Five things are worth buying for a cruise cabin, and they are all small and cheap: magnetic hooks, an over-the-door organiser, a lanyard for your cabin card, a battery night light and packing cubes. Several things people buy — a fan, extra pillows, extra hangers, a blanket — your cabin steward will bring you for nothing if you ask on day one. And the single most recommended “cruise essential” on the internet, a power strip, is prohibited on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity and will be taken off you at the pier.
I have sailed eight times and I have bought most of the wrong things at least once. What is on this page is what survived — the few items that come out of the case every single cruise and earn their space.
I have also left things off on purpose. If a steward will hand it to you for nothing, it does not belong on a shopping list, and I would rather tell you that than sell you a fan.
The five that earn their space
A cruise cabin is small, the walls are steel, there is nowhere to put anything, and the bathroom has one shelf. Every item below solves one of those four problems. None of them is expensive.
Magnetic hooks
The one I would buy first. Cabin walls and the ceiling are steel, and the room comes with almost no hooks. These hold hats, lanyards, wet swimsuits, the daily planner and a tote bag, and they come off without a mark. Get strong ones — the weak ones slide down the wall overnight.
See magnetic hooks on AmazonOver-the-door organiser
A cruise bathroom gives you one small shelf for two people's everything. Hang this on the bathroom door and you have twenty-four pockets instead. Sunscreen, medication, hairbrushes, the things that otherwise live on the floor. It is the single biggest change you can make to a small cabin.
See organisers on AmazonLanyard and card holder
Your cabin card is your room key, your wallet and your ID, and you need it every time you leave the room. Around your neck it cannot be put down on a bar and forgotten. If you are travelling with someone who misplaces things, buy two. Most cruise cards need a hole punched, or a holder that grips without one.
See lanyards on AmazonBattery night light
This is the one I will argue about. An inside cabin at night is properly dark — no window, no glow, nothing. The bathroom doorway has a raised lip to step over, and the bed is not where it is at home. A small motion-sensor light stuck by the bathroom door is a pound of prevention. Battery, not plug-in, because outlets are scarce and nowhere near the bed.
See night lights on AmazonPacking cubes
Cruise cabins have drawers, but not many, and your case has to live under the bed. Cubes let you lift a whole layer out and put it straight in a drawer, and they make the case close. They also make the last morning quick, which matters when your bag has to be outside the door the night before.
See packing cubes on AmazonBefore you buy anything else, ask for it
This is the part the shopping lists leave out, because there is no money in it.
Your cabin steward looks after a handful of rooms and has a store cupboard. A great deal of what gets sold as a cruise essential is sitting in it. Ask on the first afternoon, when they come round to introduce themselves — not on day four, when the ship has run out.
- Extra pillows — and say firm or soft. Cabins are made up with whatever came out of the laundry.
- An extra blanket — cabins are air-conditioned to somebody else's taste and the thermostat has limited opinions.
- Extra towels, including extra pool towels if you are going ashore.
- More hangers. Cabins come with a handful. Stewards usually have more.
- The fridge emptied of the minibar, so you have somewhere to keep water, fruit and anything that has to stay cold.
- Ice, topped up daily, if you ask for it to be a standing arrangement.
- Extra coffee, tea and sweeteners for the cabin.
- A mat or extra towel for wet things by the door after a pool day.
The one thing not to buy
Nearly every cruise packing list on the internet tells you to pack a power strip, because cabin outlets are few and badly placed. That advice is wrong for roughly half the people reading it, and it is expensive to get wrong, because the item is taken off you at security and not always given back.
| Item | Royal Caribbean | Carnival |
|---|---|---|
| Power strip | Prohibited | Allowed — non-surge only |
| Extension cord | Prohibited | Allowed — non-surge only |
| Multi-plug adaptor | Prohibited | Allowed |
| Surge protector | Prohibited | Prohibited |
Read off each line's own prohibited-items page on 30 September 2026. Carnival adds that even permitted ones may be confiscated if staff judge them unsafe. A surge protector is banned everywhere, by everyone, and that is the one that starts fires.
So do not buy one until you know which ship you are on. And whatever you buy, do not leave a pile of devices charging on it overnight — that is the exact behaviour the ban exists to prevent.
Questions
What is the one thing worth buying for a cruise cabin?
Strong magnetic hooks. Cabin walls and ceilings are steel and the room comes with almost no hanging space, so a handful of hooks changes how usable the cabin is, for the price of a sandwich.
Can you take a power strip on a cruise?
It depends on the line. Royal Caribbean prohibits power strips, extension cords and multi-plug adaptors outright. Carnival permits power strips, multi-outlet adapters and extension cords provided they have no surge protection, and says they may still be confiscated if judged unsafe. A surge protector is prohibited on both. Check your own line's prohibited-items page before you buy.
What will a cabin steward bring you for free?
Commonly extra pillows, an extra blanket, extra towels, more hangers, ice, extra coffee and tea, and the minibar fridge emptied so you can use it. It is a request rather than an entitlement and it depends what is on board, so ask on the first afternoon rather than later in the week.
Do cruise cabins have a hairdryer?
Cabins on the major lines provide a hairdryer, so that is usually one thing you can leave at home. A clothing iron or garment steamer is a different matter — those are prohibited in the cabin, which is why a wrinkle-release spray is worth more space than an iron you cannot bring.
Are the products on this page sponsored?
No. These are Amazon affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you buy through one, at no extra cost to you. No brand has paid for placement and none can. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Where these facts come from
- Royal Caribbean — prohibited items (read 30 Sep 2026)
- Royal Caribbean — accessibility equipment list (read 30 Sep 2026)
- Carnival — prohibited items (read 30 Sep 2026)
- Amazon Associates Program Policies
Every figure on this site is quoted from the cruise line's own page with the date we read it, and they are all listed on where our facts come from. Rules change. Check yours before you sail.
Read next
What to pack, and what they will take off you · The packing and prep list, eight weeks out to the night before · Cruise luggage limits by line · Cruise outfits for women over 50