Before our first cruise aboard Cunard's Queen Anne in November 2026, Debs and I spent quite a bit of time researching what we should take with us. Not the obvious things like clothes, toiletries and passports, but those little extras that might make life aboard a cruise ship easier.
As it turned out, some of the most useful things we packed were also some of the simplest and cheapest.
So, based on what we discovered during our 12-night cruise, here are eight things I'd recommend considering if you're preparing for your first cruise holiday.
What are the most useful things to pack for your first cruise?
My eight cruise packing essentials are luggage tag holders, magnetic hooks, foldable clothes hangers, a highlighter pen, travel sickness tablets, collapsible storage boxes, a motion-sensor nightlight and a reusable water bottle.
None of these will take up much room in your luggage, but they could make your holiday considerably more comfortable.
1. Cruise luggage tag holders
Before boarding, cruise lines generally provide luggage labels for you to print and attach to your suitcases. These help the crew identify your luggage and deliver it to the correct cabin.
You can simply fold the paper labels and attach them as instructed, but we bought some clear plastic cruise luggage tag holders instead.
They're inexpensive, reusable and help protect your printed labels from getting torn or wet during the journey.
One thing worth knowing is that cruise luggage labels come in different sizes, depending on the cruise line. There are generally two common styles of holder available, so make sure you buy ones that fit the labels supplied for your particular cruise.
And, of course, arriving at the terminal with your luggage labels neatly tucked into proper holders makes you look like you know a thing or two about cruising, even when you haven't got a clue!
2. Magnetic hooks for your cruise cabin
These were probably one of our best purchases.
Many cruise ship cabins have metal walls, which means you can attach magnetic hooks to create some extra hanging space without damaging anything.
Even if your cabin has adequate wardrobe space, a few extra hooks are incredibly useful for hanging jackets, hats, bags, dressing gowns and other bits and pieces.
We bought magnetic hooks advertised as having a 20kg holding capacity, and they were brilliant aboard Queen Anne.
It's worth remembering that the advertised weight rating is usually measured under ideal conditions. A hook on a painted metal wall may hold considerably less, so don't overload it or hang anything particularly heavy or valuable.
For a relatively small investment, these can make a real difference to how organised your cabin feels.
3. Space saving hangers
Another useful little trick for making the most of your cruise cabin wardrobe.
We took plenty of clothes for our 12-night Cunard voyage, particularly as we wanted to dress up for the Gala Evenings. In fact, we had around 50 items on hangers, including approximately 20 full-length pieces!
Foldable space saving hangers are handy because they take up very little room in your suitcase but give you more options when you unpack.
They're particularly useful if your cabin doesn't have quite as many hangers as you'd like, or if you've brought more clothes than you probably needed.
Look for lightweight, reasonably sturdy hangers that fold down neatly for travelling.
4. A highlighter pen
Yes, a highlighter pen. Not exactly the most exciting item on a cruise packing list, but surprisingly useful.
On a cruise ship, you'll usually receive a daily programme showing the entertainment, talks, activities, classes and other events taking place around the ship.
There's often so much going on that it can be difficult to remember everything you fancy doing.
A simple highlighter pen makes it easy to mark the activities you're interested in, so you can see your plans for the day at a glance.
On Queen Anne, we had everything from Cunard Insights talks and dance lessons to quizzes, live music and shuffleboard to choose from.
Of course, many cruise lines now provide digital versions of their daily programmes, but sometimes you really can't beat a good old-fashioned piece of paper and a pen.
5. Travel sickness tablets
This is something I'd strongly recommend thinking about before your first cruise, even if you don't normally suffer from travel sickness.
Modern cruise ships are enormous and have stabilisers to help reduce movement, but they can't eliminate it completely.
During our November voyage aboard Queen Anne, we encountered winds of around 50 knots and Atlantic waves reaching five to six metres.
And believe me, you could feel it!
Most of the time I was absolutely fine, but during the roughest part of the voyage, my sea legs seemed to disappear overnight and I felt rather uncomfortable.
Having travel sickness tablets available was reassuring, although some can make you drowsy, which may well have contributed to me sleeping for much of one particularly rough day.
It's worth asking your pharmacist which travel sickness medicine would be suitable for you, and checking when it should be taken. Some work better when taken before the movement starts.
Hopefully, you'll never need them, but I'd rather have them in my luggage than spend a rough sea day wishing I'd packed some.
6. Foldable fabric storage boxes
Another purchase that turned out to be remarkably useful.
Our Britannia Balcony Stateroom on Queen Anne had plenty of shelving, including seven generously sized shelves in the wardrobe area.
However, even with plenty of storage space, smaller items can quickly become untidy.
We took a few collapsible fabric storage boxes, which were perfect for keeping underwear, socks, accessories and other small items organised.
They fold almost completely flat when you're packing, take up very little suitcase space and make the cabin feel much tidier once you've unpacked.
One tip is to check the measurements of your cabin shelves before buying them, if that information is available.
For reference, the shelves in our Queen Anne Britannia Balcony Stateroom, cabin 10033, measured 485mm wide × 335mm deep × 280mm high.
We found the boxes particularly useful because we could simply lift one out, find what we needed and put it back without rummaging through everything.
7. A PIR motion-sensor nightlight
Something you might not think about until you're trying to find your way around a dark cabin in the middle of the night.
Cruise ship cabins can get surprisingly dark, especially when you're in the middle of the ocean, the curtains are drawn and there's no light coming from outside.
A small PIR motion-sensor nightlight can make those nighttime trips to the bathroom considerably easier.
The idea is simple. Position it low down, somewhere safe and out of the way, and it'll illuminate when it detects movement.
I'd look for a compact, battery-powered or rechargeable model with a gentle, warm light. You don't want something so bright that it wakes your partner every time you get out of bed.
If you're choosing a plug-in model, check that your cabin has a suitable socket in the right position and that the appliance complies with your cruise line's rules.
It's a small thing, but particularly useful if you're unfamiliar with the layout of your cabin.
8. A reusable water bottle
Finally, something very simple that I wouldn't travel without.
We found that the air aboard the ship could feel quite dry at times, so having water readily available was useful.
A reusable water bottle is handy for carrying around the ship, taking to activities, keeping beside you when you're reading and, of course, taking ashore when you're exploring a new port.
I'd recommend something lightweight, leakproof and easy to clean. An insulated bottle is useful if you prefer your water to stay cool for longer.
Just check the ship's arrangements for refilling bottles. For hygiene reasons, you may need to use a clean cup to transfer water from a shared dispenser rather than placing your bottle directly underneath it.
And don't forget to fill it before heading ashore, particularly if you're going to be doing plenty of walking.
Do you really need these extras for your first cruise?
Of course not. You'll have a perfectly good holiday without any of them, and what you need will depend on the ship, your cabin and how you like to travel.
But having now completed our first cruise, these are the sorts of little things I'd happily take again.
The magnetic hooks and fabric storage boxes were especially useful for keeping our cabin tidy, while the travel sickness tablets were reassuring when the Atlantic decided to remind us just how powerful it can be.
If I were packing for another cruise tomorrow, all eight would be on my list.
And believe me, after our first 12 nights aboard Cunard Queen Anne, there will definitely be another cruise!
If you're interested in what life aboard Queen Anne was actually like, including the food, entertainment, Gala Evenings and our adventures ashore, you can also read my diary of our November 2026 voyage, H628.
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