A January Caribbean cruise is the easiest trip in this series to pack light for. It's warm and the clothes are thin. The flight to your departure port is what limits your luggage, not the ship.
We plan this to the 40 × 30 × 20 cm box. If you're flying Frontier or Allegiant to Florida, your free personal item is 18 × 14 × 8 in, a little larger.
The weather in Caribbean cruise in January
Miami International Airport
Nassau (Lynden Pindling Intl)
San Juan (Luis Muñoz Marín)
Shoulder months for comparison
| Station | December | January | February |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami International Airport | 25.6 °C / 17.9 °C78 °F / 64 °F · 62 mm | 24.6 °C / 16.1 °C76 °F / 61 °F · 47 mm | 25.7 °C / 17.3 °C78 °F / 63 °F · 54 mm |
| Nassau (Lynden Pindling Intl) | 26.8 °C / 19.6 °C80 °F / 67 °F · 43 mm | 26.1 °C / 18.2 °C79 °F / 65 °F · 45 mm | 26.6 °C / 18.5 °C80 °F / 65 °F · 48 mm |
| San Juan (Luis Muñoz Marín) | 29.0 °C / 22.9 °C84 °F / 73 °F · 123 mm | 28.5 °C / 22.2 °C83 °F / 72 °F · 103 mm | 28.8 °C / 22.1 °C84 °F / 72 °F · 66 mm |
Source: WMO 1991–2020 climate normals, published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI accession 0253808). Stations: Miami International Airport (WMO 72202); Nassau (Lynden Pindling Intl) (WMO 78073); San Juan (Luis Muñoz Marín) (WMO 78526). Normals are long-term averages, not a forecast. Sunrise, sunset and daylight are calculated for the 15th of the month in 2026 (local time). °F and inches are converted from the metric figures. “n/a” means the station doesn’t report sunshine in this dataset.
- Warm, not scorching. Miami's January averages a mid-20s high and a cooler night. Nassau is a little warmer, and San Juan is the warmest, with highs in the high 20s.
- Mostly dry in Miami and Nassau. San Juan sees more short showers (about 13 days with at least 1 mm).
- Around 11 hours of daylight. Evenings at sea can feel breezy, so pack one light layer.
This week in Miami, Nassau & San Juan
The outfit plan in this guide is built from 30-year averages for January. This panel is the real forecast for the next 7 days, turned into packing tips for your cabin baggage.
Miami
The live forecast needs JavaScript. Everything else in this guide works without it, and the climate-based plan above covers any January trip.
Nassau
The live forecast needs JavaScript. Everything else in this guide works without it, and the climate-based plan above covers any January trip.
San Juan
The live forecast needs JavaScript. Everything else in this guide works without it, and the climate-based plan above covers any January trip.
Weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), adapted into packing tips.
Karen’s tipWeather changes fastLayer it up
Three thin layers from your capsule beat one thick coat in Caribbean cruise in January: add or peel them off as the day changes.
- Base · next to skin
- Tee, tank or swimsuit
- Mid · warmth
- Loose cotton shirt (sun cover-up)
- Outer · wind and rain
- Light wrap for strong air-con, windy decks and the flight
☀ When it warms up: In the afternoon heat the shirt comes off at the pool, but it goes back on for shade.
🎒 Stash it: The wrap doubles as a plane blanket and an evening layer; the shirt rolls small.
Check the live “This week” forecast above for big swings between morning and afternoon.
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Karen’s tip On the plane
- Wear your heaviest items on travel day: your bulkiest shoes and any layers. They’d take the most space and weight in your bag.
- Too hot for a jacket? Skip the jacket and take a neutral-colour wrap or pashmina. It keeps you warm on the plane and doubles as an evening wrap.
- An inflatable cushion that packs into its own small, discreet pouch: a head cushion on the flight and a pillow on beach sunbeds. You choose how much air goes in, so it’s as firm or soft as you like, which a foam neck pillow can’t do.
More comfort tips for flying economy → · Is a lounge worth it? →
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What locals actually wear
Sourced tips summarise or quote the linked source; anything marked editorial is our own advice. We don’t make up “local” style tips.
