The Port-Day Bag Checklist
The difference between a great excursion and a stressful one usually fits in a daypack — here’s exactly what goes ashore, plus the two items that must never stay behind.
Shore Excursion Day Bag Checklist
Shore Excursion Day Bag Checklist
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The sacred two (never without)
- Ship key card (your ticket back aboard)
- Photo ID (passport card or license; some ports require passport)
Money & essentials
- Small bills for vendors, tips, taxis
- One credit card
- Phone (airplane mode saves roaming)
- Printed excursion ticket
- Ship's daily program page (all-aboard time + ship agent phone)
Sun & comfort
- Reef-safe sunscreen (reapply ashore)
- Hat & sunglasses
- Water bottle (filled aboard)
- Light rain shell (tropics schedule their own showers)
- Hand sanitizer & tissues
Beach & water days
- Swimsuit worn or packed
- Quick-dry towel (or ship towel — signed out)
- Water shoes
- Waterproof phone pouch
- Dry bag for wet items
- Snorkel mask if you prefer your own
Adventure & culture days
- Comfortable broken-in shoes
- Bug spray (jungle & ruins)
- Small first-aid basics
- Modest cover layer (churches & sacred sites)
- Motion tablet for boat transfers
Prints clean — no menus, no photos, just the checklist. Or "Save as PDF" from the print dialog.
All-aboard is written on one paper.
It's the most important sentence ashore.
Quick Answers
Should I take my passport ashore on port days?
Default: safe stays home for the passport, photocopy travels with you — losing it ashore is the vacation-ender. Exceptions exist (some countries require the original on your person), and they’re always flagged in the ship’s daily program. When in doubt aboard: ask guest services; when booking: we brief you.
What happens if I'm late back to the ship?
The brutal rule: ship-sold excursions are waited for; independent adventurers aren’t. Insurance policy one is the hour-plus buffer on your return; policy two is the port agent’s phone number printed in the daily program — the number that turns ‘missed ship’ into ‘expensive taxi to the next port’ instead of catastrophe.
How much cash should I carry in ports?
Think tip-and-taxi money, not bankroll: $40–80 in small U.S. bills works across the Caribbean and most cruise ports (dollars are near-universal), with cards covering restaurants and shops. Big bills mark you and break poorly; singles and fives are port-day currency.
What time do I have to be back on the ship?
The all-aboard time is printed in the daily programme and it is always earlier than the departure time — typically by around half an hour, because the gangway has to come up before the ship can move. Note it in local port time, not ship time, since the two occasionally differ. Take the daily programme page ashore with you; it carries the all-aboard time and the port agent’s phone number, which is the number that matters if anything goes wrong.
Should I book excursions through the ship or independently?
The trade is protection against price. If a ship-sold excursion runs late, the ship waits for you or the line gets you to the next port; an independent tour carries no such guarantee. Independent operators are often cheaper and sometimes better, and on a long dock day with a short simple plan they are a reasonable risk. On a tight schedule, a distant destination or a tender port, book through the ship. We are happy to tell you honestly which is which for your ports.
Can I go back to the ship during a port day?
Yes, as long as the ship is docked — you can come and go as often as you like with your key card and ID, and there is no limit on re-boarding. It is one of the underrated pleasures of a docked port: go ashore in the morning, come back for a quiet lunch and a swim while the ship is empty, then head out again. At a tender port it is technically possible but far less convenient, since every trip means waiting for a tender.
Should I use my phone in port?
Keep it in airplane mode and use WiFi ashore, or buy a proper international plan before you travel. Roaming charges in cruise ports catch people out badly, and the ship’s own signal at sea is billed at maritime rates that are worse still. Download offline maps for the port before you leave home. A phone is genuinely useful ashore for photos, maps and calling the port agent — just make sure it is not quietly running up a bill while it does it.
What should I not take ashore?
Anything you would mind losing. Leave jewellery, spare cards, and usually your passport in the cabin safe, carrying photo ID instead where the port allows it. Do not take more cash than the day needs, and split what you do carry between two places. Also leave behind anything you cannot bring back — agricultural items, and in some ports certain goods will be taken at the security scanner on your return.
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