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Not your average cruise list. This is the stuff that saves space, avoids headaches, and makes your trip feel easy from day one.
Cruises are one of my favorite ways to vacation because once you’re on board, life gets simple. Food’s handled, entertainment’s built in, and you wake up somewhere new without hauling your suitcase around. But packing for a cruise is its own thing. Cabins are smaller than hotel rooms, stores onboard are pricey, and some everyday items are straight up not allowed.
So instead of giving you another basic list of socks and swimsuits, I’m sharing the extras I always bring. These are the things that make cruising smoother, especially if you’re traveling with kids, sharing a cabin, or just want to feel organized.
First, a quick cruise packing truth
Cabins are cozy. Even on big ships. There’s usually a small closet, a couple drawers, and maybe a few shelves. So if you pack like you’re going to a resort with a walk in closet, you’ll feel cramped fast.
The goal is simple:
Pack light on basics, smart on helpers.
Space saving items that are worth it
- Shoe bag for bathroom – Hang one on the back of the door and use the pockets for toiletries, hair tools, sunscreen, meds, and random small items. It clears the counter instantly.
- Sweater bag for closet – Perfect for kids’ clothes, pajamas, swim coverups, or anything you want to grab without digging.
- Soft sided luggage – Hard suitcases eat up floor space. Duffels or soft rollers slide under the bed once you unpack.
- Packing cubes – Not fancy, just a simple way to keep outfits grouped. Great for separating shore clothes from ship clothes.
- Collapsible laundry hamper – Dirty clothes pile up fast. A pop up hamper keeps things contained and makes repacking easy.
- Tip: ask your cabin steward for extra hangers – you can hang a ton of stuff up, but there isn’t a lot of room in the drawers – hang your bulkier items and use the drawers for your smaller items.
Smart cruise items you’ll be so glad you packed
None of these are “you must bring this or you’ll cry” items. But they make everything easier.
- Non-surge power strip – Cruise lines ban surge protectors because of fire risk, but a plain power strip is usually fine. Double check your line’s rules, but make sure it does NOT say surge protected.
- Magnetic hooks – Cabin walls are metal. Stick these up to hang hats, lanyards, bags, or wet swimsuits.
- Lanyard with card holder – Your cruise card is your room key, payment method, and ticket on and off the ship. A lanyard keeps it from vanishing into the bottom of your beach bag.
- Disinfecting wipes or spray – Quick wipe down of high touch spots makes the room feel fresh.
- Stain remover pen or wipes – Someone always drips salsa on a white shirt. Always.
- Poo Pourri or small bathroom spray – If you’re sharing a cabin, this is a friendship saver.
- Plastic clothespins or towel clips – The wind on deck is no joke. Clips keep towels on loungers and swimsuits on the line.
- Zip top bag – Great for snacks on shore, wet swimsuits, keeping sunscreen contained, or tossing a phone in if you’re headed to a splashy excursion.
- Small soft cooler bag – Nice for grabbing a few drinks or snacks for port days. Many lines allow this as long as it’s empty when you board.
- Especially for tropical ports. You’ll be happy you tossed it in.
- Waterproof phone pouch – Shore days are wet. Even if you don’t plan on swimming, it rains, boats splash, and phones slip.
Carry on must haves for embarkation day
Here’s what I always keep in my carry on because checked bags can show up late.
- Swimsuit – Sometimes luggage arrives after dinner. You will want pool time right away.
- Change of clothes – Even one clean outfit feels great if you’ve traveled all day.
- Meds and basics – Never check prescription meds. Add pain reliever, stomach stuff, allergy meds, and a few bandaids too.
- Travel documents – Passport or birth certificate, boarding pass, confirmation emails, and travel insurance info.
- Phone charger and portable battery – You’ll use your phone a lot for photos, apps, and schedules.
A few newer cruise rules to know before you pack
- Some items people used to bring are now a problem.
- No surge protectors or extension cords -Even if you brought one before, many lines confiscate them now. Use a non surge strip instead.
- Be careful with CBD – Even if it’s legal where you live, some lines and ports ban it completely. Guests have been denied boarding for CBD gummies.
- Skip loud Bluetooth speakers – A lot of lines don’t allow them, and honestly, you don’t need to be that person on the pool deck.
- Check the cruise line app -Most ships now run daily schedules, dining, messaging, and port info through their app. Download it before you leave home
And there you go, everything I pack to make cruise life feel simple and stress free. If you toss a few of these smart extras into your suitcase, you will save space, skip the overpriced ship shops, and feel settled the second you step into your cabin.
