Bahamas Cruise from MiamiWhat to Pack for a Bahamas Cruise
Knowing what to pack for a Bahamas cruise keeps a 3 to 5 night sailing from Miami simple. The list is short: documents, a carry-on for embarkation day, swimwear, sun protection and one warm layer. Nassau highs run from 77F in January to 89F in July and August, so the clothes barely change between seasons. This packing list covers the paperwork rule that trips people up, what each cruise line bans (irons, power strips, drones and alcohol have their own rules), what to keep in your embarkation-day bag, and what to carry ashore in Nassau, Bimini or Freeport. Plan the sailing itself on the guide to Bahamas cruises from Miami.
Pale sand and turquoise surf at Cabbage Beach on Paradise Island, Nassau. Photo: Coolcaesar, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer The short packing list
Pack for a 3 to 5 night Bahamas cruise from Miami with one carry-on for embarkation day, a passport or certified birth certificate with photo ID, swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen and one light layer. Nassau highs run 77F in January to 89F in July and August, so summer and winter lists differ by one sweater. The Bahamas Immigration Department requires a passport valid at least six months and does not accept passport cards, though cruise lines apply their own closed-loop rules for US re-entry.
Key takeaways
- Bring the right papers: closed-loop rules vs the Bahamas six-month passport rule are explained in do you need a passport.
- Keep documents, medicine, swimwear and sunscreen in your embarkation-day bag, since checked bags arrive hours after boarding.
- Skip irons, power strips and drones: see the full prohibited items table.
- Pack a beach bag for port days, then book shore time like the Nassau catamaran snorkel sail or the Rose Island pig beach club.
Documents and Money
Two rules sit side by side, and the stricter one is the Bahamas' own.
The Passport Question in One Paragraph
CBP lets US citizens re-enter from a closed-loop cruise with a government photo ID plus an original or copy of a birth certificate, and children under 16 can use a birth certificate alone. But the Bahamas Immigration Department says all persons entering must hold a passport valid at least six months and that passport cards are not accepted. Each cruise line applies its own rule: Royal Caribbean and Norwegian reject photocopies of birth certificates, while Carnival accepts a photocopy as a backup. Bring the original certified copy. The full breakdown, line by line, lives in the passport guide.
Bring a copy of each document in a separate bag. Visitors who normally need a Bahamian visa still need one when arriving by cruise ship.
Money is easy. The Bahamian dollar equals the US dollar and both are accepted interchangeably, so pack dollars in small bills for taxis, the Straw Market and beach shacks. Budget for gratuities on top: Carnival charges $17 per person per day in standard staterooms and $19 in suites, Royal Caribbean charges $18.50 ($21 in suites), Celebrity $19.50 to $24.50, Norwegian's own page shows $20 ($25 in The Haven) and Virgin Voyages $20 prepaid or $22 onboard. The Bahamas departure tax for cruise passengers leaving by sea is $23, or $25 from a private destination, and commercial carriers usually include it in the fare.
Port and transit figures: PortMiami
Your Embarkation-Day Bag
Checked bags can arrive hours after boarding, so the first evening lives out of one bag.
What Stays with You Until the Cabin Is Ready
Norwegian's own packing advice is to carry a swimsuit, sunscreen, medication and documents, because checked bags arrive hours after boarding. Royal Caribbean asks that passports and medicine go in a personal carry-on with 3 extra days of medication, in case of a delay. Typical embarkation at PortMiami runs about 11:00 to 15:30 and ships leave between 3:30 PM and 5:00 PM on the main Bahamas routes.
Add to that bag: boarding pass and ID, phone and charger or power bank (multi-outlet power bars are prohibited on Royal Caribbean), a change of clothes, sunglasses and any valuables. Porters at the pier are tipped about $2 to $5 per checked bag, so keep small bills in a pocket, not in the checked suitcase. Royal Caribbean requires carry-ons to fit the x-ray machine and allows only TSA-approved locks.
What You Need to Pack for a Bahamas Cruise
A packing list for a short Bahamas cruise from Florida. Third-party video by Royal Caribbean Blog. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Clothes for a Bahamas Cruise by Month
Nassau weather stays warm across the year, so the packing list barely changes.
What to Wear Each Season
The table uses Nassau climate figures from NOAA: highs from 77F in January to 89F in July and August, lows from 64F in winter to 77F in summer, and rain from under 2 inches a month January to March to a peak of 7.1 inches in September. Norwegian calls December to April the best time to cruise from Miami, and the Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 with its climatological peak around September 10, so a light rain layer matters more in late summer. Evenings at sea can feel cool after a beach day, which is why Carnival recommends a light sweater.
