10 More Cruise Must-Haves: Items You Won’t Think to Pack, But Should

I’m back, I’m married, and I’m ready to get blogging again! So first, let me say how amazing you guys are! I was overwhelmed by the success of my first post 10 Cruise Must-Haves: Things You Won’t Think to Pack, But Should. I’m so glad my tips were helpful and hope you all had the best time on your cruise. The thing I loved most about this post though, was how amazing all of YOUR suggestions in the comments were. So to help other readers and future cruisers, I decided to pull your recommendations and put together this list. 

#1: Small Tea Light/ Small Light – Wendy

Whether you’re traveling with kids or with your significant other, bringing a small light for the bathroom is a MUST. There’s nothing worse than falling asleep and waking up a moment later when someone turns on the insanely bright bathroom light. I take this little light camping with me and it’s amazing–it has a hook, runs on 3 AAA batteries, and has multiple light settings.

#2: Portable Battery Chargers – Bernard

Bernard reminded me of this one! It’s incredible how fast your phone or tablet batteries drain when you’re listening to music, taking pictures, and playing games. It goes even faster if you have little ones watching videos. I always bring a couple of I bring this smaller one, which I can even fit in my jean pocket as I walk around. I own a bunch of these because I hate it when my devices die on me (it seems like it’s always when I need to take the perfect picture). Here are the three that I have in three different sizes:

• Small: Anker 5200mAh – It charges my phone about 1.5x, but I can easily put it in my pocket.
• Medium: Anker 10,000mAh – My favorite and top reco. This little guy holds 2.5x charges and while I can’t fit both my phone and it in the same pocket, it’s
• Large: RAVPower 22,000mAh – This is the one I bring when I have insanely long flights or I know that I’ll be charging a bunch of devices. It has three charging ports which makes it perfect for families too!

#3: Room Freshener

A lot of people recommended bringing air freshener. It’s not surprising considering you’re in such close quarters. Whether you want to get rid of the mustiness from wet bathing suits or other…uh… bathroom related smells, my trick is to buy a small 2 or 3oz. spray bottle and fill it with a non-aerosolized freshener like J.R. Watkins Room Spray. My personal favorite is the lemon scent–it’s not overpowering in the small space and leaves the room smelling fresh.

#4: Travel Power Strip (without Surge Protection)

Each cruise line has different restrictions, but after seeing a couple of you mention that surge protectors were giving you issues, I wanted to offer a solution that gives you the charging ports you needed WITHOUT surge protection. This Tessan Power Strip offers 3 USB ports and 3 outlets and will be on my next cruise packing list.

#5: Ginger Gum or Ginger Cookies – Janis

Need a natural way to settle your stomach? Ginger has been used for centuries to help you do just that. Nowadays, they make Ginger Gum and Ginger Cookies. I’ll note that if you’re exceptionally prone to seasickness like me, you might want to pair these with medicine like Dramamine or Bonine. I usually take Dramamine and if I’m still feeling queasy, chewing a piece of Seaband’s Ginger Gum or eating a cookie gives me my sea legs.

#6: Towel Clips – Shawna

I agree with Shawna, towel clips can be a great cruise accessory! Not only can they keep towels from blowing away on a breezy deck, but they can also save your chairs if you have to hop into the pools with little ones or take them to the bathroom. Towel Clips come in lots of fun shapes like Flip Flops, Flamingos, Parrots, Margaritas, and Finding Nemo.

#7: Small White Boards – Ashley

Ashley, I hadn’t thought of this! If you’re traveling with a large group, communicating with everyone can be difficult when you don’t have your phones to rely on. Ask someone in each room to bring a small 8.5×11 white board (like this one) that has removable adhesive on the back. Post it on the outside of your room door and let your friends and family know where you’re heading.

#8: Magnetic Hooks – Judy

On a lot of ships the room walls are made out of metal so Judy’s idea of bringing magnetic hooks is genius! I always find myself needing more hooks to hang up wet bathing suits, cover-ups, etc. These magnetic hooks from CMS are they’re incredibly strong and small enough to be portable.

#9: Coffee Cup – Dee

So I’m one of those weird people who doesn’t like the taste of coffee, but Ad Man can’t live without it. Dee recommends bringing a larger coffee cup because the tiny mugs on the cruise ships don’t hold very much. Plus, if you bring your own you can take your time drinking it and even take a morning stroll while you do. It’s just another reason to bring a reusable cup. The Beast 20z Stainless Steel Tumbler is already on my shopping list for my next cruise.

#10: Passports or Passport Cards

A lot of you mentioned that taking your passports, even if you’re not going to a new country, is a must! I always recommend bringing your passport, just in case. If you don’t foresee yourself doing additional traveling beyond your cruise, a Passport Card could be a great option. It’s cheaper ($145 for a passport vs. $65 for a passport card for those 16+) and is good at sea ports-of-entry in Canada, Mexico, The Caribbean, and Bermuda. For more on how to apply for a passport or passport card, check out this page from the U.S. State Department or for specifics on Passport Cards, visit here.

Have more ideas? Comment below!