6 uncommon things you probably want to bring on your next cruise

Cabins on cruise ships are notoriously small and have very little storage, among other deficiencies. Here are a few cheap things that will help you maximize what you can do and make sharing such a small space less annoying Note: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Number 1: Magnetic Hooks

The walls on cruise ships are made of metal so you can use these to hang clothes or other items on the wall. [Click on the picture for more info.]
I have two sets. This size and another larger (and stronger) set to hold up heavier items (like coats and binoculars). On my last cruise, we hung jackets, water bottle carriers, our cruise ID lanyards, and the next item in my list on the walls using these.

Number 2: A FLAME-RETARDANT over door pocket organizer

Yes, there are tons of over-door organizers that are cheaper than this one, but if they find one in your luggage that’s not flame retardant (or your steward sees it in your cabin) they will confiscate it, so this is the one to get for cruising. DO NOTE: You cannot put this on the door to the hallway, but you can put it on your bathroom door. OR you can even hang it on a wall with the hooks above like we did on our last cruise. [Click on the picture for more info.]

Number 3:  A charging/power station of some type.

A NON-SURGE PROTECTED power splitter — rooms on cruise ships notoriously only have a couple of generally inconveniently located outlets. Also, you cannot take surge strips or extension cords on the ship (again, they’ll confiscate them). This takes one outlet and makes it into three, plus 2 USB outlets. So get this or another non-surge protected power splitter so you can plug a few things in. Click on the picture for more info. 

If you mostly have usb powered devices, I would instead bring the following item instead.

Or a USB bank. If I am traveling with others, I’ll generally bring this charger on the left as it handles everyone’s needs. It charges everything fast and allows charging of up to 6 things at a time, which is generally enough. I usually take one of the below too because they are small so I have a backup if I want to charge away from my cabin. Click on the pictures for more info.

Number 4: Magnetic motion activated light – for nightlights

I have a few of these in closets in my home, but a separate set for a cruise as you have to take the magnetic strip and adhere it to the light itself so you can stick them to the metal walls in your cabin. Normally, you’d adhere the magnet to the wall and then let the light attach to the magnet, but obviously, that’s not a choice on a cruise ship wall. So sadly you can’t easily repurpose these for at home (unless you have a metal wall/door/etc to use them on). I prefer the ones that use batteries (like the set shown – you can click on the picture) because if you only use these for cruises, the rechargeable batteries won’t hold up long, but you can just replace the batteries in these with regular (or even rechargeable) AA/AAA batteries (depending on the setup of what you buy).

The best use of these is to put one or two in the bathroom – so you don’t have to turn on the light from the outside, and the others near the floor on the walls so you can see where you are going.

 
Number 5: Poo-pouri to hide bathroom smells

I like this set of Poo-Pouri because each one is TSA-approved size (most are large for home use).  This makes it easier to share a bathroom when it smells better.  Several scents are available, and now other companies make similar products.

 
Number 6 – suction cup toothbrush holders

The bathroom has little storage space and it’s nice to have a safe place to put your toothbrushes.  These are cheap and make it easy for your bathroom to be cleaned and keep your toothbrushes mostly covered for sanitation.  These aren’t great, I’ll admit.  Like many things with suction cups they only last so long.  But since I only use them occasionally, they’re ok, and I just buy new ones as they are cheap.

 Number 7: Reusable bottle

 And of course, don’t forget an insulated bottle so you can easily take water or coffee with you without worrying about spillage.

I find that I like to travel with 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.  Additionally, 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 these hold the temperature better if in an insulated holder.  In this way, I kept ice in my water through long hot days in several countries.  This is also helpful in places where drinks are easily available, for example on a cruise ship as this way you can easily travel on the ship.

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.  This is helpful on cruise lines where you aren’t allowed to fill your bottle from the containers in the buffet for sanitation reasons.

Number 7.5 – a funnel for my refillable bottle

Finally, I bought the 4-pack set shown here n (click the picture), 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.

Have a great cruise.