The unusual nature of a cruise compared to most other types of vacation – involving long periods at sea, punctuated with occasional stops at what may be widely varying destinations – can make it a tricky kind of holiday as far as packing is concerned. Here are no less than 15 accessories that are likely to serve you well during your next cruise.

1. Travel mug

Anyone who has ever tried to drink coffee from an ordinary mug during their cruise holiday will probably be able to tell you their very own ‘scalded finger’ story, so a dedicated travel mug is an obvious investment. It will also prevent you from having to refill quite so often, especially if there are any spills.

2. Pen

You will need to fill out forms when you embark and disembark on a cruise, so it would be helpful for you to have a pen handy to prevent you having to awkwardly ask to borrow anyone else’s. As you will doubtless receive requests from some people to borrow your pen, it’s a good idea to make it a cheap one that you wouldn’t mind ‘losing’.

3. Carry-on bag

A good carry-on bag is perfect for storing those things that you may need to reach for at short notice, such as your swimsuit if you fancy some time in the hot tub, or flip flops if you want to give your feet a rest from your ordinary workaday shoes and really want to get into the cruise spirit.

4. Jacket

The weather forecast may be rosy, but the bald fact of the matter is that it can be very cold and windy at times out on deck, so you should ensure that you are suitably equipped with this warm, comfortable essential.

5. Swimsuit

With popular online stores like Swimwear365.co.uk offering extensive selections of cruisewear, it’s clear that a gorgeous underwired bikini or V-neck swimsuit could make all of the difference to how much you enjoy your cruise. 

6. Bathroom door organiser

Cruise bathrooms can be tiny, so you will likely appreciate this convenient means of keeping all of your bathroom essentials - including your shampoos, lotions, towels and more - in one place.

7. Ear plugs

Unfortunately, a cruise holiday can bring with it some by-night noises that are less than conducive to a good sleep - your accommodation may be next door to the ship’s engine room or nightclub, for example, or you may have noisy neighbours. So, be prepared to stick some plugs into your ears to ensure a genuinely restful night amid the ocean’s motions. 

8. Bottle of wine

It’s customary to drink a lot of booze during a cruise holiday, but what you may not realise is that a lot of cruise operators do permit you to bring some alcohol with you. They might only allow one bottle of wine per cruiser, but that could still save you a decent amount of money on your holiday.

9. Travel sickness remedy

There are various remedies available for combating this persistent problem for many people while out at sea, as detailed in this article on the Cruise Critic site on how to avoid seasickness. It’s a good idea to have some on your person, just in case - even if you’re an experienced cruiser and have never had a problem with seasickness in the past.

10. Cotton buds

Cotton buds are one of those awkward things that so many of us forget to bring with us on holiday, and it may be especially inconvenient to not have any to hand on a cruise holiday, given that you may be spending the bulk of your time at sea for the next week or so.

11. Copies of your IDs

It may be unlikely that you will ever need to refer to your driving licence or passport while on a cruise, but it’s good to have copies just in case you do have to verify your identity at some point. They certainly won’t take up much space in your luggage, and the peace of mind of having them makes them more than worth bringing. 

12. Smartphone with camera

It’s a good idea to bring a phone with a camera for more than a few reasons. First of all, leading cruise operators like Imagine Cruising travel to an incredibly wide range of worldwide destinations, so you’ll likely have a huge variety of opportunities to snap away. However, a camera is also useful for taking pictures of your luggage, which you can then show to the powers-that-be if your bags and suitcases get lost.

13. Sun cream

It’s so easy to forget that while you will doubtless be spending a decent amount of time in your cruise ship’s rooms on your holiday, you will also be exposed a great deal to the sun. The verywell site has some very helpful advice on determining the sunscreen that you need for your own next cruise holiday. 

14. Hat

A hat is something of a cruise essential for similar reasons to the sun cream, although a cruise is also arguably one of the times when you can best rock a hat-centric style - so make the most of it. 

15. Tuxedo or ball gown

It isn’t mandatory to join in with the formal nights that typically take place on a cruise, although if they do sound like your idea of fun - and why wouldn’t they? - we would certainly recommend dressing to the nines so that you can make the grandest entrance.

While this is a far from exhaustive list of the accessories that will enable you to gain the maximum value from your cruise, you may be surprised by just how much more you enjoy your break out at sea when you have suitably prepared.