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Cruise Packing List
Packing for your cruise can be overwhelming sometimes. Besides your clothes, toiletries and medicines, what all should you pack?
My family and I have taken many, many cruises over the years and have created a list of what we feel are our essentials for making our cruise vacation more organized, relaxing and comfortable! Do not feel like you need every item on this list to make your vacation perfect. I have cruised many times without some of these items and done just fine! Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned cruiser, this list is here to help you!
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Door Shoe Holder – This is great to hang on the wall and store sunscreen, reusable straws, medicines, trinkets that you don’t put in the safe, shoes and more!
Magnetic Hooks – the walls of your stateroom are metal and therefore magnets stick great to them! We use these hooks to hold up the shoe holder on the wall. We also put one or 2 by the door to hang our lanyards on, another couple around the room for hats, sweatshirts and even a purse. So many possibilities!
Magnetic Clips – These are great for clipping any paperwork or tickets you might have to the wall which then frees up desk space!
Ship Approved Non-Surge Protection Power Strip – Did you know that surge protectors are prohibited on cruise lines and most likely will be confiscated? While most of the newer and updated ships have several USB ports and plugs, we find that there still aren’t enough. We like the following options:
3 outlets with 2 USB Ports
6 Ft cord with 3 outlets, 3 USB and 1 USB C Port
Short cord with 2 outlets, 1 USB and 2 USB C Ports
Cube with 3 outlets and 3 USB ports
USB Charging Block – This is also handy to have if you have a number of items that charge via USB (phones, ipads, watches, e-readers, cameras etc.)
Waterproof Phone Pouch – We love these for the pool or the beach! Just make sure you test them out in a sink or tub, with something you don’t mind getting wet, before you leave for your vacation!
Silicone Bottle Covers – These are great for any travel, especially when flying and there are pressure changes. Say good-bye to spills and explosions!
Luggage Tag Holders – While not crucial, they protect the paper luggage tag provided by the cruise line. We love ours and have a collection for all the different cruise lines to make sure we have a proper fit!
Wrinkle Release Spray – I like to unpack as soon as I can to ensure as little wrinkles as possible, but wrinkles still happen. This spray is great and it will work as a room and toilet spray too!
Febreze Travel Size – Maybe you want to wear that shirt or pants again and you want it to smell like new. Maybe you need to get rid of that horrible smell in your shoes. Bonus – this also works as a room and toilet spray as well!
USB Fan – If you, like me, need air movement to sleep, these are amazing! Lightweight, easy to pack and they can move some air. I never leave home without one!
This is another great option for a fan and this one is battery operated giving you some additional flexibility on where you place it in the room.
Reusable Straws – If you aren’t a fan of paper straws, I highly recommend getting reusable straws.
Reusable Water Bottle and/or Insulated Cup – This is great to use at the drink stations or even to put your mixed drink or beer in to keep it cold if you just feel like sipping on it. You will see several people with Stanleys, Yetis and the like as well as many different types of insulated water bottles. This is a good one!
Handheld Mini Fan – For hot weather travel, nothing beats this handheld fan. As someone who gets hot easily (and doesn’t like being hot), I have tested a ton of handheld fans. This one is by far my favorite. It’s light weight and durable, fits in a pocket, has great airflow, charges quickly, and holds a charge for a good amount of time, you can even set it up on a nightstand and have it blowing while charging!
Night Light – cruise cabins can get very dark. Some people find it handy to have a night light.
Cruise Ship Lanyard for your key card – This comes in handy so that your key card, which is your access to everything, does not get lost and is always readily accessible! I prefer the ones that detach but don’t extend while some prefer the ones that extend and detach.
Not crazy about wearing a lanyard and know you will always have your phone with you? This cruise card holder for your phone works really well too!
Water Shoes – If you are going to any beaches, it is always recommended that you have a pair of water shoes. Since everyone has different preferences when it comes to shoes, I recommend going to Amazon and searching for water shoes for cruises and then reading some reviews on the ones you like.
Collapsible Laundry Hamper and/or Laundry Bag – A collapsible laundry hamper is great to store your dirty clothes in. Another option is a big laundry bag. We like to use the laundry bag and roll up our dirty clothes as we put them in there and then just place the bag in our suitcase when we are packing to go home. We love that our dirty clothes are separated and already in a bag!
