In less than a week, I’ll take off on my 6th cruise with MSC Cruises and my first cruise on the MSC Meraviglia. This cruise will depart out of Copenhagen, Denmark and take us through many of the most beautiful areas within the Norwegian Fjords. We’ll also make a stop in Kiel, Germany for a day, and have two at sea days to enjoy the ship itself.

I’m very excited about this cruise for a few reasons. Not only is it our first time to Norway, but the ship is supposed to be amazing. I also desperately need a change of scenery and a break from work.

Essential Items You Need to Bring

But as I began packing all our bags, I realized there are quite a few items I now think of as cruise essentials. Keep in mind that this is my cruise “extras” packing list — made up of items I’ve bought specifically for cruises.

If you’re gearing up for your next cruise and trying to think of items that would make the process easier, here are some of my personal suggestions:

• Lush shampoo and conditioner bars: I love these Lush bars because you can pack them in a carry-on suitcase and they don’t create any plastic waste. I keep mine in a tin container, which you can also buy from Lush.
• Beach blanket from Mer-Sea: I pack this beach blanket for Caribbean cruises because it comes with a matching tote and it offers pockets you can use to weigh down the corners with sand. With our own beach blanket, we can enjoy some beach time without having to lay on our cruise towels.
• Waterproof pouch: We always bring waterproof pouches on beach vacations so that my husband can put our room key and his credit card in his pocket while we’re in the water. We’ve had several sets, but this is the one we’re using right now.
• Cruise lanyards: We’ve gone through several cruise lanyards since our first cruise, mostly because we can’t seem to find them in between trips. I do like to have them ahead of time, however, instead of buying them on the ship. I just ordered this set the other night.
• Magnetic hooks: Having magnetic hooks makes it easy to hang items on the back of your door. I frequently use them to hang wet bathing suits and lanyards so they don’t get lost in our room.
• International plug adapter: We have an older version of this international plug adapter, and we always bring it on our trips — even if we’re not traveling overseas. Since cruise cabins have so few plug-ins, this adapter gives us room to charge all our devices and laptops at the same time.
• Portable power bank: I love Goal Zero’s Sherpa100AC because it lets you recharge tablets, phones, cameras and laptops on the go. This is great for cruise stops since I can charge my smartphone wherever I am.

What are some of your favorite cruise essentials? Why?

 

[Featured Image: Shutterstock]

Source: frugal travel guy