What to Pack for a Cruise to the Bahamas – Packing List Printable Included!

Wondering what to pack for a cruise to the Bahamas? Whether you’re heading off on a quick getaway or cruising for a week, we can help you plan what to pack for a Bahamas cruise. We’ve included outfit ideas so you know what to wear on a cruise to the Bahamas for formal night, dinner, excursions and around the ship.

Because many Bahamas cruises are only three or four days and some are up to a week long, we’ve given different quantities for each on our Bahamas cruise packing list. You can download a printable version of the Bahamas packing list at the end of this post

We’ve also included some tips on packing for cruise to Bahamas, which luggage to pick, how to pack light and all the cruise essentials you’ll need for your trip!

You can use this list of what to pack for the Bahamas if you’re not on a cruise! You can use our guide on what to wear in the Bahamas if you’re traveling on a cruise or by plane to a resort too. These Bahamas outfits work for land or sea (although you can probably omit the formal night outfits and cruise essential  if you’re packing for the Bahamas and you’re not on a cruise! 

 

 

What to Wear on a Cruise to the Bahamas

Clothes for cruise to Bahamas should be lightweight and comfortable. It gets warm and humid in the Bahamas and you’re on vacation so cool and comfy are your best bet!

When planning what to wear in the Bahamas, look at the weather forecast. In summer, pack for warm weather and expect temperatures from 80 to 85°F. In winter, temperatures are between 70 to 78°F and evenings can be a touch cool on deck so bring a light cardigan or pashmina. The wet season in the Bahamas is from June to November with the two wettest months being June and October. It’s a good idea to pack a jacket or rain poncho if cruising during the wet season.

When planning out your Bahamas cruise attire, it’s helpful to think in complete outfits. This will help you avoid overpacking, especially for a short trip. Easy summer outfits like maxi dresses and sun dresses are ideal for onboard the ship in the day and on non-formal dining nights. Shorts with a t-shirt, vest top or flowy tunic are also great. You’ll want to pack at least two bathing suits and coverups for the pool and beach excursions. If you’re taking an active excursion then pack an outfit and shoes for that too. Depending on the length of your cruise you’ll need one or two formal night outfits. This can be a cocktail dress, jumpsuit or even a dressed up maxi dress for women and a shirt and dress pants for men with a tie and/or blazer optional.

In the graphic below we have some ideas for outfits for cruise to Bahamas. Look for items that mix and match and stick to a color pallete. In our guide below on what to wear on a Bahamas cruise, you’ll see we’ve used pink, black and plum to create our cruise outfits. You could mix and match these items together too and have multiple different looks for your cruise. This is useful particularly for longer cruises.

If you’re cruising from New York in winter, don’t forget to pack warm clothes for embarkation and disembarkation days! It might also be cool on your first sea day as you sail down the East Coast

Many cruises also have a white party one night on board. White party clothes can be as casual or dressy as you like so make sure you have a white pair of shorts or jeans and a white t-shirt or a white dress amongst your clothes to wear on a cruise to Bahamas.

How many Bahamas cruise outfits you’ll need:

• 3 day cruise to Bahamas – One formal night outfit, one non-formal dinner outfit, embarkation day outfit, excursion day outfit, disembarkation day outfit, swimsuits and coverups
• 4 day cruise to Bahamas – One formal night outfit, two non-formal dinner outfit, embarkation day outfit, excursion day outfit, one sea day outfit, disembarkation day outfit, swimsuits and coverups
• 7 day cruise to Bahamas – Two formal night outfits, five non-formal dinner outfit (mix & match), embarkation day outfit, three excursion day outfits, three sea day outfit, disembarkation day outfit, swimsuits and coverups

 

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What to Pack for a Cruise to the Bahamas

When planning what to bring on a cruise to the Bahamas, in addition to the outfits you’ll need there are a few other useful cruise essentials. Here’s our list of what to take on a cruise to the Bahamas.

