Rain happens on cruises. I've had it happen in Cozumel on a Caribbean sailing, in Skagway in Alaska (obviously), in Dubrovnik during an October Mediterranean run, and in the Norwegian fjords where the entire concept of a dry day seems theoretical. After 30+ nights at sea across those conditions, I've learned exactly what gear matters and exactly how to turn a rainy day into one of the better days of a sailing.
Here's what actually works.
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The 7 Rainy Day Gear Essentials You Need to Pack
Before we talk about what to do when it rains, you need the right gear. Most cruisers either overprepare (hauling heavy rain gear they never use) or underprepare (showing up at a Caribbean port in a cotton hoodie during a squall). This is the right list.
1. Packable Waterproof Rain Jacket
This is the single most important item on this list. Not an umbrella, not a poncho — a proper waterproof rain jacket with a hood that packs into its own pocket.
Women's Packable Rain Jacket
- Packs into its own pocket
- Waterproof and windproof for unexpected Caribbean showers and Alaska drizzle
Tropical showers come fast and hard — a packable jacket saves your excursion outfit
View on AmazonThe reason: umbrellas are useless on ship decks and at tender ports where wind is constant. Ponchos work but they're miserable in anything more than light rain. A good packable jacket keeps your arms free, packs to the size of a softball, and handles everything from Caribbean squalls to Alaskan drizzle.
REPEL Windproof Travel Umbrella
- Teflon-coated canopy repels water
- Windproof construction survives gusts up to 60mph
Tropical downpours are sudden and intense — a windproof umbrella keeps you dry on port excursions
View on AmazonLook for taped seams, a stowable hood, and a DWR (durable water repellent) coating. Columbia's Watertight II and the REI Co-op Rainier are both solid sub-$100 options.
Shop Packable Rain Jackets on Amazon
2. Compact Emergency Ponchos (Multi-Pack)
These cost about $8 for a 10-pack and they've saved me multiple times. Keep two in your daypack at all times.
They're not great in heavy rain, but they're perfect when a squall rolls in fast and you didn't grab your jacket. They're also useful for kids, for covering your bag when you're at a beach or market and rain starts unexpectedly, and for giving to travel companions who forgot their own rain gear.
The key word is emergency. These aren't your primary rain protection — that's your jacket. But they're so small and cheap there's no reason not to carry a few.
Shop Emergency Ponchos on Amazon
3. Waterproof Shoe Covers
Most people don't think about this until they're standing in a puddle at a port market in soaked sneakers. Waterproof shoe covers slip over your regular shoes or light hiking shoes and keep your feet dry through light to moderate rain.
They're not a perfect solution — heavy rain and deep puddles will still get through eventually — but for the typical port-day drizzle or brief squall, they work well. They pack flat and weigh almost nothing.
Shop Waterproof Shoe Covers on Amazon
4. Travel Umbrella (Compact, Windproof)
I said umbrellas are useless on ship decks. That's true. But they're genuinely useful in port cities where you're walking covered streets, browsing markets, or doing a walking tour.
The key is windproof construction and a compact size. Standard folding umbrellas invert and break in moderate wind. A windproof travel umbrella (look for double-canopy design) handles gusts much better and still packs into a jacket pocket or the side pocket of a daypack.
Keep this for European port days and city walking tours. Leave it in your bag on ship day.
Shop Windproof Travel Umbrellas on Amazon
5. Waterproof Phone Pouch
Your phone is the most vulnerable item in your bag on a rainy day. A waterproof phone pouch — the kind that goes around your neck or clips to your bag — costs $10-15 and provides genuine waterproof protection rather than the minimal splash resistance built into most phones.
Hiearcool Waterproof Phone Pouch 2-Pack
- IPX8-rated waterproof phone pouches that float
- Full touchscreen access through clear window
Pool deck, snorkeling, rain on excursions — your phone needs waterproofing
View on AmazonI use one whenever I'm doing any water-adjacent activity: kayaking excursions, whale watches, tender ports in choppy conditions. If the phone is waterproof-rated, I'll still use the pouch on heavy-rain port days just to keep it completely dry.
Shop Waterproof Phone Pouches on Amazon
6. Quick-Dry Microfiber Towel
A compact microfiber towel does double duty on a cruise. It's your beach towel for port days (so you're not dragging the ship's heavy pool towel everywhere), and on rainy days, it dries you off fast after getting caught in a downpour.
Microfiber dries in 30-60 minutes hanging in your cabin. Ship towels take several hours. Pack a medium-size one — big enough to be useful, small enough to stuff in a daypack.
Shop Quick-Dry Microfiber Towels on Amazon
7. Waterproof Daypack
If you're already carrying a daypack for shore excursions — which you should be — make it a waterproof one or get a pack cover. Standard canvas and nylon daypacks will soak through in 20 minutes of real rain. Your camera, passport copy, medications, and any souvenirs you've bought are all at risk.
A waterproof daypack (or a regular pack with a built-in rain cover) solves this entirely. Osprey, Deuter, and Patagonia all make good options in the 20-25L range that work well for day trips.
Shop Waterproof Daypacks on Amazon
15 Things to Do on a Cruise When It Rains
Here's the thing nobody tells you before your first cruise: a rainy day at sea is genuinely one of the best days to experience the ship. The pools clear out, the bars get interesting, and the crew runs activities that often get ignored when the sun is shining. This is not a consolation prize. Use the day.
