Written by Shannon McGuigan
09:23 April 21, 2024, updated 10:34 April 21, 2024
A veteran cruise ship official reveals seven essential items to have in your bag for a smooth and relaxing trip.
Lucy Sotherton, 28, has nine years of experience working on cruise ships around the world.
Originally from Birmingham, Lucy regularly shares her inside knowledge on how to have the best time at sea on her YouTube channel ‘Cruising as Crew’.
Forgetting essentials when you’re in the middle of the ocean can be a real nightmare.
However, Lucy shared the top seven essentials that passengers should check before setting sail.
1. Portable charger
At the top of every experienced cruiser’s must-have list was a portable charger.
Lucy urged both crew and passengers to keep this handy device in mind, explaining that forgetting a power bank can be a nightmare both on and off the ship.
There’s nothing worse than being in a foreign country and not having a cell phone and not being able to travel. That’s why cruise ship employees emphasized the importance of telephone calls.
“I always recommend bringing a portable charger because there’s nothing worse than having 10 percent battery left in your phone halfway through the day,” she said.
“Then you’re like, ‘We still have four hours at the port and now we don’t have a phone.'”
She added, “If you’re using your phone for Google Maps and it stops working, it’s actually worse.”
According to Lucy, this can cause additional problems if you want to use the internet cafe inside the dock without purchasing a Wi-Fi package.
However, this may prove impossible if your phone breaks down before you arrive.
2. Travel-sized first aid kit
It’s always a good idea to stock up on bandages and plasters, but making sure you have Imodium, painkillers, and seasickness tablets can also save you money.
Lucy explains that even though the ship has a store that sells the necessary medicine, the prices have increased astronomically.
She revealed: “Because you’re a captive audience, the prices are going to go up because they know you can’t get it anywhere else.”
“So you might be able to get a pack of seasickness medicine for $3 at home, but you would pay $10 for the same pack of seasickness medicine on board.”
Similar to the first essential, cruise ship employees also advised their fellow crew members to bring first aid kits on board to avoid medical centers.
She added: “Especially if I’m on vacation. I don’t want to spend time waiting in a medical center unless I really have to.”
3. Waterproof phone case
Whether you’re on vacation or not, protecting your phone from theft and damage is a must.
However, the potential damage to your phone is even more severe if you are next to a pool or beach with kids playing.
To protect your expensive device, Lucy recommends bringing a waterproof phone case to ensure your phone doesn’t break down after a day of lying by the pool or boating.
Lucy told the story of her friend and said: She said: “She had a friend who was on vacation and she slept by the pool because she liked to watch what was going on.”
“They were having a belly flop competition, but she wasn’t thinking about that.” [her phone]. ”
However, after about 30 minutes of fun in the pool, the friend finally realized that his phone was directly in the splash zone, but by that point it was too late.
4. Noise canceling headphones
You may have purchased a ticket for a cruise vacation to relax for a few weeks, but others on the ship may have other plans.
Cruise ship employees say most cruises are large enough to escape the pool noise, but some aren’t.
On smaller sailings, you may be able to hear the hustle and bustle of the pool area even if you walk all the way to the quiet zone at the end.
So if you want to be prepared for the “inevitable” noise, Lucy recommends “good” noise-canceling headphones.
She explained: “It means you can focus yourself and act as if you are alone and in a peaceful environment.”
The cruise ship employee also explained that headphones can be a good solution for parents who have to watch their kids by a noisy pool, or for bookworms who want to drown out the thud of the cabin next door. .
5. Lightweight backpack
Some of you may be used to carrying around a small handbag when venturing to a new city.
But Lucy is a firm believer that a small, lightweight backpack can help you be prepared for any situation, especially for parents.
In some cases, your handbag may not be large enough to hold everything you need when you get off the ship.
That’s why cruise ship crews recommend bringing a backpack to keep your hands free so you can be as prepared as possible.
“You’ll want to bring sunscreen, a bottle of water, and be prepared for anything,” she explained.
“You’ll want to free your hands and explore the harbor.”
6. Universal adapter
Lucy called this one of her “best purchases” ever and was especially fond of the universal adapter.
It can be a nightmare when you arrive at your destination and realize you don’t have the right plugs to charge all the gadgets you need for your trip.
Similarly, while on a cruise, you never know what kind of plug you’ll have, so a universal adapter not only saves space in your suitcase, but it also saves you a lot of hassle, Lucy says.
“Instead of using European or American adapters, you can just use one adapter and cover everything,” she said.
“I’ve done it before. You pack your bags thinking you know what the plug sockets are connected to, only to find out there’s no outlet or, on some cruise ships, no USB ports.
“So a universal adapter is definitely recommended.”
7. App
Making sure she had the right apps installed while traveling was on Lucy’s must-do list.
Cruise ship employees say apps aren’t physical gadgets, but they are important technology that can make your vacation much easier.
Lucy says you should make sure you’ve downloaded all the apps you might need before boarding to avoid any trouble.
The employee, who has worked on cruise ships for nine years, explained that even if he purchased a WiFi package for his time on board, downloading the software for documentation was a hassle.
“The cruise line apps, Google Maps, Google Translate, and other apps you’ll want to download for your cruise are all apps you’ll likely need to navigate your cruise and port stops. Be sure to download “Cruise. ‘
She added: “I don’t want to run around the port looking for Wi-Fi to download apps. Trust me I’ve been there. It’s just not fun.” .