Luxury Cruising Editorial

With the holidays quickly approaching, many of us will be scrambling to purchase the perfect gift for our friends and family members. Some of them are easy to buy for, while others tend to be more complicated. 

Do you have a cruise lover in your life? My guess is, “absolutely”, since you are reading this article. In that case, let’s focus on that category of gifting.

What should you purchase your mom who is going on her 25th cruise? What should you buy your sister who is going on her first cruise in the spring? 

Keep reading for some of our recommendations on the perfect holiday gifts for the cruise lover in your life. 

1. Luggage/Toiletry Bags 

It doesn’t matter how many cruises you have taken, everyone needs a good piece of luggage and a great toiletry bag. If you can, spend a little bit more on a high quality piece. It will be greatly appreciated and will likely last years. 

Pro Tip: Ladies, make sure to order matching luggage for you and your husband. It will go over about as well as matching pajamas. (insert eyeroll here) 

2. Luxury Toiletries

Purchasing toiletries for someone else may not be at the top of your list. It’s hard to know exactly what someone else likes. Does cruise loving Aunt Cathy love lavender or does she prefer clean, ocean scents? 

In my travels, I’ve found that the shower sponges with body wash already infused in them can be a wonderful companion.

Last year, I put one in my parents’ stockings (yes, I make my parents stockings) and they bragged on that small gesture for months after. Upscale travel size shampoos and conditioners are always welcome to the traveler in your life, too.

3. Travel Journal

If you are anything like myself, you’ve visited lots of places and have memories to last a lifetime. Unfortunately, I haven’t kept a travel journal but certainly wish I would have. 

I remember the first time I took a cruise and the first time I flew on an airplane. The memories are amazing but they do fade as we get older. 

It’s never too late to start keeping your thoughts and experiences in a journal. Simple or elaborate, there is a journal to suit the cruise lover in your life. In fact, you can use a basic notebook to chronicle your trips. Sounds like a great stocking stuffer to me! 

4. Sound Machine

For years, my family would take camping trips in the 90’s. Imagine this – A pop-up camper with my parents at one end and my grandparents at the other.

The snoring was almost unbearable to my pre-teen self stuck in the middle. Do you even know how much I needed a sound machine back then? 

Now, I cannot travel without one. Many models contain a variety of sounds like white noise, babbling brook, or crackling fire. Newer versions even include nightlights built-in.

Crank that baby up when it’s time to catch some Z’s on your next cruise. You’ll thank me the next day. 

5. Reusable Straws

With the reduction of disposable straws on cruise ships, one has to get creative. A couple of years ago, my dad purchased a box of 100 pre-wrapped straws and packed them in his luggage. Let’s just say, he made a few friends that week. 

Now, it’s easier than ever to remedy this little issue. Gift a reusable straw in your cruise loving family members’ stocking this year. For maximum space saving goodness, make sure to grab a collapsible/foldable straw with attached carabiner.  

6. Kindle/E-Reader 

For the book lover in your life, definitely consider gifting them a Kindle or an E-Reader. Packing bulky paperbacks can be annoying and take up too much valuable storage space. 

I love reading short stories from the likes of Stephen King and Darcy Coates. During cruises, I like to switch around and read multiple short stories. If I didn’t have an E-Reader, I’m not sure how I would survive. 

If your giftee already has an E-Reader, consider purchasing them a gift card to load more books onto their device. 

7. Portable Phone Charger 

Charging your phone and other devices is not always convenient on a cruise. While most cabins have the capability for USB charging or standard outlets, replenishing power can be difficult when off the ship. 

Consider gifting a portable phone charger or power bank to your loved one. They can charge these devices ahead of time and take them wherever they go for a quick boost. There are a variety of chargers available and some are as small as a tube of lipstick. 

Pro Tip: Tell your giftee to plug in their portable chargers overnight. The next day, they can take the charger on all their adventures and not worry about dead batteries. 

8. Cruise Cash

If you aren’t quite sure what to give the cruise lover in your life, consider cash. No one is immune to needing a few extra dollars, especially if they have a cruise on the horizon. 

For many, the ultimate gift is cash. If you don’t want to just hand over physical cash, consider purchasing something like Cruise Cash. Many cruise lines offer the ability to purchase this for yourself or gift it to others. There’s nothing quite like having a positive balance on your room when you arrive for your next trip. 

This is exactly what I did for my dad’s recent birthday. I paid for some Cruise Cash and it will be “delivered” to the cabin on his next trip. Happy Dad equals Happy Mom. And hopefully they will give me some cruise cash for my birthday. Ha! 