- Royal Caribbean says onboard dress is casual most of the time, with one 'Dress Your Best' night on 5-night cruises and two on cruises of 6 to 10 nights.Source [1]: Royal Caribbean (official FAQ)
- On those nights, Royal Caribbean describes formal wear as suits, tuxedos, cocktail dresses or gowns.Source [1]: Royal Caribbean (official FAQ)
- Royal Caribbean also notes that camouflage clothing is illegal in Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago, so leave it at home.Source [1]: Royal Caribbean (official FAQ)
- No tank tops at dinner in the main dining room. Pack something with sleeves for the evening.Source [1]: Royal Caribbean (official FAQ)
- Other lines set their own rules. P&O Cruises, for example, publishes its own dress-code guide and lists the dress code for each dining venue on each ship's Dining page. Check your line before you pack.Source [2]: P&O Cruises (official)
3 outfit formulas
Your style: best fits here are Riviera / Euro summer and Relaxed sporty chic. Find your holiday style →
Port day
- Swimsuit under a loose cotton shirt or cover-up
- Linen-feel shorts or a skirt
- Sandals or slides
- Sunglasses and hat
Tip: The shirt works as a cover-up, a sun layer and an evening top.
Casual evening on board
- Slip dress or wide-leg trousers with a silk-feel top (sleeves for the dining room)
- Flat sandals
- Light wrap for the air-con
Tip: A wrap fixes both overly cold dining rooms and breezy decks.
'Dress Your Best' night
- Satin midi slip dress
- Statement earrings
- Flat metallic sandals or one pair of heels
- Cashmere or silk-blend wrap
Tip: A single satin slip dress rolls up small and covers the dressiest night.
Swatches are a colour guide for each formula, not product photos.
Day to night in Caribbean cruise
Same capsule, evening version: keep the base, swap one or two pieces. Every swap below stays cabin-bag friendly. How day-to-night swaps work →
01Deck day → ‘Dress Your Best’ night
- Base (stays the same)
- Satin midi slip dress
- Cashmere or silk-blend wrap
- ☀ Day add-ons
- Swimsuit under a loose cotton shirt
- Sandals or slides
- Sunglasses and hat
- ☾ Evening swaps
- Slip dress worn on its own
- Dressier flat metallic sandals
- Statement earrings and a small clutch
Pieces added to your bag: 2, statement earrings and a small clutch.
02Port day → casual evening on board
- Base (stays the same)
- Wide-leg trousers or linen skirt
- Light wrap for the air-con
- ☀ Day add-ons
- Tee or tank
- Sandals
- Hat and sunglasses
- ☾ Evening swaps
- Silk-feel top with sleeves instead of the tank
- Dressier flat sandals
- Statement earrings
Pieces added to your bag: 0, nothing extra (the earrings are already packed for formal night).
03Beach → beach bar
- Base (stays the same)
- Linen-feel shorts or skirt
- ☀ Day add-ons
- Swimsuit and cover-up
- Slides
- ☾ Evening swaps
- A tank tucked in with a belt
- Dressier flat sandals
Pieces added to your bag: 1, a belt.
Karen’s tipChange your hair, change the look
Swapping my hair from up in the day to down in the evening (or the other way round) gives the whole outfit a different look. Even one piece of jewellery I didn’t wear earlier does the same.
💡 It’s a free trick, and it saves packing extra outfits.
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Preview note: placeholder links to each shop’s normal pages, with no affiliate tracking yet.
What’s underfoot
The ground
- Ship decks, slippery when wet (pool decks)
- Gangways and tender boats (stepping on and off a moving boat)
- Hot sand beaches and rocky shorelines
- Wet rock and river beds on excursions (e.g. Dunn's River Falls)
- Port cobbles and uneven pavementseditorial
Low to moderate on sea days, with lots of stairs on board. Port days can be 10,000+ stepseditorial estimate
Trouble spots
- Dunn's River Falls (Ocho Rios, Jamaica): Carnival's excursion pages say non-skid water shoes are required
- Tender transfers: wet steps and boat movement
- Wet pool decks and stairwells
- Excursions requiring closed-toe shoes (per Carnival)
☀ Day shoes
Non-slip boat shoes, or strapped sports sandals with grippy soles. Water shoes for falls, snorkelling and rocky beaches.
