How Big Can My Luggage Be on a Carnival Dream Cruise?

When it comes to cruise travel, your oversized suitcase is necessary for items like your formal wear for the captain's dinner, your digital camera, and perhaps that steel drum set you had to buy in Antigua. Unlike airlines, cruises are more relaxed when it comes to the size and weight of your baggage. Carnival "encourages" a two-bag limit with a height and width restriction, but is more concerned with the bag's content than its size.

If you want to carry a purse or small bag on the cruise at embarkation -- or off the ship at disembarkation -- Carnival does not limit the number, weight or length of your carry-on, but each item may not exceed 16 inches in height or 24 inches in width. If you are over 21, you may take a single bottle of champagne, no more than 750 ml, in your carry-on baggage. Otherwise, all prohibited items, such as alcohol, weapons, irons, candles and other dangerous items, may not be taken aboard in your carry-on or checked bag.

Like carry-on bags, checked bags are limited to 16 inches in height and 24 inches in width, with no length restriction. You are allowed two bags per person, and each bag may not exceed 50 pounds. You may carry your luggage onboard, or give your luggage to a cruise porter, who will deliver it to your stateroom free of charge. The standard tip for a cruise porter is $1 per bag.

You must affix a Carnival luggage tag to each bag before you give it to a porter or carry it onboard. Luggage tags, which display your full name and stateroom number, are available on the last page of your cruise documents, or you can access them online in your booking documents. Luggage tags do not need to be printed in color.

If you are flying to your cruise embarkation point, make sure that your luggage meets the airline's size restrictions. Keep in mind that some airlines charge a fee for checked bags.

Both carry-on bags and checked bags are screened at the embarkation port for prohibited items. If a Carnival security guard finds any prohibited items in your luggage at the embarkation port, these items will be stored at the port and returned to you at the end of the cruise.