When you arrive at the cruise terminal, your larger suitcase will often be handed over before you board the ship. You’ll see it again later, usually delivered to or near your stateroom — but that may not happen immediately.
That makes your carry-on surprisingly important on embarkation day.
You don’t need to carry half your suitcase around the ship. The idea is simply to keep the things you cannot comfortably be without for those first few hours with you.
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Travel Documents
Your passport or required identification, boarding information and any other documents you need to embark should always stay with you.
Keep them somewhere secure but easy to reach. You may need to present documents at different stages of the terminal and boarding process, so burying them at the bottom of an overpacked bag will only make things more complicated.
Once onboard, keep them secure until you can place them somewhere appropriate in your stateroom.
Essential Medication
Any medication you may need during the day should remain with you rather than going into your checked luggage.
Even if you expect your suitcase to arrive at your stateroom fairly quickly, delays can happen. Keeping essential medication in your carry-on means you are not dependent on your luggage arriving at a particular time.
Your Phone and a Way to Charge It
Your phone will likely be one of the most useful things you have with you during embarkation. Cruise-line apps, boarding information and other useful details may all be accessible from your phone.
Keep it with you, along with a charging cable or portable charger if you normally carry one. Starting your cruise with a nearly empty battery is an inconvenience that is very easy to avoid.
A Payment Method and a Few Personal Essentials
Keep a payment method and any small valuables you are carrying with you rather than placing them in luggage that will be out of your sight.
It can also be useful to carry a few personal essentials you might want before your suitcase arrives — perhaps sunglasses, sunscreen or something small to freshen up after travelling. Keep this limited to what you genuinely expect to use during those first few hours.
What You Probably Don’t Need
The purpose of your carry-on is not to create a second suitcase. If something can comfortably wait until your checked luggage arrives, it probably doesn’t need to travel around the ship with you.
Keeping the bag light makes embarkation easier, especially while you are exploring the ship or waiting for your stateroom to become available.
Keep It Simple
Your embarkation-day carry-on only needs to bridge the gap between arriving at the terminal and getting properly settled into your stateroom. Keep the things that are important, valuable or genuinely useful during those first few hours with you, and let your larger suitcase handle the rest.
A little preparation here can make the beginning of your cruise feel considerably easier — and leave you free to enjoy that first moment onboard.
Planning your first cruise? The complete EGUNSENTI first-cruise guide takes you beyond embarkation, with practical guidance for the journey from booking to the final night onboard. Explore the complete guide →
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