Over the course of my cruises, I have created a checklist of items to pack for my cruises. It includes a number of often overlooked items. Much depends on your personal preferences, but here are some of the most common items I forget and my fellow passengers have commented that they also forget.
Corkscrew. Even if you do not carry your own wine, you may pick up wine at some port and carry it on board (if you cruise line permits). I carry a simple waiter corkscrew with me. However, make sure you pack it in your checked luggage when you fly or it may be confiscated by your friendly TSA agent at the airport.
Wine and Champagne Stoppers. Since I seldom drink a full bottle of wine or champagne at a single session (my wife and I have different tastes in wines), it is convenient to have a wine stopper. I suspect most of you have wine stoppers in you kitchen drawers, so just remember to pack one or two of them. I also carry a champagne stopper since I like champagne and we tend to win bottles of bubbly on our cruises – we won five bottles on one particularly lucky cruise. I do not drink a full bottle and nothing is worse than a flat bottle of champagne. Unlike a wine cork, it is not easy to push the champagne cork back into the bottle, so this little gadget does the job well.
Wine Diaper. This is great for wines you carry with you and those you may buy on the trip. My son gave me these as a gag gift, but they are wonderful. Not only do they cushion your bottles, but they can absorb an entire bottle of liquid if a bottle should break. If you ever had a bottle of wine break or leak in you baggage, you can understand the value of this gadget. I had an episode on one of my first cruises where a bottle of Kahlua I had purchase broke in my luggage. It not only destroyed the luggage, but many of my clothes were wasted as well. I now travel with my wine diaper.
Travel Coffee/Tea Mug. I need my morning coffee. Unfortunately, cruise lines generally have small cups that cool down way too quickly. Since I also have arthritis and other issues with my hands, it is hard for me to hold cups, so I end up sloshing my coffee or dropping it. And when it gets cold, I have to trek back to the coffee station for a refill – good for my health, but bad for my caffeine needs. I always travel with my insulated coffee mug which has a handle, holds 14-16 ounces, is spill-proof, and keeps the coffee hot for 4-6 hours. I have found that Starbucks has great mugs. I am not crazy about their coffee, so I make good use of Starbucks gift cards by purchasing their mugs. The best time to find them is around the holidays in December. Since I am perfectly satisfied with the free coffee provided by the ships, this works great. I can carry my coffee anywhere on the ship and it remains hot. I have received many comments on my mugs from those trying to juggle the ship-provided mugs. UPDATE: Unfortunately, this mug no longer seems to be available on Amazon and Starbuck’s only sells it in their stores. Best time to find one is around Christmas. I am searching for a comparable alternative online, but have not yet found one.
Deck of cards or travel games. If you like to play cards or other games, take them with you. Although most ships have game rooms with a stock of board games and sometimes cards, you cannot count on their availability. Even better, if you carry cards from a competing cruise lines, you will find that the crew will provide you a deck of their cards for free so that you are not advertising their competitors. We also have a number of travel games, such as Scrabble, Yahtzee, and Rummikub. Some travel games are larger than others, but they can help to pass the time if you are so inclined.
Binoculars. Especially on scenic tours, such as Alaska, the fjords, or the tip of South America where “scenic cruising” it touted, binoculars will come in handy. Some ships do provide them in the rooms, but this is not always a guarantee – check with the cruise line. A small, inexpensive pair will suffice and can also be used in the theater or to scout a port from the ship. I recommend 8-10x as anything more powerful is hard to keep steady, especially on a moving ship. Pay attention to their weight as some binoculars can be heavy.
Umbrella and Poncho. I carry a small umbrella that can be packed in my bag when I go on excursions. I purchased this one at the American Institute for Architects and it has been on of the most durable umbrellas I have owned. Some ships do provide umbrellas, but this one is very small and light – it fits in my day pack easily. I also have some light ponchos that were given to me. When you cannot count on the weather, it is wise to pack for bad weather, especially if you plan some adventurous excursions. We found this true for Great Britain, Iceland, and even Alaska. But we have also experienced bad weather in the Caribbean.
Lightweight Cloth Shopping Bags. I get these free at conferences and have many different sizes and configurations. However, I always pack at least one large bag that can be carried over my shoulder. That way, if I purchase something on an excursion or need to carry some additional items, I can always open the bag and get the extra carrying space. If possible, get a bag that zippers closed to avoid items dropping out of your bag (or being picked out by strangers).
There are many more items that could be included here. Please let me know if there is something you have forgotten in the past and I will be glad to expand my list.
