The #1 Unexpected Thing To Pack When You're Going on a Cruise
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I'm in my late 20s, and before this month, I had never gone on a cruise. I’ve been on big boats before, once taking a seven-hour boat ride from Santorini to Athens in college. But the opportunity to go on a legitimate cruise just never came up. However, Royal Caribbean recently invited me to board their newest ship, Icon of the Seas, and I couldn’t pass on it. But when packing for a type of trip you’ve never been on before, what do you even pack for a cruise?
I do love traveling and have been out of the country several times before. But ahead of this trip, I wondered, "Are there special things to pack for a cruise? What if I forget something essential because I have no idea what to expect?"
Well, if you’re like me and in a similar boat (pun intended), I’ll lay out what I packed for my first-ever cruise (and what I'd recommend packing in general) to help you out.
Wondering what to pack for a cruise? I've got you covered—including the one truly unexpected thing you should bring with you to sea.
The Major Essentials for a Cruise
Courtesy Alani Vargas
When planning out what to pack for a cruise, you of course want to think about the major necessities you’ll want to bring along, or rather have to bring with you. As Royal Caribbean notes, “your first-time cruise checklist” should have these items:
Identification documents (a passport is preferred even if you’re not going to a foreign country on your cruise, and necessary if you are)
Your wallet
Toiletries
Medications
Sightseeing clothes
Swimming attire
A formal outfit
Socks and undergarments
Sun protection
A camera
Binoculars (for wildlife watching)
A dry bag
Sandals
Closed-toe shoes
Sunglasses
A hat
One of the most important things to bring, as we already mentioned, is the proper travel documents. This includes a valid passport or passport card because they help “expedite the check-in process.” But other government documents that you can bring for some cruises if a passport is “unattainable” are “an original U.S. birth certificate (state-issued) and a valid government photo ID.”
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What To Pack for a Cruise
Outside of other essentials listed above like underwear, clothing, makeup, medication, basic toiletries and more, these are the (near) essential items I packed for my first cruise and what I'd recommend packing in general.
Sunglasses
SOJOS Retro Round Polarized Sunglasses, $14.99 on Amazon
As stated above, sunglasses are a must for a sunny cruise trip. Of course, some cruises aren't tropical or beach-bound. But if you're on one like what I went on with my partner—which included a day at Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas—sunglasses like these are a must.
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Chargers
Phone Charger 2 Pack, $9.99 on Amazon
You'll be surprised how often people forget to bring chargers for their phones or other electronics (yes, I'm saying this from personal experience). After all, it's usually one of the last things to pack because you might only have one or two at home you use religiously. So make sure to buy an extra pair of chargers to always have with you when you travel. And if you're going on a cruise ship to a foreign country, you might need a travel power adapter ($19.99 on Amazon) for the different outlets.
Small bag or purse
Brixley Leather Crossbody Bag Sling Purse, $49 on Amazon
I know I have my favorite everyday purse. But for something like traveling out of the country or going on a cruise ship, choosing a smaller, yet functional purse or bag is the way to go. This Brixley bag is my new favorite find and I use it as a wallet and a purse full-time. But it's also perfect for traveling since it takes up such little room and can be worn five ways, making it good and secure on your person. I danced in this, I walked in it and it was easy to keep track of.
Bathing suits
Women's Cut Out One Piece Swimsuit, $32 at Target
As Royal Caribbean shared above, swimsuits are a must for a cruise ship vacation. Even if you're not a beach person, most of their ships have pools, lounge decks and more water fun, and so multiple swimsuits are necessary. I bought this one from Target, but anything will do, of course. I also packed three suits for a three-night cruise, and that was more than enough.
Portable safe
Master Lock Portable Small Lock Box, Personal Travel Safe, $16.70 on Amazon
This portable safe was a life-saver on my last trip to Europe. My partner and I went to Greece and being able to throw jewelry and passports in this and know it's safe in our hotel room was so great for our peace of mind. Even though most hotels have safes, you never know if the place you're traveling to will have one—our cruise stateroom, for example, didn't have one.
This safe is also perfect to bring to the beach or other places when you're out and about so that you can store phones or other valuables while you're preoccupied. There's a pink one (which is what I have) that's slightly more expensive.
Related: Here’s the One Thing You Should Do Before a Vacation That Will Make Your Trip Easier (And Safer!)
Good walking shoes
Birkenstock Women's Mayari Sandal, starting at $85.40 on Amazon
This is just a basic travel trip, but a vacation is not the best time to try out new shoes or shoes you haven't walked a ton in. Blisters are your worst enemy on trips, and you want to limit the amount you get. So make sure to bring lightweight walking shoes and if you need sandals or things that go with nicer outfits, try to find something that can work for all of those things. For me, those are my trusty Birkenstocks. Yeah, they're not "fancy," but on a beach vacation, no one is going to care that you have them on with a dress.
That's, of course, not always going to be the case. This voyage didn't have any formal events, so I was able to get away with them and my "business casual" attire at nightlife events, but I can see these not working for fancier events. So plan according to your specific cruise.
Travel Shaver
Gillette Venus Extra Smooth On The Go Razor, Handle + 1 Blade Refill + 1 Travel Case, $9.99 on Amazon
I don't really shave often, but this handy little travel razor was too cute to pass up. Plus, it was really good to have for those "what if" situations when you need to get a few stray hairs. And if you are someone who shaves regularly, this is one of the best travel razors I've seen.
Travel Pill Case
1 Pack Travel Handy Pill Organizer/Holder Box w Labels & 1 Drawstring Pouch, $2.99 on Amazon
Whether you take prescribed meds or you just love having pain medication on hand, this travel pill case was a good find. The labels are adorable, and there are 10 compartments, which is enough for my needs. I like to keep a smaller, two-compartment pill case in my purse for smaller portions that fit easier in my travel purse, but this one is great to keep in your hotel room with all your meds in one spot.
