If you cruised before, I’m sure that there is always something you spend time and effort to pack for your next adventure only to have to unpack it when you get home having never even used it.

I know that from my personnel experience, I now don’t take plenty of things that I took on first few cruises but despite that, there are still things that I always pack but never use- so hopefully this list will me as well for my next adventure.

So if you are new to cruising, are fed up of packing things for seemingly no reason or you are needing to keep the weight down for your next getaway, this is the list for you.

Our Top 10 Things to Leave at Home When Cruising

A Large Backpack

On my first cruise, both me and my wife packed a large rucksack each as that is what we tend to do when going off on a hike.

It seemed to make sense that we would be heading off for a full day of exploring, so we would take what we do for a day of hiking, but it was simply too much, and we ended up carrying the bags pretty much for the sake of carrying bags.

Yes, a backpack is a great idea to carry your essentials and things such as umbrellas, and they are handy for putting any gifts you buy ashore, but the majority won’t need anything bigger than a 25 litre bag.

Full Size Toiletries

If you are heading away on the trip of a lifetime and will be on your ship for a month or more, you will need to pack full size toiletries but if you are heading away on a 7 day cruise, save weight and space by buying even smaller sized ones or better yet, travel sized ones.

Its amazing how much space you can save just by taking a travel size toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, shampoo, shower gel and other toiletries but the smaller bottles can cost a bit more.

Look out for reusable travel bottles and simple fill them from your regular sized bottles before you set sail.

Beach Towels

If you are heading to the beaches of the Med or the Caribbean, it seems to stand to reason that you will need to take a beach towel with you, doesn’t it?

Not really, as the vast majority of lines will either give you a beach towel in your room or you can grab them from around the pool, so simply take that with you and save space in your bags for something else.

Hair Dryer

I personally have very short hair, so this isn’t really an issue for me but for our early cruises, my wife would always pack here hairdryer but even then, she would often use the one given to you in your stateroom anyway.

On every single cruise I have taken, there has been a hairdryer in the room and whilst they may not be as good as your home hairdryer, they still work fine, so leave yours a home and give yourself lots of extra space and weight limit whilst making sure you keep your hairdryer safe from getting lost or damaged.

Board Games

If you have a lot of sea days, prefer to simply sit and relax on a ship or you are sailing on a smaller and older ship with limited attractions, it can be tricky to past the time whilst onboard a cruise ship.

Something that can while away the hours is to play a board game, yes, it’s time to get retro but forget about packing your own.

Not only are they bulky and the chances are you won’t need them anyway as you plan out your activities once you get your full schedules onboard, but most ships will have board games available in places such as lounges and libraries.

If your ship doesn’t have a specific area for them, ask at guest relations as most will have some to offer guests but even if all of that falls through, simply take a pack of playing cards with you.

They are lighter, smaller and you can still pass time by with them and have some fun at the same time.

Lanyard

This maybe seen as a quintessential item of cruising and it was something many blogs and YouTube videos recommending getting when I was for my researching my first cruise, but I soon realised one thing, they are annoying!

It’s great to have your keycard at hand but it doesn’t need to be available to use 24/7, so simply put it in your phone case or wallet to make sure you have it with you instead of dangling it around your neck.

Blankets

If you are heading off on a cold weather cruise, such as Alaska or the Norwegian Fjords, you will still want to sit out on deck or on your balcony to take in the incredible views.

Even when wearing outdoor gear, it can still get a big chilly when sitting still so many will use a blanket that that extra bit of warmth and let’s be honest, there’s also something about sitting under a blanket, it’s just that bit more comfortable.

I have spent lots of time in polar regions and colder spots and no matter which line I have been on, as soon as the temperatures drop, blankets appear next to towels around the pool, so there’s really no point in packing your own.

Even if your line doesn’t offer them, you can simply use a thick pool towel to wrap up underneath before looking for a better line next time!

Clothes Hangers

This is something that I have never done, and too be honest don’t know anybody who do, but to take extra hangers it is a piece of advice that I have read in numerous places.

Why though?

Most line swill give you more than enough hangers for the size of the wardrobe that is in your room but if they don’t, simply ask your room attendant and they will gladly grab you some more.

Expensive Jewellery

Some people love formal nights, some hate them for me, I’m kind of in the middle as if they are part of the cruise, I’ll get dressed up and join in if heading into the MDR or theatre but if it’s not something the line offers, I won’t miss it.

If the chance to dress up to the nines is a highlight of a cruise for you, the chances are that you will bring your favourite jewellery to make an outfit perfect.

On paper, that sounds great, but it does add a lot of extra stress to your getaway, especially if you are flying to your departure port as you always have that chance of losing or damaging anything you take with you.

Take away that stress and chance to ruin an expensive piece of jewellery or family heirloom by taking a cheaper ‘replica’ of designer jewellery.

You can buy some really impressive looking ‘costume’ jewellery for relatively cheap and if the worst happens, it won’t ruin your holiday.

Just In Case Things

Ok, this one maybe a cop out as it’s a not an item per se but this is something I was really bad at when I first started cruising, and to be honest, it still something I find myself doing far too much.

When packing, you find yourself asking what if? Far too often.

What if it the weather does this? What if I want to do this? What if we miss this port and go here instead?

They all go through your head at some point but if you are only packing it on the off chance of it been useful, the chances are you don’t need to pack it.