What to pack for the boat
What to bring on a Barbados catamaran cruise: towel, reef-safe sunscreen, cash for tips, a layer for sunset, what each boat provides and what to leave behind.
Wear your swimwear under your clothes and pack a towel, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses on a strap, a waterproof pouch for your phone and a few US dollars for tips. That covers a lunch cruise in Barbados. Snorkel gear, lunch and drinks come with every lunch cruise on this site, but towels often do not: El Tigre, Tiami, Oceanluxx, Good Times Too and Che’s all ask you to bring your own. For an afternoon or sunset sail, add a light layer for the breeze after dark, and if you get seasick, take your remedy before you board.
The Oceanluxx luxury lunch cruise shows the split clearly. It sails on a 30 ft two-deck pontoon boat, not a catamaran, and costs from US$130 per person on Viator, rated 4.8/5 from 240+ reviews. Over four hours you get lunch, an open bar, snorkel gear and music for up to 15 guests, and the listing asks you to bring your own towels and sunscreen and to make your own way to the Careenage Marina in Bridgetown (our review).
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Barbados -Luxury Cruise with Lunch and Open Bar By Oceanluxx
- 4.8/5 (240+ reviews)
- 4 hours
- Free cancellation
- Operated by OceanLuxx Cruises
Includes Lunch, served as Bajan platters · Alcoholic drinks, including rum punch, beer and mixed drinks · Soft drinks
You'll choose your date and complete the booking on Viator. Free cancellation under Viator's standard terms; the booking page shows the deadline.
Same cruise, also on GetYourGuide
From $130 per person · ★ 4.7 from 50+ GetYourGuide reviews
Each platform sets its own price and collects its own reviews, so compare both before you book on Viator.
Your day bag, item by item
Pack a small, soft bag. Each item below is there for a reason you will meet on the day.
- Swimwear, worn under your clothes. Space to change is tight on most boats, and Che’s says it has no changing room at all.
- A towel. El Tigre, Tiami, Oceanluxx and Good Times Too exclude towels or ask you to bring one, Che’s has none, and Calabaza’s listing recommends you pack your own.
- Sunscreen, reef-safe if you can find it. Tiami, Oceanluxx, Good Times Too and El Tigre’s sunset cruise ask you to bring it, and Calabaza and Che Allan suggest a biodegradable one. Choose reef-safe as a courtesy to the reef and the turtles; it is not a Barbados legal requirement.
- A hat and sunglasses on a strap. The deck is open to the wind, and sunglasses dropped over the side are gone. Calabaza also suggests a long-sleeve shirt.
- Flip-flops or water shoes. You take your shoes off to board El Tigre’s boats, so slip-ons save time, and water shoes help at beach stops.
- A waterproof pouch for your phone, or a waterproof camera, which Calabaza recommends for the turtles.
- US dollars in small notes. Tips are not part of the fare, and many listings exclude them; tipping the crew is appreciated, not required. US dollars are widely accepted, at BBD 2 to USD 1.
- Your own medication, including a seasickness remedy if you use one. Che Allan lists personal medication among the things to bring.
Clothes for a lunch cruise and for a sunset sail
On a lunch cruise you spend five hours in the sun, in and out of the water. Shorts or a cover-up over your swimwear is enough. Bring the long-sleeve shirt if you burn easily, because shade on deck moves as the boat turns.
Afternoon and sunset cruises ask a little more. Sunset in Barbados falls between about 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm all year, so you sail home in the dark or close to it, and the breeze off the Atlantic feels cool once you are wet. Pack a light layer and dry clothes to change into. Calabaza’s afternoon sail, from 2:45 pm to 6:15 pm, asks for smart casual dress. Tiami’s sunset dinner cruise includes a beach stop and El Tigre’s sunset cruise two snorkel stops, so wear swimwear on both. Our Barbados sunset cruise page compares the evening options.
Other Experiences
Other experiences you might enjoy
More Barbados boat cruises with snorkel gear, lunch and drinks included, so all you pack is swimwear, a towel and sunscreen.
