Cruise Vacation Essentials that You Need Now
October 15, 2020
On our last cruise there were a few items I was glad we took and a few items I wish we had. One unexpected inconvenience was carrying drinks for multiple people back to the cabin. I wish we had this item on our last cruise, and for our next trip, I did purchase this item. And it folds up!
We did take magnetic hooks to hang items on our cabin door and in our room. Never use any thing with adhesive and you will be charged for any damage if you do. With ships having metal walls and doors, these can be used almost anywhere in the room. These were especially handy for hanging lanyards to keep them from getting lost.
A multiple-port USB charger is a must for us with very few ports available in most cabins. On our last cruise we used the message function through our cruise app when we needed to, but cruise lines are also changing technology to allow use of i-message on board now. This function will only be increased as they move away from paper and have passengers use their phone for event guides and menus. Keeping that phone charged will be critical going foward. I expect our phones will be used for almost everything they can when cruising returns. In addition to keeping multiple phones charged, keeping my Kindle charged was important for me so I could read previously downloaded books on any downtime. Remember that extension cords and multiple electrical outlet devices are typically prohibited items on cruise ships, but USB chargers were fine on our cruise.
Jumbo plastic clothespins are great for keeping that towel in place on the lounge chair on deck and the beach and hanging items on the retractable clothesline in the bathroom. Bonus was that I got mine at Dollar Tree and these work great!
Dollar Tree was also great for a small dry erase message board for our cabin door and small bags to use to take essentials up to the pool deck. If you have little ones, travel activity packs are a great buy there.
Disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer will be on everyone’s list now days. One item that may do double duty is a small travel size of Lysol spray. The bathroom can trap smells and having a spray to help will make everyone happy. I found mine for our last trip with the travel size section at my local Walmart.
Taking your own snorkel gear may be one thing to consider packing for port stops. In the past, you could often rent snorkel gear, but with recent events, having your own maybe something to consider. Also, when cruising returns, rentals may not be available, at least temporarily. One popular option is to take a full face mask snorkel instead of the traditional gear.
One item that may save you some pain is to take Sea Safe lotion to protect against sea lice stings. You can read more about Sea Lice here. You definitely do not want your cruise vacation derailed by a run in with sea lice!
In an effort to protect coral reefs, many places now want you to use sunscreen that does not damage them. Here is one example of sunscreen that can be used. Keep an eye out for coral safe sunscreen when shopping for your vacation.
Taking a small travel emergency kit is a great idea and should be small enough to tuck away while at Port too. Some essentials to include would be ibuprofen for pain and fever, meclizine for seasickness, bandaids, hydrocortisone cream for rashes and insect bites, loperimide for diarrhea, and aloe gel for sunburns.
On a more serious note, having a passport and travel medical insurance are essential items that everyone needs while cruising. Passports are essential if you need to leave the ship for medical treatment and cannot continue your trip. Medical treatment can be very expensive on board a cruise ship and if a medical evacuation is necessary, this obviously runs into some serious costs. It is worth the peace of mind being prepared for medical emergencies.