Aside from the obvious what to wear and toiletries, many cruisers – especially those who haven’t cruised before – struggle when trying to compile a list of things they should bring along. If this sounds familiar, take a look at our advice about 10 things not to forget to pack for your cruise.
1. A rucksack or small bag
In addition to your main luggage and possibly an evening bag for the ladies, it’s a great idea to bring a bag to use during the day. Whether this is simply for taking a bottle of water, towels, and sun cream to the pool onboard, or for using when out and about in port, a medium sized bag will certainly be helpful.
2. Freezer bags
A few sealable, waterproof bags such as freezer bags will be more useful than you realise. Use them for protecting your phone or camera from splashes at the pool, or for a safe place to keep any medication you need when exploring in port.
3. A thin jacket/cardigan
What to wear on a cruise is a top aspect to consider. Whether you’re embarking on a hot weather or cold weather cruise, taking a spare light jacket or cardigan is a must. You might overestimate the weather in a hot destination and be faced with a cool evening, or indeed if it’s freezing where you are, a thin, extra layer will be a blessing.
4. Portable charger and/or spare batteries
Most passengers tend to bring a fair few items that need charging, whether this be their phone or tablet, mp3 player, camera, shaver, or something else. Remember to pack enough batteries in order for you to use these items throughout the cruise, or even a portable charger so that you can plug in while out and about, instead of waiting for a wall socket.
5. Multiplug and plug adaptors
While your cruise cabin will most likely be fitted with a wall socket for you to plug electrical goods into, these can be fairly sparse. If you know you’ll have a few things to plug in, consider bringing a multiplug. It’s also important to check the type of plug socket onboard before embarking, and bring an adaptor if needed.
6. Headphones
If you’ll want to listen to music or watch films and videos on your personal device – whilst on your cruise or whilst travelling before/after – on behalf of all fellow passengers please, please bring your headphones! We all know how irritating it can be to be forced into listening to your neighbours’ funny cat videos because they’re not using headphones, so please do be considerate.
7. More than enough medication
Now, this suggestion depends on each cruiser’s own personal needs. If you know you’ll be needing specific medication whilst abroad, it’s a good idea to bring more than enough, and even pack some in several different places (your hold luggage and your carry on), just in case any goes missing.
8. Sticky notes
A pack of sticky notes will be surprisingly handy during your cruise. Use them for leaving notes for others in your party, for example ‘meet in the atrium at 6pm’, or for your cabin steward, for example ‘please can we have an extra pillow’. Considering how small they are, there’s no harm in bringing some just in case.
9. Document holder
Anyone that has travelled abroad before will know that it can become slightly stressful when specific documents are called for and you can’t locate them. Avoid the frantic searching and instead, invest in a document holder. These are only a few pounds and are great for keeping all paperwork together neatly.
10. Enough memory cards or films
You’ll no doubt want to be snapping photos throughout your cruise in order to preserve the memories. Avoid disappointment and bring a few memory cards (or films, depending on your camera), so that you have plenty of memory space to keep taking pictures!
If you’re looking for more specific advice about packing, take a look at our guides to packing for a world cruise, and packing for an Antarctic cruise.
