What to Pack for a 4 Day Cruise to the Bahamas: Ultimate Bahamas Cruise Packing List

Planning a cruise but don’t know what to pack? I’ve got ya covered. Here is the ultimate list of what you need to pack for your cruise!

4 Day Carnival Cruise Packing List

I just got back home from a 4 day Carnival cruise to the Bahamas (I believe this was my 4th cruise) on the Carnival Liberty so I decided to put together an updated packing list with my favorite cruise packing tips of what to pack for a carnival cruise to the Bahamas in Late October. If you’re getting ready to go on a cruise and you had to ask yourself or google “What to wear on a cruise to the Bahamas?” or “What to Pack for a carnival cruise to the Bahamas?” you are in the right spot! This Bahamas cruise packing list also works for cruises in spring, summer & winter since the Caribbean typically has pretty consistent warm weather all year round.

Also, I recently started a youtube vlog channel where I post all my travel vlog videos and travel tip videos!  & below is my cruise packing tips video! Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE!

Press play to see my carnival cruise packing list/what to pack for a Bahamas cruise vlog!

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What to pack for a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas: Carnival Cruise Packing List

1. Light sweater/Hoodie. This is cruise tip number one because it is absolutely essential. You’re probably asking yourself why is a light sweater or hoodie the first thing I’m suggesting to pack for a bahamas cruise packing list? Here’s why, so not only are the dining rooms (specifically the ones where they serve you, not really the buffets on the lido deck) pretty chilly but like the air conditioner is on BLAST! So bring a light sweater for dinner. Secondly, when my cruise got back to Orlando yesterday morning, there was this thing called a cold front that brought in a reallllly cold air that brought the temp down to 70 degrees. Brrrr! So, definitely bring a light sweater/hoodie just in case there’s a breeze.
2. Day Bag. Like I mentioned in the carnival cruise packing list video on my youtube channel you definitely want to pack a separate day bag that you will carry on the ship with you. (I prefer this style) Before you board the ship your bags will be checked (think of it as curb side check in at the airport) and delivered to your cabin later in the day around dinner time, so its important to have everything you need directly in your day bag for those few hours you’re away from your baggage. Click the video above to find out what I pack in mine!
3. 3 Bathing Suits. Cruising and bathing suits go hand in hand right? I tend to live in my bathing suits while I’m on cruises or anywhere tropical, so if you’re anything like me your Bahamas cruise packing list should have about 3 bathing suits for a 4 day cruise.
4. Swimsuit Cover Up. Like I mentioned, cruising and bathing suits go hand in hand & you’ll be spending lots of time on the lido deck in your bathing suit while cruising, especially during those bright sunny beautiful days at sea. There’s tons of  restaurants/buffets on the lido deck and they most likely won’t serve you if you’re just in your bathing suit. So bring 1 or 2 swimsuit cover ups. They’re also easy to throw on after you spent 8 hours on the island and you’re rushing to get back to the ship. I like this style of swim suit cover ups when cruising because it looks more like a cute summer dress so it’s good to wear off the ship while I’m out on the island.
5. 2 Sundresses/Rompers. Not only are these beach favorites super cute and easy to throw on, but they also take up very little space in your luggage its a win win!
6. Shorts. I recommend 2 pairs of shorts. One comfy pair like these just to relax in and then one denim pair like these. Denim shorts are super cute paired with bathing suits, plus they match everything so you’ll definitely get tons of use out of them.
7. Pants/Leggings/Sweats. Remember how I mentioned that evil little thing called a cold front? Yep. Bring a pair of paints or leggings. Plus they’re just nice to have just in case it gets a little windy on the cruise at night.
8. Shirts/Tees/Tanks. When packing shirts, think about what you’re going to wear. It’s super easy to go overboard when packing separates. So make sure you only pack a top if you have a bottom to wear with it. I brought maybe 3 shirts. One was a simple cute flowy off the shoulder crop top I wore with jeans on day 2, and the other was a tee that I wore home the last day. & of course the 3rd shirt was our matching group cruise shirt! There was 30 of us total on the ship and I thought we were all so cute in our matching teal shirts! If you’re looking for cute matching t-shirts for your next cruise or next trip in general there are tons of cute designs on Etsy & they’re super affordable.  These Disney themed ones are my favorite! 
9. Specific Outfits (excursion outfits etc). Almost everyone on the ship is doing an excursion, but not everyone does the same excursions. So be sure to pack excursion specific outfits and shoes for your Bahamas cruise. I brought my Chacos  (these are my favorite shoes ever) because they’re SUPER versatile and can be worn in the water at the beach, hiking, etc. like anywhere. I definitely recommend getting a pair. (I’m actually wearing them in the picture above)