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Sea-Bands
Sea-Band Anti-Nausea Acupressure Wristband for Motion & Morning Sickness, $8.53 on Amazon
I had horrible motion sickness growing up—so bad that 30-minute car rides were often uncomfortable. Even though I've grown out of it a lot as I've gotten older, it still comes up in extreme situations like during flights or long, winding car rides. I'm also someone who just gets nauseous out of nowhere all of the time. I have a go-to regimen that includes ginger ale and other things (more on that in a second), but one of the newest ways I treat nausea has been these Sea-Bands.
My girlfriend got them for me for Christmas one year because of how often I get sick, and they really, truly do the trick. I used them when I got altitude sickness (on top of motion sickness) in Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah. Plus, I wear them on all flights. So, considering they're named after the sea, I knew they'd help on this cruise.
But fun fact: I never had to use them! I didn't get seasick once during my cruise. There were many long stretches of definitely feeling the boat, especially when we dined at the very front of it. However, I didn't get motion sickness once (though there was a close call where I almost pulled these out, but it never fully hit me). That being said, I'd definitely recommend packing these to have with you just in case.
Ginger candy
UpSpring Stomach Settle Drops with Ginger, Lemon, Spearmint, and B6, $9.97 on Amazon
Because of my consistent nausea issue, I was looking around for ways to help that weren't Pepto Bismol (which mostly only helps with food-related nausea for me) or ginger ale (for when I can't carry around a can of pop). And these UpSpring Stomach Settle lozenges have been a game-changer. They're truly the best thing I've tried when it comes to nausea because no matter the cause for my upset stomach, these take care of it within 30 minutes of popping one in. They also don't taste horrible (which is the last thing you want when you're nauseous or seasick).
With that said, I didn't go on the cruise with a full bag, so I was worried I wouldn't have enough. I did buy Dramamine just in case as well, but again, I never had to use either. However, if you are prone to seasickness or motion sickness, I cannot recommend these Stomach Settle lozenges enough. Anyone with nausea issues needs to give these a try.
Your own shampoo and conditioner
Travel Bottles for Toiletries 3 oz with Labels Silicone Leak Proof Travel Size Containers, $4.99 on Amazon
At first, I thought this was silly, but some people on Reddit suggested that many cruise lines have not-so-great shampoo options. I typically bring my own conditioner anyway because my hair type needs a lot of moisture that hotel brands usually just don't cover. But after seeing this, I made sure to pack both my own conditioner and shampoo. And boy am I glad I did! The Icon of the Seas stateroom we stayed in only had a shampoo and body wash combo product and that would not have been great for my hair.
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A hat
Unisex Basic Solid Baseball Cap Adjustable, $14.99 on Amazon
Just like Royal Caribbean recommended at the top, a hat is a really important thing to bring for protection against the sun—especially if you're going to be in a tropical climate. I chose a classic baseball cap and my partner chose to bring a bucket hat. They were necessary for our beach day for sure.
And if baseball caps aren't your thing, there are other options that are more along the lines of a "sunhat," like this Summer Straw Hat Wide Brim with Wind Lanyard for $25.99. Definitely make sure to get one with a strap of some kind, because these types of hats aren't adjustable like baseball caps and can easily blow away in the wind on a boat.
Layers of versatile clothing
Women's V Neck Roll up Sleeve Button Down, $29.98 on Amazon
It's a really good travel rule of thumb to pack clothes that are versatile and multi-use. Maybe you pack only a few bottoms but a handful of blouses or tops that can go with each one. If you can double up on how many outfits you get out of an item of clothing, you have style options on your trip and you have fewer things in your suitcase.
So with this tip, bring items of clothing that can serve as something over your bathing suit and that you can dress up or wear in an outfit on its own. This white linen blouse from Amazon is a good example (though it seems to run small, so read the reviews if you want to wear this as a coverup). But even a romper or dress can work under this rule too! I packed a similar shirt (seen at the top) and wore it as a cover-up one morning and then as an outer layer later in the day. I also never felt super chilly on the boat, but it was nice to know I had this as an option if I got too cold.
Compression packing cubes
BAGAIL 6 Set Ultralight Compression Packing Cubes, $29.99 on Amazon
Packing cubes have become more popular in recent years thanks to travel influencers on TikTok and Instagram, so this one is probably already a no-brainer for some readers. But for those who don't know, packing cubes save a lot of room in your luggage because you're not just throwing things into it. Even if you nicely fold your clothing, packing cubes allow you to organize them and make more room.
And compression packing cubes do that job even better. You can push air out of each cube, which takes up even less room than a regular packing cube would with the same amount of clothes. This was great for the cruise because I was able to organize my days and types of clothing, while also carrying some of my partner's outfits too.
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The #1 Unexpected Thing To Pack for a Cruise
Travel Poo-Pourri, $4.59 on Amazon
This last item is not something I would have thought to bring on a cruise if not for someone suggesting it on a couple of different Reddit threads. "There were times when I wished I had Poopouri in my handbag for those times, too!" they said when another user suggested using the lobby bathrooms for going Number 2. Someone on another post wrote that these bathroom toilet sprays are "awesome with the little bathroom and spaces on cruises..." One person went so far as to call Poo-Pourri a "must."
And they have a point. You're in a pretty tight space with whoever you're sharing a room with on-board the cruise and no matter how close you are, having something for bathroom smells is helpful. Especially since staterooms don't have a ventilation button like a lot of bathrooms do (at least ours didn't).
Travel Poo-Pourri seems like a great thing to own anyway. This one is the size of a little lipstick container, which makes it so easy to carry anywhere or fit in your "liquids" bag.
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