The Ultimate Gay Cruise Packing Guide & Checklist
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Going on the Atlantis Harmony 2023 cruise? Check out my complete guide to Harmony 2023 for all the advice you need!
The Checklist
For those who wanna dive right in, here’s the checklist itself, which you can either print out or make a copy to use digitally:
Below we’ll go through the major categories of what pack along with my tips and advice.
What Not To Pack
🚫 Weapons or anything that resembles one, even if they are toys or are fake
One year someone packed a very realistic replica of a hand grenade and they evacuated the whole friggin’ terminal, something like a thousand guys were waiting to get onboard 😒
🚫 Flammables, including candles and incense (but lighters and matches are usually allowed)
🚫 Anything that heats up, such as hair dryers or clothing irons (but hair straightens/curlers are usually allowed)
⚠️ Power strips, surge protectors, extension cords. Most are prohibited for fire safety reasons, but there are some that claim to be “cruise approved” - (disclaimer: I’ve never used it so I can’t vouch for it). These give you additional outlets but do not have cords or any surge protection, which seems to be the two things cruise lines do not want.
⚠️ Drones: You can't fly it on or near the ship. Some cruise lines let you bring it onboard, others forbid it completely.
⚠️ Alcohol: Check with the cruise line to see what you are allowed to bring:
Before You Pack
Check expiry dates on your passport and identification. It’s recommended that your passport be valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel dates.
Check visa requirements. North American citizens usually don’t need a visa for most cruises in the Americas, but this will ultimately depend on your citizenship and the countries the cruise will visit.
Charge up your electronics. Headphones, electric shaver, bluetooth speaker, etc. Plug everything in to charge a day or two before you sit down to pack so you're not packing anything with a dead battery. For things you use everyday, charge them overnight before your flight or embarkation day.
Check free space on your phone/cameras. Backup/download pics and vids off if storage space is running low. The worse time to run out of space in the middle of party out in international waters 🤣
Download music/videos to your phone/tablet. Have offline media so you can play some jams while chilling in your stateroom.
Pick Your Luggage
We’re gonna be strategic with what to pack in your carry-on luggage that will stay with you at all times versus your checked luggage that you can drop off curbside at the cruise terminal for the porters to take and deliver to your stateroom later on.
Your checked luggage will usually be delivered in the afternoon on boarding day, but it’s possible you might not get it until nighttime or (in rare cases) the next day. Keep this in mind as you decide what to pack where.
For Your Carry-On
Wallet, passport, identification, boarding pass, etc.
Valuable items (camera, laptop, jewelry, etc.)
Medication
Toiletries
Electronics (at least the ones you want for the 1st day)
Chargers and cables for the above
The 1st day’s change of clothes:
Whatever you might wanna change into for the evening
Party outfit for the first night’s party (which is not themed)
Door decor so that you can put them up right away after boarding, though putting them up later is fine too. You’re there for the whole week 🤣
Cruise cards (if you ordered them) so you can start giving them out right away, like at the sail-away part on the pool deck that happens when the ship pushes back from the port.
Everything Else
For everything else, put into whatever kinda luggage you want.
If you’re a light packer and everything fits into carry-on size luggage, and you don’t mind the workout, you can also just carry everything onboard and skip the curbside luggage drop-off. This is what I do because I love being able to unpack all of my stuff right when I get to my stateroom, instead of worrying about when the rest of my luggage is gonna be delivered.
Passport & Identification
Do not forget your passport! I’ve volunteered on 4 Atlantis cruises and every single time someone has forgotten their passport somehow 🤔 Please triple-check that you have your passport with you before you leave your house and take extra care to put it away properly after each time you take it out during your travels.
Always keep these in your carry-on.
Most cruise boarding passes are now digital so you just need to have it on your phone. Even if you don’t have it, the cruise line can usually look you up at the terminal without it.
Medication
Bring extra amounts of your prescription medication in case a pill rolls under the bed (hey it happens) or your return flights get delayed and you have to stay an extra night.
Store meds in the safe in your stateroom.
Look into motion sickness meds. There are over-the-counter (OTC) readily available at most drugstores, as well as stronger stuff via prescription fro your doctor.
Bring a basic “just in case” assortment of OTC meds such as for pain relieve, allergies, stomach pain, bandaids, etc. There is an infirmary on every cruise ship that will have these items also, but sometimes they charge for them.
Clothes & Outfits
Separate your regular clothes from your party outfits. I’ve found this to make unpacking everything in my stateroom and getting dresses so much easier. Since party outfits are usually curated with specific pieces, it’s easier to pack each party outfit as a bundle to put into your luggage.
BTW, don’t feel like you must have a themed outfit for every single party. Most of the 10-ish parties are themed and yes it is a lot of fun to put together a different outfit for each theme, but do it if you feel like it and want to. A themed outfit is not a requirement and honestly gets expensive real quick. I personally dress to the theme for half the parties and honestly no one notices when I’m not themed up.
Weather will generally be warm during the day, but can be breezy at night. I pack mostly shorts and t-shirts/tank tops, but I throw in some pants and a jacket too, usually of the athleisure variety that can be easily worn out and about, in case I get cold.
Some places on the ship has dress codes. Nicer restaurants on some ships might require you to wear something more than tank tops and flip flops. Running shoes are needed for some activities.
Toiletries
Cruise staterooms will have hand soap, body wash, and…not much else. If you’re lucky, the shower in the stateroom will have 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner in addition to body wash. Otherwise, you’re on your own to pick it up before you board the ship. Because of this, I recommend that you…
Buy toiletries at the port city, after you fly in. I do this all the time when I travel to minimize the amount of stuff I have to pack and lug around when I fly, and it’s less stuff that can explore in my luggage and leak everywhere. In the US, the local chain drugstores (CVS or Walgreens) are never far away and they have every kind of toiletry you can imagine, including a travel-size section that’s great for toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, mouthwash, etc.
Cruise ship are not subject to the same “3-1-1” liquid rule as airplanes. All the more reason to get your toiletries after you fly in and before you head to the cruise terminal.
Miscellaneous
Water bottle. Good for travel in general, and on a cruise you can use it to fetch water from the buffet or a cafe with a water station to bring back to the room, but the tap water is perfectly safe to drink.
Snacks! Yes there’s free food on the ship, but all of those are for meals - you’re not gonna find chips or pretzels. When I’m at CVS or Walgreens to pick up some toiletries before the cruise, I’ll pick up some sour Skittles and Pringles to snack on while in my stateroom
Poo-Pourri / air fresheners for those sharing a room. You’re welcome 😊