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A Packing Guide for Transatlantic Cruises

Iglu Cruise

• 8 min read
A Packing Guide for Transatlantic Cruises

What to Pack for a Transatlantic Cruise

Embarking on a transatlantic cruise – from Southampton, Barcelona, Miami, and more – is easily one of the most exciting experiences a cruise holiday offers up. However, with so many sea days scheduled on each incredible itinerary, and such a wide variety of sensational destinations on either side of the Atlantic Ocean, it can be quite tricky to work out what sort of things you actually need to pack for these getaways.

When you think about how a transatlantic cruise can whisk you away from the south of England to the Caribbean islands in a matter of days, of which are two very different climates usually, it’s all-too-easy to think you’re going to need to pack a little bit of everything. While it’s always better to be over-prepared than under-prepared in these situations, packing for different climates shouldn’t be stressful – and you’ll definitely want to make sure you’re using your suitcase space wisely.

Cunard's Queen Mary 2 in New York City

So, regardless of when you’re travelling – be that summer, winter, or any other season – our packing guide has all the information you need to know about what to pack for a transatlantic cruise. Keep reading to find out more!

Contents:

  1. Transatlantic Cruise Packing Essentials
  2. Transatlantic Cruise Packing Clothing
  3. Upcoming Transatlantic Cruise Holidays

Transatlantic Cruise Packing Essentials

While your clothing might be the first thing that comes to mind when you sit down to pack for a transatlantic cruise, there are some cruise essentials you’re going to need to pack too. So, before we start talking about what sort of clothing you should think about bringing with you, here’s a run-through of all the other important things you’ll need when you set sail.

Travel Documents

The single most important thing to bring with you on your cruise holiday is your travel documents, including your passport, your cruise boarding pass, and any visas you’re going to need for the destinations on your cruise. At the very least, you need a valid passport to actually board a transatlantic cruise, and you need a passport valid for at least six months after your cruise ends in addition to a valid ESTA visa to actually enter the United States of America once you arrive.

If you’re not sure which visa is right for you, this is something your cruise consultant can advise you on throughout the booking process and ahead of your embarkation date. However, you can also check the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website, and with any local embassies in the destinations you’ll be travelling to, for the most up-to-date information about visa requirements.

It’s just important to remember that this isn’t something covered by your passport or cruise fare, so an important detail to double-check in advance – and then an essential item to pack and bring with you on your cruise.

Important travel documents, like a Passport and Boarding Pass

Credit Cards & Debit Cards

With the majority of cruise lines operating in a cashless environment onboard, with the exception of most onboard casinos, you’ll need to make sure you’re bringing a credit card or debit card – something you’ll actually often be required to register to your onboard account ahead of embarkation – if you want to spend anything while you’re enjoying your transatlantic cruise. And, from onboard luxury shopping boutiques to specialty dining experiences, you’ll find yourself with more than enough to spend your hard-earned money on while aboard a cruise ship.

Thankfully, though, with cruises largely being cashless – and cruise personaliser apps like P&O Cruises’ My Holiday offering you up-to-date itemised billing – keeping track of your spending money onboard is much easier than you might think. It’s worth noting, however, that some cruise lines only accept credit cards. So, it’s worth double-checking this detail far-enough in advance to set yourself up with a credit card if you don’t have one already.

Important medication organised for a trip

Medication

With many transatlantic cruises often lasting a week long, at least, it’s important to make sure you’re bringing any necessary medication with you onboard. Cruise ships do have medical centres, but these are there to respond to medical emergencies onboard and there’s no guarantee the medication you need will be available when you need it – unless you bring it aboard with you, of course.

It’s also recommended that you bring more medication than you might need for the duration of your sailing, to make sure you have enough should there be any unexpected delays. You should also think about keeping some in your hand luggage, just in case there’s an issue accessing your suitcase at any point during your holiday.

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Travel Adaptors

Now, this might not seem as important as bringing any medication you might need with you, but having a charged mobile device is an important part of engaging with (and enjoying, of course) a cruise experience nowadays; using companion mobile apps, you can manage any bookings you’ve made, track your onboard spending, and even access important safety information at an instant. So, making sure you pack travel adaptors – and maybe a power bank if you’re planning on being out and about for long periods of time – is vital.

