Amidst the excitement of planning for your upcoming Disney cruise, knowing what to pack is key to ensuring a smooth trip. Disney cruises go to a variety of destinations, and while the specifics of your packing list will vary from place to place, there are certain important things to consider as you are packing for your vacation. We will take you through our top 5 tips for packing for your Disney cruise!
1. Make sure you have a day bag packed with everything you might need during your first day. On the day you board the cruise ship, “Embarkation Day,” luggage handlers will load your luggage for you onto the ship and into your room.
You’ll be separated from your belongings for a while, so make sure you have a comfortable day bag packed with all the necessities you might need for that time like your travel documents, medications, and cash or credit card, as well as optional items like swimsuits, reading materials, and a portable charger. This bag will also come in handy for carrying smaller items you might need like hand sanitizer, sunscreen, chapstick, etc. (many of the things we would recommend packing in your park bag in our Disneyland packing list and Disney World packing list).
2. While the specifics of what you pack will depend on your destination, you’ll typically want to bring comfortable vacation clothes as well as outfits for the specific activities offered on the ship. For cruises, we have the same advice as we do for Disney Parks vacations: make sure you’re comfortable, but wear clothes that will look nice in photos, and remember that you’re going to be seen by hundreds of people per day on the ship. See our Disney Alaska cruise guide for an idea of what to expect and pack for this experience, tips, and more!
There are special dining experiences offered that you’ll want to pack specific clothes for like formal or themed nights. For formal night, you can pack options like cocktail dresses, skirts, button-down shirts, jackets, a tie, etc. There are also themed nights like Pirate Night offered on Disney cruises. For these, you can bring some accessories, clothing items, or costume pieces to go along with the theme, but dressing up is optional.
3. Bring some Disney items to lean into the fun during your Disney cruise! This could include items like Mickey ears, princess dresses and costumes for kids for character meet-and-greets, general Disney apparel like t-shirts or hats, an autograph book, and Disney magnets. Many decorate their stateroom door with magnets, which makes it easier to see where your room is and also adds a fun personal touch!
While cruise line merchandise is available onboard, you can save money by buying Disney items ahead of time at a lower price. See our top souvenirs to buy at Disneyland and Disney World!
4. It’s also a good idea to bring some kind of seasickness medication, band, or patch. Many don’t know that they get seasick until they are on a cruise ship, so to be safe rather than sorry, we recommend looking into some options that could come in handy during your trip. Especially if this is your first cruise, it pays to be prepared with items like Sea-Bands or Dramamine in case you or someone in your party starts to experience motion sickness.
5. Lastly, it’s important to know what you can’t bring onboard. Disney Cruise Line provides a list of items that are not allowed onboard including diving equipment, balloons, candles, weapons, and highly flammable liquids & combustible substances to name a few, so be sure to familiarize yourself with these before you start packing.
While you can bring food onboard your cruise, the rules are a little different than the ones for bringing food to Disney Parks. You can bring nonperishable snack foods in their sealed, original packaging, and items must be consumed or unopened before your cruise’s return to the home port. Guests 21 and older can bring up to 2 bottles of unopened wine or champagne or 6 beers on board at the start of the voyage and at each port, but these must be packed in your carry-on bags. Coolers no larger than 12″ x 12″ x 12″ are allowed as carry-on luggage for storing medications, baby food, or nonperishable items related to dietary restrictions only.
For more details on everything you need to bring for your Disney cruise, be sure to check out our full Disney cruise packing list. You can also see our ultimate guide to Disney cruises with details about ships, destinations, and entertainment for everything you need to know!
At Mickey Visit, we share the most important tips for planning your trips to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Universal, and beyond. Each week, we’ll share some of our top tips here on Laughing Place.