Planning your first cruise and not sure what to bring with you? You are not alone.  There are tons of things repeat cruisers know to bring or not to bring. Which items you normally travel with are a must have item for a cruise? Or if you don’t travel often, how many of those travel items do you really need to bring?  

Check out the list below for some must-bring items…and some that are helpful but not required.  

First off: Don’t bring a towel.  The cruise line will provide those.  This is something new cruisers are often not sure about.  The cruise lines all provide towels, you do not have to bring your own towel! 

We brought towels on our first cruise and felt very silly. We also had an unreasonable number of books and very heavy luggage. Don’t be like us. Check out the things you ACTUALLY need for your first cruise!

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That means that, at zero extra cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

So what do you need to bring on your first cruise? 

A day bag 

You will get off the ship and have to roam around port.  A day back, backpack or large purse (with a good zipper) is important. 

Insulated Cup or Water bottle 

Want ice water? You need something to put it in.  The cups they give you melt drinks fast! We always travel with both an insulated cup and water bottle.  But maybe we just like to stay extra hydrated? 

Towel clips

This depends on the cruise line, but I would HIGHLY recommend towel chair clips for both Royal Caribbean and Carnival because they WILL charge you if you do not return your towels. 

The chair clips make it much easier to locate your towel.  Plus they have the added bonus that they keep it from blowing onto the soggy deck.  

A hat 

Or three.  Especially if you are in the Caribbean or somewhere near the equator, you definitely need a hat! 

I usually travel with two baseball hats plus a very unreasonably large beach hat. But I am pale so you can just your hat needs for yourself. Just make sure you have at least one!

An alarm clock that provides USB charging ports 

I know, you’ll be on vacation, why are you worried about the time? But everything on a cruise ship runs by the clock.  You go to dinner at a specific time, you get on your excursion at a specific time, dining venues close at specific times, shows are at specific times, you get the point. 

It is super helpful to know what time it is and this alarm clock has the added benefit of USB ports to help you charge all the things!  Plus, it has a battery back up which is helpful when your room steward accidentally unplugs the clock to clean or if you are in one of those rooms where the power is only on when there is a card in the power slot.

A way to hold onto your cruise card 

If you are a person who never has pockets, a lanyard or small clutch to help you hold on to your cruise card can be super helpful.  I’ve seen people with many different ways of holding onto them, but a cute lanyard is probably the easiest.  

Nice clothes 

Most cruise lines have a formal night or two on each sailing, but even if there are no formal nights you probably want something other than beach clothes to wear to dinner. 

Kindle 

I find a kindle is an important thing for a cruise.  You can download books (I check them out from the library) instead of literally lugging around a ton of books, they are all lightweight and in one place.  

Hanging Shoe holder

This is one of those you read on the internet (I realize you are currently reading this on the internet too), that sounds like one of those “hacks” that can either be genius or just taking extra stuff for the sake of taking extra stuff. 

But we actually use the shoe holder if we are on long cruises (like 7+ days), but don’t bother to bring it on the short ones.  We don’t use it for shoes, but for sunglasses, masks, hairbrushes, lotions, toiletries that would normally sit on the counter and other random items it is handy to be able to grab on the way out the door.  But if you bring a lot of shoes, you might want to use it for shoes too.  They can really also get in the way.  

There are plenty of other items that people tell you to bring on a cruise from fans to blankets to laundry baskets.  It really just depends on you.  If you always travel with something, bring it.  Just don’t bring a towel and definitely bring a water bottle.  

What to read next: 

Cruise terms you NEED TO KNOW before your first cruise!

Extra items you should back for a cruise in the era of COVID…because people still occasionally get quarantined!

The most controversial page on this website: Why you SHOULD overpack for a cruise

Some general Caribbean Cruise Tips can be very helpful for the new cruiser in the Caribbean!