1. Book the Spa (Do It Early)
The ship's spa fills up fast on rainy mornings. The moment you wake up and see gray skies, open the app or head to the spa desk. Treatments that were unavailable yesterday will open up. Thermal suite day passes are often half-price on sea days — ask about them specifically.
If you're not a spa person, the thermal suite itself (steam room, sauna, heated loungers) is worth the day pass just for two or three hours of genuine relaxation.
2. Hit the Casino
Most cruise ship casinos are closed in port (laws require it in many jurisdictions). On rainy sea days or when port visits get shortened, the casino is open and surprisingly lively. Table minimums are usually low on cruise ships compared to land casinos — $5-10 blackjack is common. Even if you're not a gambler, watching the regulars at the poker tables is free entertainment.
3. Library and Card Room
Underused on every ship. The library usually has a decent selection of paperbacks people have left behind, board games, and puzzles. The card room is genuinely quiet — one of the few places on a large ship where you can sit without noise. It's a good spot to journal, read, or play cards with your travel group without buying anything.
4. Take a Cooking Class
Most large ships offer cooking demonstrations or hands-on cooking classes in their culinary centers. These often run on sea days and fill quickly. The food is usually good, the instructor is typically a working ship chef, and you leave with actual recipes. It's one of the more memorable things you can do on a ship that most people never bother with.
5. Wine and Spirits Tasting
Ticketed tastings run regularly on cruise ships — wine flights, whiskey tastings, champagne seminars. They typically cost $20-35 and run 45-60 minutes. The sommelier or beverage director running them usually knows their subject well. Check the daily schedule when you board and pre-book anything that sounds good, because these cap at 10-15 people.
6. Movie Theater
Large ships have actual movie theaters — stadium seating, big screen, current releases. On sea days they run matinees and evening shows. I've watched films on Royal Caribbean's Allure and on Carnival ships and it's a proper cinema experience, not a hotel-style room. Check what's playing on embarkation day and note the showtimes.
7. Trivia and Game Shows
Cruise directors run trivia sessions, game shows, and group competitions throughout rainy days. Music trivia, destination trivia, general knowledge — these run in the main atrium or a lounge, are free, and are genuinely competitive on ships with repeat cruisers. If you're traveling with a group, this is an easy two hours of entertainment.
8. Indoor Pool and Hot Tubs
If the ship has a solarium or enclosed pool area, a rainy day is a good time to use it. The outdoor pools empty out in the rain. The indoor ones warm up. Hot tubs in an enclosed pool area with rain on the glass roof are, objectively, a good place to spend an hour. Get there before 10am if you want a spot.
9. Specialty Dining Reservations
Rainy days are when specialty restaurant reservations open up. People who had the same excursion plan you did have suddenly freed their evening. Check the reservation app or walk up to the specialty restaurant and ask about availability. I've gotten into fully-booked steakhouses and sushi bars this way on multiple cruises.
If you're on a drink package that includes specialty dining, this is the day to use it.
10. Art Auction
These get a bad reputation — some of it deserved — but an art auction on a rainy afternoon is genuinely interesting as an experience even if you have zero intention of buying anything. The champagne is usually complimentary. You'll see the ship's full art collection in one go, and the auctioneer's patter is its own form of entertainment.
11. Photo Gallery
The ship photographers have been taking portraits and candid shots throughout the cruise. A rainy afternoon is a good time to browse what they've captured. Some of the candid dinner shots and port arrival photos are genuinely good. You can buy individual prints or a digital package — prices are negotiable, especially toward the end of the cruise.
12. Gym and Fitness Center
The gym on a sunny port day is empty because everyone is off the ship. The gym on a rainy sea day is also surprisingly empty — people are at the spa, in bed, or in the buffet. It's one of the better times to get a real workout in without fighting for equipment. Newer ships have impressive fitness centers with ocean-view cardio machines that make an hour on a treadmill genuinely pleasant.
13. Shop the Rain-Day Sales
Cruise ship shops regularly run "port day sales" that extend into rainy days. Duty-free liquor, perfume, jewelry, and logo merchandise all go on sale. If you were going to buy a bottle of Scotch anyway, a rainy afternoon in the ship's duty-free shop is the right time. Staff are unhurried and more willing to negotiate on jewelry and watches.
14. Kids Clubs (Families)
If you're traveling with kids, a rainy day is actually perfect for the kids club. The counselors run full programming — crafts, themed activities, games. Your children are happy and occupied. You have a few hours to do any of the above adult activities without logistics. Don't feel guilty about it. This is exactly what kids clubs are designed for.
15. Explore Decks You've Never Visited
On a large ship, there are decks most passengers never see. The forward observation deck, the upper deck around the funnel, specialty bar decks, the jogging track. On a rainy day with most passengers inside, wandering the ship with a coffee is one of the quieter pleasures of cruising. You'll find corners of the ship — a small bar, a reading nook, a deck view — that you'd have missed entirely in the sun-and-pool rush.
Pack These Three for Every Cruise
No matter where you're going or what time of year, these three items belong in every cruise bag. Read more about building your full packing list in the complete cruise packing guide.
Packable Rain Jacket — your primary rain defense
Waterproof Phone Pouch — non-negotiable for port days
Waterproof Daypack — keeps everything dry when conditions turn
You can browse all the ships in our database to research which vessels have the best indoor amenities before you book — the difference between a ship with a proper solarium and one without is significant on a rainy sailing.
Rain is not a cruise ruiner. It's a gear and mindset issue. Pack the right jacket, keep an eye on the weather forecast, and know your ship's indoor options before you need them. The cruisers who have the best rainy days are the ones who planned for it.
