Looking to spice up your next amazing adventure with some of the best fun things to bring on a cruise? Well, you are in the right place! As a 22-year-old avid cruiser, I definitely know some of the best ways to have a little extra fun while cruising.
After numerous cruises to destinations all over the world, I have curated a list of the top 20 fun things to bring on a cruise to take any cruise experience to the next level! If you are a college student looking to plan your Spring Break cruise, make sure to start at my guide for college cruises post.
Otherwise, make sure to check out my completely free cruise planner printable– equipped with budgeting guides, shore excursion planning, daily itineraries, packages tracking, and packing lists! Stick around, as we are now going to go through each of the top fun things to bring on a cruise.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure here.
Fun Things to Bring on a Cruise
I know how excited you are to embark on your fantastic cruise! Why not fully prepare for this adventure by packing a couple of extra fun items? These top 20 things to bring on cruises are completely permissible according to the top cruise lines’ acceptable items list and will absolutely make your fun cruise all the better!
I will walk you through the top cruise clothing, stateroom accessories, and other fun things to bring on cruises during the rest of this fabulous cruise article, so stick around!
Related: Must Have Cruise Accessories
Fun Cruise Clothing
1. A Fun Sundress
One of the best things you can bring on your fun Caribbean cruise or other itinerary is a festive and colorful sun dress. Nothing is more exciting or allows you to have more fun on your cruise than an outfit that makes you feel confident while remaining comfortable.
Make sure to pick up a colorful and quirky sun dress that best showcases your wonderful personality before you leave on your cruise! As one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise, a sun dress or two won’t disappoint.
Floral Sun Dress (from $21.99 on Amazon)
2. A Quirky Tie
If you are looking to spruce up your cruise wardrobe and to pack a couple extra fun things to bring on a cruise, definitely consider investing in a fun tie. You would be surprised by how many compliments you will receive and different conversations begin just from this simple, yet entirely fun, change to formal night!
Make sure to pick one out that shows your humorous side, and just wait for all the engaging interactions you will have on your cruising adventure! In fact, you might as well pack a couple if you have more than one formal night on your cruise to fully prepare for your ridiculously fun vacation.
Fun Party Tie (from $11.99 on Amazon)
3. Theme-Night Outfits
If you are sailing on any of the major cruise lines, from Royal Caribbean and Norwegian to Disney Cruise Line and Carnival, you can more than likely expect some sort of theme night during your cruise.
For example, Disney Cruise Line has a pirate party! Norwegian Cruise Line has a White Hot Party during their sailings. Others will have some variety of 70s, 80s, or 90s night. Whatever the case, make sure to come onboard fully prepared with a couple fantastic theme night outfits as fun things to bring on a cruise.
White Jumpsuit Romper (from $29.90 on Amazon)
4. Cruise Squad Tee-Shirts
For those who are traveling as a family or a group, definitely consider ordering some “Cruise Squad” shirts! There are plenty of cruise themed shirts out there that are easily one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise.
This is an easy way to spruce up your wardrobe while being able to identify anyone in your group easily. I highly recommend wearing these on the first day of the cruise so you can get a perfect first-day cruise pictures of the travel squad!
Cruise Squad Shirt (from $14.99 on Etsy)
5. Jaw-dropping Formal Outfit
Another one of the top fun things to bring on a cruise to pack is a stunning formal outfit. Nearly every cruise sailing the high seas offers at least one optional or mandatory formal night where they expect guests to dress in their nicest clothes.
While many may worry or shy away from cruises with formal nights, I fully embrace them! It is not that often that I get the chance to dress up, so during these fun nights at sea, I absolutely go all out. Plus, there will be amazing professional photographers ready to capture your magical night!
Evening Formal Dress (from $88.99 on Amazon)
6. Cozy & Fun Pajamas
If you are looking to make you fantastic vacation more memorable, make sure to pack a nice and cozy set of pajamas as one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise. On my last cruise, my family and I all purchased pink fluffy onesies and absolutely loved it! We even had professional photos taken in them.
