Ok all you cruise experts…How much sunscreen is needed?

[clh2]

Hello, how much sunscreen is needed for a trip of 3 days at DisneyWorld and a 4 nights cruise? (2 adults). Is 8 ounces enough?

I’m wanting to have enough, but knowing sunscreen has an expiration date, don’t want to buy/bring too much.

 

[Dug720]

I'm a solo traveler and I'll likely go through 8 oz just at the parks before the cruise. Probably double that for the cruise.

 

[Eeyore daily]

We used two whole bottles of spray sunscreen for two adults for a day at Ft Lauderdale beach/pool and on a 3 night cruise. YMMV if you bring lotion though.

 

[Lewisc]

Hello, how much sunscreen is needed for a trip of 3 days at DisneyWorld and a 4 nights cruise? (2 adults). Is 8 ounces enough?

I’m wanting to have enough, but knowing sunscreen has an expiration date, don’t want to buy/bring too much.

No. You should apply an once of sunscreen every 2 hours. An additional teaspoon for the face. An application after swimming. Waterproof only goes so far


At least 2 8 oz bottles. I'm assuming 5 days applying twice a day. Buying lotion on the ship may be pricey.

 

[sponica]

I wouldn't worry too much about overbuying, I ordered a batch of sunblock tubes a month or so ago and the expiration date is Jan 2028. Only open one tube at a time, and anything unopened and leftover can be used until it expires.

If it's open, I wouldn't keep it much past the season, it just loses effectiveness.

 

[BStieers]

We would all rather have too much than not enough, but if ya run out they will sell some brands of sunscreen in the parks, hotels and on the boat at the expected theme park mark up. Now as a pair of redheads - we are a brand specific house, so we take our own in spades.

 

[Mango7100]

No way is that enough for us (but I am very fair as is daughter and I am very vigilant about sun exposure)about The sun in the Caribbean is no joke. You should reapply after swimming or after 2 hours sweating (which you will sweat a lot in Disney). We are going on a 7 day Caribbean cruise this summer and our family of 3 is taking 3 full bottles. A typical park day in Disney we apply sunscreen 3-4 times a day.

 

[DCL58]

We are cruising for 15 nights later this month. 2 adults. One with history of skin cancer. Bringing 2 bottles of lotion.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

How much of a “stupid tax” do you want to pay? Either in burned skin or pricy sunscreen?

We used a whole bottle (2 A 1k) on lookout and it wasn’t enough..

Not only did I find a sunscreen reminder app I’m bringing prob 4-5 bottles for our B2B 9 nighter. Rather have it than not

 

[Marrila]

I think adding the # of ounces in a bottle or tube in addition to the total number of bottles/tubes would be helpful.
Like: 3 12 oz bottles or 4 7 oz tubes.

 

[AquaDame]

Entirely depends on your habits... it would not be enough for us, we'd need twice that. We wear low socks with shorts and I wear tanktops frequently which needs more to cover more skin. On the cruise we live in sandals and I wear a two piece so there goes even more for my belly and back. We try to put it on every two hours and after a swim/shower before we head back out. I'm always shocked at how little I ever see folks' reapplying in the parks. We've even had comments about it when we do so - some folks say they'd rather just burn, which... you do you!

I'd also like to plug using reef safe if you can and plan to go into the ocean at all. Zinc oxide is the ocean's friend and not all brands are hard to rub in, plus its less likely to contribute to cancer. Win win! Whatever is left over you can use at home over the summer or on your next trip... truth is most of us don't wear it as often as we should (myself included, don't get me wrong - I want to get better about it!)

 

[jwalk03]

Not really sure how strangers on the internet could know how much sunscreen you personally use for days out in the sun.

For my family- we use no sunscreen for an average amusement park day.

For the cruise part we would likely have to take 3 bottles- my wife's SPF 8, my SPF 15, and the SPF 50 we use on the kids.

 

[AquaDame]

Good call; we use SPF 50 and higher or else we burn. I like tans, but know that its not doing my skin any good, so typically see it as a sign I may not be using enough. I also dislike tan lines, which makes it hard to appreciate any color I pick up also. Stupid watch....