☾ Evening shoes
Dressy sandals with low or block heels, wedges, or smart flats or loafers for formal or elegant nights. Choose non-slip soles for moving decks.
✕ Leave at home
Stilettos on deck and gangways. Flip-flops for tenders or excursions. Leather soles on wet decks.
Season notes: January is the dry season. Carry flip-flops only for the pool and beach.
Karen’s tipHeels and cobbles don’t mix. Check the ground before you pack heels: thin heels catch between cobbles, so a wedge or block heel is steadier for evenings.
One pair, day to night: The best space-savers are a sleek waterproof leather ankle boot (Paris, London, Vienna & Prague, Amsterdam, Rome in December), a clean minimalist leather trainer or slip-on loafer (Tokyo, London), and a low block-heel sandal (cruise). Travel day: wear the heavier pair (see On the plane). Break in shoes before the trip.
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Sources: help.carnival.com · carnival.com · carnival.com · royalcaribbean.com. Shoe recommendations are our own editorial advice based on these sources, checked 20 Oct 2026.
The free baggage packing list
Your bag: 40 × 30 × 20 cm
Planned for 7 nights, using a soft backpack of about 20–24 litres made to the 40 × 30 × 20 cm size. The rule that makes it work: wear your bulkiest items on the plane. The dotted outline is easyJet’s bigger free bag.
Wear on the plane worn
In the bag 13 items
Karen’s tipRoll, don’t fold. I roll my clothes, stuff socks and small bits inside my shoes, and keep socks in a clear bag that comes home full of dirty laundry or wet swimming costumes. How I pack →
Karen’s tipPack a bag in a bag.A foldable shopping bag that folds into its own little pouch, for shopping, dirty laundry and pool towels. It saves buying a bag abroad.Why, and where to get one →
- Camouflage prints (illegal in several Caribbean nations)
- Full formalwear unless your line requires it
- More than one pair of heels
Liquids: going vs coming home
UK airports vary. Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast International, Belfast City, Bournemouth, Southend allow containers up to 2 litres; most others, including Manchester, Stansted and Luton, are still 100 ml.
- 100 mlMiami (MIA), in a 1 L clear bag
- 100 mlSan Juan (SJU), in a 1 L clear bag
- 100 mlNassau Lynden Pindling (NAS), in a 1 L clear bagto re-check
Pack your liquids to 100 ml for the whole trip.
Karen’s tipWater bottle: keep it full through a 2-litre UK airport, or take it empty through a 100 ml one. Flying home: Miami, San Juan, Nassau Lynden Pindling are 100 ml, so empty it and refill airside.Check your airport →
Karen’s tipDecant, don’t buy mini. I decant sun tan lotion into clear 100 ml spray bottles, and my day cream, night cream and cleanser into one squashy three-section silicone pot for trips of up to 4–5 days (separate pots if longer). Far cheaper than minis. How to do it →
Karen’s tip Check your room first
Read the hotel, Airbnb or hostel listing, or message the host, and ask whether they provide:
- Iron or steamer
- Hairdryer
- Toiletries: shampoo, shower gel (conditioner often isn’t supplied)
- Towels, plus beach or pool towels
- Washing machine or laundry service
- Plug adapters or USB sockets
- Kettle, tea and coffee
- Slippers and a robe
- A safe
- Beach gear: umbrella, loungers
Hostels often don’t provide towels or padlocks.
Karen’s tip Bring your own hair products. Most hotels supply shampoo but often not conditioner. Decant favourites into leak-proof travel bottles under 100 ml (fill them about ¾ full), or switch to solid bars, which don’t count as liquids. Amazon UK: Lericttor 100ml Silicone Travel Bottles ↗Check price · Amazon UK: Friendly Soap Travel Bar 95g (hair & body) ↗£4.72, price checked 20 Oct 2026 Every item they provide is one you don’t carry.
