First Time Cruise Packing List For Families of 4.

First time cruisers usually panic when it comes down to packing. Add a couple of teenagers to that list and it can be a major anxiety producing event. That is where my First Time Cruise Packing List comes into play. I am hoping this will help you plan out a clear plan to packing and to ensure you do not miss anything you will need.

I built this guide when helping a client come up with a checklist of what he will need for his family for a 7 day Caribbean Cruise. As they have 2 teenage daughters and this was a first cruise for them all, I came up with this list from my experiences of traveling with our own teenage daughter and for them to avoid making costly purchases when traveling.

There are just things that are non-negotiable and things you can not leave home without. As much as bathing suits and EarPods are a must your travel documentation is the most important of them all.

• Passports or required documents for all 4 travelers. Documents other than a passport can be your child’s birth certificate and a state issued ID/license. If you are on a Closed Loop cruise you do not need a passport. Read more about this here. (US Customs and Boarder Patrol)
• A print out of your cruise documentation including the boarding passes, luggage tags and your travel insurance documentation if you elected for it.
• Make sure you have your preferred travel credit card, set a travel notification and bring some cash for things like tips, markets and casino money. You can play the casino using your Sign and Sail card but be prepared for a bill when disembarkation.
• If taking passports make a photocopy. you can leave your physical passports in the ship safe and have a photocopy in case of emergency,

This is where the wheels come off the bus. What to pack for a cruise without Overpacking! It is even worse when dealing with teenage daughters and for passengers who have never cruised before, you will want to over pack as well. You will need to it down with the family and plan out your trip. This will make packing easier.

Example if you do not want to partake in the Elegant nights of your cruise, for a 7 night cruise you probably just eliminated 2 change of clothes you do not need. No suit and tie for the men and dresses/gowns for the ladies You will need business casual dress for nights in the Master Dining Room as there is a dress code.

Do not be afraid to wear the same thing twice. No one will notice if you wear the same bathing suite twice, or the same shirt. My wife will wear the same tops and interchange them with other pants and accessories to change it up. No one cares!

Here are some suggestions

• 4-5 pairs of shorts or skirts
• 5-7 t-shirts or tank tops
• 1 light pair of dress pants or Capri’s for cool days
• 2-3Business Casual Outfit for dinner
• Pajamas or sleep wear
• Depending on travel dates a think jacket or hoodie
• Always clean underwear and socks
• Make sure you pack more than just flip flops. I encourage you to include sneakers a, sandals and water shoes for walking, dinner and excursions.

What is a Caribbean vacation without swimming in the Caribbean! Or enjoying the pool on sea days or night time swims after a long day of exploring. Along with a few swim suits you will also want to include a small beach bag to keep things stored when exploring the beaches. You will also want to ensure you include your sun screen, sunglasses, hats and cover ups while off the ship

There is no need to pack your own towels. You will take a beach towel off the ship when disembarking for your adventures but you will need to return it so keeping everything together in a bag is a must. Your bag will also come in handy to store those water shoes or maybe your snorkel gear if that is what you are into.

Starting with the most important of the two is your medications. I would highly encourage you to pack any essential medications in your carry on bag. Things happen and luggage gets lost and your prescriptions are not easily refillable when traveling. Everything else can be in your checked baggage in your toiletry bag.

first time cruisers may not know what hey will need when trying to plan their Bathroom/Medical bad so here is a list to help. It may also be a good idea to look into creating your own, lightweight First Aid Kit. Here are some suggestions:

• Pack your normal necessities like toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, hair brushes, hair ties, pony tail holders, razors, cologne and perfume, makeup and shaving cream. * Note some if not most ships provide shampoo/bodywash but you may prefer your own.
• Sunscreen is a MUST. The Caribbean sun is HOT and you will burn easily. Pack plenty of reef safe sunscreen with a high SPF for Excursion days and another for pool days.
• Lip balm/Chapstick, Aloe and after sun lotion could be helpful
• First Time cruisers should probably pack some motion sickness medication, tabs or bracelets.
• Pack a OTC Med Kit with things like Tums, Prilosec, Adil, Tylenol and Anti-diarrheal medication
• Travel size hand sanitizer to keep around the room and in your bag at all times. Keep your hands clean and everyone safe. Take it from Washy Washy Guy!
• Ladies make sure to pack all your feminine products for you and the kids as well.

This is where you can make some major little changes to your room that can make all the difference in the world in comfort. Cruise ship staterooms are not known for the spaciousness. Yes some ship and categories are bigger than others but when traveling with a family of 4 it can get tight. and Cluttered!

Teens today are plugged in at all times. Which I am not a fan of if you cannot tell by the company name Disconnect Vacations! I feel that time away is a time to unplug and recharge. However kids today cannot live without their phones. We do not get unlimited Wifi to discourage being on the phone too much. Make the memories that are in the moment not online.

However saying all that, teens are going to want to have some sort of connection. So here are a few suggestions to make First Time Cruisers prepared for traveling with teens and tweens:

1. Make sure each child has their phone packed INCLUDING charging cables
2. Ensure the Kindle/E-Reader is charged and ready along with the Earbuds
3. Before leaving have your kids download their favorite music and playlists
4. Subscription services like Netflix and Hulu allow you to download movies. Do this before you leave home.
5. Download any books beforehand as well. Maybe download a second book incase they fly through 1 while cruising
6. Grab a waterproof phone case. These work well and my kid loved taking pictures while we would swim at different locations. Pictures=memories
7. Erasable, Magnetic Whiteboard for your Cabin Door. This is the LEAST tech you can pack but it is a communication tool with your children should the chat feature fail on the cruise line app. It also allows for to play trivia games with other passengers.

Don’t start your trip with your bags being rifled through and things missing because you packed items that were banned or not approved by your cruise line. things you need to avoid packing or they will be taken from you include: irons, clothes steamers, hot plates, candles, incense and coffee makers. No weapons of any kind or illegal substances are allowed onboard as well.

Some cruise lines have active specialty trained dogs to hung out the above so ensure you start things off on the right foot and just leave that stuff at home.

I hope if you are a First Time Cruiser, you have found this article useful and that it shed some light on what you should look into packing for your First Cruise. The beauty of cruise ships are they are floating cities. If you forgot something you can most likely find it on the ship or at a port of call. Even better cruise people are some of the nicest people you will meet and I am sure they will help you in anyway they can.