10. 1 formal dress for dinner. 4 day cruises come with one formal dinner night/elegant night in the main dining rooms. It’s my favorite night of the cruise. They serve the BEST food this night. Formal night means you have to arrive dressier than usual. Some of us wore simple but cute long dresses, while others wore prom type dresses. Both are acceptable and recommended. 
11. 3 Casual dresses/Outfits. The other 3 nights of the cruise the dining rooms have a casual dress code. This can mean summer dresses, casual skirts, pants, capris, dress shorts, nice blouses etc. For those who don’t want to dress up the Lido deck food places have a constantly relaxed atmosphere.
12. 2 pairs of PJs. Pretty self explanatory. I brought simple t-shirt and shorts pajamas with me.
13. Sunscreen. I don’t care what color you are or what country you are from. Skin is skin and it needs to be protected from the sun, so please remember your sunscreen!!!
14. Sunglasses. Because no one wants sun in their eyes.
15. Lanyard. It makes having access to your sail and sign card a lot simpler. (The sail and sign card is your money, room key, entrance to the ship etc all in one) We always wear ours on our necks that way we don’t forget it. You can get really cute and affordable lanyards online for reallyyyy cheap. Otherwise you’ll either end up paying way more for one on the ship or you’ll be wishing you had one.
16. Shoes. I like to pack light, so most of the shoes I brought were versatile as you can see in the cruise packing video on my youtube channel. Definitely Bring a comfy pair of walking shoes because you will be doing a lottttt of walking. I was averaging about 10,000 steps per day while on my cruise & that would have been so uncomfortable to do in bad shoes. So definitely be sure to bring a good pair of walking shoes. I also recommend water shoes to protect your feet if you’ll be doing any kind of water activities like kayaking, jet skiing, horse back riding in the water etc.
17. Flip Flops. Duh right. They also double as shower shoes! I brought one pair of these beach favorites.
18. Dressy Sandals. These are needed for your casual dinner, but if they’re dressy enough you can also wear them for the formal night
19. Beach Bag. You’re going to want to bring a beach bag for when you get off the ship. That way you can easily carry a towel in it, sunscreen, a book, wallet, or whatever else you’ll need to have when you port. Be sure to bring one thats waterproof on the inside like this one
20. Beach Towel (optional). This tip is optional since Carnival provides really soft, comfy beach towels for both on and off the ship. I brought my own because my boyfriend bought me a really cute beach towel that says “I love traveling” so I had to bring it of course! But if you don’t have room in your bag to bring a towel don’t worry there will be plenty available on the ship.
21. Insulated tumbler cup. This is my favorite tip ever. I mentioned this in my 6 Unexpected Things First Timers Forget to Pack for a Cruise . Having an insulated tumbler makes everything easier. The cups on the ship are small, so bringing your tumbler means you don’t have to make so many trips back and forth to the drink stations. It also means you can take that amazing Passion Fruit Orange Guava juice around with you all day long. I filled my cup with it before we went on the island tour excursion and was so glad I did. That stuff is amazing. I bought a super cute rugrats/90s nickelodeon tumbler for like $5. You can purchase them here!
22. Surge Protector/Power Strips. There aren’t many outlets in the cabin, I actually think theres only 1 or 2. So bring a surge protector that way you don’t have to wait until the outlet is unoccupied to charge your cameras, go pros, phones etc.
23. Chargers for your electronics. Another given. But in addition to that I highly recommend bringing a USB charging port that you can use to charge your electronics on the go. I like this one because it’s super small (literally the size of lipstick) so it doesn’t take up any space in your luggage at all.
24. Waterproof cases.  Because who doesn’t wanna get great pictures underwater while swimming or snorkeling!? I always bring my Go Pro and use that under water since its waterproof, but My boyfriend got an amazing Lifeproof Waterproof Case for his iPhone  on sale for like $9 which is a really good deal because these cases can get expensive. I was really impressed with how good his works. It even came with a wrist strap to make sure it didn’t get lost. The underwater pictures were amazing and his iPhone was super safe. Definitely recommend this. Check out reviews & get prices here. 
25. Dramamine. Just in case you get motion sickness easily. The cruise ships are so big so it’s rare that you’ll feel it moving, but just in case bring dramamine or any motion sickness medication to be safe. You can also purchase bracelets to wear during the cruise to combat any motion sickness. 
26. Travel Documents. Carnival will send you tons of useful emails reminding you to print all of your boarding and registration information. It will speed up the check in process for you. Check and double check that you have all birth certificates (or passports) and any other information needed before you leave home.

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Click here to watch my first official VLOG! What To Pack For 4 Day Cruise to the Bahamas: Ultimate Bahamas Cruise Packing List!

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