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You are cruising for your vacation and now you have committed to getting off the Cruise Ship and heading out onto dry land, how will you spend your day? Will you be shopping or touring or going on an adventure? Will you be headed to a Zipline? Cave Tubing or maybe even snorkeling?
One thing is for certain, no matter what you do, you need to plan ahead, and take a few things with you when you venture off the ship to have the best experience you can. We visit and tour every Port of Call.
OF course, we love seeing new places and learning about the cultures, and the kids love adventure. With this in mind, it’s like an opportunity is knocking on our cabin door each time we reach our destinations.
So what is the well-packed shore excursions bag for cruisers including inside? It’s my own version of what we pack when we get to our destinations. Truly made to help you make your own bag before you reach your port of call.
Here’s what we pack in our bags to hit the Port of Call with all high notes as we lavishly live cruising and Ports Of Call out loud and share what we believe a well-packed shore excursion bag for cruisers should consist of!
What Kind Of Back For Shore Excursions
Bags are truly a matter of taste and preference. DO you like shoulder sacks or do you prefer backpacks? We honestly prefer to have our hands-free, and quite often that comes from a habit of holding our younger children’s hands.
Freedom to shop and use both hands, and pick items up without adjusting bags, so our answer is easy- a backpack, here’s why.
Bags Matter – We have Used Quite A Few In Our Travels
It’s quite simple, you will be off your home away from home for just a bit, so you need a few basics, but what should you take? First and foremost invest in a great backpack, one that is slash proof, heavy duty, and has many inside pockets to keep yourself organized.
After many bags, backpacks, brands, etc., we decided on at least one. Our choice is a PacSafe Backpacks, because the ones we chose are splash-proof. Further, they have reliable zippers, many pockets inside, and RFID protectors. Maybe one of the biggest selling points are both the comfortable and adjustable straps.
Still not sold? There are multiple outside pockets, yet keep things in them.
I have had the best luck with this brand when traveling. You simply need a bag that you can carry, that is comfortable, not bulky and has several pockets in order to keep things compact yet organized.
Shore Excursion Bag For Those With Medical Problems
Next, plan for mini-emergencies. In our situation, our son has many illnesses, as well as allergies, so EPI Pens were the first thing we tossed in our bag, as well as Latex Free bandages, and a mini medical pack, that included Acetaminophen.
Whatever medicines you need to get through a day have them with you. Trust me, after our trips to Italy, the Caribbean, Mexico, France, Ireland, Germany, etc, you have to have your medicines with you! We learned the hard way!
The Free Packing List!
At the end of this article, make sure to download my Well Packed Shore Excursion Bag Packing List for Cruisers, so you are able to remember everything you will need! (scroll to the bottom it’s free for the taking!
Items That Everyone Should Have in Those Shore Excursion Bags
Water
Pack that bottled water. We made sure we got ours on the Cruise ship before we left, we filled our bottles, and took them with us for the day.
Everyone carries a bottle in the outside pockets of our bag. However, we did find on the Caribbean cruise ports that we could purchase bottled water in the one Duty-Free Store. In fact, it was only $1 and chilled, but this was the exception.
Sunglasses
Make sure to pack your sunglasses. Water and sun glare go hand in hand. Don’t scorn your eyes, wear eyewear. Additionally, when in open dune buggies, or trams when touring local towns, dirt will be blocked from your eyes as well. Bright sun can lead to headaches, so be prepared.
While we wore goggles on our Dune buggy rides, getting there in some cases was worse than the ride. We were often in open trams being delivered to the point of dune buggy pick up or Polaris pickup.
Hats
A Hat – tropical sun is warm and you will burn easily. It is super important that you bring a hat along to shield the top of your head and face from too much exposure.
Towels
And of course don’t forget your Towel (Carnival & Holland America provides these in your room, no extra charge, unless of course, you don’t return them, then they will cost you $22 each) if you beach-bound, or doing any activity that involves water unless the excursion already states they provide towels.
Optional Shoes
We generally wore athletic shoes as we were hiking and visiting ruins, but flip flops fit quite easily into the backpacks without taking up space.
Repellant
Make sure you pack either Repellant for Mosquitoes or find bands or tags that repel. We tried a few brands of bands and stickers, both failed our needs and we did get a bite or two(Ouch).
ID & Phone Issues
In your bag, have a way to carry your ID’s from the ship(Sign and Sail) as you need these to enter again and don’t forget your passports(if you are out of the country). Also, it is advisable to take a picture of your passport on your phone just in case. Alternatively, you could use the Passport App if you so desire.
Ship Time
We additionally made sure we wore both a watch and used our phones, but remember to go into your phone settings and change your phone to maintain the time you have on the ship.
Settings —>General—>Date & Time —>Set Automatically (turn this off)
Otherwise, your phone will automatically turn to the countries/island’s time and your chance of missing your ship(trust me, we learned quickly through a mistake)
Spend. Power. Memories.
Pack Plenty of money($$$) 1’s for tips for anywhere you might be going(you can always break bills in the Casino on your ship) and make sure to have bigger bills as Credit Cards are not accepted everywhere.