If you have a favorite cruise must have that I did not mention, tell me in the comments. I love stealing, I mean borrowing, good ideas. Have the best trip and enjoy every minute of that floating vacation bubble.
One thing we took was walkie talkies, it may not work on all the ship. but its great if you have kids, or out at ports shopping.. It makes it easier to not lose your party.
I know a lot of people said plug ins and and night lights. But those use up plug space. I would highly recommend a small can of Ozium. This is an air freshener. One tiny spritz will hide the smell of someone who has just used the bathroom. It’s the same stuff that the airlines/buses/trains use to cover the smells of people who suffer motion sickness. It’s an evergreen smell and literally one tiny spritz completely hides everything. And you don’t waste a plug, and it lasts. You can get it at AutoZone, and it is tiny, so takes virtually no space.
Also, we don’t use night lights. We bring glow sticks. Each night, the kids can break one open. We put one in the bedroom and one in the bathroom. It’s more fun for the kids, and the light is softer, so doesn’t interrupt sleep.
We use both the bracelets and the thicker ones that can hang from the strings like a necklace. The kids can use them on deck at night (which lots of other kids always want to know where they get them), and then at night, they go in the bedroom and bathroom.
After a few cruises, we found a few things to add to the list:
A list of medications for each person….one in carry on…..one in your wallet
Your own snorkel and mask
I’m into coloring in coloring books for adults…..so a coloring book and different mediums……ie….crayons, markers, colored pencils, eraser, sharpener.
I bring an orange pillow case……it covers over theirs and smells like home…..orange??? So I can find mine in all the whites.
A first aid kit with….band aids….Tums….Motrin….hand sanitizer……triple antibiotic cream…..eye drops…mosquito repellent bracelet…..sunscreen….sunscreen chap stick….aloe lotion…..motion sickness needs
Several underwater cameras
We use a trash bags for dirty clothing……but a couple we met on one trip told us they go to Good Will, before the cruise, and buy their clothing for the trip. As they travel, they leave their dirty clothing in the trash when they go out on excursions. That way, they have room for souvineers in place of the clothing. To each, their own!
I pre-address labels to stick on post cards…and if traveling within US….postage stamps.
My personal choice is to keep a journal of the trip, in the back, I get names and addresses of travel mates.
I’m sure I haven’t listed everything…..but enough for now.
Here’s to happy cruising!
Peggie
Use over-the-door shoe hangers to hold cameras, itineraries, postcards to write & mail and 82 other things that tend to clutter up valuable counter space, not to mention shoes in the lower pockets.
We also used an over-the-door shoe hanger for all the stuff that
that tends to end up on the counter, which is very limited, like cameras, daily itineraries, postcards to write and mail, and 82 other things. Eliminates counter clutter.
Didn’t read all the way down but I am surprised no one said to bring Aloe. I carry it with us all the time and it is ALWAYS used as someone gets a little sunburn at some point!
I usually take along a small jar of Noxema. I find this is better for sunburn, it takes the burn out with one or two applications, and it is wonderful to remove makeup and just as a face cleanser.
Great idea!
I don’t know if this was mentioned in the comments or not. Hairdryer this was said to be in the room on the ship, but; wasn’t. Was going to pack but didn’t. Wish I had?
Instead of the bathroom plugins, bring some Poo Pouri. You just spritz 3 times in the toilet and everything smells great. Makes sharing a small cabin much nicer!
Grab a pack of diapers from a dollar tree…Why? When you are on the beaches put your important things like money cards or phone in it and wrap it like it’s a dirty diaper. Place it in a plastic or diaper trash bag. We did this and no one touched it!
Also bring a twin sheet and place 4 big objects in each corner of the twin or bigger sheet to create a play pin for a small infant.. My little guy never are sand…lol.
If your doing disney cruise go to the dollar tree near you and pick up any thing disney. Add your own personal touch to your room and your trip for your kids without breaking the bank. We bought puzzles coloring pages toys and stuff animals there. We arranged them on the desk for when the kids got back they thought Mickey stopped by! Also bring your Mickey mouse stuffy and drop it off at the front desk and at the end of your cruise it will be delivered to your room with a Mickey signature .
Buy your pirate dress up stuff at home and bring it with you for the pirate party!
Hope this helps anyone going on a DCL!
Not sure when this article was written, but at least two things are no longer correct on this list. I say at least two because I stopped reading after the second incorrect piece of advice I found.
1. Disney no longer allows the use of power strips.
2. You can no longer leave pillow cases at the customer service desk to be signed.
It says at the top 2013.