9. A Cruise

The ultimate holiday gift for the cruise lover in your life, is a cruise!  It’s certainly a big purchase but will be well-received by most anyone.

We hope you find our list of holiday gifts for the cruise lover in your life helpful. Big or small, anything you choose to give will enhance their cruising experience.  Happy Cruising!

Read more: 35 genius cruise items on Amazon for under $15

Without fanfare or a major announcement, Royal Caribbean has added a popular travel item to the “do not pack” list. 

The cruise line’s prohibited items webpage was recently updated to combat a growing trend among travelers who are trying to stay connected while at sea.

While internet service on cruise ships has gotten faster and more reliable over the last few years—thanks to Starlink– most cruise lines offer different internet packages based on how many devices you would like to use.

The more devices you use, the more you pay. 

Some savvy cruisers started using travel routers to get around this.  They would connect to the internet with the device and then connect their devices to the router.

But now Royal Caribbean is making sure passenger know not to bring the devices on board their ships.

The updated policy for prohibited items is worded as follows: 

Cybersecurity and deliberate electronic crime: Satellite dishes, routers, and other networking equipment.

The wording of “other networking equipment” leaves room for the cruise line to ensure other devices that can be used get around the internet services of the company are also kept in check.

It was already against company policy to use a device that beats the system in this way, but now the cruise line can attempt to keep travel routers off their ships entirely. 

After all, most of the time they would have no way of knowing if someone was using multiple devices on one internet package at the same time if they used a device like this.

Some cruise boards and forums have discussed the policy and have reported travel routers being confiscated.

For those who bring their work with them on a cruise, a travel router has been a normal part of packing for the trip.  Now it may require adding another device to the internet package.

It should be noted that cruisers can also opt to switch devices even if they only paid for one.  They just can’t use more than one device at the same time if they only paid for the single device internet package. 

It can be a hassle to log out and log back in with another device, but if you don’t need to be connected at the same time, it’s a way to save a few dollars.

Carnival Cruise Line has also listed “routers” on their list of prohibited items.  In a recent story, a cruise passenger had his Starlink Mini confiscated.

Carnival has “satellite dishes” and “other internet related equipment” listed on the page of items passengers are not allowed to bring on board.

Recently, another popular item was banned from Royal Caribbean ships: multi-plug adapters. 

Multi-plug adapters with several 110/120 volt outlets are not allowed on the cruise line’s ships as they can cause problems with the electrical systems, but multi-outlets that are USB only are permitted.

You can see a list of the multi-plug adapters still allowed on Royal Caribbean ships here.

Princess Cruises is changing the itineraries on four cruises on one of their ships so essential engine maintenance can be done.

Two months ago, Princess Cruises canceled a few cruises on Regal Princess due to problems with the ship’s generators.

Now, the cruise line is modifying four itineraries on the ship so work can be done on the ship’s engines.

For the December 8, January 5 and January 12 cruises, the port stop in Costa Maya will be replaced with an extended stay in Roatan.

For the January 19, 2025 cruise, the ship will no longer visit Montego Bay, Jamaica and will have an extended visit to Roatan.

The cruise line said that they will leave the casino open during the overnight stays in Roatan.

As a gesture of goodwill to passengers for the changes, Princess Cruise is giving guests booked on these cruises a 20% future cruise credit if they decide to still sail on their scheduled voyage.

They can also cancel and receive a full refund that includes Princess-arranged air and other purchases.

Guests who pre-purchased shore excursions in the canceled ports will receive a full refund.

Princess Cruises sent the following statement to Cruise Fever about these changes:

“Princess Cruises has announced an adjustment to four upcoming Regal Princess itineraries to accommodate essential engine maintenance while ensuring the continued safety, performance, and comfort of the ship.

“For voyages departing December 8, January 5, January 12, planned calls to Costa Maya have been replaced with extended stays in Roatán, Honduras, and for the January 19 voyage, the extended stay in Roatan replaces a visit to Montego Bay.

“These adjustments will allow additional time in port to complete necessary maintenance while preserving the seamless sailing experience that guests have come to expect from Princess Cruises.

“To enhance the extended visit in Roatán, the onboard casino will remain open during the overnight stay, offering guests gaming fun while docked. Guests can enjoy the thrill of the casino even as the ship rests in port, adding to the excitement of their vacation.

“Princess Cruises is supporting guests affected by these changes by offering a full refund, including refunds for pre-purchased shore excursions, Princess-arranged air travel, and other related purchases; or to sail as planned and receive a 20% Future Cruise Credit (FCC), which can be applied toward a future cruise of their choice.”