Cruise Essentials: Ultimate Amazon Shopping List

I Perfected My Cruise Packing

I am an avid cruiser. I love it! Celebrity Cruising has me in a chokehold. Those Martini Bars are my favorite perch. One of my hyperfixations is packing efficiently and effectively. And while some of my general packing list and cruise packing list overlaps, there are specific items for cruising you NEED.

Cruises are amazing because you unpack once and wake up somewhere new. You are pampered (depending on the line you choose), and have endless options of things to do. However, cruises are also mildly chaotic because your cabin is the size of a generous walk-in closet.

So instead of giving you a generic “packing list” (that includes groundbreaking things like sunscreen), I’m sharing what you may not realize you need to keep in your CRUISE KIT. I literally have a small storage container of my cruising essentials I pull out when I am getting ready to start my packing process.

Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share things that are tried and true and in my actual kit.

The Cabin Stuff That Makes You Feel Like a Functional Adult

1. Magnetic Hooks (Every Cruise Cabin’s Best Kept Secret)

If you’ve ever walked into a cruise cabin and thought, “Where do I put… literally anything?” Welcome. And I refuse to live like an animal.

Cabin walls and doors are often metal, which means magnetic hooks turn your room into organized bliss. I use them for

• Lanyard with my key hangs on the back of my door when I am in my room

• Bags

• Tomorrow’s clothes

• Cover up storage

• Damp swimsuits that need to finish drying

You could also use them for hats. I have a huge head and don’t look good in hats. But you, you can use these hooks for hats too.

2. A Cruise-Approved Power Strip (Outlets are a Limited Resource)

Cruise cabins love to give you like 2 outlets and let’s face it, it’s not enough. There is also a limitation that your powerstrip can’t have a surge protector or it will be confiscated. They always find them. You want to make sure you have a cruise-approved option. This one is the most compact one I have seen. This one is purple. How cute!

3. Over the Door Shoe Organizer (it’s Not for Shoes, It’s for Sanity)

This is the cruise organizer that turns you into a person who has their life together. It keeps your counters clear and stops the cabin from becoming a pile of stuff with a bed in the middle. I don’t use it for shoes. I use it for: Sunscreen, bug spray, makeup, chargers, snacks, hair ties, meds, random necessities

4. A Motion Sensor Night Light (Cabin Blackout is Real)

Cruise cabins get dark dark. Like walk into the bathroom and stub your toe, muted cursing type dark. I cruise in all types of cabins, from interior to suite and this is my latest, must-need addition to the list. I don’t need a stubbed toe (or a concussion) as a souvenir. It can also help you locate your water bottle at 3 a.m. like a dehydrated raccoon.

Embarkation Day + On-Ship Life (Don’t Make It Harder Than It Needs to Be)

1. Cruise Lanyards with Retractable Reel (Your Key Card = Life)

As of the time I’m writing this, your ship card is everything: room key, payment method, identity, and your ticket off and on the ship. This may change in the not to near future, but as of now, you need a lanyard.

I am going to be upfront, I brought mine on the ship (it’s a bit more aesthetic), but these are a great option. They are waterproof, detachable, and retractable. What more could you ask for? They are also a great grown-up solution like a childhood inability to keep track of anything.

2. A Portable Charger That Also Plugs Into the Wall

This is my favorite product that I use whether I am traveling or at home. I mean, I use it daily! Cruise days are long. Port days are longer. And nothing humbled you more than wanting to pull up your excursion details in the app and find 3% battery (the stuff of nightmares).

This portable charger is a travel-must for me. It plugs into the wall to charge and I get 2-3 phone charges out of it. Since it also charges all kinds of devices, it limits the cords' disorganization that drives me wild. I literally just bring this with me to charge ALL my devices when I travel. I also lose things when I travel and have replaced this item more than twice. I know. I know. I get that you are judging.

3. Cruise Luggage Tags

Most cruise lines require printed luggage tags. These tag holders keep them protected and readable so your bag actually gets to your cabin. A note that you don’t want to add them to your luggage until after your flight. They are large and can get damaged or pulled off during airline travel. *Make sure you check this item to ensure you buy ones compliant with your cruise line.

Port Days + Water Days (Protect Your Stuff, Protect Your Peace)

1. Waterproof Phone Pouch

Between beach days, catamarans, rain, pools, and “let let get one more picture of that sunset that can’t be captured in a photo,” your phone is in danger, girl. A waterproof pouch means you can take pictures near water without fear, keep your phone in its own little bag, and still use the touchscreen.

2. Water Shoes (Your Feet Will Thank You)

Rocky beaches. Slippery excursions. Boat days. Hot sand. Mystery seaweed. Water shoes are one of those things you think don’t need… until the second you need them. On one of my cruises. I enjoyed chilling in the gorgeous water in St. Kitts while my travel mates were stuck on the beach, their delicate little tootsies unable to face the rocks. I didn’t gloat in my preparedness (too much).

3. Mesh Beach Bag with Pockets (So the Sand Stays Where It Belongs)

I underestimated having a good beach back until I splurged for one. This one is so light weight and packable, I can’t imagine NOT bringing it with me. It is a little pricier than others, but you can tell. I tested them. The fabric on this one is soft and the zipper is perfection! I throw this thing around and it is great for saving your beach chair while you get your first drink at the bar.

4. Drawstring Backpack (Perfect for Excursions)

I have found in addition to a beach bag with a zipper, I want a lightweight backpack for excursions or when I have lots of things to transport on my way to trivia. I bought several different ones and this is one I landed on. I love it. Again, it’s lightweight and packable and stays permanently in my travel kit. It also goes straight into the washing machine when I return from a trip.