Karen’s tip No-iron packing
Pick fabrics that don’t crease. Woven cotton and linen crease; knits, merino, jersey and most polyester blends barely do.
- Hang creased clothes in the bathroom while you shower.
- Pack a small crease-release spray under 100 ml (it counts as a liquid).
- Roll clothes, and keep crease-prone pieces in a packing cube on top, not in a vacuum bag.
- Check whether your hotel or Airbnb has an iron.
On a cruise? Check your cruise line’s prohibited items list before packing a steamer or iron; many ships offer a pressing service or self-service launderettes instead. Crease-release spray and hanging clothes in the shower are the no-risk options.
Wedding, or a bigger baggage allowance? A travel steamer can make sense, as long as your ship or venue allows it. Amazon UK: Morphy Richards Vibe Travel Garment Steamer & Storage Bag ↗£26.67, price checked 20 Oct 2026
Karen’s tip Buy it there?
Adding a checked bag typically costs around £60–80 return on a budget airline. So if your bag is full, buying bulky or liquid items when you arrive is often cheaper.
Think sun cream, full-size shampoo, insect repellent, a beach towel or flip-flops.
Buy before you board in this destination: Shops on cruise ships and in resort areas tend to be pricey, so stock up at a supermarket or pharmacy in your departure city if you need to.
Cruise drinks
Most lines allow a bottle or two of wine or Prosecco at embarkation, but not spirits or beer, and drinks packages aren’t always worth it.
Tick items off as you pack (your ticks aren’t saved). Liquids rules depend on your departure airport and change from time to time. Check your airport’s current security rules before you decant your toiletries (see liquids rules by airport).
Flying there on Ryanair, easyJet or Wizz?
- Flying Frontier or Allegiant to your departure port? Their free personal item is 18 × 14 × 8 in (Allegiant gives it as 20 × 35 × 45 cm), measured with handles and wheels. This list fits.
- From the UK or Europe on Ryanair, Wizz Air or easyJet to a European departure port? It fits the 40 × 30 × 20 cm box too.
- Long-haul fares vary, so check your airline's allowance. If you travel this light, you skip the baggage carousel.
Duty-free bag: Ryanair: extra bag allowed · easyJet: extra bag allowed · Wizz Air: extra bag allowed. It still has to fit under the seat or in a locker, and gate staff decide. Duty free and your free baggage →
Sizes come from each airline’s official page (see our free baggage reference for links). Rules change, so check your booking before you fly.
Baggage picks
The ticks compare each bag’s stated outer dimensions with each airline’s free-bag size. A struck-through name means the bag is too big for that airline. Soft bags squash a little; hard cases don’t. We haven’t tested these bags ourselves yet.
Want to fit more in? Compression cubes and packing cubes that store more in a free bag →
Pieces that fit the formulas
- QuinceOrganic cotton poplin long-sleeve shirt
- QuinceSilk tank
- M&SAutograph Pure Silk Stripe Shirt£90 · checked 20 Oct 2026
- M&SM&S Satin Lace Insert Midaxi Slip Dress£45 · checked 20 Oct 2026
- M&SM&S Ribbed Textured Scoop Neck Swimsuit£30 · checked 20 Oct 2026
- M&S (Seafolly)Seafolly Amnesia Pure Cotton Tassel Beach Cover Up Kaftan£55 · checked 20 Oct 2026
- QuinceCashmere wrap
- QuinceSantorini polarised acetate sunglasses
- Amazon UKBaie Botanique Soleil Organic Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 110gCheck price
- Amazon UKLericttor 100ml Silicone Travel BottlesCheck price
We may earn a small commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. Prices are shown only where we confirmed them on the retailer’s page (checked 20 Oct 2026); otherwise check the current price.
Sources
- What is the onboard dress code?, Royal Caribbean (official FAQ)
- What to wear on a P&O Cruises holiday, P&O Cruises (official)
Airline free-bag sizes: see the free baggage reference. Climate: see the source under the weather table. Live forecast: weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), adapted into packing tips. Photos: Unsplash, credited on each image and on the photo credits page. Last checked October 2026.
