20 Practical Gift Ideas For People Who Love To Cruise

• Smart Packing: Maximise cabin space and keep clothes crease-free with hanging organisers and garment bags designed for travel.

• Tech Essentials: Upgrade their voyage with modern gadgets like noise-cancelling headphones, Bluetooth trackers, and e-readers.

• Poolside Comfort: Ensure they are beach-ready with practical gifts including towel clips, waterproof pouches, and microfibre towels.

Sometimes it can be challenging to find great gifts for your loved ones, especially when it is someone who seems to have everything they need already!

If you are buying for someone who loves cruise holidays, our ultimate cruise gift guide is here to help.

Below, we share 20 fabulous and practical gifts for cruisers; things that will come in handy each time they step onboard their next cruise ship.

The Best Cruise Gift Guide

In this gift guide for cruise fans, we share gift ideas that help with packing and organisation, gifts that take care of safety and security, beach essentials, and some innovative tech gifts.

So, if you are wondering what to buy for a cruise fanatic, grab your notepad and start ticking off these brilliant cruise gifts.

Packing and organisation

When packing for a cruise, organisation is vital. Space in cabins can be limited, so having a place for everything is really important to help you find things quickly.

Therefore, clever packing and storage solutions make for some of the best gifts for cruise fans.

1. Garment carry-on bag

On most cruise holidays, there will be an occasion to dress up, and ensuring posh frocks and suits stay crease-free can be a challenge.

A fold-up garment carry-on bag really helps with this task. Most include a hanging suitcase, designed to avoid wrinkles. Find one with zipper pockets and shoe pouches, and you will have one of the best gifts for cruise enthusiasts.

2. Hanging organiser or toiletry bag

When space and storage options are limited, these are super useful for hanging over the back of a cabin door to store items, such as toiletries, beach gear, and small clothing items.

3. Jewellery bag

On a cruise, small jewellery items can easily get lost or damaged. Therefore, a jewellery travel bag is an excellent solution!

Specially designed holders for rings, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces will take care of your loved one's delicate and precious items while they are at sea.

4. Magnetic cabin hooks and door magnets

These may seem like small and simple presents for cruisers, but they are so helpful! Many cabins could do with more hooks, especially when you have many things to hang, such as towels, bags, coats, and hats.

Magnetic cabin hooks make fantastic cruise fan presents. They can be stuck wherever needed and don’t damage walls or surfaces.

Safety and Security

Taking good care of your personal belongings, particularly your valuables or important documents, can be tricky when travelling. These cruise presents will make this task much easier for your friends and family.

5. Bluetooth trackers (AirTags or Tile)

These can be a lifesaver if your gift recipient is prone to losing things. Stick these nifty devices on items such as keys, wallets, or cards, and use Bluetooth to find them if they get lost.

Apple AirTags are high-quality and secure models, but there are also some good alternatives for Android users, such as Tile or Samsung SmartTags, that perform just as well.

6. Portable lock box

A portable lock box is one of the best gifts for cruise fans. Not only can they use it to store valuables in their room, but it can also be used when sunbathing on deck, on the beach, or doing other sports or activities when they need to leave their belongings elsewhere.

7. Waterproof phone cases

Waterproof phone cases are really beneficial when on a cruise. There are many occasions when cruisers will be close to water: whether by the pool, in the hot tub, on the beach, or on a boat trip.

These phone cases will keep their mobiles safe. They also often come with a secure lanyard, adding an extra layer of convenience.

8. Money belt or passport and document holder

These come in many forms. You will find hands-free money belts with multiple pockets for cash, cards, and documents that can be hidden underneath clothing, or larger document organisers to keep all essential paperwork in one place. Whichever you choose, these are perfect cruise presents for your loved ones.

Tech and gadgets

Many clever gadgets are on the market these days that make travelling so much easier. These are a few that we are sure cruise fans will love.

9. Lightweight e-reader

One of the best things about going on a cruise holiday is having the time to relax and enjoy a good book or two. With e-readers, cruisers can take multiple books in one small package.

If you are looking to buy one, look for a lightweight option. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is an obvious choice, but other brands out there make similar high-quality e-readers too.

10. Noise-cancelling headphones

Travelling often means being in small spaces, such as planes and coaches, with many people around. Noise-cancelling headphones can make these busy journeys much more pleasant.

As well as being able to listen to their own choice of soundtrack, these keep out the external noise to help your loved one relax into a world of their own.

11. In-flight phone holder

These are great little gadgets, whether your recipient is travelling on a plane, coach, or boat. When trying to juggle drinks, snacks, or magazines on a lap tray, these simply stick to the seatback in front and offer a handy place from where they can watch videos from their phone.

12. Selfie stick and tripod

It is all about getting that perfect photo these days, especially a selfie! And when you are on a cruise, there is no shortage of photo opportunities.

These devices make the job so much easier and result in better-quality photos – no heads chopped off here! Choose a lightweight option so they can be easily stored and carried on your loved one's travels.

13. Mobile charger pack or portable power bank

When out and about sightseeing, phones can quickly lose charge from all the photo-taking, use of navigation apps, and searching online for the best places to visit.

Buy your friend or family member a mobile charger pack as a cruise gift, and they can charge up their devices on the move.

