Cruise Hacking

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I've officially been on 13 cruises now and over the years I've developed a few "hacks" that make cruising an even more comfortable and efficient way to travel. I've put them together here in this post for your convenience. The product links I've included are either to the exact item I use or when there's a better option, I link to that. Feel free to post any questions in the comments and I'll reply ASAP. Hopefully you'll find one or more things that will work for you. Happy Cruising!

 

Night Light

You wouldn't believe how dark a cruise cabin can get! Especially if you're in an inside room. I run into the same issue in balcony rooms though. If, like me, you need to get up a time or two at night to use the restroom and you don't favor the idea of walking around with bruises, a little light can be helpful! At the same time, though, I really like to sleep in the dark so I don't want a light that will be on all the time. I don't like leaving the bathroom light on because it's too bright and it wakes me up too much so I have a hard time getting back to sleep. Instead, I use this motion-sensitive night light. You may not realize this, but most cruise cabins have metal walls, so magnets stick to them, the ceiling as well! With a little careful placement, I can put it somewhere that will light up when I get out of bed, but not every time I roll over. It only stays on for a few seconds (10-15?) So it's nice to have a little light in the bathroom as well. I like these tea lights because they don't brighten things too much, and actually add a nice ambience to the room. Many battery-operated tealights have 6 hour timers and so they would shut off part way through the night.  The ones I've linked to don't have a timer and they have a longer battery life (200+ hrs). I just make sure to turn it on when I get ready for bed and turn it off when I get going in the morning.

White Noise

 There are a few options in this department. Some people, my daughter included, must have a fan blowing when they sleep. The air in the cabin can get a little stale and air circulation is a nice thing as well. Enter the Efluky Travel Fan. It's USB rechargeable and lasts quite a long time while on. I'll be honest, I have this, and I pack it, but I rarely use it. For me, the best white noise option is a spotify podcast. I've used several different ones, but the last couple of years I have mostly used tracks from "White Noise and Sleep Sounds (12 Hours)." 

 When I'm on a cruise, my favorite one to use is "Creaking Wooden Ship Sailing on Ocean Waves." Make sure your phone is plugged in and charging when you play these!

Hacking Your Drinks

 Have you ever tried to traverse a few flights of stairs, dodged people in the hallway, and get back to your room with a hot cup of coffee? First off, it's not that hot anymore once you get there. Secondly, bonus points if it all has stayed in the cup and not ended up on you!

 Most of us have an extra travel coffee cup in our cupboards at home, and these work just great. Occasionally you'll find a cruise staff member that doesn't like you filling your personal mug from the coffee pot, but in that case just grab a cruise mug next to the pot, fill it up, and dump it into yours. That satisfies their "use a new glass for each refill" rule. If you'd like a more fun option, buy a travel coffee mug from the cruise ship to use!

 I've become a big fan of these Simple Modern water bottles! Most of my family members received one for Christmas last year. They are solid, maintain hot and cold, and won't leak. EVERY water dispenser in the buffet or Observation Lounge will have a "Do not fill your water bottles at this station" sticker on it. My understanding is that this is because of that rule I just mentioned about using a new glass for each refill. So, again, you can just grab a glass nearby and fill it from the dispenser then pour it into your bottle. Just don't do this when there's a big line at the dispenser 😑. Depending on the depth of your sink and the height of your bottle, you might be able to fill it from the bathroom sink in your stateroom as well. I always think water tastes better with ice in it though, so I lean towards the dispensers. 

 Some people aren't fond of the flavor of the water on ships, it is filtered several times and doesn't taste like your water at home. In this case, you might want to consider bringing something to flavor your water. This helps you avoid sugary options like juices and lemonade. I've become really fond of the True * packets (I use a * because they have lime, orange, grapefruit and more). I buy them on my Subscribe and Save option regularly and use them at home to encourage myself to drink more water. They also work for keeping apples and pears nice and white after slicing. Ask me in the comments if you're interested in how! I like these because they are JUST the fruit in crystallized form (dehydrated). There's no sweetener and no unnatural substances. Each packet is the equivalent of one wedge.

  

 Depending on who you are and how you like to drink your beverages, your bottles and travel mugs might get yucky. The more things you add to your drinks (think cream in coffee and flavor in water), the more yucky things get. My husband drinks his coffee black. I mean black black black. And his preference is to NEVER wash his coffee mug. He says it is seasoned. That would be an extreme, but all that to say, you may not feel the need to wash your mug or bottle, but I do. There's a few options in this realm, but it's something you want to consider before your trip as you won't find these things on the ship. The cheapest/easiest option is to moisten a sponge (I like to use a fresh, new sponge) and then saturate it with dish soap. Then cut it into six pieces and lay it out to dry. Once it's completely dry, then put it in a Ziploc baggie and pack it! Now you have dish soap and a sponge to use six times on your trip. The catch is, it's often difficult/impossible to reach your hand into a mug or bottle. That's why I've listed the bottle brushes, straw brushes and liquid containers above. The bottle brushes and straw brushes come as a set. You can fill one of the liquid containers with dish soap to bring along with you. I'm reasonably sure these are leak proof, but I stick mine in a Ziploc baggie anyways, just in case it gets really squooshed. 