Dress codes are relaxed. Royal Caribbean's guide says formal nights suit a sport coat and chinos or a dress, and the pool deck takes swimwear with cover-ups. One rule is legal, not stylistic: the Bahamas bans camouflage clothing for visitors, and Carnival has reported a passenger ordered back to the ship in Nassau for wearing it. Leave camo prints at home.
Norwegian also prohibits high-voltage hair dryers and all irons and steamers, so wrinkle-release spray is the standard workaround.
| Months | Weather | Pack |
|---|---|---|
| December to February | Highs from 77F in January, lows from 64F, under 2 inches of rain a month January to March | Swimwear, one sweater or light jacket for evenings, long pants for dinner |
| March to May | Warming from the winter figures toward the summer ones | Shorts and t-shirts daily, one warm layer, sun hat |
| June to August | Highs up to 89F in July and August, lows up to 77F, 6 to 7 inches of rain per month | Lightweight fabrics, two swimsuits so one dries, compact rain shell |
| September to November | September peaks at 7.1 inches of rain and hurricane season runs to November 30 | Quick-dry clothes, rain layer, the same swimwear and evening sweater |
A snorkeller in fins dives over rocks and white sand in clear Bahamas water. Photo: Jakob Owens jakobowens1, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Port-Day Beach Bag
Nassau, Bimini and Freeport all reward a packed bag, and several shore trips leave towels to you.
Snorkel, Sun and Water
Pack reef-safe sunscreen: Royal Caribbean advises it for CocoCay and Carnival says most tours now only allow eco-friendly sunscreen on snorkel excursions. Bring your own snorkel mask if you own one, a rash guard or UPF shirt, a hat, sunglasses and a waterproof phone pouch. Royal Caribbean's island advice lists UPF clothing, a hat, water shoes and a waterproof phone pouch. Water and basic juices are free at CocoCay dining venues, but alcohol there is extra unless a drink package covers it.
Towels are the trap. On the Nassau Catamaran Snorkel, Pigs and Turtles Sail, a 5.5-hour trip at $149 with snorkel gear, lunch and drinks included, beach towels are listed as not included. The same goes for the Rose Island Pig Beach and Private Beach Club, $129 for 4 hours with a Bahamian lunch and gear, where towels and extra bar drinks are on you. Grab towels from the ship before you step off, and swap them at towel stations on lines that provide them.
Ships at Nassau dock at Prince George Wharf and Junkanoo Beach is about 0.5 mile away, 10 to 13 minutes on foot, so a light bag beats a hard cooler. Freeport is different: the port is an industrial harbour roughly 5 to 12 miles from Port Lucaya depending on the source, with no walkable downtown, so your bag rides a taxi. Cruise-line shuttles to Port Lucaya were reported at about $10 to $15 round trip, though one source says the port shuttle no longer runs.
What Cruise Lines Do Not Allow
Three items are worth checking before you pack: irons, power strips and alcohol.
Bans and Allowances by Line
Royal Caribbean prohibits clothing irons and garment steamers and bans power strips and extension cords, while USB chargers, curling irons and flat irons are fine. Norwegian also prohibits irons, steamers and high-voltage hair dryers and limits checked luggage to two bags of 50 pounds each. Drones have their own rule at CocoCay: Royal Caribbean says they may be brought for use on land outside the port area, must stay in the stateroom on board, and are confiscated if flown from the ship.
Alcohol differs by line. Royal Caribbean allows each guest of drinking age one sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne on embarkation day, seizes beer, seltzer and spirits without returning them, and permits up to 12 standard 17 oz non-alcoholic cans or bottles per stateroom. Norwegian lets wine and champagne aboard with a $15 corkage fee per 750 ml bottle and bans bringing water, soda, juice, liquor or beer in any bag. Carnival's safety page lists hard liquor, beer and bottled beverages as prohibited. Check your line's list before you zip the suitcase.
| Item | Rule | Line |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes iron / garment steamer | Prohibited, pack wrinkle-release spray instead | Royal Caribbean, Norwegian |
| Power strips and extension cords | Prohibited on Royal Caribbean, USB chargers allowed | Royal Caribbean |
| Drones | Stateroom storage only at sea, confiscated if flown from the ship | Royal Caribbean (CocoCay policy) |
| Beer, spirits, boxed wine | Seized on embarkation day and not returned | Royal Caribbean |
| Wine or champagne | Royal Caribbean allows one sealed 750 ml bottle per adult on embarkation day, Norwegian charges $15 corkage per 750 ml bottle | Royal Caribbean, Norwegian |
| Water, soda and juice | Not allowed in carry-on or checked bags apart from sealed wine and medical or infant water | Norwegian |
| Camouflage clothing | Banned for visitors in the Bahamas, one passenger was ordered back to the ship in Nassau | Bahamas law, per Carnival |
Bahamas Cruise Packing Checklist
Work down this list the night before your Miami departure.
