What should I bring with me on my cruise?

What to bring on a Royal Caribbean Cruise?

• Okay, so i'm going on a Royal Caribbean cruise! But i don't know what to wear! Or what extra things I should bring. I want someone who has been on a Royal Caribbean cruise so ...show more

• Answer:

  I have been on 11 cruises on Royal Caribbean. When I take a cruise to the Caribbean, I usually take extra casual shirts (t-shirts, etc), as it is usually hot and humid. Depending on the length of the cruise, say 7 nights, there will be two formal nights. Although most people dress up, you can get by with a sport shirt and slacks. And you cannot wear shorts and a t-shirt in the dining room in the evenings. The first night is an exception as they realize that you may not have your luggage yet. I find that two pair of slacks, two dress shirts, and a sport jacket is enough for a week, as I only wear them for a couple hours per evening during dinner - so I can wear each pair for a couple of days. I always go back to casual shirts and shorts after dinner. Everything else is t-shirts, tank tops, and shorts. Some cruise lines (Holland America) prefer you to keep your fancy duds on for the entire evening - but Royal Caribbean usually only asks you to do that during dining. But if you never want to go to the main dining rooms, you can go to the casual Windjammer buffet-style dining, you can wear any level of clothing - except swim wear. I know some cruisers that do not pack any formal wear at all, and never go to the main dining room. You are on vacation, so wear what you are comfortable with. If you are going on excursions off the ship, you may want to bring some jeans or other long pants as depending on the excursion, you might be in the jungle. And some islands in the Caribbean, it's illegal to wear camouflage clothing (Barbados for instance). I usually bring a polo shirt or two and jeans for excursions off the ship. We also bring two sets of swim wear. They pack small, and we can leave one to dry as we wear the second set. Nicer than trying to put on damp swim wear. And bring a hat. In the Southern Caribbean especially (like Aruba) the sun is HOT, and you can fry to a crisp if you are not used to it. Anyway, that is what I bring. My wife brings a lot more and I'll not comment about that.