Things to remember to take on any cruise

When packing for a cruise, you often are focusing on bathing suits and what to wear on excursions, but don’t forget these things either.

• A lanyard if you have one to hold your cruise card – you can buy them on the ship but they are expensive, and you’ll have more options online.  You can usually get a hole punched in your card at the main desk on the ship so you can use a clip lanyard (if you have a pouch one, you’ll be forever digging the card out to have it scanned)
• slippers or socks for your cabin – the carpets in your cabin are rarely cleaned, so bring slippers (or socks that are nearly worn out that you can throw away – bonus: this gives you a little more room to take things home)
• door decorations: something to put on your door to make it easy to find your cabin – this can be a post-it note (although you might need a couple of replacements if they fall off), a dry erase board, or a magnetic poetry set, among other things.
• Sticky notes to leave messages on your door or your cabin mate(s)
• a small backpack or tote for use when you go off the ship
• a beach blanket
• small games like UNO, Set or Yahtzee

Also, I always bring a vacuum-sealed stainless steel bottle (HydroFlask, Yeti, Swell, Takeya, etc) that can keep cold drinks cold for many hours and hot drinks hot as well.  A good stainless steel bottle will last a long time, and you don’t have to worry about BPA or other things leaching into your water. I find that this type holds the temperature even better if in an insulated holder.  In this way, I kept ice in my water through long hot days in several countries.  This is nice to have as it is inconvenient to carry around coffee or iced tea in the tiny cups they use on cruise ships.

This is the insulated carry bag I use that makes it easy to carry around drinks all day and keeps the bottle extra insulated.   A few powdered drink mixes fit in the sides. It is available in several patterns.  I also am able to fit a small silicone funnel in the bottom so it’s easier to get liquids or ice into the bottle.

I bought the 4-pack set shown here, and just cut out the smaller inner rings until the biggest one just fit into the mouth of the bottle, and I can store it at the bottom of the carrier bag so it’s always with me.  Since I had 4 I gave a set to my parents to use similarly.

An additional thing that is nice to have with you when you travel and at home is a silicone straw.  Silicone straws are my favorite for a few reasons.  They don’t get permanently bent no matter how you treat them. They are easy to clean and dishwasher safe.  They are affordable and don’t transmit heat, so you can drink hot or cold drinks easily with it.  And you can cut them to the length you want with scissors.  As more and more places are turning to the eco-conscious paper straws that disintegrate in drinks, it’s nice to have something like this set so that you can always have one with you and save the environment.  I have two in my carry-on bag, and one in my work backpack and one in my around town bag. 

And always remember to clean the remote as they are notoriously dirty.

You may also want to check out my post about 6 unusual things you may want to take on your cruise.