Packing for a cruise can be challenging because you not only have to pack light because cruise staterooms are small and account for the fact that your clothes should be wrinkle-resistant (no irons or steamers are allowed) but there are also some unique cruise essentials that people often just don’t think to bring.
Of course, these are not essentials (okay, okay, so not really must-haves), but I promise you that bringing these things will enhance your cruise experience. These are items that I’ve learned through my extensive cruise experience that will make your cruise more fun and/or more convenient. Here are my top recommendations:
1. Rubber Ducks
In cruise culture, hiding rubber ducks around the ship is a fun and delightful activity, and it’s one that my kiddo absolutely loves. Some cruisers go all out and make custom tags for their ducks, which is awesome and fun, but I usually take the lazy approach with this and just buy ducks in bulk and hide them around the ship without tags.
Protip: There are “cruising ducks” Facebook pages for people who get really into this. Just search “cruising ducks,” and you’ll find them. This is where people take pics of the tagged ducks they find to connect with the person who hid them.
If you’re like me and try to pack light, you can even buy mini ducks, which take up much less suitcase space and are easier to carry around the ship to hide. I’m also a big fan of these mini duck keychains, which are both unique and functional! Whatever their size, people always find joy in finding them.
2. Cruise Luggage Tags
When you book a cruise, the cruise line will give you luggage tags as a PDF. If you’re going to check your luggage, you’ll need to print these tags out. Many cruisers simply print these out on basic paper, fold them, and staple or tape them to their bags, but I strongly discourage that because it’s super easy for those tags to get ripped off and torn in the handling process. Note that this applies to cruisers who check bags at embarkation. If you self-carry, these aren’t necessary.
Related: Learn the pros and cons of checking bags versus carrying them on the ship.
A great investment is to buy a multi-pack of cruise-specific plastic luggage tag holders designed for cruise line-provided luggage tags. I have used my tag holders for years and on dozens of cruises, and they’re still going strong.
Royal Caribbean tags are a bit different—they’re longer and skinnier. Most of the other cruise line tags are generally the same size. I encourage not buying the Royal Caribbean specific tag holders, because the non-Royal Caribbean tags are tough to fit in them. However, when you buy the general luggage tag holders, you can easily fold the Royal Caribbean tags to fit.
These little gadgets are cheap and convenient regardless of the type you buy. They are affixed to your bags with strong metal ties, and once it’s on your bag, they are not going anywhere. It’s important (if you check your bags) to ensure that your luggage tags are secure because if the tag gets ripped off your bag, the cruise line has to figure out who the bag belongs to, which likely means opening up your bag and digging around, which can be a mess, and delay delivery of your luggage.
3. Extension Cord
This is probably the most crucial cruise essential, in my opinion. It’s really important when you’re taking a cruise that you bring an extension cord because many cruise staterooms have very few outlets.. sometimes just one. This is especially difficult for women, as we often have multiple hair appliances, plus you’ve got to charge your phone and other things. In addition, if you have multiple people sharing a stateroom, that compounds the issue. Having a multi-outlet charger allows you to plug into one plug and use multiple devices simultaneously.
I use a few different non-surge extension cords for cruising, but this is one of my favorites because it has traditional plugs and USB and USB-C-specific ports.
Another benefit of these extension cords is the extension factor. I’ve been on many cruise ships where there is no plug anywhere near the bedside (traditional outlet or USB). I use my phone as an alarm clock and sometimes like to check it throughout the night without having to get up out of bed and go look.
Having an extension cord allows you to have better access to your phone. If it’s long enough, you can plug it in and extend it to your bedside.
Surge and Non-surge Cord
It’s important to note that most cruise lines will allow the use of an extension cord as long as it is non-surge. If it is a surge-protected cord, it’s considered a fire hazard and will be confiscated. If that happens, no worries—the cruise line will provide you with a claim check, and you can retrieve your cord at the end of your sailing.
One notable exception is Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean forbids all extension cords, both surge and non-surge. That being said, I’ve sailed Royal Caribbean many times and only had my cord confiscated once (and I got it back later).
4. Power Bank
As noted above, most cruise staterooms have few electric outlets and, often, none at all by the bed. That’s why a power bank is another must-have. A power bank is a great way for me to charge my phone at night and keep it close to me by the bed in situations where there aren’t outlets by the bed, or I don’t have a (non-surge) extension cord long enough to get from the outlet to the nightstand.
Another huge benefit to a power bank is that I find that my cell phone battery zaps in foreign cruise ports. It just dies so fast, and I’m heavily dependent on my phone during port days, as I use it to get around and navigate. Having a charged power bank with you on port days can be a lifesaver.
5. Lanyard
A lanyard is a great way for cruisers to keep their stateroom card handy without fumbling around in a bag or wallet. You’ll usually be given a stateroom card when you go on a cruise, although there are some exceptions, like Virgin Voyages, which uses bracelets, or Princess, which uses medallions. This card is used not just as a key to access your stateroom but also as your cruise ship identification card and to make onboard charges.
Cruise lines refer to their stateroom cards in different ways. Royal Caribbean, for example, calls theirs a “Seapass,” and Carnival’s is called a “Sail and Sign Card.” All the cruise lines sell lanyards on board, but they’re always overpriced, so I recommend bringing one with you, either a traditional lanyard, which is quite affordable, or a fancier cruise-specific retractable one.
Given the multiple uses of a cruise ship stateroom card, you’ll find that you’re heavily dependent on this and will have it out often when you’re on a cruise. Keeping it on a lanyard is a way to keep it close by and secure, so you’re not as likely to lose it.
