The Best Cruise Packing Advice You Will Ever Get

If you plan to take a cruise, we have crucial packing advice for you. This might be one of the most important cruise tips you will ever get.

Cruise Like a Pro

If you are planning to take a cruise, you will doubtless need luggage. This is true whether you choose to sail with Disney Cruise Line or with any other cruise line, for that matter.

Many guests scour the internet looking for the best cruise packing lists. However, your packing needs will ultimately be situational. There are so many variables impacting how much you will need and what you will want to have on hand for each specific cruise you take.

Questions to consider include: how many days will you be sailing; where are you going; what special events do you want to dress for; will you participate in Fish Extenders; what health needs do you have; are you sailing with children; and the list goes on and on.

When it comes to cruise luggage, it is important to know not just what to pack, but HOW to pack. And while we have plenty of suggestions for making your cruise the best experience ever, this may be the most important tip of all.

Pack Your Cruise Carry-On Carefully

Disney Cruise Line allows guests to bring one carry-on and one personal item aboard. All other luggage needs to be checked at the port and delivered to your room.

This means that for the first little bit of your cruise, there is a chance that all you will have access to is your carry-on and personal item. It is important that you pack everything you will have an immediate need for in the carry-on.

However, one mistake people make is that they only pack their carry-on with what they will need for the first few hours aboard the ship and stop there. The harsh truth is that you should pack your carry-on with everything you would need to get by if you never saw your checked bag again.

Edna Mode said it best: "Luck favors the prepared." And if you want to be prepared, act on this rule: if you can't live without it for a few days, put it in your carry-on instead of your checked bag.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

The simple fact is that even though most people have decent experiences checking bags, Murphy's Law can rear its tricksome head at any time. Sometimes even the best cruise lines misplace luggage.

Pack your carry-on as if you will never see your check bag again.

When the unthinkable happens and a bag is lost, sometimes the problem doesn't take long to correct, and your bags are only delayed by a few hours. But every now and then, the outlook is much more grim, and unlucky passengers are left without their checked bags for days or even the entire length of their voyage. Worse, sometimes a bag is lost forever.

Tips for Packing Cruise Carry-Ons

If you are still looking for a list of what to pack in your carry-on, here are some ideas. This is by no means an exhaustive list. And, as I mentioned, your must-haves could be entirely situational.

Obviously, you will want to keep basic, bare-minimum travel items on you, including your Real ID, your Passport or birth certificate, and a major credit card. You will probably also want your phone and a phone charger.

It is also important to consider your health. You will want to keep your prescription medications, important over-the-counter medications, and necessary medical equipment and supplies on hand.

Additionally, bring travel-sized portions of your must-have toiletries: your cleansers, skin care, and sanitizers; your toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss; your deodorant; and your necessary cosmetics. You can potentially skip the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, and hand soap if you aren't particular about what you use and don't have skin sensitivities or allergies. But if you are persnickety or have medical concerns, bring what you need.

Some people even like to bring sunscreen and a swimsuit to change into so they can enjoy the water slide or some pool time before their checked bags arrive. Regardless, go ahead and pack at least one swim outfit and sunscreen if you plan to visit a beach or a pool at all during your cruise. You probably don't want to be at the mercy of cruise shop swimwear.

You will also want at least 2 changes of clothing and socks/underwear. You might also want an extra pair of shoes/sandals. This way, if you never see your checked bag again, you can survive reasonably well by utilizing the cruise laundry facilities.

It is better not to have to rely on buying clothing and being at the mercy of availability. You COULD deck yourself in DCL merch, if you like that option and if what you like is in stock.

Consider the fact that if you are traveling to a different part of the world, the shops may not have clothing that works for you for sale. They may not make clothing in your size or in styles you find flattering or even in fabrics you are comfortable wearing.

Lastly, never put anything irreplaceable or highly valuable in your checked luggage. If you MUST bring things of that nature, keep them with you. Are you planning to propose? Don't check the ring. Does your child have a beloved stuffed animal? Don't check it. Are you bringing your great-grandma's earrings? Don't check them. You get the idea.

Final Thoughts

You could probably get by without the rest of your checked items if worst comes to worst, even your formal for formal night, even your pirate outfit for pirate night, even your fish extender goodies, even the collapsible laundry bag and magnetic hooks that everyone insisted you should bring.

The "pack your carry-on as if you will never see your checked bag again" rule applies not just to sea travel but to air travel as well. After all, luggage can be lost at an airport just as easily as it can be lost at a cruise terminal.

Of course, dear readers, the dream is that you never have to deal with the inconvenience of a missing piece of luggage. Hopefully, you never need to live your best cruise life out of a 22'' rollaboard and a handbag. The thought of lost luggage is no fun. But if it happens to you, packing smartly will save you from at least some of the headache and heartache.

Packing smartly doesn't just mean avoiding prohibited items; it also means preparing for the unexpected. Remember, don't just pack your carry-on with what you will need in the hours between embarkation and receiving your luggage in your stateroom. Instead, pack everything you need to make it through a few days if your luggage has to be tracked down.

Have you ever dealt with delayed or lost luggage? Feel free to share your stories and your best advice for packing for a cruise. And be sure to share this advice with family and friends who are planning to cruise so they don't end up out to sea without a paddle.