Whether it's your first cruise or your fiftieth, these five tips will make your voyage smoother, more organized, and way more enjoyable. I recommend these to every single client I book.
1. Bring a Reusable Cup with a Straw
This is the number one tip I give every cruiser. Most cruise lines offer unlimited drinks — water, lemonade, juice, iced tea — but the cups they give you at the pool deck are tiny. You'll find yourself going back and forth to the drink station constantly.
Bring a large insulated tumbler with a straw (something like a Stanley or a Yeti) and fill it up once. Your drinks stay cold for hours, you don't have to keep getting up from your lounge chair, and you're not wasting disposable cups all day. It's a game-changer, especially on sea days.
Pro tip: Make sure it fits in a standard cup holder — most lounge chairs and poolside tables have them.
2. Pack Towel Clips for Your Lounge Chairs
You know the struggle — you lay your towel on a lounge chair, walk to the pool, and come back to find your towel has blown away or slid off. Towel clips solve this instantly. They clip your towel securely to the chair so it stays put, even in the wind.
But here's the real hack: get fun, colorful, or unique towel clips. When there are 200 identical lounge chairs on a pool deck, personalized towel clips help you spot YOUR chair from across the deck immediately. Flamingo clips, bright neon clips, clips with your initial — whatever makes yours stand out.
Pro tip: They also double as bag clips to keep your beach bag closed, or chip bag clips in your cabin.
3. Bring a Lanyard for Your Ship Card
Your ship card is your everything on a cruise — room key, payment method, ID for getting on and off the ship. You'll pull it out dozens of times a day. Instead of digging through your pockets or bag every time, put it on a lanyard around your neck.
Most cruise lines use a card system, but Virgin Voyages takes it a step further with their awesome wristbands — "The Band" lets you tap to open your cabin door, charge drinks, and get on and off the ship. No card needed, no lanyard needed. It's one of the many little things that makes Virgin feel more modern.
For all other cruise lines though, a lanyard with a clear card holder is essential. Get a retractable one so you can tap without taking it off your neck.
Pro tip: Also pick up a set of reusable clear luggage tags. Most cruise lines email you luggage tags to print before your trip. Instead of taping flimsy paper tags to your bags, slide them into reusable clear tag holders that zip closed. They're waterproof, durable, and you'll use them on every cruise going forward.
4. Bring a Small Power Strip or USB Hub
Cruise cabins are notoriously short on electrical outlets. You might find one or two outlets for your entire room — and you've got phones, tablets, cameras, hair tools, and maybe a laptop that all need charging. A small power strip or USB hub solves this instantly.
One important note: do NOT bring a power strip with a surge protector. Most cruise lines prohibit surge protectors for safety reasons. Bring a basic, non-surge-protected power strip or a USB charging hub, and you'll be fine.
Pro tip: Charge everything overnight while you sleep. Unplug before you leave the cabin to save energy and be courteous.
5. Pack a Small Magnetic Hook Set
Most cruise ship cabin walls are metal, which means magnets stick to them. A set of magnetic hooks gives you instant extra hanging and organizing space — hang hats, lanyards, wet swimsuits, bags, and accessories without taking up closet space.
A few magnetic hooks plus an over-the-door shoe organizer (the clear pocket kind) will transform your tiny cabin into an organized space that feels twice as big.
Pro tip: Test your magnets on the walls when you first board — not every wall surface is magnetic, but most interior walls and the bathroom door are.
Bonus: Book with a Travel Agent
The best cruise tip I can give you? Book with someone who knows the ships inside and out. I'll help you pick the right cabin, the right sailing, and I'll send you a personalized packing list based on your specific cruise. My service is always free — the cruise lines pay me, not you.
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