The 24-item List
Everything here traces back to the rules above: documents per the Bahamas six-month passport rule, the carry-on set Norwegian and Royal Caribbean ask for, and reef-safe sunscreen per Royal Caribbean and Carnival.
- Passport valid six months, or certified birth certificate plus government photo ID
- Photocopies of all travel documents, packed separately
- Boarding pass and set-sail pass printed or in the line's app
- Cruise card or cash in small US bills
- Medicine in original bottles, plus 3 extra days of supply
- Carry-on with swimsuit, sunscreen and a change of clothes
- Two swimsuits
- High-SPF reef-safe sunscreen
- After-sun or aloe gel
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Rash guard or UPF shirt
- Beach towels from the ship (several tours exclude them)
- Own snorkel mask and waterproof phone pouch
- Water shoes
- Refillable water bottle
- One light sweater or jacket for evenings
- Smart-casual outfit for dinner nights
- Wrinkle-release spray (irons are banned)
- Power bank and charging cables
- Small daypack for port days
- TSA-approved luggage locks
- Small bills for $2 to $5 porter tips
- Motion sickness remedy
- Reusable bag for wet clothes
Packing Dos and Don'ts
Do
- Do put passports, medicine and swimwear in your carry-on, because Norwegian warns that checked bags arrive hours after boarding and Royal Caribbean wants passports and medicine in a personal carry-on.
- Do bring the original certified birth certificate if you skip a passport, because Royal Caribbean and Norwegian reject photocopies, even though CBP accepts a copy.
- Do pack reef-safe sunscreen, because Carnival says most snorkel tours now only allow eco-friendly sunscreen.
- Do bring a power bank, since Royal Caribbean recommends one to replace the banned multi-outlet power bar.
- Do pack small US dollars, because the Bahamian dollar equals the US dollar and beach shacks and the Straw Market run on cash.
Don't
- Don't pack an iron or garment steamer, because Royal Caribbean and Norwegian prohibit them, and skip the power strip, which Royal Caribbean bans.
- Don't bring beer, spirits or boxed wine, because Royal Caribbean seizes them on embarkation day and does not return them.
- Don't wear camouflage anywhere in the Bahamas, because it is banned for visitors and Carnival has reported a passenger sent back to the ship over it.
- Don't leave towels behind assuming the tour provides them, because both the $149 catamaran sail and the $129 pig beach club list towels as not included.
Packing Questions
What do I wear on a cruise to the Bahamas?
Swimwear and shorts by day, a light layer for air-conditioned evenings and smart-casual for dinner. Nassau highs run 77F in January to 89F in July and August, so the same wardrobe works year round with one sweater. See the month-by-month table above and the Bahamas cruises from Miami routes for how many sea days to dress for.
What should I not bring on a Bahamas cruise?
Irons, garment steamers, power strips, beer and spirits top the list, and Royal Caribbean seizes alcohol without returning it. Camouflage clothing is banned for visitors in the Bahamas. The full bans are in the prohibited items table.
What do most people forget to pack for a cruise?
The things that live in the carry-on: a swimsuit, sunscreen, medicine and documents. Norwegian warns that checked bags arrive hours after boarding, so anything needed on embarkation day must be with you. The embarkation-day bag list covers it.
Can I bring my own snorkel gear on a Bahamas cruise?
Yes. Royal Caribbean says guests may bring their own mask and fins to CocoCay, where full-face masks are not stocked at the rental shack. Owning gear is optional on trips like the Nassau catamaran snorkel sail, where masks, fins and snorkel tubes are included.
Do I need a power strip on a cruise?
It depends on the line. Royal Caribbean prohibits power strips and extension cords but allows USB chargers, while Carnival's own packing article recommends a non-surge power strip. Pack a power bank instead, which is Royal Caribbean's own recommendation in its packing guide.
How much cash should I pack for a Bahamas cruise?
Bring small US bills. The Bahamian dollar equals the US dollar and both are accepted interchangeably, taxis at the port are unmetered so agree the fare before you get in, and a shared taxi from Freeport port to Port Lucaya runs about $8 to $12 per person. Add tips: porters at PortMiami get about $2 to $5 per checked bag.