Free planning guide
The Royal Caribbean Family Cruise Packing List
Printable Checklists for Every Age
Version 1.0 · Last reviewed 2026-08-03 · Cruise details change — verify specifics for your sailing.
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Documents ride in your carry-on, never in checked luggage. For nearly all sailings, Canadian families should carry valid passports for every traveller, including infants — and many itineraries require them.
Document checklist
Check current details: Documentation requirements depend on your citizenship and itinerary and can change — verify current requirements for your specific sailing with official government and cruise-line sources.
Pack in Your Carry-On, Not Your Checked Luggage
On embarkation day your checked bags can take until evening to reach the cabin. Everything your family needs for the first six hours travels with you — this is the single most important list in the guide.
Embarkation-day carry-on
Adults
Adult packing checklist
Babies
Baby packing checklist
Check current details: Check current cruise-line rules on bringing pre-mixed formula and storing breast milk before you pack.
Toddlers
Toddler packing checklist
School-aged children
Kids (5–12) packing checklist
Teenagers
Teen packing checklist
Pool and beach days
Pool & beach checklist
Port days
Port-day checklist
Evening clothing
Formal night reality check: on most sailings “formal” now spans everything from suits to a collared shirt and slacks. Nobody is turned away from the ship’s casual venues for skipping it — but families who dress up even slightly tend to love the photos for years. One step-up outfit per person covers it.
Evening checklist
Check current details: Dress-code expectations vary by ship, venue and sailing — check your cruise’s current guidelines if formal night matters to you.
Medication and health items
Health kit checklist
Electronics
Electronics checklist
Check current details: Surge-protected power bars are commonly prohibited on cruise ships, and rules on extension cords vary. Verify Royal Caribbean’s current policy before packing any power accessory.
Cabin organization
A family of four in one stateroom works when the room is organized on day one and re-set every night. These low-tech items punch far above their weight:
Cabin organization kit
Laundry and bag strategy
- Pack roughly two-thirds of the outfits you first think you need; re-wear shorts, not swimsuits.
- Paid laundry services exist on board; self-service launderettes generally do not — plan around a mid-cruise laundry send if sailing longer than a week.
- One soft duffel nested inside a suitcase = expansion room for the trip home.
- Last night: bags go out in the corridor before a set time on most sailings — keep a small overnight kit per person for the final morning.
What not to pack — without checking current rules
Cruise lines restrict more items than most first-timers expect — and the list changes. Rather than reprint a list that may age badly, treat these categories as “verify before packing”: power accessories (especially surge-protected bars), irons and steamers, candles, alcohol beyond any permitted allowance, drones, and sports or bulky equipment.
Check current details: Before departure, read Royal Caribbean’s current prohibited-items policy on their official website and check any category you’re unsure about. When an item is borderline, leave it home — confiscated items are typically returned only at disembarkation, if at all.
Unsure whether something can sail with you — a mobility device, medical equipment, a stroller wagon? Ask us; checking current rules for clients is part of the job.
Get personalized cruise options →Worksheet: Master family packing checklist
The one-page sweep — tick when each category is packed
Worksheet: Per-child packing card
Print one card per child. Kids from about age eight can pack against their own card — you audit, they own it.
| Category | What (child: ________, age: ____) | Packed? |
|---|---|---|
| Day clothes | ____________ | ☐ |
| Swim gear ×2 + water shoes | ____________ | ☐ |
| Photo-night outfit | ____________ | ☐ |
| Hoodie / warm layer | ____________ | ☐ |
| Port-day bag items | ____________ | ☐ |
| Comfort item / entertainment | ____________ | ☐ |
| Medications | ____________ | ☐ |
| Chargers / devices | ____________ | ☐ |
Worksheet: Last-72-hours countdown
3 days out
2 days out
Departure eve