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We love going on cruises!! We are lucky that we typically have multiple family members or friends that are family on the same trip. On port we all do our separate things, take lots of pictures, and then talk about what everyone did over dinner. Also, if you forgot to pack something, someone most likely has it. This list is put together from all of us that travel together. Hope you enjoy it and get some new ideas! We continue to update and change our “Must Have” list every time we cruise. Each family in our group has their own version of this list. Have fun and Happy Cruising!!
#1 Chair Towel Holders
We have used these on the beach, on the pool deck, and on our balcony. It never fails, as soon as you stand up, a gust of wind comes and you’re frantically grabbing for your towel. We got some bright colored jumbo size ones at a great price and they have held up great. You can find them on Amazon here. There are also some super cute flamingo, flip flop, pineapples, margaritas, dolphins and turtles. It’s hard to pick just one, so mix and match should it suit you.
#2 Waterproof Everything!! OK, just Waterproof Bags for now
This includes a lot because everything needs to be protected when your enjoying the beach, snorkeling, catamarans, kayaking, and even during a hard rain. We have so much waterproof supplies on every cruise we go on, even if it’s not in the Caribbean. We use large waterproof beach bags, that can fit everything in it and a zipper is a must for added security. We also have gotten waterproof shoe bags to keep items in our suitcases dry. We have used these with shoes, water bottles, and swimsuits both at the beach, transporting back and forth from excursions and packing a semi-wet swimsuit for home. We love the versatility of these bags, and bring them on every vacation and they aren’t expensive. We always go to the beach with a waterproof money holder. This particular one our family tucks under their shirt, or place into a bag due to it being clear. Wouldn’t want would-be thieves to see what you all have in there. Then, there is a waterproof cell phone case, we have had good experiences with anything Travelon brand. This case will also float if it is dropped in the water, which is another bonus.
#3 Waterproof Camera
Let’s continue our waterproof equipment journey with a camera. Our top cameras we have personally used are Olympus Tough TG-6 and GoPro Hero. With the Olympus camera we enjoy the additional options that make it more than just a waterproof camera. Our cousin let her youngest daughter use it as her “fancy” camera because of the amazing durability, and bright color. We have had this camera for many years, and the only thing we’ve had to replace were the rechargeable batteries. We personally got a bright color because it makes it easier to find should you accidentally let go of it while your testing it in the pool on the ship…..lol true story. Because of this we immediately bought a floating wrist strap to match the camera. GoPro is just an all-around great camera brand. They are rugged, durable and and getting better with every upgraded version. They are user friendly and easy to use with is a definite bonus when you have multiple family members using it. It also has an extender and you guessed it, Floats!
#4 Magnets
I’m sure you have realized that the cruise doors are metal but so are the walls. Magnets come in handy to hang stuff on the outside of your room, this helps on the larger ship when you struggle finding your room in the long hallways. We have also used the smaller magnets on the inside of the safe for tickets or something small we didn’t want to slide under the fleece. We will write down room numbers of everyone in our travel group and put it above the phone so we aren’t struggling to remember a room number.
#5 White Noise Machine
We live in the country so we never thought the quiet room would bother us. Most cruise lines have well made doors that don’t allow much hallway noise in, but you still get some. We didn’t realize that county background noise is made of the frog and crickets and without them it’s really quiet. Our ears ringing after dancing at the pool party, singing karaoke, listening to the pianist play great songs, or laughing until our stomach hurts at the on board comedian made it difficult to sleep. We purchased a white noise machine and I love it! This one has multiple options with brown noise, pink noise, and even rain as additional options. The volume on this can be turned up drowning out almost all background noise. Also, doesn’t sound mechanical and repetitive which is a huge bonus.
#6 Anti-Theft Purse and Backpack
Our brand of choice is Travelon. I have the Messenger Bag, it is able to hold a water bottle, my wallet, an extra camera lens, and both of our cameras if necessary. It is a good medium size purse that I can still bring into most tourist attractions with size restrictions. My mom likes her purses smaller when she travels, but wants to be able to squeeze her camera in it if the need arises. She has the shoulder bag. This has been able to meet all of the tourist attraction size restrictions. When she puts her camera into it we do have to place it just right to zip it. Tim uses backpacks everywhere we go. It can be a weekend trip to our camper or across the world and he feels most comfortable with a backpack. They are built tough for everyday wear and come with us everywhere. They have RDIF block, anti-theft zippers to hold them together making it harder for pick pockets, anti-slash bottoms and wire in the straps so they can’t be cut. The straps don’t feel at all stiff and even with all of the safety features they are still lightweight… Until we pack all of our crap into it.