6. Magnets
Decorating your stateroom door with magnets is a fun part of cruising. Like ducks, door decorating is a part of cruising culture. As with the ducks, I’m all about the lazy girl method. I don’t get really involved in my door decorating (I mean, some cruisers go all out).
I don’t have time for that, nor do I have extra luggage space. But I do love buying magnets because they’re an easy, low-effort way to decorate your door. You just put them on your door—well, usually.
Most cruise stateroom doors are metal, but you will occasionally encounter some that are not; therefore, your magnets won’t stick. Typically, the door frame or panel beside the stateroom door is metal, providing an alternate surface to affix your magnets.
Besides the fun factor, cruise stateroom door magnets have the practical benefit of making it easy to identify your stateroom.
Navigating a cruise ship can be confusing. All hallways look the same, and it’s easy to get turned around and lost and have difficulty finding your stateroom (especially if you bought the drink package). When your room has distinct magnets, it’s easy to spot.
Whiteboard Magnet
Another type of magnet I absolutely love is a whiteboard magnet with magnetic markers.
On every cruise, I put this on my door (if the door is not metal, I’ll put it on the door frame). Each day, I put a question of the day, usually a philosophical either/or question, and cruisers who go down the hallway can then vote on their selected choice. It’s super fun, and every time I do it, the kids especially love it.
I’ve even overheard kids outside my door telling their parents that this was their favorite part of their cruise, which is wild to me but gave me joy to hear. This is another really fun thing that sets cruising apart from other types of vacations or travel, and it just enhances the experience and makes it so much more fun.
7. Personal Snorkel Set
This one is very practical, and I do not leave for any cruise without it, as long as it’s a cruise that involves a beach, and that is my own personal snorkel set. My favorite one is under $20, and I use it on almost every single cruise.
There’s a lot of benefit to this. It allows you the opportunity to snorkel, so you don’t have to spend money on an expensive excursion. For most of the beach locations on cruise itineraries, especially those in the Caribbean, it’s prime snorkeling conditions. With your own set, you walk off the ship, find a beach, and get to snorkeling!
Related: Learn the pros and cons of independent vs. cruise line excursions.
Some cruisers buy snorkeling excursions or rent equipment from local vendors at public beaches, but there are downsides to doing that. First, it’s much more expensive than just buying and bringing your own set, and second—ew.
A snorkeling tube goes fully in your mouth, and I don’t trust strangers to properly sanitize this device, which has possibly been in the mouths of hundreds of strangers. I prefer to have my own, which is for my exclusive use!
8. Compact Float
A compact float is another must-have. Many cruising pros recommend against bringing an inflatable, and I understand their rationale: Inflatables are not allowed on the cruise ship in the pools. But what they’re missing is the use of this in pools and in the ocean on port days.
Related: Learn how to prepare and what to expect on port days.
I pack light for cruises in general and don’t like schlepping things around with me on port days, so my preferred float is this one. It’s a mesh lounger that is super compact when it’s deflated, easy to inflate and deflate, and functions as both a hammock and a float. I bring this with me on every single Caribbean cruise because there’s nothing better than relaxing in that gorgeous turquoise water on one of these.
9. Lockable Bag
If you’re sailing on a cruise itinerary to the Caribbean or other tropical locations and plan to spend at least one day at the beach, you’ll want to have a safe and secure place to put your belongings, including your cash, phone, stateroom card, and any other valuables. I like this lockable bag because it’s not super high-tech, nor would it be probably too difficult to break into. But the important thing is that it is a deterrent.
If a thief is walking along the beach and sees this locked bag, they’re not going to waste time and draw attention trying to fiddle with it versus grabbing the low-hanging fruit of some fellow cruiser who just left their stuff lying out. I’ve looked at many lockable options, but I don’t like many of them because they tend to be bulky, hard cases that take up a lot of space in my bag. I like this one because it is so compact and easy to use.
10. Magnetic Hooks
Magnetic hooks are essential for additional hanging space in your stateroom. When you have wet bathing suits or other things that need to hang up to dry, or if you’re short on space and need to hang up things like a jacket, you can stick them to the wall. Most cruise stateroom walls are metal, so you simply affix your magnetic hooks to the walls, providing you extra hooks and space to hang and store your stuff.
11. Reusable Straws
Okay, okay, so this isn’t a “top 10” list after all because I just could not make a cruise “must-have” list without including this last essential. So consider this one a bonus.
Reusable straws are a must-have for me, especially when enjoying frozen drinks where a straw is pretty essential. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting your drink all over your face or spilling it on your clothes.
Many cruise lines provide ocean-safe straws that leave much to be desired. Some are great, like the ones Royal Caribbean uses—they’re practically indistinguishable from regular straws and do the job just fine. But some cruise lines, such as Carnival, use paper or sugar straws that dissolve rapidly, which can be an annoyance if you’re like me and you prefer to savor mixed drinks and iced coffees over a longer period of time. These straws quickly get soggy and gross.
I’ve tried many reusable straws, but I find them a hassle to keep clean. These silicone straws are a godsend because they have a seam down the middle, making them very easy to open and clean. I don’t like metal straws because they feel weird against my teeth, so these are also a great alternative to metal.
Other Cruise Essentials
Of course, what one considers “essential” depends on the cruiser and his or her specific needs and preferences, but after many cruises, these are the top ones for me. While these are my absolute favorites, I have some other items that make cruising more convenient on my Amazon storefront here, so be sure to check those out.