5. An Insulated Water Bottle (Hydration Is a Cruise Sport)

Between the sun, the walking, the drink package, cruising can dehydrate you quickly! This is the BEST water bottle. I have another fixation (I have several) on the perfect water bottle and Owala is it. Water stays cold, the optional tip and sip or straw feature, you can’t improve this water bottle. I should be a spokesperson for Owala. I love their products so much. This one is my favorite because I have tiny hands like Cee-Lo.

The “Don’t Ruin Your Clothes” Section

1. Tide To Go Pens (Start Your Stash)

I don’t buy white or light colored clothes. I am a klutz and I spill on myself every time I eat with others. I don’t do it when I am alone as much. I think it’s the distraction of talking. But even if you are not a spill-amaniac like me, none of your cruising peers will be upset if you have this as a constant in every bag.

2. Wrinkle Release Spray

Cruise outfits spend time being folded, smashed, and judged. A travel wrinkle releaser helps you look put together in those knits you packed. You can’t bring a clothes steamer on board the skip, and this is the next best solution.

3. SinkSuds Laundry Packets (For Emergency Laundry)

Sometimes you need to wash something fast, and these packets are TSA compliant, perfect for a quick sink wash, and just a good thing to keep in your suitcase. I will also say, I have tried other brands and this one is my favorite.

The “Health, Comfort, and Please Let Me Sleep” Section

1. Bonine Chewable Motion Sickness Tablets

Even if you “never get motion sick” the ocean sometimes wakes up and chooses violence. Bonine is one of those “pack it just in case” items you’ll be grateful to have on day 1 of choppy seas (and those January Caribbean Cruises). These are a better deal than some other brands and are CHEWABLE!

2. Mini First Aid Kit (A Small, but Mighty Hero)

Blisters, random cuts, headaches, bandages, you don’t want to pay ship prices for the basics. This is my travel first aid kit that just lives in my suitcase. It eases my anxious mind knowing I have it.

3. Pocket Poo-Pourri (Tiny Bottle, Massive Impact)

Cruise cabins and bathrooms are intimate. This is small, TSA-friendly, and makes shared bathrooms much more pleasant. This variety pack also gives you one to keep in your purse, one in your travel kit, and one in your personal bathroom.

4. Travel White Noise Machine (For When the Hallway Gets Loud)

Cruise ships are magical, and also full of hallway chatter, late-night door slams, mysteriously enthusiastic neighbors. I sleep with a fan on. Actually, I live with a fan on. I love white noise!

And this mini white-noise machine is a sleep saver. This is another recent addition to my travel kit and I love it. Small and packable, charge it during the day, and I don’t have to drain my phone battery at night. And don’t get me started on the choices of sounds! Frogs, the ocean, or a babbling brook, the options are plentiful.

5. A Rechargeable Handheld Turbo Fan (Port Day MVP)

Some ports are hot-hot. Like, “my sunglasses are sliding off my face” hot. This handheld fan is clutch. I am a hot-blooded lady. I am always hot. This little guy is powerful and can sit flat on the table during meals to provide a refreshing breeze that will make your travel mates extremely jealous. I speak from personal experience. I have also whipped this thing out on wedding dance floors and summer patio dining. Honestly, it’s always in my purse. Again, I have tested a few ( I tend to lose things), and this fan is the champ!

6. A Small Rechargeable Desk Fan (Cabin Sleep Upgrade)

Cruise cabins run warm, and air flow (my best friend) isn’t always… enthusiastic. I like to face this little guy towards my face as I sleep. It makes me fall asleep that much faster. It also has a nice little hum if the noise machine is too much.

7. Storage Bags (Cruise Life = Wet Things + Snacks)

My mother instilled my love of travel (and cruising). She’s a quirky lady, but she does smart things, like always traveling with plastic storage baggies. I also have a stash in every piece of luggage I own and I take extra on cruises. Organizing, water protection in your beach bag, snacks from the buffet, toiletry organization… The list of uses for baggies is never ending. I am also snobby/bougie in that I prefer the zipper-close bags to the pinch ones.

8. Travel Bottles for Toiletries (Leakproof = Peaceful)

Cruise bathrooms have limited counter space. Travel-size bottles keep your routine intact without bringing full-size everything. I recently had to purchase more of these. I traveled to a certain hotel line and the shampoo left my hair feeling like straw. Usually this isn’t an issue for me. I will be adding shampoo and conditioner in addition to my other mini lotions and potions. I have also invested in these silicone bottle covers. They added an added level of security after losing a large portion of a pricey shower oil (my suitcase now smells delightfully like almond.

9. Foaming Hand Soap (Just Trust Me)

This is another mom tip. Cruises provide you with soap slivers. They are perfectly adequate. But again, I am snobby, and since my mom once brought a foaming hand soap, it is now a must-have for a more spa-like experience rather than a public restroom adjacent one.

Final Thoughts: Did You Make It This Far?

Here’s the thing: You don’t need to over=pack for a cruise. You need to have the right things though. The things solve the annoyances before they happen.

A cruise is supposed to feel easy. These accessories keep it that way. If you are going on a cruise soon, I hope this LONG list saves you time, stress, and at least one “”why didn’t I bring that” moment.

And if you’re an avid cruiser? I see you. I respect you. And I know your suitcase has been carefully curated. Did I miss anything?