Creating a Cute Cruise Capsule Wardrobe for the Caribbean With Checklist

Not quite sure what to wear on your upcoming Caribbean cruise? Creating a cruise capsule wardrobe for the Caribbean is easy! Let me show you how.

I have a seven-day Caribbean cruise coming up in November, and here’s how I’m packing for it. I don’t want to pack too much or too little, and I’d love to just take a carry-on. But let’s be honest—I’ll probably end up carrying a medium check-in suitcase.

I’m a curvy girl in my early sixties who dresses more conservatively, so my choices may be different from yours. The concepts, though, may help you.

Trip Parameters

For any trip, you’ll need to consider:

Number of days: Seven days for this trip

Season: Fall in the Caribbean, with hot weather in the mid to upper eighties in the day and frequent rain showers

Dress-up nights: One

With this info in hand, I know I’ll need a good many casual items with short sleeves, mostly shorter pants, and swimwear. I’ll need at least one dress, but because the cruise line I’m traveling has a relaxed dress code, the dresses don’t have to be formal. The ship’s air-conditioning can be chilly at times, so I’ll keep that in mind.

To accomplish this, I’ve chosen twenty-four items that can make many combinations. This may seem like a lot, but you’ll probably be wearing two outfits a day—one for day and a different one for the evening. It’s best to choose as many items as possible that are flexible, perfect for wearing day or night, and easily washable. Sometimes you’ll only wear an outfit for a few hours, so it’s easy to hang them up in your closet and wear them again another time.

Color Palette

I like to pick a color palette so I can mix and match easily. I’ll choose a light neutral or two and a dark neutral, and one or two colors.

For this trip, my dark neutral will be black, my light neutrals will be white and gray, and my pops of color will be light blue and pink.

My Capsule Wardrobe

Here’s the type of capsule wardrobe I put together for this trip. I don’t own these actual items, but they are similar to the ones in my closet. I’ll probably add a few more tops if I have room in my suitcase, but this is the grouping I went for. I go for more solids than patterns, and I prefer muted colors. I’ll explain more about each type of clothing below.

Links are included for each item so you can shop them if you’d like.

Dresses

I love maxi dresses, so I’ll take two, plus an extra to wear as a cover-up. Both of these shown below are a rayon blend and don’t wrinkle, and they’re very versatile. You can dress them up or down, depending on your accessories. They’re extremely comfortable in hot weather, and you can add a pashmina for cooler temps.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Black maxi dress | Blue floral maxi dress

Tops

Choose a mixture of tops geared toward the temperatures expected on your trip. Think variety and flexibility with each item, and include patterns as well as solids.

I’ll take some short-sleeved tees, a tunic top, and several short-sleeved tops.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Soft blue tee | Ripple pink tee | Blue tunic

Black multicolor top | Blue striped shirt | Black floral top

Pink sleeveless tee | White eyelet top | Gray tee

Bottoms

Choose bottoms in your neutral colors, and as with your tops, think about variety and flexibility.

For bottoms, I’ll take a long pair of white linen pants, capri pants in black and white, and gray capri leggings. You will probably want to take shorts, but they’re not for me anymore.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

White linen pants | Black capris | White capris | Gray leggings

Swimwear

For warm-weather cruises, I always like to take two swimsuits and a cover-up. Rather than the traditional cover-up, I have this maxidress that’s perfect for wearing to the pool. It can also be worn as a dress on its own.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Black swimsuit | Blue swimsuit | Cover-up

Shoes

For shoes, think three categories: dressy, comfortable for walking distances, and casual. You’ll wear one of these choices to travel and board your ship, so you’ll be packing one less pair.

Because I can no longer wear heels, I’ll take ballet flats for evening, sandals, and a slip-on sneaker good for lots of walking.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Ballet flats | Slip-on sneakers | Sandals

Outerwear and Accessories

A lightweight raincoat for inclement weather on excursions is a good idea, plus a packable straw hat for the sun. And a secure travel purse like this one that I just bought can give you peace of mind while on excursions.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Raincoat | Hat | Purse

Additional Items

I focused on the major clothing items, but you’ll also need to pack something to sleep in, plus underwear, bras, and socks. And jewelry, don’t forget that! Your jewelry and other accessories like scarves, sunglasses, and purses will help give your outfits a unique look.

A Few Combinations from this Wardrobe

To give you an idea of the versatility of these items, here are just a few of the many outfits I can make with these items. Click on the outfit to see it in a larger window.

Travel Outfits

You’ll also need a couple of outfits to travel to and from the cruise port. I want to be comfortable while I’m flying, so I wear my slip-on sneakers, a pair of wide-leg yoga pants, a tee, and a jean jacket. I bring an extra tee to switch out for the trip home.

SHOP THESE ITEMS

Jean Jacket | Tee | Yoga Pants | Slip-on sneakers

Final Thoughts On Creating a Cute Capsule Wardrobe For The Caribbean

Of course, your needs will vary from mine, but I hope these suggestions will give you an idea of how to create your own capsule wardrobe for your next trip. And if you need capsule wardrobe suggestions for other cruises, check out my posts.

Happy cruising!