While many probably wouldn’t go to that extreme, packing a simple yet festive set of pajamas can make your cruise all the more fun. Bonus points if the pajamas you pack are nautical or cruise themed!
Anchor Print Pajamas (from $16.99 on Amazon)
7. Fun Swimsuit Cover Up
For all us ladies out there, there is no better way to spruce up our wardrobe than packing a fun and festive swimsuit cover up that perfectly showcases our personality! This piece of clothing is not only one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise, but is also one of the more practical staples of a cruise wardrobe.
Long story short, a cute swimsuit cover up is a great way to show off your personality and strut around the pool deck in style! Make sure to pick one out that is both fun and practical to ensure optimal comfort on your cruise.
Summer Swimsuit Cover Up (from $22.99 on Amazon)
Fun Stateroom Items
8. Fun Cruise Door Decorations
Anyone who has been on a cruise on a major cruise line has more than likely noticed plenty of decorations on doors as your stroll down the hallways and corridors. This is one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise that your could pack!
If you are traveling with kids or during Christmas, I highly recommend packing a fun and festive set of magnets. Whether you make them yourself or buy a set on Amazon or Etsy, this is one of the easiest ways to make your cruise extra fun!
Fun Toucan Magnets (from $11.99 on Amazon)
9. Portable Speaker
If you love music just as much as I do, you should definitely pack a portable speaker for your next cruise! While it can be seen as rude to use your speaker in public areas, you can still use it on a lower volume in your stateroom.
As one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise, a portable speaker can make your morning or night routine all the more enjoyable! Whether listening to tropical music on your balcony or classic rock as you get ready for the club, you will not regret packing a small, portable speaker on your cruising vacation!
Waterproof Portable Speaker (from $38.49 on Amazon)
10. Magnetic Dry-Erase Board
For those that are traveling in a group, consider packing a magnetic dry-erase board for your cruise! As one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise, this simple item will allow you to leave messages on each other’s doors while you are passing by through the hallways.
You would be surprised how funny these boards can get as I have passed several with goofy images and messages between family members! Plus, a dry-erase board on the outside of your door will allow you to stay in communication with your travel crew since most cruise ships will not offer WiFi or cellular service to communicate amongst each other.
Magnetic Dry-Erase Board (from $18.99 on Amazon)
11. Thank You Card or Kit
Another one of the most sentimental and fun things to bring on a cruise is a thank you kit for your cabin steward. These cruise ship employees will work night and day to make your life onboard as close to perfect as possible, and what better way to thank them than putting together a simple thank you kit?
Even a nice thank you card left on the day you arrive onboard can go far for your stateroom steward as they rarely receive the appreciation they deserve! Long story short, bringing a couple of simple thank you cards onboard or preparing a small thank you kit can be one of the best and most fun things to bring on a cruise.
25-Pack Thank You Cards (from $14.99 on Amazon)
12. Poo-Pourri
The next one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise is actually far more practical than fun. If you are traveling with someone who tends to spend extra time in the restroom, maybe consider packing some Poo-Pourri scent remover!
You also can’t truly predict how your body will react to both the food on the cruise ship and the delicious local food you try in port. No one likes a stinky bathroom, so packing some Poo-Pourri can make your cruise vacation all the more enjoyable and fun!
2-Pack Poo-Pourri (from $15.95 on Amazon)
Other Fun Things to Bring on a Cruise
13. Festive Travel Mug
If you are planning on drinking on your cruise adventure whether through a drinking package or while in port, a great way to further enjoy your vacation is through a convenient travel mug! Most cruise lines offer dinky cups at the onboard bars and buffets, so packing a travel mug can save you a bunch of time shuffling back and forth.
Whether picking up a cruise-themed travel mug on Amazon or ordering a custom travel mug on Etsy, packing this simple, yet extremely useful, item can save you from a lot of headaches onboard your cruising vacation!
Ship Faced Travel Mug (from $17.45 on Amazon)
14. Fun Cruise Tote
If you have more things to bring with you into port than what a simple fanny pack can carry, you may want to consider bringing along a fun collapsible tote bag. As one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise, this bag is provides ample amount of room to carry snacks, towels, souvenirs, and more– and can be collapsed at the end of the day!