 One last note on drinks, with the exception of drinks brought to you from the bar, most of the time the cruise line does not provide straws. After my jaw surgery in 2012 I developed a need to use a straw. For others it's just a convenience. For my husband it's a hazard (he says you might poke your eye out!). I'm super excited about one of my newest purchases, these travel telescoping straws! They are infinitely reusable and each one has its own straw brush inside, so you can clean it wherever you're at! I've packed one in my cruise cube and one in my purse already. 

Hacking Your Snacks

 

 So when you go on a cruise, you think of food as ALWAYS being available. These days that's not necessarily the case. In addition, sometimes it's just not practical to get to the food. For example if you're in your pajamas getting ready for bed and just want a little midnight snack. I have a very fussy tummy, and I've found that when I get hungry in a certain way, it needs to be satisfied IMMEDIATELY or I get very sick to my stomach. It doesn't have to be much, but it needs to be something, and usually a little carby. In the old days, I would have been fine with some saltines, but now, in my gluten-free years, that's not an option. My solution? Silicone collapsible food containers. These pack down very small but open up big enough to fill with a bowl of potato chips or a few slices of melon from the buffet. Sometimes I'll grab a gluten free bread item or treat to keep in my room as well. These will typically go into a Ziploc baggie, which I bring in an assortment for just such an occasion.

Keeping Your Room Tidy 

 If you are a "neat" traveler and don't enjoy things being strewn about on the floor in your room (I'm not naming names of those who don't, but you know who you are!) you'll want to consider bringing a hamper for your soiled clothing. I keep mine tucked in my closet on the ship and it's so handy to just toss things into as I'm changing. I've been wrestling with my old one for years and I'm so excited that with my Christmas money from my Dad I got to buy this one! I also pack two large, white trash bags to pack my dirty clothes in when going home. I sort them into lights and darks and then they're ready to toss into the washer!

Caring for Your Health

 Finally, we've got to take care of ourselves on a cruise as well. If you take daily meds, or you are planning to use any of the supplements recommended in this post, it's nice to not have to bring all the bottles with you and line them up in the bathroom. Really, for me this would have been ridiculous. Here's an image of me prepping our pill containers for the trip I'm currently on:

 I am so loving these pill containers that I bought especially for this trip! They will definitely be my go-to in the future. They are solid and don't feel like they will pop open. Each day is a separate, smaller container that I can take out and slip in my pocket for when I go down to a meal. And they are extra large so my pills almost fit in them. I did have to bring two more bottles with me. 

 If you don't need the XL size and/or you take pills more than twice a day, this is also a fabulous alternative. I've used it for a couple of years and I love it. 

 If you deal with migraines or have had the occasion to injure yourself on a trip, you'll appreciate having an ice bag with you! You can fill it just like I mentioned above with the water bottles, by grabbing a cup near the ice dispenser and then filling the cup from the dispenser and the bag from the cup. This bag is supposed to also work with hot water, but I haven't tried that so I can't attest to its validity.

Keeping it All Together

 "How do you pack all these things?" you might ask. I love organization and cute little containers are one of my weaknesses. So, when I learned about packing cubes, I was hooked! I started off with a couple that my husband had gotten from signing up for a membership and as soon as I found out how helpful they are, I bought these. Instead of tossing a couple of dozen small items into your bag to slide around and get lost, just pack them neatly into one of these cubes! I keep my cruise cube packed and ready to go in my closet with all my essentials. 

I also keep a bag packed with all my travel electronic chargers and such. One thing you might encounter on a cruise is a distinct lack of outlets in the room. They expressly forbid the use of power strips or surge protectors, but this little power cube is allowed!

  

 One last room hack. Once you get under way, I'm sure you'll notice that the ship is always in at least a little motion. Most of the time this won't be an issue, but if you're a light sleeper like me, the sound of the hangers in your closet bumping against the sides in time with the movement of the ship will drive you insane! The hangers with clothes on them don't seem to have a problem, but the empty ones sway with the slightest motion. I've developed this little trick that I implement as soon as I finish unpacking and hanging up my clothes. I take one of the bath towels from the bathroom and wrap it around the hangers. Usually my room will have hangers with clips on them so I just use those to secure the towel. If not, you can creatively tuck and tie. 

Here's the Thing: None of these things are necessary for a cruise vacation, but I've found each of them to bring a little benefit. Are they worth it? Only you can decide for you, but I pack them!