You don't have to remove the cluster. You do have to remove the switch panel though. And the light bar. When you remove the screws for the gauge panel bezel, the gauges stay in.
The order I would do it is
1 remove light bar and lay on top of dash
2 lower steering column. You can probably do it with the column in place but it will be hard not to scratch it with the bezel.
3 remove cluster bezel.
4 remove switch panel. (reach behind and unplug switches as you remove)
Guess you really don't HAVE to remove the switch panel, I was just thinking you were replacing the wood grain decal and would need to remove it.
Hope this helps.