Towel Clips for Chairs – Towel clips are great to use on the beach or around the pool on the cruise ship (especially on days at sea that tend to be pretty windy).
Another option, if you don’t want to pack clips, are these towel bands. They have an adjustable strap and are easy to pack!
Travel Hangers – While you do get a number of hangers in the closets, there have been times when I really needed more than what was given. *Note – you can ask your cabin steward for additional hangers. Sometimes you are given medal hangers from the laundry. I am not a fan of medal hangers, so I always opt for my travel hangers! *
Seasickness Medication – If you are prone to motion sickness, I highly recommend bringing some tools with you! Here are some that are recommended:
Bonine – It is said to not cause as much drowsiness as Dramamine
Motion Sickness Patches
Dramamine with Natural Ginger
Motion Sickness Bands
Liquid IV – Sometimes we have a little too much fun on vacation and dehydration starts to kick in. I never leave home without these!
Magnets for Door – People love to decorate their doors with magnets on cruises. Not only is it fun, but it also makes finding your room that much easier. You can search Amazon for Cruise Door Magnets or, with enough time, get personalized magnets from someone on Etsy!
Magnetic Message Board – Traveling with a group? Put a message board on your doors and leave messages for your family and friends!
Mesh Beach Bag – Quick drying and leave the sand at the beach! This is what I use.
Activated Charcoal – Upset stomach be gone! While we hate to think of it happening, sometimes on vacation we can get a stomach bug. Activated charcoal has worked wonders for us!
Water Flavor Drops – If you plan on drinking water from the drink stations and are picky about your water, bring some flavor drops!
Apple AirTag (requires iOS) or Tile Mate (can be used with android or iOS) – These are essential if you are flying and pretty handy even if you drive. We never like to think of our luggage getting misplaced, but it can happen. While being able to track the exact location of your luggage doesn’t always mean you will get it back any quicker, you will know exactly where it is and when it is on the move. As someone who has had her luggage lost before, I will never travel without AirTags again!
Snorkel/SCUBA Gear – While you can rent your own just about anywhere you go, and it will be provided to you on any excursions, if you have your own, bring it! Please note, if you have dive gear that includes a dive knife, the knife will need to be checked in with security. You will get it for your dives only and then again when you leave the ship.
Digital Travel Alarm Clock – Sometimes it’s nice to have a clock in your room. This can also come in handy on cruises that pass through multiple time zones as your phone doesn’t always update the time on time!
Tide-To-Go Stain Removal Pen – These pens have saved more than a few outfits on our vacations!
Travel Folding Mirror – This is not something that I personally use, but many of my clients do and they love it!
Portable Charger – Some people like to put technology away while on vacation. Some people use their phones as cameras. A portable charger like this one by INIU or this one from Anker with a built in USB C cord. I have used many portable chargers over the years, but I always come back to the Anker brand.
For an even smaller charger, that is not as hard on the wallet as Anker, I recommend looking at the iWalk brand. This tiny charger is easy to put in a pocket or bag. *Make sure you search for your specific phone type with iWalk*
Reef Safe/Friendly Sunscreen – There is some controversy over whether any sunscreen is actually reef safe. That being said, some islands in the Caribbean, as well as Hawaii, have laws against chemical sunscreens. My favorite reef friendly sunscreen is Sun Bum. *PLEASE NOTE* vacation is not the best time to try out new-to-you sunscreen. Any sunscreen is better than no sunscreen!!
Aloe Vera Gel – No matter how careful you are, sunburns can happen. A good quality, pure aloe vera gel can be worn under your clothes, as it won’t be sticky like some gels with fillers.
Lip Balm with SPF – Don’t leave your lips out! This item is overlooked often and is, in my opinion, something you should never leave home without!
Binoculars – These come in handy if you are doing any birdwatching or wildlife excursions. I consider these more an essential for an Alaskan cruise than a cruise in the Caribbean or Mediterranean. That being said, it’s always fun to look out in the water with binoculars!
Anti-Theft Water Bottle Tote – While not essential, this is a fun tote for walking around the ship or a day of shopping and exploring. Make sure the water bottle you plan on using fits the dimensions before purchasing
E-Reader - I never go anywhere without my Kindle Paperwhite. Gone are the days of trying to decide how many books to bring on vacation!
- Hopefully this list will help you with some of the "out of the norm" items to pack. As always, please let me know if you have any questions.