Useful Cruise Essentials

• Waterproof phone case – FFor keeping your phone, cash and sailing card safe when you’re swimming or at the beach
• Lanyard – For wearing your cruise card around the ship
• Seabands / Seasickness medication
• Highlighters – For highlighting your daily cruise schedule
• Lysol disinfecting wipes or Lysol to Go spray – For sanitizing your cabin on arrival
• UV swim vest
• Aqua shoes – pack these if you need them for your excursions
• Poopouri
• Downy Wrinkle Release (travel size)
• Travel coffee cup
• Refillable water bottle
• Earplugs or portable sound machine– If you’re a light sleeper or in case of noisy neighbors
• Travel alarm clock
• Wine bottle – Some cruise lines let you take 750 ml bottle per adult but check first!
• Wine bottle protector
• Soda – 12 cans per person
• Tide to Go – Stain remover pen for emergencies
• Beach towel clips
• Rain poncho
• Travel umbrella
• Magnets – For sticking things to your walls or door (they’re metal so you can use magnets to hang things!)
• Magnetic hooks– For caps, bags etc
• Small dry erase board (magnetic) – For leaving messages on your cruise door, useful if traveling with a group
• Bungee cord – For holding open your balcony door
• Overdoor shoe organizer – For adding additional storage in your room
• Post It notes – For leaving notes to others in your cabin or for your cabin attendant

Documents and Electronics

• Printed cruise documents
• Travel wallet / organiser
• Cruise luggage tags
• Passport – If you don’t have a passport you can use your driver’s license and full birth certificate)
• Cash – USD can be used in the Bahamas
• Credit cards
• Phone
• Camera – Waterproof if a good idea!
• iPad
• Kindle
• All chargers
• Powerstrip (cruise ships require one like this without a surge protector built in)
• Powerbank

Toiletries

If you’re on a three or four day cruise, you should only need travel sized toiletries. This will help you pack into a carry on sized suitcase. If you’re on a week long Bahamas cruise, then bring minis of the items you don’t use a lot of but go for full sized bottles of high use items like sunscreen and conditioner.

• Conditioner – You’ll be swimming a lot and they often don’t have it in cabins
• Sunscreen / Aftersun – Bring a spray sunscreen for your body, a face sunscreen and aftersun lotion
• Bug spray
• Hand sanitizer

For a full list of toiletries to pack for a cruise and a printable checklist, read our post on what toiletries to pack for a cruise here.

 

Bahamas Cruise Packing List

Using a packing list is a good idea when working out what to bring to the Bahamas on a cruise. A checklist will help you stay organized, avoid overpacking and give you a handy list of all the little things you need to purchase in advance of your cruise.

You can download our printable packing checklist for cruise to Bahamas here.

You can also download a separate printable cruise toiletries checklist over on this post.

 

Tips on How to Pack for a Cruise to the Bahamas

• Suitcase – If you’re on a three or four day cruise, try packing with just a carry on sized suitcase like this. If you’re on a seven day cruise, a 25″ suitcase like this is ideal for one person or use a 29″ suitcase like this between a couple or family.
• Packing cubes – Use packing cubes like these to organize your luggage. You can split your clothes up by outfit type like sea day outfits in one packing cube, excursions outfits in another, evening wear in a third. Or you can pack by item type, all your tops in one packing cube, all your pants and dresses in another. Use different colored cubes to share a suitcase with your spouse or family.
• Hanging toiletry bag – Hanging toiletry bags like this are ideal for cruises. Check out our list of what toiletries to pack for a cruise here.
• Laundry bag – Bring a travel laundry bag like this to keep your cabin organized and make it easier to pack and unpack when you get home.
• Garment bag – If you’re bringing a suit or delicate evening gown, consider packing it in a garment bag.
• Prescription medication organizer
• Folding backpack – Useful for excursions
• Tote bag / Beach bag
• Travel toiletry bottles
• Wet-dry bag – For traveling home with wet swimsuits

 

Got any questions on packing for a cruise to the Bahamas? Let us know in the comments below! You can also join our Facebook group to chat with us and fellow cruisers about packing for your cruise!