What to pack for a cruise

A cruise cabin is small, its walls are magnetic steel, and its power outlets are few. Pack magnetic hooks, a non-surge USB charger, and a carry-on with your swimwear — your main bag may not arrive for hours.

65 items · 7-day beach holiday, hot and dry weather, with a checked bag · tick them off, print, or adjust the list to your trip below

Storage goes up, because the floor is taken

Cabin walls and doors are steel, so magnetic hooks turn blank vertical surfaces into storage for hats, lanyards, and wet swimwear. An over-the-door shoe organiser holds the entire contents of a bathroom shelf that doesn't exist. Suitcases usually slide under the bed, which is the only reason a hard case is manageable at all.

Power is the most-confiscated category

Almost every cruise line bans surge-protected extension leads outright, as a fire risk, and security screens for them at embarkation. What is permitted is a simple non-surge USB charging cube or a cruise-approved multi-port block. Bring one, plus longer cables than usual, because outlets are frequently on the far side of the desk from the bed.

Your bag arrives hours after you do

You board, the cabin may not be ready, and checked luggage is delivered to the door any time up to dinner. Put swimwear, sunscreen, medication and anything you need for the first afternoon in a small carry-on you keep with you. The alternative is watching the pool from a deck chair in the clothes you travelled in.

Dress codes and shore days

Most lines run one or two 'formal' or 'elegant' evenings per week; the standard is a jacket or a cocktail dress rather than black tie, but turning up in shorts means dining elsewhere. For ports, pack a small day bag, small-denomination cash for local vendors and tips, and remember your ship card and passport requirements differ per port — check before each stop rather than assuming.

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Frequently asked questions

What is banned on a cruise ship?

Surge-protected extension leads are the big one: they are prohibited on essentially every line and confiscated at embarkation, because they interfere with the ship's electrical protection. Bring a non-surge multi-port USB charging cube instead. Irons, candles and anything with an open flame are also routinely taken.

What should be in your cruise carry-on?

Swimwear, all medication, documents and a change of clothes. You board hours before your checked bag is delivered to the cabin, and the first afternoon is when the pools are empty and everyone else is queueing. Treat the checked bag as arriving at dinner time.

Do you need formal clothes on a cruise?

Most lines still run at least one formal or smart evening per week, and the dress code is applied at the dining room door — shorts get redirected to the buffet. One jacket or one cocktail dress covers it for a typical seven-night sailing; you do not need a different outfit for each night.

Each one is a full list with advice specific to that trip — and the generator underneath it, so you can adjust it to yours.

What to pack for a cruise

Storage goes up, because the floor is taken

Power is the most-confiscated category

Your bag arrives hours after you do

Dress codes and shore days

Your list