Helpful Tips For How To Pack For a Seven-Day Cruise In A Carry-On (2024)

Take The Weather Into Account

Before you choose the components of your capsule wardrobe, check the weather for your destinations. The Caribbean can be very hot, especially in the summer, and the sun is intense so you will want lightweight fabrics.

Select A Color Palette

When creating a cruise wardrobe, it is important to choose a color palette to give your wardrobe versatility and cohesiveness. Neutral colors like black, white, and navy are classics, but you will want to add some color.

Essential Clothing To Pack

When packing for a Caribbean cruise, comfort and versatility are key. You want pieces that can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. Here are some essentials to consider:

• Shoes: At most, pack a pair of sandals, a pair of comfortable walking shoes, and a pair of dressy shoes.
• Tops: Pack a small selection of tops that can be mixed and matched. Choose a few short-sleeved tees, tank tops, and maybe a longer-sleeved top or two to wear on the ship.
• Bottoms: Pack a few comfortable pairs of shorts, crop pants, or lightweight pants that can be dressed up or down. They can be worn with a tee for a casual day onboard or paired with a short-sleeve sweater or blouse with dressier shoes for dinner.
• Dressy outfits: You may want to pack a dress, and look for one that can be dressed up or down with accessories and shoes. For this wardrobe, though, I decided to forgo dresses in favor of a lightweight pair of dress slacks and a few tunics since I know we will have several dressy evenings.
• Outerwear: You may want to pack a cardigan or pashmina for dinners. Restaurants onboard can be chilly at times.
• Swimsuit and cover-up: Pack one or two swimsuits and a cover-up for water excursions or the pool.

Accessories

Changing accessories can take your outfits from day to night. Consider packing:

• Jewelry: Pack a few pieces that can be worn with multiple outfits.
• Handbag: A crossbody bag is a great option for onboard or exploring ports, while a clutch is perfect for taking to dinner.
• Sunglasses: A chic pair of sunglasses can protect your eyes and dress up your outfit.
• Sunhat: A sunhat is crucial for the Caribbean, so find one that flatters you and is easy to pack.

Be Realistic

Be realistic about what you will or won’t wear during your cruise. Choose items you feel comfortable and confident in, which you know you will wear multiple times. Try on your cruise wardrobe before you pack to ensure everything is in good shape and still fits.

Take into account your cruising style. Do you spend more time by the pool onboard or inside? Do you take more beachy/water excursions or do you prefer to tour and/or shop? Do you plan to eat in specialty restauratants, or are you staying in an exclusive area of the ship? Do you plan to party all night or sleep in?

Your answers to these questions will help steer you in the right direction for how many swimsuits to take, how many day outfits, and how many dressy or party outfits.

Creating A Seven-Day Cruise Capsule Wardrobe

For this capsule wardrobe, I ended up with 17 pieces of clothing, plus shoes, swimwear, and minimal accessories. You will probably wear two outfits a day, one for the day and one for the evening, and will wear many items at least twice.

The pieces featured in this wardrobe are from my closet, purchased from Chico’s and Chico’s Off The Rack, which always have fabulous chic casual clothing. Shoes are from Allbirds and accessories are from Amazon.

Trip Parameters

My Caribbean cruise leaves in early June and I am planning to pack for that, so I’ll use my trip parameters and the weather forecast for my trip for this cruise capsule wardrobe:

• Length of Trip: 7 Days
• Type of Cruise: Western Caribbean
• Season: Early June
• Temperatures Expected: Highs are in the upper 80s on average and very little rain

With these parameters in mind, I should prepare for hot weather and sunny days. On the ship, the temperature will be temperate to cool, so I’ll pack mostly short sleeves and a light jacket. We’re staying in the Haven on Norwegian, so I will need some dressier clothes for the evenings. And we’re only going on two excursions.

Color Palette

For my color palette, let’s go with black and white as the neutrals, and blue and aqua as the pops of color. 

Pants

For bottoms, I chose three pairs of crop pants rather than shorts for excursions and sea days, one pair of jean jeggings (because I tend to get cold on board), and one pair of dressy long pants for dinners.

Outerwear

A lightweight cardigan or jacket like this one is a great choice for cruising. You can wear it while traveling, on sea days when it’s a little chilly, and for layering with dressy tops for specialty dinners.

Shoes

Trying to save space in my small suitcase, I limited the shoes to two pairs, one of which I will wear while traveling. Your sneakers should be comfortable and supportive for lots of walking, on and off the ship, and possible uneven terrain while on excursions.

Since I can no longer wear high heels, I’ve chosen slip-on flats from Allbirds that work beautifully for dressing up. You may also want to bring a pair of sandals.

Outfits You Can Make

I can create many outfits using the 17 pieces of clothing and two pairs of shoes I’ve chosen. Here are just a few combinations.

Sea Days

Onboard ship, the temperature will be controlled, so you’ll have to judge whether you will need a cardigan or jacket. I like to wear crop pants on the ship because of the air conditioning, even during hot weather, but you could wear shorts or a skort instead.

Excursions

I’ve created outfits for excursions on two port days, including comfortable shoes, a sunhat, and a purse. For water excursions, I will wear my swimsuit underneath my clothing.

Dinners

For casual dinners, such as when I plan to dine at the buffet, I’ll wear my day outfit. But for dinners in main dining rooms, specialty restaurants, or exclusive restaurants, I will want to dress nicer. There may also be a chic night, or dress-up night, so I will want to be prepared for that.

Because I know we will eat dinner in the suite restaurant and specialty restaurants, I will need several dressy outfits. Your plans may differ, so scale down the dressy outfits for your needs.

Here are four options, and if I need more, I can repeat an outfit.

Travel

On travel days, I will want to be comfortable, so I will wear a jacket in case the plane is chilly.

Other Clothing Needs

Of course, I will also need underwear, sleepwear, and swimwear, which I’m not covering here but will need to fit into my carry-on. For Caribbean cruises, you may want two swimsuits (wear one while the other one dries), depending on your plans, but be sure to bring a lightweight coverup for wearing while walking to the pool deck.

Other Packing Needs for A Caribbean Cruise

Keep toiletries to a minimum by using silicone travel bottles in a clear plastic Ziploc bag. Your cruise line probably provides shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and body lotion, so you won’t need those unless you prefer to use specific products. Also, bring reef-friendly sunscreen for excursions. A lightweight tote bag is perfect for excursions or pool days.

For more ideas of what you might want to consider taking on your cruise, check out our Shop.