 

[sponica]

in addition to overpacking sunblock, I do recommend bringing aloe with you, for when you forget to reapply...

 

[unrequited23]

In addition to traditional bottles of sunscreen, I suggest picking up a small sunscreen stick for the ease of reapplication at the parks. It's easy to hit the ears, nose and back of the neck at least while waiting in line and can fit into a pocket or belt bag.

 

[disney2you]

Rash guard all the way for beach days!! Can even get DCL, Castaway, Lookout, Blizzard Bay, etc ones as a cool souvenir. No more worrying about missed spots on the back and very handy for solo travel when there is no one to put sunscreen on your back.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Based on our experience, bring far more than you think you need. First off, sunscreen is stupid expensive on the ship. When we've done the tropical cruises (south of tropic of cancer) the sun is Really Hot. We're outdoors-y people so we spend a lot of time on deck in the pool, napping, and whatnot. We reapply hourly. Hats/scalp sunscreen is a must. I got a sunburn on the top of my head (very short hair here) and that really was not fun. For a 7 night eastern cruise that we just took, I believe we took 6 bottles (mix of spray/lotion) and used 4. I'd rather bring home sunscreen than pay twenty bucks for a bottle (again).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It depends on how many people as well.

We always travel with a 3oz travel sized bottle that we fill up with the sunscreen from a larger bottle that is left at home.

Personally we use Equate SPF 50 Sport, readily accessible at least during your park portion of your trip if you had to go to Walmart to get more if you suddenly felt like you didn't have enough.

For my husband and I we would likely only need one 8oz bottle plus the 3 oz travel sized bottle. I brought two 8oz bottles and the one 3 oz travel sized to Cancun for an 8 or 9 day trip and didn't need the second full sized bottle. That 3 oz travel sized bottle makes a difference.

Knowing where you burn would also make a difference. My nose in particular and my top of my chest/neck as well as backs of my arms and shoulders are where the burns occur. I tend to put a lot on my face and reapply most there. My legs on the other hand don't burn much at all. It doesn't mean I don't apply or reapply sunscreen but that I know I don't have to concentrate as heavily as often on them and that takes out a larger surface area. My husband on the other hand can burn on his legs easier and his arms for sure, more his cheeks on his face but with what he's wearing not as much on his chest. Obviously for swimming we lather up everything and reapply everything once out but on a park day that is different (like we're not applying sunscreen on our backs for example).

But I also agree with bringing more than you need and if you're going to do checked luggage why not bring 2 8oz bottles? Bring a marker or pen or something to mark when you opened which bottle (or just to denote you opened a specific bottle) so you don't have two open ones at once. I would regardless recommend bringing a travel sized one. We just use one of the empty travel bottles you can grab just about anywhere and fill it up with the sunscreen (meaning you don't have to buy a travel sized already filled sunscreen). If you're two adults it's probably pretty easy to bring two travel sized bottles with you. I do agree about aloe, in beach trips I've specifically brought that as well knowing that I have a higher chance of burning.

 

[Moonspinner]

We barely use any. We wear hats and swim shirts. Zinc oxide on nose and cheeks. We don’t tend to stay in the sun midday when sun is most fierce. We never burn. Not a huge fan of the chemicals in sunscreen.

 

[UnderDog_808]

FYI - Currently, several companies behind some of the most popular brands of sunscreen are involved in massive litigation with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office stemming from a dispute over whether the companies’ claims that their chemical sunscreens are harmless to marine environments are accurate.

According to SFGate, in the last several months, Santa Clara prosecutors settled civil lawsuits for $350,000 against Supergoop and Sun Bum for $300,000 in civil penalties. In addition to the financial penalties, the companies can “no longer advertise that their chemical sunscreens are harmless to marine environments, and must also contact every California retailer that sold their products and ask that they cover up the references to reef safety with a sticker.”

After those victories, the DA’s office has moved on to suing Edgewell, the country’s largest sunscreen manufacturer behind the Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen brands. The brands are accused of using chemicals that are harmful to reefs, and misleading consumers with “claims not supported by research.”

https://www.sfgate.com/centralcoast/article/bay-area-da-exposes-sunscreen-industry-s-dirty-20390478.php