What the boat already gives you
The table lists what each paged lunch or sunset cruise includes, from the listing as checked on 12 November 2026. “Bring your own” means the listing excludes it or asks you to bring it. “Not stated” means the listing is silent, so pack it anyway.
| Cruise | Snorkel gear | Food | Drinks | Towels | Sunscreen | Pickup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Tigre lunch cruise | Yes, with safety gear | Breakfast snack, hot buffet lunch | Open bar | Bring your own | Not stated | Hotel or cruise terminal |
| Tiami lunch cruise | Yes | Bajan buffet lunch | Open bar | Bring your own | Bring your own | Not included |
| Stiletto turtle lunch cruise | Yes | Light refreshments, buffet lunch | Included | Not stated | Not stated | Hotel pickup |
| Calabaza small-group lunch cruise | Masks, full-face masks, fins in sizes 1 to 13, snorkel vests, floats | Breakfast, snacks, lunch | Premium bar | Bring your own | Bring your own | Hotel or port |
| Elegance turtle and lunch cruise | Yes | Snacks, Bajan buffet lunch | Open bar | Not stated | Not stated | Hotel or port |
| Oceanluxx luxury lunch cruise | Yes | Lunch | Open bar | Bring your own | Bring your own | Not included |
| Good Times Too lunch cruise | Yes | Lunch | Open bar | Bring your own | Bring your own | West-coast start, details sent |
| Che’s small-group snorkel cruise | Yes, fins in sizes 7 to 11 only | Snacks | Soft drinks, rum punch | None on board | Not stated | From accommodation in its zone |
| El Tigre sunset and snorkel cruise | Yes | Snacks | Open bar | Bring your own | Bring your own | Select hotels |
Every cruise here hands you a mask and snorkel, so leave your own set at home unless you need a prescription mask or very large fins. Che’s fins stop at size 11, and Calabaza carries sizes 1 to 13. Food and drink are covered too: you do not need to pack lunch, and a bottle of water for the ride to the dock is plenty. What you have to supply is the towel and the sunscreen, which is why both sit at the top of the list. For what each cruise costs with these extras, see Barbados catamaran cruise prices.
Seasickness, swimming and the rules on board
If you get seasick, take your remedy before you board. A catamaran heels less than a monohull, which many people find easier, but it does not guarantee you will not feel sick. Che’s says it does not supply motion-sickness tablets, and Tiami’s sunset dinner listing marks itself as not suitable for people prone to seasickness. Eat a light breakfast and sit near the middle of the deck if the sea picks up.
Check the swimming rules before you pack for the water. Che’s asks that guests swim well, accepts ages 6 to 70 only and has a weight limit of 220 lb. Calabaza provides snorkel vests and floating devices and gives first-timers a snorkel lesson, which makes it a gentler choice for nervous swimmers. If you cannot swim, tell the crew when you board and wear the flotation they offer.
Two more rules affect your bag. El Tigre asks every guest to sign a waiver before boarding, and Calabaza and Elegance set the minimum drinking age at 18, so teenagers drink from the soft-drinks list.
Leave these at your hotel
- Large bags. Che’s has no storage for them, and small boats have little dry space.
- Jewelry and valuables. Rings slip off in the water, and nothing on an open deck stays fully dry.
- Food for the turtles. Touching or feeding the turtles is discouraged by the tourism board, so watch them from a respectful distance.
- Your snorkel set, unless you need a prescription mask. The boats supply masks, snorkels and fins.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to bring a towel on a Barbados catamaran cruise?
Usually, yes. El Tigre, Tiami, Oceanluxx, Good Times Too and Che’s exclude towels or ask you to bring one, and Calabaza recommends you pack your own. Bring one even when the listing does not say.
Do I need my own snorkel gear?
No. Every lunch cruise on this site includes a mask, snorkel and fins. Bring your own only for a prescription mask or fins outside the sizes on board.
Should I bring cash on a catamaran cruise?
Bring some US dollars in small notes. Tips are not part of the fare, and tipping the crew is appreciated, not required. US dollars are widely accepted at BBD 2 to USD 1.
What should I wear on a sunset cruise in Barbados?
Swimwear under shorts or a light dress, plus a layer for the breeze after sunset. Calabaza’s afternoon sail asks for smart casual dress.
Does my sunscreen have to be reef-safe in Barbados?
It is not a legal requirement, but reef-safe sunscreen is a courtesy to the reef and the turtles. Calabaza and Che Allan both suggest a biodegradable one, and several cruises ask you to bring your own.
Pick Your Day on the Water
El Tigre's lunch cruise is rated 4.8 from 1,120+ reviews on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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