all day...


for a 7day cruise, I would bring:

3 swimsuits (some people might bring more, but i think 3 is more than good enough.)

1 or 2 bathing suit coverups

5 sundresses

a pair or 2 of shorts with matching tees/tanks

7 evening outfits (dresses, dress pants, etc) - don't forget cardigans or lightweight jackets and pashminas. The dining rooms can be cold, ESPECIALLY if you got a little sunburn!

a pair of linen or lightweight pants (it can get a little breezy on the top deck at night - cardigan is good for this, too!)

LOTS OF SUNSCREEN! I usually bring 2 or 3 different SPFs when I go, because you'll need the higher SPF for the first day or 2, then you can downgrade, unless you get some sunburn.

And aloe, or some sort of sunburn relief!

we also bring our own snorkel equipment (because renting skeeves me out a little)

a water wallet or something that will keep your money/room keys dry while you're on the beach or a snorkel excursion

and i always bring costume jewelry, not "real" jewelry, aside from my rings that never come off.


hope this is a good starting point!

Re: I have never been on a cruise and I dont know what to bring

There are usually 2 "formal" nights...I tried very hard not to overpack, especially shoes b/c they take up alot of room in the luggage. I tried to pick shoes/sandals I could wear with multiple outfits.

For DH, I brought one suit for him with 2 different shirts and ties.

For me, I brought 2 outfits that I could wear the same shoes with.

As far as the other nights - they aren't dressy - you can wear a nice sundress, I wore capris, nice sandals and a nice blouse.


You didn't mention if it was Caribbean or not...

2-3 bathing suits

a knapsack to take on excursions with you - to throw your sunscreen, camera, bottle of water,etc. in

a few extra zip lock bags - to put your sunscreen in if you put it in your bag so it doesn't get all over everything. Also, to put your bathing suit in on an excursion. Sometimes we went snorkeling/swimming and I didn't want to sit in my wet suit all day so I changed into dry clothes.

Disposable waterproof camera - the pictures come out better then you think and it's fun to go swimming with them


Helpful hint - in your carry on bag - pack a pair of shorts, bathing suit?, sunblock, appropriate footwear and a shirt. Your luggage may take AWHILE to get to your room. When you first get on the ship, you may want to go hang out on deck and be comfortable. The pool will not be filled while in port, but sitting on the deck and relaxing is good.

Re: I have never been on a cruise and I dont know what to bring

Not sure what cruise your taking. If your going on anything besides Norwegian (They have Freestyle cruising), you are going to need 2 formal dresses.

What I would pack for a 7 day cruise:

2 Formal dresses
2-3 Swimsuits
Swim coverups
Casual Evening Wear such as nice capri pants & cute teops
A few sun dresses
Lots of tank tops & comfortable shorts
A light jacket or sweater
flip flops
comfortable walking shoes.
Sunglasses
A bag to carry with you on excursions likea backpack or a small bag that you can wrap around your shoulders so you can he hands free. You will need this for your money/camera
Sunglasses