Going on a cruise? Cruises are so much fun! But they may be hard to pack for. You know you aren’t going to spend a lot of time in your cabin outside of sleeping, and you also know how small the cabins are. So what should you take with you on a cruise?

Let’s go over some items that you should take with you on a cruise in this post ((please note I am an Amazon Affiliate and will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you should you order one of the items below. Links will take you to Amazon’s website):

Things to Pack for a Cruise

What do you need to pack for a cruise? Well, besides the obvious things like clothes and a swimsuit, I’m going to cover what you need to pack to make your cruise even easier. What is the most important thing to bring on a cruise? Well, if you get seasick, medicine in case you do unfortunately get sick (which I’m going to cover first).

Here are some of my go-to items to pack in your bag (please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate and will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you should you order one of the items below. Each link will take you to the item on Amazon’s website):

MEDICINE:

Unfortunately, some people get motion sickness, and while your ship will have medicine onboard for sell, go ahead and get these items so you’ll be ready (Please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate and will receive a commission if you purchase any of the below items. Clicking on the links will take you to Amazon’s site): 

Tried and proven, the go to motion sickness medicine you need to take with you is Dramamine:  

For motion sickness, grab yourself some motion sickness patches:  

Or test out a motion sickness band to see if these help you:

Technically these aren’t medicines, but while you’re ordering supplies, make sure sun screen and after sun lotion are on your list. I also prefer a separate face sunscreen to keep my face from breaking out.

sunscreen: https://amzn.to/3Vf7hPY 

 face sunscreen: https://amzn.to/496BHXX 

after sun lotion: https://amzn.to/3PkqkEG 

CABIN SAVERS:

Did I mention that the cruise cabins are small? Take magnetic hooks with you so you can hang up items along your cabin wall (Please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate and will receive a commission if you purchase any of the below items. Clicking on the links will take you to Amazon’s site): 

Another lifesaver is to get a retractable portable clothesline to hang your wet clothes out to dry on. This thing comes in handy! From drying out bathing suits, shorts, tanks, and even towels, you can hang this outside your room on the veranda if you have one, or even inside the shower if you don’t have an outside area. These clips make it so much easier to dry your items instead of hanging them on the towel rack or using hangers. Purchase this item from Amazon’s site here:

Prone to spills? Even if you’re not, you will be on a cruise ship, where it’s windy and you’re constantly moving, so having a Tide pen will help clean up any mishaps.

Lastly, we all know that clothes packed in a suitcase come out wrinkly. Grab yourself a wrinkle release to help ‘iron out’ your clothes so they’re smoother. 

PACKING:

The cabins on any cruise line are small, so make your life easier by purchasing some packing cubes so you can pull these out of your suitcase, organize your cabin, and tuck those suitcases under the bed so you don’t have to keep pulling them out. This set of 6 Compression Packing Cubes from Amazon come in different colors and one bag for you to put them all in as well (Please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate and will receive a commission if you purchase any of the below items. Clicking on the links will take you to Amazon’s site):

Luggage tags will help you once you get off the ship and are looking for your suitcases. Don’t play the guessing game. 

Have a lot of cables? Keep everything together with this cable organizer so you don’t have cords everywhere.

Speaking of organizers, get yourself a shower organizer to help with the small space in your cabin bathroom! 

Along with the shower organizer, order some toiletry bottles to help not only with the space in the cruise shower, but your luggage bag as well.  

Lastly, when you leave the ship for an excursion, make sure you have a great mesh bag to take your items in. This one comes in 3 different colors:

ELECTRONICS:

Some other items that will make your life easier are things like a fast wall charger powerstrip like the one below: (Please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate and will receive a commission if you purchase any of the below items. Clicking on the links will take you to Amazon’s site): 

Wall Charger Powerstrip – There are only so many outlets in your cabin, and if you’re sharing with someone, you need this! Especially if you have multiple things to charge each night. Don’t let a small thing like having to time outlet sharing to charge your phone make you get annoyed at the other person. This charger block has 6 ports and both USB C and A connector types. Get yours here on Amazon:

Portable Charger – Portable chargers are great for any outing, but they are especially handy for a Disney Cruise! They’re great to recharge your phone on the go when you dock at ports and are exploring or going on an excursion. Don’t let your phone die or stress from a low battery situation (especially if you’re in a room with someone else and they may have hogged the outlets if you didn’t get a fast charger block like I mentioned before!). There are different sizes, shapes, and power amounts, but I have bought Anker portable chargers before and like this one. Grab yours (or one like it) from Amazon here:

Checkout these Charger Combos for both Type C/USB A Ports so you can have less cables that fit more items:

WATER FRIENDLY ITEMS:

Want a huge lifesaver while you’re on board? Invest in some towel bands or towel clips for beach towels. These things will help keep your towel from flying away while you’re enjoying the sun on deck (Please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate and will receive a commission if you purchase any of the below items. Clicking on the links will take you to Amazon’s site): 

Towel bands:

 Towel clips:

On a cruise you’ll most likely be spending a lot of your time by water, whether it’s the pool, a hot tub, or the ocean! Make sure you take a waterproof phone pouch to protect your phone (and bonus, keep your cabin keycard in!):

Another item that will make your life easier onboard is to take your own water bottle. I personally love collapsible water bottles, because I can fold them up once I’m done and I don’t have to carry a clunky empty bottle around with me. 

I am a large purse person. I love my big bags and this was hard, but you do not want to be lugging around a big purse on the beach, during your excursion, or even on a sea day while you’re walking for food or going to lay out or dip in the pools. Find yourself a small purse to use. I love this small crossbody bag because my phone, powder, chapstick, and room key all fit inside it and it’s made with a mesh material that’s waterproof, so perfect for a cruise whether I’m on the ship or by the beach! If you’re more simple, or generally wear shorts with pockets, you may just find a lanyard for your room key. Use my small crossbody bag or find your own by seeing similar items (like crossbody fanny packs which are popular right now) on Amazon through this link:

OTHER ITEMS TO BRING:

Another thing that people may not think about is cash! Especially at the end of your cruise, you’re going to want to have kept cash for tips. You may also want cash for some ports, although most places nowadays do take card. 

You’ll also want to be sure to pack a light jacket. Even the warmest destinations can be a bit chilly at night on a ship. You’ll also want to check if your cruise has a formal night (spoiler, it does) and pack something for this night.

Make sure you also pack your passport, sunglasses, and bathing suit cover ups in addition to your bathing suit and location appropriate clothing. 

Another item that I packed that made my trip so much easier (and my feet hurt less) was to actually buy some water appropriate non-slip sandals that had support (versus normal sandals I would usually take). These Croc sandals were amazing and comfy and I highly recommend them (Please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate and will receive a commission if you purchase any of the below items. Clicking on the links will take you to Amazon’s site):   

One last thing, if you’re going on an excursion like snorkeling or plan on spending a lot of time in the water, get yourself an underwater camera like the Go Pro Hero 12:

I personally haven’t used this camera, but for a cheaper waterproof camera option, the Kodak Pix Pro has great reviews:

What’s on Your List of Things to Pack for a Cruise?

What’s your list of things you have to have when you go on a cruise? Let me know in the comments below! Or just add in any tips for cruising in general. And for more details on cruising, read my blog on my latest cruise, What to Expect on a Disney Cruise.

💜 K. Howell