While there will be some cruise ships with UK-friendly plug sockets and USB charging ports onboard already, you’ll find quite a few of them won’t – especially those sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to exciting destinations in North America and the Caribbean. This is something you can check in advance if you’re worried, but we recommend bringing a couple of travel adaptors with you anyway; if anything, just in case.

Using the Princess Cruises app while at sea

Transatlantic Cruise Packing Clothing

Now, let’s talk about clothing and what you should think about when it comes to considering what to wear on a cruise – and, of course, when you step ashore. As important as all of the above is, packing the right clothes for your cruise experience is an equally important endeavour; it’s also something that can depend quite a lot on where you’re sailing to and what time of year you’re sailing there.

If you’re sailing during the spring/summer months…

If you’re wondering what to pack for a transatlantic cruise in April, May or the upcoming summer months, then we’ve got you covered.

If the weather is nice and it looks like the sun will be shining quite a lot, you’ll want to make sure you’re packing light clothing for your transatlantic cruise – light shirts, shorts, t-shirts, and sundresses. Breathable footwear is always worth making room for, too; it’s important to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible from head to toe.

For when the evenings roll around, you may want to consider packing something a little warmer – especially if you’re planning on spending any extended amount of time out on deck – and it’s always worth thinking about packing at least one set of formalwear for the special event evenings onboard. Even during the warmer summer months, things can get pretty chilly when you’re sailing across the open ocean. So, it’s worth thinking about packing a light jacket and some trousers too.

Shuffleboard on Queen Mary 2

If you’re sailing during the autumn/winter months…

Or, perhaps you’re embarking on a transatlantic adventure in autumn or winter and you’re wondering what to pack for a transatlantic cruise in October, November, and the cooler months?

When things start to get colder during the autumn and winter months, you’ll want to make sure you’re packing enough warm clothing. Layers can be an excellent way of keeping your outfit adaptable, so you won’t need to completely change what you’re wearing when the temperature shifts.

With this in mind, jumpers and jackets, hats and gloves, and winter coats are all good ideas. It might not always look like it’s going to be that cold onboard, but it can get wet and windy when crossing the Atlantic Ocean – so much so that packing a set of thermal under-clothing is far from the worst idea. Suitcase space can be tight at times, but it’s always important to pack in excess than not have enough of what you need when you’re cruising; as much as that applies to important medication, it applies to warm clothing too.

Hot chocolate on deck with Cunard

Clothing items always worth considering

Beyond that, whatever time of year you’re travelling, packing some sunscreen, sunglasses, and a sunhat will be something worth making suitcase space for. Even when things are getting colder, you’re still at risk of sunburn and skin damage if you’re planning on spending a day out on the deck. So, it’s important to make sure you’re doing everything you can to avoid this.

In addition to this, both comfortable walking shoes and swimwear are always worth considering for your transatlantic cruise packing list. You’ll be on your feet a fair amount during your cruise holiday, even if it’s going from your stateroom to one of the luxurious lounges onboard and back, so it’s important to avoid uncomfortable feet and unwanted blisters. As for the swimwear, you’ll find yourself with plenty of opportunities to take a soak during a transatlantic cruise; even if it’s cold outside, your cruise ship may have an indoor pool, whirlpools, and jacuzzis to take advantage of while you’re onboard. It’s worth checking what your cruise ship offers ahead of time, but squeezing in swimwear will keep your options open while onboard.

Upcoming Transatlantic Cruise Holidays

Want to whisk yourself on an adventure across the Atlantic Ocean? Well, you’ll find a fantastic selection of upcoming transatlantic cruises below – from exciting Cunard transatlantic cruise crossing voyages to holidays from P&O Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, and more.

Transatlantic Cruises 2025

Transatlantic Cruises 2026 and Beyond

Book Your Next Thrilling Getaway with Iglu Cruise Today

If none of those tickle your fancy, you can find out more about all the latest transatlantic cruises right here. Beyond that, we have the latest cruise deals around the world for you to check out here, alongside upcoming all-inclusive getaways and luxury sailings!

For those of you new to cruising, you can find out more about why this is an excellent way to travel with a selection of our latest blog posts below.

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