No matter how many times you go on a cruise, it's not easy to pack for this kind of a vacation.
I think having been on as many cruises as I've taken contributed to making the mistake of assuming the weather and not checking the forecast.
I thought since I was taking a short Bahamas cruise on Royal Caribbean's weekend party ship, Utopia of the Seas, that I'd just need shorts, t-shirts, and a bathing suit as my core clothes to bring.
As it turned out, a winter cold front penetrated into The Bahamas and our day at Perfect Day at CocoCay was lovely, but on the chilly side. One of those days where it's comfortable to be outside, but you'd want a hoodie or even a pair of jeans.
And then on disembarkation day back in Port Canaveral, I walked off the ship in shorts on a breezy and cold (well, cold for Florida) morning.
This experience served as a good reminder of the top cruise ship packing mistakes to avoid before your next sailing.
Forgetting to pack travel documents
You can make every other mistake on this list and be okay, but your cruise will end before it begins if you forget to pack the right travel documents.
You cannot board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship without the proper identification. A passport works in every situation, but Americans sailing on a closed-loop sailing are able to alternatively sail with a birth certificate and state issued identification. My advice is to bring a passport.
This packing mistake is as critical as it gets. You can buy clothes, throw away what you don't need, and show up in a bikini on formal night, but not having the right documentation will result in being denied boarding.
I'll quadruple check I have my passports with me when leaving the house, and probably double check again at the first red light I encounter.
Piggybacking on this mistake is be sure to keep your travel documents with you and do not put them in your checked luggage.
A very common mistake is people pack them in the suitcases they give to the cruise terminal porters, and that creates a real problem to track it all down later.
Bring your passport with you and keep it with you during the entire check-in process.
Not checking the weather forecast
As I mentioned earlier, not checking the weather in the days before your cruise begins is important so you're prepared.
In my situation on Utopia, I would have kept what I originally packed, but thrown a pair of jeans and my favorite zip up hooded sweatshirt so I was prepared if the forecast was indeed correct.
I wouldn't get too wrapped up in rain forecasts, especially in the Caribbean. Rain is usually short lived in the tropics and it happens sporadically and it's very difficult to know if it will actually rain on you or somewhere else.
I'd check the weather 2-3 days before you're set to leave your home. You're primarily looking for a cold or warm front that might significantly impact what you can expect in port.
Don't waste your time with weather forecasts for the ocean.
Not packing critical things in your carry-on
In addition to keeping your passport in your carry-on bag, you should also make sure you have other really important things with you and not in your packed luggage.
Things like medication, valuable jewelry, electronics, and baby/kid supplies.
You may not see your packed bags delivered to your cabin for a few hours, so I would pack your carry-on bag with anything you'd need between getting to the cruise terminal and dinner that evening.
Some experts recommend packing a change of clothes for dinner, but I don't think that's totally necessary. There's an unsaid understanding dress codes on the first day are quit relaxed because of how luggage can be delayed in being delivered.
I'd focus on things you'd need during the day.
Not knowing you can bring certain food and drink on the ship
Some people are surprised they are allowed to bring some beverages and food onto the ship.
While you cannot bring beer or liquor, you are allowed to bring a bottle of wine per adult, as well as cans of soda or non-alcoholic beverage.
We always pack some pre-packaged snacks for the kids to have in the room, like chips or crackers. These are great for a quick bite to eat while getting ready in the room. While the ship has plenty of snacks, parents understand kids prefer a certain brand or variety of snacks.
Bringing these items could save you some money, or it just might add a convenience factor.
Bringing a banned item
I'm amazed how many people pack things Royal Caribbean prohibits you from bringing.
The cruise line has a strict policy on not allowing certain appliances, accessories, weapons, sporting equipment and more. If you do pack it, they'll confiscated it and give it back to you at the end of the cruise.
But packing something you can't bring on the ship means space in your luggage taken up for no reason. Plus, I think it's a little embarrassing having your bags opened up for these things to be removed.
If you try packing them in your checked luggage, your bags will be held back from delivery and you'll have to go down to security to claim it.
Be sure to refer to Royal Caribbean's list of prohibited items before you start packing.
Not checking dress codes
While dress codes on Royal Caribbean really aren't enforced at all, I think a lot of cruisers want to know about themed nights so they can match.
While the amount of people dressing up for formal night seems to have gone down over the years, interest in themed nights has never been more popular.
Themed nights include 70s night, white night, or Caribbean night, and the idea is everyone dresses up to match the specific motif.
I see a lot of families getting into the fun so they can take fun photos together.
You can find out which theme nights and dress codes exist on your sailing with a little research pre-cruise.
Leaving nothing to wear on the final morning
You might scoff at this, but every so often there's a cruise passenger who forgets to leave out an outfit for the final morning.
A lot of people pack everything up the night before the cruise ends and then put their luggage out in the hallway so it can be delivered to the terminal the next day.
This is a great idea, but you need to leave clothes to wear on the next morning.
I've seen passengers in pajamas walking off the ship because they didn't do that.