You can also utilize a collapsible tote bag during your cruise when you head up to the top deck pool! Just put all your chair clips, water bottles, towels, and sunscreen in the bag, and carry all your cruise necessities up with you.
Striped Tote Bag (from $29.00 on Amazon)
15. Cute Towel Chair Clips
My favorite one of the pool related fun things to bring on a cruise is a cute towel chair clips. The pool deck can become pretty crowded and you will want to reserve your party’s chairs with your towels and chair clips. Plus, the top deck can also be quite windy– prevent your towels from falling to the ground with some cute yet quality chair clips.
As one of the top fun cruise items, these chair clips will save you from minor annoyances that can quickly add up on your cruising vacation. Plus, you can easily add these clips to your port bag to use at any beaches you visit during your adventures on shore.
4-Pack Flamingo Towel Clips (from $11.99 on Amazon)
16. Playing Cards
You would be surprised by how often I have either wanted to play cards with my family onboard cruise ships or have whipped out a deck to practice my favorite card games during my vacation. This convenient and compact entertainment option is one of the most fun things for a cruise that you should pack if you are an avid card player like me!
You will more than likely also notice plenty of card playing opportunities on your ship’s daily activity bulletin. What better way to meet other fun passengers that enjoy a game of cards over coffee and a great conversation about your daily cruise experience?
2-Pack Bicycle Playing Cards (from $6.99 on Amazon)
17. Colorful Cruise Lanyard
The number one item that many cruisers regret forgetting to pack is a lanyard to hold their cruise access card. Nearly every cruise line at sea keeps track of its passengers through key cards, so what better way to prepare than packing a lanyard and card holder as one of the most fun things to pack for a cruise.
While you may think that you would just put your cruise key card in your wallet, you will be surprised by how many times you head over to the cruise buffet from your stateroom, locking yourself out in the process! That is exactly why a cruise lanyard and protective key holder is one of the must have cruise accessories for any cruising adventure.
Vera Bradley Lanyard Combo (from $30.00 on Amazon)
18. Party Glow Sticks
Attending one of the parties onboard your cruise adventure is by far one of the most fun activities you will enjoy on your vacation! What better way to make your time at these parties more memorable than packing some festive party glow sticks as one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise.
Plus, glow sticks are cheap, lightweight, and will not take up much room in your cruise luggage. They are perfect for any parties onboard, whether the party on the top deck during the first night of your cruise or the White Hot Party found on Norwegian Cruise Line’s sailings!
100-Pack Glow Sticks (from $9.99 on Amazon)
19. Cute Fanny Pack
As one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise, a cute fanny pack is a great way to add onto your stylish cruise wardrobe. I only just recently began bringing my handy-dandy fanny pack with me on cruises, and let me tell you, cruising could not be any easier since!
I brought mine on my Panama Canal cruise and felt 10x more fashionable and safer carrying around my phone and cash secured to my waist, all within eyesight. Before, I would bring either a purse or backpack, but both seemed impractical on most of my shore excursions. Thus, a cute fanny pack is by far one of the most fun things to bring on a cruise.
Cute Patterned Fanny Pack (from $15.99 on Amazon)
20. Walkie-Talkies
Rounding out the list of the most fun things to bring on a cruise are walkie-talkies! Like I stated earlier, it can be fairly hard to stay in contact with everyone in your family or travel party while in the middle of the ocean. While some cruise lines offer a helpful app for your phone to stay in contact, some of the people you are traveling with may not have phones!
Thus, a great way to have fun and stay connected is by getting each person in your travel party a walkie-talkie! If you are cruising with kids, this will absolutely be one of the best ways to have a great time at sea. It’s honestly a win-win situation– you kids get to pretend they are private detectives and you will know what your kids are up to at all times onboard!
2-Pack Travel Walkie-Talkies (from $28.99 on Amazon)
Carnival gives you free playing cards. Just ask at the desk.