A camera or your phone, whatever you are using to grab those photos. Which leads me to the next item. Don’t forget a portable charger, as you may drain your phone. Disconnect WiFi, BlueTooth, and Data, but, keep a charger with you still.
This is my Nomad charging cable, it is rough, rugged and always gets the job done. It is also a globetrotter, lol.
A Well Packed Shore Excursion Bag For Cruisers
Just Little Extras For Your Shore Excursion Bag
I always had one zip bag with us, carrying anything important and it kept things dry, however, the better backpacks are waterproof or at least water-resistant anyway.
Chocolate melts in the heat, gum gets gooey, so your best bet is hard mints if you are looking for something to enjoy.
Most of our adventures offered food, we just could not all eat like our son had food allergies so we passed on the option. We also realized that we would only be off the ship for a while and had been eating so much a bit of non-eating was a welcome change(this was us, though, it may not be how everyone feels)
Packing a bag ahead makes the day go easy, as everything you need is at your fingertips. You will see everyone you are around with some sort of bag, remember, that if you pack a heavy bag, you have to lug it, so pack wisely. You might not need towels or flip flops but consider your days’ itinerary and then pack.
There was not a day that went by on the excursions that we were not thankful to have thought about our bags ahead.
Pack It Ahead Of Time
If I can offer one other piece of advice it is to unpack your bag as soon as you get in, and repack it immediately, because once you are back on the ship, you are busy, and the night’s activities will definitely get ahead of you and your best set intentions.
Grab the Free Printable List Right Here
excursion-bag_01The ports of call roll in, early each day, and that little bit of sleep may leave you needing some much-needed items that are in your room! Here’s to lavishly living shore excursions out loud, and being a cruiser with a well-packed shore excursion bag! ~Dana
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These are great tips for gathering a trip sack for any cruiser. It is so essential to ensure you have the filtered water for everybody and trade simply out case. There is a few places that don’t assume praise cards like you said so you ought to be readied. I generally convey a couple additional zip loc baggies with me. A debt of gratitude is in order for the tips.
This is AWESOME and totally fun. Last time I went on a cruise I believe in my teens… SHAMELESS! LOL.. Thanks for sharing. Definitely now on the list for this summer.
Glad to hear, packing is important:) Have fun on your next Cruise. Make sure to read my Cruising posts too!
You mentioned your passport – do you take that on shore with you or leave it in your stateroom safe?!?
always with me
Thank you! All of these fb chats I see do nothing but warn of theft if you take it off the ship. We’d feel much safer with it on us!
We always bring a couple of gallon zip lock bags with us. On every excursions we put wash clothes and neck wraps in one, fill half full with ice and wrap in a hand towel. The ice melts slowly and is absorbed by the wash clothes. These cold wash clothes have come in hand when you or someone else is over heated. We have several times help someone who was getting sick because of the heat. Works like a champ
Love backpacks. Offer carefree convenience, help me keep up the pace of my busy lifestyle, and are great travel companions.
Sounds like you know your stuff. We’ve never been on a cruise before, so when we do, I’ll make sure to pack all this stuff for an excursions. Thank you!
Your attention to detail is great
Looks great. I’m traveling with my wife a bit in two weeks, so it was really helpful!
Your advice to make sure you pack some lunch to bring with you sounds like a really good idea. I would imagine that most of the food provided on any excursion would be relatively expensive, so bringing some with you would help you save some money. I would also imagine that finding a shore excursion of your own would potentially be another way to save some money on an excursion.
I haven’t gone on a cruise with the family, but whenever we go out for any length of time, a backpack is what I use. It allows me to be hands-free.
I love cruising! This is the best way to travel in my opinion. The food and views you can’t go wrong.
I agree, cruising is the ultimate in vacations, unless of course you are headed to all inclusive resorts .. they are not too shabby either
Great tips! I love going on excursions when we cruise and I never know exactly what to pack! Thanks!
I think that excursions are the best thing because you get intimate with the culture.
I love your tips, I will take notes of this post. My son will be son on an excursion and this is a very helpful post for me.
Great tips… i have never been on a cruise. I always forget to bring mosquitos repellent
RIKA that mosquito repellent is so important. We forgot it ONE time and never again. The places we have traveled on cruise ships always seem to be warm and tropical and bug loaded:) lol
i’ve never thought about a shore excursion bag… what a creative checklist. i’ve never heard of PacSafe backpacks, ill have to check one out. and perfect tip on keeping your phone time set to the ships!
Shore excursion bags are necessary as you leave the ship for the day you kind of want a few things with you
I have never been on a cruise before but that bag would be awesome for my medical supplies. I need to get one to haul around all of my necessary items, it looks perfect for that! Thanks for sharing!
sure cruising is certainly a planned experience and the more you organize ahead the better the trip can be.. enjoy
When traveling abroad with family, it is important to brig along so many essential items. Especially if you have little people in tow.
Traveling anywhere with little people is always a packing creative.
Wow that is a super easy way to pack for a cruise, Love it! I am sure these tips will help others who are heading out to get on a cruise for sure!