#7 RDIF Passport Holder
We have used passport holders in airports and even in certain ports as a safer money holder instead of a wallet. We again love the Travelon brand and recommend their products. This passport holder isn’t big and bulky and can be full size, or the size of a passport. If a dark boring color isn’t your thing, that’s ok too, because they even make fun versions. This flamingo version may be just the fun and secure passport holder or wallet you are looking for!
#8 Lanyard
With many cruise lines still using the credit card payment options, losing cards can be easy. These cards are your identification to return on the ship, leave the ship, buy things on the ship, and your room key. No one wants to carry a purse on the ship (other than my mom for her camera and room card) and most female clothes don’t have pockets. The cruise lines will have fancy lanyards but they are expensive if everyone in the family wants one. Buy yours ahead of time here. If sparkles and glitter aren’t your thing and you are looking for something more plain, they have those too. Or maybe something to wear with your dinner clothes get a sophisticated stainless steel lanyard. Everyone in our travel group has a different lanyard version to wear on and off the ship.
#9 Sand Resistant Beach Towel
If you are more of a beach person, then a sand resistant beach towel is a must. This one is lightweight and able to roll up into a bag that is easy for packing. This is for those of you that take beach trip excursions or just want to get off the ship and wander to the first beach. These are a life saver for families with young kids.
#10 Snorkel and Mask
If you don’t take an excursion and decide to just go to a nearby beach from the port, you will need supplies if no one is there to rent from. This way you can bring your own and you don’t have to worry about any germs or how it was last cleaned. Make it simple and bring your own. There are a couple different mask choices you can get a full face mask and it even has a GoPro camera attachment. You can also get a snorkel that is just like the ones you can rent on the beach, the separate mask and breathing tube. If you plan on spending a lot of time snorkeling you might want to invest in snorkel fins. The great thing with this pair is that they are adjustable so everyone can share and you can save precious room in your suitcase.
#11 Windproof Umbrella
We spent our entire first day in Barcelona with it pouring. This did not keep us confined to our hotel though, because we did a bus tour without realizing that it was an open-top bus. Yup we were soaked and the worst thing is that we thought we were on the 25 minute route, nope we were on the 2 hour route! We laughed the entire wet walk to the hotel, got changed and went back out for dinner. Our two days prior to getting on the ship had more rain than any other cruise we’ve been on. Still had an amazing time and wouldn’t have changed it at all. Thankfully we all had a travel umbrella but after a couple mishaps we are all getting a windproof umbrella for our next adventure.
#12 Anti-Nausea Options
When you are on a cruise the last thing you want is to get sea sick. There are so many options, but you just need to find what works for you. Some people just need a little extra help so they will take Ginger supplements, and others are able to use essential oils (this is the brand I recommend – Aromatics International for human use.) I even used peppermint essential oils on a small piece of fleece when we had a sewer smell in my hotel room, ugh don’t ask. It worked great to cover up that smell and made it so we could pack up our things. Some people need a little more with Dramamine, we only buy the all day non drowsy, no one wants to feel better but be exhausted. If the seas get rough cruise lines will hand out a generic version of this, do not pass it up if you didn’t bring your own anti-nausea medications. The crew and staff know better about the ocean, if it’s not rough yet it will be in a short time.
Others don’t like pills and just want to use an anti nausea patch for convenience of not having to worry about pills. The patch is usually inexpensive and lasts for multiple days. Another option is an anti nausea wrist band, a crew member informed a very sick traveler from our group, the tighter the better. These bands work off of acupuncture points. If you use a loose band, it won’t work as well, or if it will even work at all. Our poor cousin was so sick she was trying anything, she cinched them on, took a nap face down in bed (the only way she didn’t feel terrible) and was able to meet us for the show later that night. She also used multiple of these treatments but she found what worked for her so she could enjoy her vacation. We have all used one of these at some point in our travels, the biggest thing is we will always use the non-drowsy.
