One list. Every sailing. No filler.
Cabin essentials people forget
- A door magnet or two - staterooms are metal, and a small magnetic hook or organizer for the outside of the door helps you find your room fast (and gives you somewhere to display any door decorations).
- A small power strip (non-surge-protected) - outlets are limited, and cruise ships require non-surge-protected strips for safety compliance.
- Lanyards for your Key to the World card - you'll use this card constantly for your room, purchases, and boarding; a lanyard keeps it from getting lost in a beach bag.
- Reusable water bottle - refill stations are available onboard, and it saves you from relying on stateroom service for water.
What Disney already provides (don't overpack this)
Basic toiletries, towels, and pool towels are provided, so you can skip packing a full toiletry kit or beach towels for the shore portion of your trip. Save the suitcase space.
Clothing by occasion
- Formal/semi-formal night - most 7-night-plus itineraries include at least one dressier evening; pack accordingly if you want the photos.
- Port days - comfortable walking shoes matter more than anything else on this list if you're doing excursions.
- Pool days - pack swimwear for multiple days since pool decks get heavy rotation, and a rash guard or cover-up for sun protection.
- Dinner most nights - resort casual works for the vast majority of rotational dining nights; you don't need to overpack "nice" clothes beyond one or two outfits.
Tech and entertainment
- A portable charging brick, since outlets are limited and shared
- Downloaded shows or movies for younger kids during downtime, since ship WiFi can be inconsistent
- A physical camera or backup phone storage if character photo ops are a priority
What to leave home
- Full-size toiletries (skip it, see above)
- An entire suitcase of "nice" outfits - resort casual covers most nights
- Multiple beach towels - the ship provides pool towels
Villain-approved bonus items
- A small notebook for tracking Fastpass-style reservations or dining plans if you're pairing the cruise with a park stay
- A few dollars in cash for tipping outside the standard gratuity, if you want to recognize specific crew members
Save this for your next sailing. And if you need help planning that sailing in the first place - that's what I do.
