12 Things Caribbean Cruisers Always Pack Wrong

▶ Watch next: 12 Banned Cruise Items That Are Actually Allowed https://youtu.be/vuBCg6lPj2s ▶ All playlists (Alaska, packing & boarding, money): https://www.youtube.com/@TheCruiseSystem/playlists Twelve things people pack wrong for a Caribbean cruise, checked against Holland America's own packing guide, US customs and the islands' own laws: the sunscreen chemicals banned in the US Virgin Islands, Aruba and Bonaire, the beach towel you never needed, fins and snorkel kit, cotton that never dries, the swimsuit stuck in your checked bag, the cover-up rule indoors, photo ID for getting back on board, bug spray for daytime dengue mosquitoes, the painkiller the CDC says to pack, buffet fruit at US customs, seashells, coral and Cuban cigars, and the duty-free rule on ship's-shop bottles almost nobody knows. FREE: THE CRUISE DEADLINE CALENDAR Sixteen dates on a cruise booking that cost you money if you miss them, on one printable page: https://wallens7.gumroad.com/l/deadlines 0:00 Packed like a beach holiday 0:19 1. The wrong sunscreen 1:11 2. Your own beach towel 1:36 3. Fins, wetsuits and snorkel kit 2:31 4. A suitcase full of cotton 3:05 5. Your swimsuit in the checked bag 3:55 6. No cover-up 4:30 7. Leaving your photo ID in the cabin 5:06 8. Bug spray only for the evening 5:57 9. The wrong painkiller 6:34 10. Fruit from the breakfast buffet 7:23 11. The souvenirs that get taken off you 8:30 12. The duty free bottles 10:18 The short version Sources: Holland America Caribbean packing guide and onboard dress/ID rules; the US Virgin Islands, Aruba and Bonaire reef-safe sunscreen laws; CDC Yellow Book and dengue pages; USDA APHIS traveller guidance; US Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife import rules; US Customs and Border Protection duty-free allowances; OFAC Cuba rules (24 Sep 2020). All read November 2026. Rules change, so check anything that matters for your own trip. Not medical or legal advice. #cruise #caribbeancruise #cruisetips #cruisepacking #hollandamerica