Before their first cruise, everyone worries about the same things: what will fit, what do I really need, and what can I leave at home? The good news is that packing for a cruise is easier than you think, because your accommodation travels with you and you don’t have to unpack and repack every day. The even better news is that there are a few tricks that make life much more comfortable for seasoned cruisers, and that first-timers usually only discover at the end of the trip, wishing they’d known sooner. We’ve rounded them up for you, from the must-have basics to the pro tips, plus a list of things you can happily leave at home because they’re already waiting for you on board.
The golden rule: your hand luggage is your friend
Before anything else, remember this one. When you board, you drop off your big suitcase at the port and the crew take it up to your cabin. That can take a while, though: in our experience, luggage usually arrives in the cabin between late afternoon and early evening. So you may well be on board while your suitcase is still on its way.
So pack everything you might need in the first few hours in your hand luggage:
- Travel documents, booking confirmation, boarding pass
- Any medication you need to take
- A swimsuit, so you can jump straight into the pool while you wait for your cabin
- Phone, charger and a change of clothes for the evening
- Sun cream and sunglasses
That way, while your suitcase is on its way, you’ll already be raising a glass on a sunlounger instead of hanging around outside your cabin.
Clever packing tricks you wouldn’t think of yourself
These are the little things that, in a small cabin, give you ten times more comfort than the space they take up.
A power strip for charging your devices
Cabins, especially on older ships, have surprisingly few sockets. A power strip or a multi-port USB charger means you won’t have to juggle your charging. There is one important exception, though: power strips with surge protection are banned on ships for safety reasons and will be confiscated at boarding. So bring a plain power strip or a wall charger with several USB ports; that’s the safest bet.
A lanyard for your cruise card
Your cruise card is your cabin key, your ID and your wallet on board, all in one. You’ll need it all the time, whatever you happen to be wearing. With a lanyard you’ll never have to hunt for it, and it won’t get left in the pocket of your other trousers. If you forget one, you can usually buy one in the ship’s gift shop, which makes a handy souvenir.
A small night light
If you book an interior cabin with no window, it’s pitch black at night. A small motion-sensor night light helps you find the bathroom at night without switching on the main lights and waking everyone up. Some are magnetic, so you can stick them to the metal wall.
Anti-crease spray instead of an iron
Forget the iron: it’s banned on board (more on that below). Bring a small bottle of anti-crease spray instead: spray your clothes, hang them in the bathroom while you shower and the steam will release the creases. That’s all your gala night shirt needs.
Magnetic hooks for the metal walls
Cabin walls are made of metal. That sounds like a pointless fact until you realise what it means: with a handful of strong magnetic hooks you can conjure up hanging space out of nowhere. Hang your lanyard, your hat, a wet swimsuit, your day bag or even the next day’s programme on them. Not everyone uses them, but those who try them often swear by them. One thing to bear in mind: a hook holds far less on a vertical wall than on the ceiling, so don’t hang a heavy coat on it.
A foldable bag for port days
A canvas bag or backpack that folds flat takes up almost no room in your cabin, but ashore it holds your water, sun cream, camera and the souvenirs you pick up along the way. In big cities (Rome, Barcelona, Naples) it’s worth bringing a lockable crossbody bag that sits close to your body, to keep pickpockets at bay.
A few other handy extras
- A collapsible laundry basket, so dirty clothes don’t end up all over the cabin
- A highlighter or pen: every evening you’ll get the next day’s programme and can mark what you want to go to
- A refillable water bottle to fill up on board before port days, as water ashore is very expensive
Stay in touch with the MSC for Me app
Many people worry about how family members will find each other on board without Wi-Fi. MSC has its own answer: the free MSC for Me app has a chat feature that lets you message each other on board without buying an internet package. You just need to link your accounts. One thing to note: the chat feature is only available from age 16, so with younger children you’ll need another plan, such as a fixed meeting point.
Clothing: layering wins
On a Mediterranean cruise you can experience blazing sun, a windy deck, a cool evening and air-conditioned restaurants all in a single day. So rather than one heavy item, you need several thin layers you can mix and match.
- Light, breathable fabrics (cotton, linen) for daytime and sightseeing
- A thin jumper or cardigan for the deck in the evening and air-conditioned dinners
- In spring and autumn (April, May, October), a light jacket too
Your port-day shoes are your most important decision
The comfort of your holiday depends on it. In Mediterranean port towns you’ll be walking on cobbled streets, among ancient ruins and up the steps of Santorini, and lots of it. Bring comfortable walking shoes you’ve already broken in, and pack a few blister plasters too. Save the high heels for dinner; they and cobblestones don’t mix.
