What to Pack For Your Bahamian Cruise
- Irene Vane
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Headed on a Bahamian cruise with Disney or thinking about one? I have you covered!
Disney currently offers year-round 3 to 7-night cruise itineraries sailing to the Bahamas out of Florida and Texas on 5 of its cruise ships, with stops at one or both of Disney's private islands, Castaway Cay or Lookout Cay. Some itineraries may be themed, such as Pixar, Halloween on the High Seas, or Merrytime. Bahamian cruises have so much to offer. You'll want to make sure to be prepared and organized if you are headed on one of these adventures to make the most of your vacation!
To help simplify your trip, I have a packing checklist along with outfit inspiration to keep you organized as you plan for your Bahamian cruise.
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Embarkation Day Basics
Pack these items in a day bag and/or crossbody to keep with you, as your luggage may not arrive at your stateroom until a few hours after the ship leaves port:
Medication (in their original containers)
Passport and/or required citizenship documentation
Phone charger/portable charger
Extra prescription glasses or contact lenses
Sunscreen or hat
Swimsuit and cover-up
Attire and Accessories
While you may envision the Bahamas as a warm destination, nights at sea, the theater and dining can be cool, so keep this in mind when packing your outfits. Be sure to pack a few layering pieces.
Jeans, pants or leggings
Sunglasses
T-shirts
Shorts
Sundresses
Sandals or sneakers (rubber-sole shoes for some Port Adventures)
Windbreaker/rain jacket
Sweater or other clothes you can layer
Dinner attire (see below)
Exercise clothing if you plan on taking advantage of the fitness center
Dining Attire
Disney Cruise Line ships feature an array of diverse dining experiences, from casual to upscale. Be sure to follow the dress code for your restaurant:
Main Dining Dining attire is cruise casual in all 3 main dining restaurants, meaning no swimwear or tank tops. Guests often like to dress up, but this is optional.
Adult Exclusive Dining Adult-exclusive restaurants aboard Disney Cruise Line ships are elegant dining experiences and Guests are requested to dress in a manner consistent with the restaurant’s ambiance. Formal or semi-formal attire is recommended. Also permitted is dress-casual attire with a polished look, such as dress pants, jeans in good condition, collared shirts, dressy tops and lifestyle shoes. For brunch at Palo and Palo Steakhouse, dress shorts are acceptable. Clothing such as T-shirts, swimwear and sports attire are not permitted.
Formal Night On 7-night sailings and longer cruises, the ship offers themed nights, including a formal night, and you're encouraged to dress up and participate in the evening's festivities. You'll see guests in everything from sundresses to very formal attire. There are many opportunities for photos.
Pirate Night Most sailings do include a pirate night with a themed dinner and deck party. Guests do not have to dress up, but many do. You can wear matching themed shirts or full pirate costumes. There will be many photo opportunities.
Other Themed Cruises - Check your sailing to see if you are on a themed cruise such as Halloween on the High Seas, Merrytime, or Pixar. Most guests on these sailings will wear themed shirts or dress in costumes for at least one day of the cruise.
Extras
Here are a few optional items you may want to include:
Cabin Door Magnets Most guests on Disney cruises decorate their cabin door. It's fun to see everyone's creativity and also helpful in locating your room!
Fish Extenders If you are participating in a fish extender gift exchange group, don't forget to pack your fish extender and gifts.
Hair tools such as a curling iron, flat iron or both. Each stateroom has a small mat to lay these on, just be sure to use it to protect stateroom surfaces.
Make up, skin care, toiletries organized in separate make up bags. or a make up box.
Band-aids and aloe can come in handy, but are also available at the gift shop if needed.
Binoculars can be fun to check out nature and wildlife from your verandah
A water-resistant beach day pouch can be used for some port adventures if you want to change out of a wetsuit or for day one on the ship before you have access to your stateroom.
Tote, crossbody or insulated backpack cooler for port adventures.
What Not to Pack
Everyone on board a Disney ship must comply with specific safety guidelines mandated by US Customs and Port Security. This includes not packing certain items.
Please DO NOT bring:
Firearms and ammunition, any kind of knife, sword, dagger, bullwhip or any other type of weapon. These items are not allowed on the ship under any circumstances. Guests found in possession of any weapons or similar prohibited items on their person or in their baggage may be denied boarding and are subject to severe legal penalties.
Homemade, precooked or other perishable items.
Irons, bottle warmers, sporting equipment, balloons, candles, musical instruments, illegal drugs inclusive of medically prescribed and synthetic marijuana.
Coolers, except those carrying medications, baby food or items related to dietary constraints.
Always check the Prohibited Items FAQ
Looking for outfit inspiration? Below are some ideas and some of my favorite brands.
Resort and Swimwear
Bahamin cruises offer plenty of beach time, and time to lounge by the pool. Below my go-to brands for resort and swimwear.
What you'll find: Fun designs in vibrant colors, matching mommy and mini dresses, swimsuits and even holiday sweaters, which is great for those themed cruises!
What you'll find: Figure-flattering one and two-piece swimsuits that work for a variety of body types. Both my teenage daughter and I have found favorite suits from La Blanca. They also carry cover-ups and resort wear.
What you'll find: Classic simple designs, nice textures (I love the spinnaker) and great support. If you are looking for the perfect bikini to chase kids around on the beach, look no further than their cross front top which comes in the bra top, tankini and one piece. They also carry a variety of linen pants, blouses and resort dresses.
Formal Night
You will see a variety of attire for formal night, from very fancy long evening gowns to sundresses. Here are a few of my favorite brands for formal dresses and sundresses.
What you'll find: Beautiful evening dresses at reasonable prices. For my last cruise, I found a great little black dress from Dress the Population. If you are on the petite side, they have many styles that will work for you and require no hemming. Their styles range from sequins to floral prints, and even jumpsuits.
What you'll find: Bright colors and fun patterns. Lilly Pulitzer is a popular resort wear brand so you will likely see some designs aboard your cruise and possibly in the gift shop. There are many beautiful bright patterns to choose from and some solid designs. as well. (Also consider their tops, sweaters and shorts for the casual rotational dining).
What you'll find: A variety of dresses from evening to casual. Petal & Pup has beautiful prints, and styles at great prices. They also offer pants and short sets.
You'll want to join in the fun for Pirate Night. You can choose to dress in a full pirate costume, wear themed t-shirts, or pirate accessories. Disney provides each guest with a pirate bandana, which makes a fun accessory and souvenir.
T-Shirts
Try this: For my last cruise, I created my own version of a Let the Pirate Shenanigans Begin shirt using my Cricut. I added "Shenanigans Coordinator" to the back of the kids' shirts, and "Shenanigans Investigator" to the back of my husband's and my shirt.
Pirate Costumes and Accessories
Try this: Many guests will wear full pirate costumes. Here's a few great options:
Boys Pirate Costume
Stay tuned for packing lists for additional cruise destinations!
Ready to start planning your next Disney adventure? I'm Irene, a travel agent with Mouseketrips, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, and I would love to help you plan a vacation that meets your needs and budget! My planning services are free, and I price monitor, saving you time and money! Request a no-obligation quote here.
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