14. Binoculars

Binoculars are a superb present for cruisers, particularly if they are going on an expedition-style cruise holiday to places such as Greenland, the Arctic, Norway, or the Galapagos.

With binoculars, they will be able to see all the spectacular sights and incredible wildlife close up, making memories to last a lifetime.

15. Portable nightlight

A portable nightlight is one of the best gifts for cruise fans, especially if they are travelling as a family. When ships are at sea, cabins can often be very dark when the lights are turned off.

Portable nightlights give families flexibility over the strength and location of the light in the room.

At the beach or poolside

If you are wondering what to get a cruise fan who loves to soak up the sunshine, these cruise presents are great options - the things you often don't think to buy yourself, then wish you had them when you sit down on your sunbed!

16. Microfibre beach towel

Towels are bulky, using up a lot of space in the suitcase and often taking a long time to dry. Solve these problems with a microfibre beach towel.

It is lightweight and dries much more quickly than a regular towel. It can also be used many times without losing its effectiveness.

17. Towel bands and chair clips

Sitting on the beach or up on deck can get breezy. Towel bands and chair clips are practical cruise gifts that help ensure things stay put when going for a dip or ordering a drink from the bar.

18. Swimsuit cover-up

A stylish swimsuit cover-up can be convenient to have to hand when on a cruise holiday. It can be worn to cover up when going for a quick snack or lunch in the dining room, when it gets a little chilly, or if you have had too much sun and need to protect your skin.

19. Travel fan

When travelling to warm climates, such as those in the Caribbean or Southeast Asia, the heat and humidity can sometimes be a little overwhelming. A travel fan helps to keep the air moving and provides a much-needed way to cool down.

20. Sea-Bands and ginger sweets

Sea-Bands and ginger sweets are in a category of their own but make for very welcome cruise gifts for people prone to seasickness when cruising.

Not everyone experiences seasickness, and even those who do will usually find it to ease after the first few days. However, in the meantime, a sea band or some ginger candies can help relieve the unsettling symptoms.

So, if you are looking to get your cruise-loving friend a present they will truly love (and use on their next cruise) then why not choose something from above next time you are looking to buy them a gift!

Frequently Asked Questions: Buying Gifts for Cruisers

If you are still undecided or want to ensure you are buying something suitable, here are answers to the most common questions we get about buying gifts for cruise fans.

1. What gifts should I avoid buying for a cruiser?

This is a very important question! Cruise lines have strict safety rules regarding what can be brought onboard.

You should avoid buying travel irons, handheld steamers, candles, or heating pads, as these are fire hazards and will be confiscated.

Additionally, be careful with power strips or extension leads; many ships ban them, particularly if they have built-in surge protection.

2. What is the best gift for a first-time cruiser?

For someone new to cruising, the magnetic cabin hooks (number 4 on our list) or a lanyard with a waterproof pouch are excellent choices.

First-timers often underestimate how small the cabins can be or how convenient it is to have their key card accessible around their neck.

These small, inexpensive items make a huge difference to the onboard experience.

3. Can I buy a gift that they can spend on the ship?

Absolutely. If you are worried about buying a physical item they might already have, you can never go wrong with Onboard Credit (OBC). You can usually purchase this through the cruise line directly or via their travel agent.

The recipient can use this credit for spa treatments, speciality dining, shore excursions, or even drinks at the bar. It is effectively a gift voucher for fun!

4. What is a good luxury gift for a cruise lover?

If you are looking to splash out, high-quality noise-cancelling headphones (like Bose or Sony) or a premium set of binoculars are fantastic luxury options.

Alternatively, upgrading their luggage to a premium hard-shell set with 360-degree spinner wheels will make their journey through the cruise terminal much smoother.

5. I need a Secret Santa gift under £15. What do you recommend?

If you are on a budget, look for "cruise-specific" essentials that people often forget to buy for themselves.

Luggage tag holders are a brilliant, low-cost option; cruise lines ask you to print paper tags, which can easily rip, so plastic holders are very useful.

Alternatively, fun towel clips shaped like flamingos or flip-flops usually cost less than £10 and are always a hit.

6. Can I gift an experience instead of a physical item?

Yes! Experiences make incredible gifts. If you know which ship and sailing they are booked on, you could pay for a Speciality Dining package or a Shore Excursion.

If you cannot book these directly through the cruise line without their login details, you can book shore excursions through third-party providers (like Viator or Cruise Excursions) using their itinerary dates, or simply create a homemade "voucher" promising to pay for a specific activity once they are onboard.

7. Are personalised gifts a good idea for cruisers?

Personalised items are very popular, especially for group cruises or family reunions. Custom-made "Cruise Squad" t-shirts, personalised lanyards, or passport covers with their initials add a lovely thoughtful touch.

Just ensure you order these well in advance, as shipping times for custom items can be longer.

8. What about gifts for children who cruise?

For the younger sailors, a travel journal or a scrapbook kit is a fantastic gift. It keeps them entertained during downtime and gives them a wonderful keepsake to look back on.

Underwater cameras (or disposable waterproof cameras) are also great fun for kids to use in the pool or at the beach, allowing them to capture their own perspective of the holiday.