A scarf that does it all
A light scarf or pashmina is the most versatile item in your suitcase. In the evening you can wrap it round your shoulders on the cool deck, and during the day you’ll need it to enter churches. Mediterranean churches require covered shoulders and knees, and this is taken especially seriously at the Vatican and in the larger Italian and Greek churches, where you can be turned away even with a valid ticket if your shoulders are bare.
Sun protection
The Mediterranean sun is no joke, especially in summer. Bring high-factor sun cream, sunglasses and a hat or cap. They’re worth their weight in gold ashore.
Gala night: do I really have to dress up?
This is probably the most common worry among first-time cruisers. The short answer: only if you want to. MSC cruises have one or two gala nights, typically two on a 7-night cruise, usually on sea days so you have time to get ready. Lots of people dress up for them, and the atmosphere really is great.
But importantly, it isn’t compulsory. Nobody checks strictly, and if you don’t want to dress up you can simply have dinner at the buffet on those evenings, where the dress code is relaxed every night. If you do go for it, though:
- For men: a dark suit, or a jacket with a shirt, is plenty; there’s no need to buy a tuxedo for one night
- For women: a smarter dress, a cocktail dress or a nice trousers-and-blouse combination
A little extra: ships often have themed nights too, such as a white party or an Italian night. If you pack a white top and a red or green accessory, you’ll be all set if you fancy joining in.
A bit of cruise culture: ducks and door decorations
To show you what a lovely community a ship can be, here are two fun traditions.
The first is decorating your cabin door. As the door is made of metal, lots of people decorate it with magnetic signs and decorations. It isn’t just cute: after a long port day (or a few cocktails) it’s much easier to find your own door in a long corridor where every door looks the same. Only use magnets, never tape or glue.
The second is Cruising Ducks, hiding little rubber ducks around the ship. The tradition started in 2018: passengers hide small, tagged rubber ducks in the ship’s public areas for others to find. The tag says: keep it or hide it again, it’s up to you. If you bring a few ducks, the kids will love the treasure hunt. There’s one rule: only hide them in public areas, never by the pool or anywhere they could fall into the water. The tradition really took off on Caribbean cruises, but it’s becoming more and more popular in Europe too.
What you can leave at home, because it’s waiting for you on board
One of the most common mistakes is overpacking. People lug around loads of things they don’t need, when they’re already in the cabin. On MSC ships, for example, you’ll find these as standard:
- Hairdryer: there’s one in every cabin, so no need to bring your own
- Shower gel, shampoo, soap: available from dispensers. It’s worth bringing conditioner, though, as it isn’t always provided
- Towels and beach towels: you’ll find them in your cabin, and at the pool you can swap a wet one for a dry one. One thing to note: return your beach towel, as you may be charged for a lost one
- Bathrobe and slippers: these come with Aurea cabins, suites and the Yacht Club, but not with standard Bella and Fantastica cabins
Other ships, such as Costa’s, also provide basic shower gel, a hairdryer and towels.
What won’t even be allowed on board
There are a few things cruise lines ban for safety reasons and confiscate at boarding. There’s no point packing them; they only slow down the queue:
- Irons and clothes steamers: banned because of the fire risk. Use anti-crease spray or the ship’s paid laundry service instead
- Kettles, hot plates, coffee makers: also banned, as is anything with a heating element
- Candles, incense, anything with a naked flame: banned
- Power strips with surge protection: these get confiscated, so bring a plain one
- Your own alcohol: MSC and Costa are among the strictest; neither lets you bring any drinks of your own on board, and that includes soft drinks and bottled water. Alcohol bought in port or duty free is confiscated and only returned at the end of the cruise when you disembark
- Drones: this is where the two lines differ. Costa bans them completely, while MSC lets you store one on board but only fly it off the ship, in permitted areas
Let’s clear up a common myth: hairdryers, curling irons and hair straighteners are not banned. You can bring them on board, and MSC explicitly allows them.
A word about sockets
Good news: MSC and Costa ships generally have a mix of European (round two-pin) and American sockets, so if your plugs are one of those types you won’t need a travel adapter. What really comes in handy isn’t an adapter but a multi-port USB charger or a plain power strip, to make the most of the few sockets there are.
Ready? Then all you need is a ship
Once your list is sorted, all that’s missing is the ship. And the best trick of all: lay everything you want to pack out on the bed beforehand, then take one item away from each pile. We guarantee you won’t miss it, and your suitcase will be much lighter.
As experienced cruisers, we’re happy to help you find the right itinerary and cabin, with no hidden costs. Browse the cruises on our site, or email us at ahoy@clickncruise.com, and you can book your very first cruise in just a few clicks.
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