Packing is what a cruise is all about because the unpacking is then easy and organized.
This is a great list for those going on a cruise. I’ve never been on a cruise but I have a lot of friends who cruise all the time. I will share this post with them!
I have never been on a cruise before. This is a great list to keep in case I ever get the chance to take one!
These are some really awesome tips to give when going on a excursion, you want to make sure you are packed for anything that may come you way and I believe about being ready.
Really helpful article, especially for someone who cruises! Thanks so much for sharing – a really important aspect of packing correctly 🙂
These are all great tips. The thing about cruises is that you have to pack differently for the cruises AND you have to think about the excursions. These are great tips.
It is true that you have to pack for the cruise and then break down into another excursion bag. We try to keep the excursions similar so we are not killing ourselves. Like beach day, snorkeling, etc. Or adventures, then that is a whole different bag–
Repellant is the most important thing for me besides sunscreen – I seem to be constantly bitten wherever I go! Such a thorough list, I’m passing it to my mum as she is cruising for the first time in October!
Funny story about repellent. We were in the heart of the Jungle, headed to a Pond (don’t ask) we had on Mosquito bracelets.. FYI they don’t work.. Bitten was an understatement.. It was Hello Benadryl..
This would have been a great post a few months ago when I was on my cruise to Bermuda and Bahamas! I always forget my charger when I go on shore!
How were the Bahamas.. That is one on my list.. We did Bermuda..
We haven’t been on a cruise yet so reading all these tips and information would be very helpful for us. But on all occasions that we have traveled it’s very important pack some water and snacks for the children!
If you have multiple ports of call on your cruise, maybe make up a separate list for each day before you even leave home. Then when you’re on the ship packing for the next port day, pull out the packing list for that particular port. (This is particularly helpful for kids who will have their own bags- they can pack them themselves!)
I supposed, but kids are kids and when they are excited to head off to the next adventure they often forget things (been there done this multiple times) — I just make sure to recheck the bags so we don’t have a day without an EPI Pen or the benadryl.
A great list to go buy as you often forget so many things and can’t remember, then you might end up about who’s responsibility it was to bring it lol. Thanks for providing this checklist
These are awesome tips for packing a excursion bag for any cruiser. It is so important to make sure you have the bottled water for everyone and cash just in case. There is some places that don’t take credit cards like you said so you should be prepared. I always carry a couple extra zip loc baggies with me. Thanks for the tips.
thank you for your response!:) I am so glad my smartphone carries my cc needs now:)
How timely! A lot of my extended family will be leaving for a cruise this weekend. I’m going to pass this post on to them. Thank you!
Yes packing water is a must!!! Why not bring free water instead of paying ridiculous tourist prices at shore!!
Yes packing water is a must!!! Why not bring free water instead of paying ridiculous tourist prices at shore!
These are awesome tips and a great list! Sunglasses, insect repeller, and medicine for the sea sickness possibility.
These are very good tips I learned a lot form excursions we took on a cruise. I also throw in sunscreen.
Thanks.. Yes never forget the sunscreen on excursions!
These are some very good items to pack on any trip! I would love to go on a cruise one day though!
Jennifer. I love cruising.. It is just the best type of vacation. I can’t say enough!.. Though my heart right now is on Mexico:) lol
I’m not sure I would have thought to bring anything besides a purse. I’m glad you mentioned this.
Thanks:) I really tend to over-think things!
Sounds like you know your stuff. We’ve never been on a cruise before, so when we do, I’ll make sure to pack all this stuff for an excursions. Thank you!
I love cruising pretty much addicted
Great tips. We’ve never been on a cruise, but these seem like smart things to bring for any outing on vacation.
Thanks for the great tips. One day I will go on a cruise
Another wealth of information for my upcoming cruise! 🙂
I am so glad you found it helpful. Make sure to check out all my articles for cruising
Thanks for stopping by
Great list – portable chargers are always on my list as well!
Wonderful tips. I’ve never been on a cruise so I wouldn’t know the first thing to pack!
I want the pink bag. I almost always forget the ibuprofen. Of course, I need end up needing it.
I love my Pink Bag — this is a very durable backpack
Insect repellent is the one thing I always forget and boy do I usually pay for it! Great tips.
Oh.. When we were in the Jungle in Belize there was not enough repellent — to ward off the mosquitoes
Great tips planning a cruise in the near future. Will pin this for my trip,
Let me know if you need any other info:) would be glad to share
I love this – I actually have NEVER been on a cruise – we are hoping to do one next year! These are excellent tips ! thank you for sharing
You will love the Once and Done.. Unpacking thing!
I am an overpacker. I pack extra for my extras! Haha. That’s how sure I want to be when I go out of town or anywhere else for that matter. These are awesome tips.
Thank you. I Hate running around finding stuff, so packing a bag well is so important
These are great tips. My son often goes on excursions with his friends, he’ll find this useful.
The excursions were my favorite part of the cruise I went on. Great tips!
Great tips! I personally cannot live without my sunglasses so they’re the first thing I pack