Things to Bring on a Cruise That Nobody Tells You About

The most useful things in a cruise cabin are rarely the things you bought for the holiday. They are the ordinary household bits that cost a pound or two and solve a problem you did not know you would have: the gap in the curtains, the sink with no plug, the wardrobe with four hangers in it.

None of what follows is essential, and no cruise has ever been ruined for want of a clothes peg. But each one earns its space, and experienced cruisers pack most of them without thinking. Our full cruise packing list covers the clothes, toiletries and documents; this is everything else.

Solving Cabin Problems

Cabins are cleverly designed and still have the same three or four quirks on almost every ship.

1. Clothes pegs for the curtain gap. Blackout curtains on most ships meet in the middle and leave a stripe of daylight across the bed at six in the morning. Two pegs close it. The same pegs hold towels on a windy balcony and swimwear on the shower rail.
2. A plug-in nightlight. Inside cabins have no natural light at all, and even a balcony cabin is pitch dark with the curtains pegged shut. A nightlight in the bathroom or by the bed saves the three in the morning fumble for a switch that wakes the whole cabin, and costs a couple of pounds. Ships have sockets in the bathroom area for exactly this.
3. Magnetic hooks for hanging space. Cabin wardrobes are built for a long weekend, not a fortnight, and there are never enough hangers or rail. Cabin walls are steel behind the finish, so a few strong magnetic hooks hold dresses, shirts and jackets on any spare wall while they hang out their creases. Choose hooks rated for a kilogram or more; fridge magnets slide.
4. Ziplock bags in a few sizes. The most useful thing in the case. They hold wet swimwear, leaky toiletries, phones on tender boats and beaches, sandy shoes and the paperwork you want to keep dry. They weigh nothing and always come home used.

Washing and Drying

Ship laundry is a paid service on most lines and a launderette exists only on some, so a small amount of hand washing is normal on a longer cruise.

1. A universal flat sink plug. Many cabin basins have a push plug that does not hold water, or none at all. A flat rubber universal plug turns the sink into something you can actually wash in.
2. Travel wash and a small drying line. A sachet of travel detergent and a suction or twist-line washing line strung across the shower dries a few items overnight. Do not hang wet clothes on the balcony rail, which most lines prohibit.
3. A pop-up laundry bag. Keeps worn clothes off the cabin floor in a room with limited surfaces, and collapses flat in the case. A cheap cotton tote does the same job.
4. A stain remover pen. Formal night, red wine, and a dining room three hours from the nearest dry cleaner. It fits in a pocket.

For Port Days

Small things that make a day ashore smoother, beyond the day bag itself.

1. A lanyard with a card holder. Keeps your ship card visible at the gangway and out of a pocket where it gets lost. Ships sell them; the ones from home cost a fraction and are usually nicer.
2. A collapsible water bottle. Fills at a buffet station, squashes flat in a day bag when empty, and saves buying bottled water at pier prices. Our shore excursion day bag guide covers the rest of the kit.
3. A dry bag or waterproof phone pouch. Tender boats, beach days, RIB excursions and unexpected rain all argue for one, and they cost very little.
4. A cheap watch. If your phone dies ashore you still need to know the time, and all aboard is not a deadline to guess at. Set it to ship time as you leave.

Evenings and Sea Days

The bits that come into their own once the sun goes down and on the long days between ports.

1. Pens for the quiz. Ship quizzes are more competitive than they look and the pens run out early. Bring two or three and you will be extremely popular at your table.
2. A pack of cards or a compact game. Sea day afternoons, rainy port calls and the hour before dinner all pass better with something to play. Ships lend cards but rarely enough sets.
3. An insulated travel mug. Buffet coffee cups are small and cool quickly. A travel mug takes a proper drink back to the balcony, which is the best seat on the ship.
4. Earplugs and an eye mask. Cabins share walls with corridors, lifts and occasionally a nightclub. Both weigh nothing and rescue the one bad night.

For Scenic Cruising

Two items that transform the days a cruise is really sold on, and both get forgotten.

1. Binoculars. The single most under-packed item on any fjord, Alaska, Iceland or wildlife itinerary. Waterfalls, mountain farms, whales, eagles and other ships all reward them, and the ship’s own binoculars are not available to passengers.
2. A proper warm layer for the deck. Scenic cruising happens on open decks at dawn in cold water, and the temperature bears no relation to the brochure photograph. Our cold weather day pack list covers northern itineraries in full.

What Not to Bring

A short list, but breaking it costs you the item and sometimes a delayed case.

• Irons and steamers. Prohibited across the industry as a fire risk. Ships offer laundry services, some have launderettes with irons, and hanging clothes in a steamy bathroom does most of the work.
• Kettles and hotplates. Also prohibited. Cabins on UK lines usually have a kettle already, and room service brings tea and coffee where they do not.
• Candles and incense. Any naked flame is banned. Battery tealights are the permitted alternative if you want the effect.
• Extension leads and surge protectors. Removed at screening on P&O, Cunard, Royal Caribbean and MSC among others. A plug-in USB hub is the accepted substitute.
• Drones. Flying one on board is banned everywhere, and some lines prohibit bringing one at all. Check your line before it goes in the case.

Frequently Asked Questions