#13 Bathroom Organizers
These are found in many rooms on cruises because so many people use this trick to organize. We have travel companions that swear by using the shoe holder to organize their families shower essentials. I would recommend a mesh style organizer because then the water doesn’t sit in the bottom and it takes up less room in the suitcase. Most families can us the 12 count holder but for a larger family they do make 24 count holders.
#14 Poo-Pourri
Simple as that….everyone poops and the “fans” in the bathroom are less than desirable. Your poor roommate/spouse/friend/travel companion if you need to “go” when they are there while staying in an inside cabin. This will help with the smell and keep you friends after a big buffet. Poo-Pourri
#15 Anti-Wrinkle Spray
Nope this isn’t for your face, this is for your clothes. Cruise lines no longer allow irons, and we just took our clothes out of our suitcases to find out that our formal clothes looked like we rolled them into a ball. Anti-Wrinkle Spray to the rescue! Someone in our group is always calling the rooms to see who brought one to borrow.
#16 Power cord- Non Surge Protector
Everyone has multiple electronics they bring on vacation, but the problem is how do you keep them all charged? Most cruise ships don’t allow Surge Protectors in your cabins anymore, along with a long list of strange things that you can’t bring on board. Not to get too technical, but do not use surge protectors on cruise ships. The potential of starting a fire is much higher than you’d think due to the different wiring of cities at sea. This is why they have been banned on most cruise lines. Anyways, I put tech savvy Tim on this project and he found a USB Wall Charger with multiple ports. This was the safest most universal charger he could find. This comes complete with four 4-amp standard USB ports, and one USB-C Port. Benefit of the USB-C port, is that it can be used for many newer Android Cell phones and tablets, as well as many newer laptops. We are going to get a second one for our camper.
Most state rooms inside cruise ships also have a European Type C Outlet. Obviously, as US citizens, we can’t use that unless you have an adapter. The best one Tim was able to find was this one. This allows you to plug into most cruise ship EU outlets, and convert them into two AC outlets, and two USB. Best of all, it is small, and lightweight so it won’t affect your luggage space or weight. This has been a must-have for us to add AC outlets for those items that do not utilize USB ports for charging.
#17 Hand Sanitizer
After 2020, with COVID, it makes everyone think a little more about keeping yourself, and your family safe. It has made us more aware of what local foods we are randomly munching on with no sink in site. You can buy some from anywhere, and pick which you are most comfortable with, or you can make your own. I will be making my own due to wanting more control over what is in my hand sanitizer.
#18 Fun Sweatshirt
Even in the heat of the Caribbean, the ship will get chilly at times. Sometimes you just need a cute, warm shirt to match your style. I will always bring a hoodie, my mom brings her light coat, and my Aunt will bring a sweatshirt. It’s OK if you forget one, most ships will have multiple stores to purchase one. But wait for a couple days, they will usually have a sale! I have worn them during the shows, sitting on the balcony, watching a movie on deck, at the movie theater, or just wandering the decks after dark. We always tend to wander the ship late at night for great pictures with minimal people to interfere.
#19 Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are the big thing right now, everyone is using them and everyone is loving them!! It allows you so much additional space in your suitcase for souvenirs on the way home. Many people are skeptical about packing cubes, but once you try them, you will never travel without.
#20 Luggage Scale
This is another thing that we don’t travel without. Who wants to pay additional fees because your luggage is overweight? This way you can double check your suitcases prior to getting to the airport. A luggage scale is such an inexpensive thing and it will save you money in the long run. We always get the digital version to make it easier for us. As we have found out many times before, give yourself a little leeway when it comes to the exact weight. As most scales are extremely accurate, we have found that the scales at the airports are, well, less than on point. Give yourself 2-3 pounds for airport error, so you’re not tearing apart your suitcases to move stuff around while a bunch of people in line give you death stares. No one likes death stares.
We LOVE cruising and seeing new places. The reason we enjoy cruising so much is because you get to see multiple areas in a short amount of time. You get a new port every morning. While some people want to travel light while others want all the comforts of home. It’s your preference.