Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Cruise Packing 101: Cruise Essentials for Your Next Trip

essentials for a cruise

With the ship moving, the wind onboard can be chilly, especially at night. This is to say nothing of the air-conditioned places on the ship — like the theater — can be downright cold. In a cruise cabin, efficiency of space is extremely important. After all, a cabin can be only about 160 square feet, meaning you can’t waste a lot of space. We’ve all done the dance when you want to open a bottle of wine and search frantically for a corkscrew. If you can’t find one, it usually ends up with you cutting out the cork… and spitting out bits of cork every time you take a sip of your drink.

essentials for a cruise

Useful Things to Pack For Your Cruise (Including 17 You’d Never Think Of)

So if you are flying to the cruise port, then you’ll have to pay any baggage fees your airline might charge. You also have to carry your bags to the terminal to drop off for the luggage handlers. As we’ve mentioned, packing for a cruise is a little different than any other vacation. That’s because the rules for packing are more relaxed than if you are flying for a vacation. The following items may be tempting to bring, but cruise lines either take care of these for you or they aren’t allowed on the ship.

Cruise Essentials – 50 Brilliant Things to Bring on a Cruise

17 Best Items From Amazon's Cruise Packing List - Travel + Leisure

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We’re living in a tech-addled age, and our smartphones, tablets, cameras, and handheld video games (you name it) all require a charge now and then. Don’t make the mistake of grabbing a clump of wires and tossing them in a bag. Sunscreen is getting more advanced and environmentally friendly. Pack a cream that’s no less than SPF 30 and look for brands like Stream2Sea that are reef safe. Not only are you protecting fragile marine ecosystems, but you are putting less chemicals into your body.

Cruise Packing Checklist: Not Needed/Not Allowed

Having a few episodes to binge on a cruise is one of our guilty pleasures. It’s also a great way to keep kids entertained if you feel like taking it easy in the cabin. Many lines have apps for your phone with things like maps and schedules that are extremely helpful. As well, many people hop on the wi-fi to stay in touch back home.

Ultimate Cruise Essentials: 42 Problem-Solving Must-Haves - BuzzFeed

Ultimate Cruise Essentials: 42 Problem-Solving Must-Haves.

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Start thinking about cruise essentials to pack and laying them out on a spare bed or in a storage box in a quiet corner of your house. Use our cruise essentials checklist to mark off items as you find or purchase them. Cruising is so much fun and thinking about what to bring on a cruise is one of the best ways to create some excitement before your trip. Putting together your cruise essentials can start a few months before you set sail.

Our Top 10 Cruise Essentials

Use fun magnets to decorate or leave notes on your cabin door. These packing lists can be super helpful when rushing to prep for a cruise, and should be evergreen (that is, until they get older and everything changes). Also look at picking up a waterproof case or a plastic dry bag for your phone.

Some cruise lines, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, have a relaxed attitude toward dinner attire, and you can come as you are. Other lines, especially the more upscale ones, have strict dress codes for dinner. For cruises on those ships, you'll need to add some nicer outfits to your cruise packing list.

Cruise Packing Checklist: Personal Items

Just be sure to bring them back because you are charged for missing towels at the end of the cruise. Whether you are hanging out around the ship or heading into a port of call, it’s always nice to have a refillable bottle with you. This way you can always have some water nearby instead of having to find a restaurant to get a drink. We have used this one from Hydro Flask and loved it for our cruise as it kept things cool for a long time (though it is a bit pricey).

Big hats are always in fashion on a cruise because they protect your face, shoulders and neck from getting sunburned. Everyone is different, and some might react better to a pill like Benadryl, while others prefer a topical anti-cortisone cream. A menthol-based gel can work wonders on bug bites, certain rashes, and as a cooling element for mild sunburn. The guest services desk might have some seasick medication if you forgot any, but it’s typically not the non-drowsy variety. Look into buying a small container of Bonine or less-drowsy Dramamine before boarding and always take something before you start to feel sick. Remember to be wary of drinking alcohol with a Scopolamine patch.

Don’t do more work than you need to when devising a packing list for your next cruise vacation. We’ve taken the guesswork out of what to bring on a cruise with this list of cruise essentials. Do you have anything else to add to this cruise packing list? Drop us an anchor below to share your essential items to pack for a cruise. Now that you know what to put on your cruise packing list, you'll also want to know what to leave out. Some items you might be tempted to pack are outright banned by the cruise lines.

You might have never been motion sick in your life, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. There are a variety of seasickness remedies on the market, from pills and patches to bands and ginger candy. Whether you’re staying hydrated by the pool or in port, don’t be without water. If you plan to purchase wine in port to bring home, you'll also want to pack bubble wrap or wine protector bags to get your bottles home safely. On beachy cruises, you'll want a beach bag, sand toys for the kids and perhaps your own snorkeling gear. Wet bags (or even plastic zip-top bags) will keep your wet stuff from leaking onto everything on your way back to the ship.

No matter where you cruise, you'll want a strong but lightweight backpack to stow everything you want to take off the ship with you. I love the kind with mesh pockets on the side to tuck away a water bottle. Just be sure that your power strip doesn't include a surge protector; those are banned from most cruise ships, as are extension cords. For long and overnight flights to your cruise, pack accessories for the plane.

If you can carry it with you to your cabin, you are welcome to take it aboard. Still, many people choose to check larger or heavier bags instead of carrying those by themselves. These bags are then delivered to your room later in the afternoon or evening.

essentials for a cruise

There’s not much worse than a constant, nagging discomfort on vacation. Find your itch remedy of choice at home before boarding your ship where there are way fewer options. You might be surprised to find a slight chill in a restaurant or theater at night, especially after a long day in the sun. Make sure you have the right charger for each device (keeping in mind that different generations of iPhones have different chargers) and sort them accordingly. Sun protection also extends to polarized sunglasses or those with UV blockers. You’ll also want to bring a hat or head covering and a rash guard or something to cover your shoulders for long days in the strong sun.

Bring a handful and know that you’re covered for anything you might encounter. Hang it over the bathroom door and you have a perfect place to put small items like deodorant, shampoo bottles, sunscreen bottles, and anything else. This way you don’t have to take up valuable counter space in the small ship bathrooms. They also fold up flat so they don’t take up much room in your luggage. Purchase a pack of magnetic hooks to give yourself extra space to hang towels or store bags. Avoid industrial-strength magnets that will be hard to remove.

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