The Little Things You’ll Be Glad You Packed for a Cruise
You remembered the swimsuit and sunglasses. But a few easily overlooked essentials can make your cruise more comfortable, from your first afternoon aboard to the trip home.
By Claire Bennett | The Everyday
Packing for a cruise usually begins with clothes. You debate the dinner outfit, add another swimsuit, and convince yourself that one more pair of shoes probably won’t hurt.
Meanwhile, some of the most useful things you could bring would fit inside one of those shoes.
They’re the small items that help when your towel won’t stay on a lounge chair, the bathroom counter disappears beneath two people’s toiletries, or you’re ready for the pool but your suitcase hasn’t reached your cabin.
Those moments rarely ruin a vacation. They can, however, make you think, “Why didn’t I bring something for this?”
A little preparation can answer that question before you leave home.
Think About Your First Afternoon
Picture the moment you step aboard. You’re ready to explore, find lunch, and begin enjoying the trip. The bag containing your swimsuit and sunscreen is somewhere in the luggage-delivery process.
Add a swimsuit, sunscreen, and a change of clothes if a poolside afternoon is part of the plan.
Royal Caribbean specifically recommends a carry-on with first-day essentials so guests can enjoy the ship while their checked luggage is delivered. See its boarding-day guidance.
The useful detail is where you put that bag: it needs to stay with you. A carefully organized “first afternoon” kit does little good tucked inside the suitcase you just handed over.
Choose something comfortable enough to carry around the ship. It can become your beach bag or excursion bag later in the week.
Give the Small Things Somewhere to Live
Once you reach your cabin, a little organization can make the room easier to share.
Consider the hat, lanyard, light jacket, and empty tote that otherwise collect on a chair. A few magnetic hooks can give those things a place of their own. Many cabins have metal wall surfaces suitable for magnets; Princess includes magnetic hooks in its packing suggestions.
Cabin finishes vary, so check suitability and the ship’s rules. Use hooks gently on permitted surfaces inside the cabin, and keep the loads light.
The same thinking helps in the bathroom. A compact hanging toiletry bag can free up counter space and keep everyday items within reach. Choose one that opens fully and hangs from an existing suitable hook. You should be able to find your toothbrush without unpacking everything else.
Then there’s the evening charging routine. Between two phones, a watch, and a tablet, it’s easy to create a tangle of cables.
A compact charger with multiple USB ports may help, provided it meets your cruise line’s requirements. Check the actual policy before buying: “cruise approved” on a shopping page is no guarantee of acceptance.
Royal Caribbean, for example, prohibits power strips, extension cords, and multi-plug outlets, while allowing device and USB chargers with specified conformity markings. Its current prohibited-items policy explains the distinction.
Check your charger’s markings and connections, and bring the correct cables. This is one packing decision best settled at home.
Make Pool Days and Port Days Easier
An ocean breeze is one of the pleasures of a cruise, right up until it keeps folding your towel into your lap.
Towel clips or stretchy towel bands can hold it against a lounge chair while you relax. Bands pack especially flat; clips are easy to attach and remove. Either can save you from repeatedly rearranging the same towel.
A reusable wet bag is another small convenience. After a swim, it gives a damp swimsuit somewhere to go without soaking the dry shirt in your tote. A sturdy resealable bag can serve the same purpose for the trip back to your cabin. Take wet items out to dry when you return.
For a day ashore, think about the information you would need if your phone stopped working.
A small paper note can hold the ship’s name, the terminal or meeting location, the all-aboard time, and the emergency contact details provided by the cruise line. Use the information supplied for that day’s stop, including the time convention the ship tells you to follow.
Keep the note somewhere protected and easy to find. A dead battery is less frustrating when the address you need is still in your pocket.
You can prepare that backup in a few minutes over breakfast. There’s no new gadget to learn or purchase.
Plan for the Trip Home, Too
At home, dirty clothes have a destination. On vacation, they can gradually take over the chair, the closet floor, and whichever suitcase happens to be open.
A lightweight laundry bag keeps worn clothes together and separate from clean ones. Something that folds flat is enough; a washable drawstring bag you already own may work perfectly well. Let damp clothing dry before adding it.
It also makes packing to leave easier. You can see what’s still clean, gather everything without hunting around the cabin, and carry the laundry straight to its usual destination when you get home.
Before adding any of these items to your suitcase, consider how you actually travel. If you rarely sit by the pool, towel clips may never leave their pouch. If your toiletries already fit neatly into one small bag, you may have that problem solved.
Check what your ship provides and review its current packing rules. Then choose the few additions that will make your own trip more comfortable.
There’s satisfaction in opening your bag and finding exactly what you need. Especially when it means you can settle back into your chair, admire the water, and let the towel stay where you put it.
