Looking for fun and useful cruise gift ideas to give to someone who loves cruising? I have put together my top picks for gifts for cruisers. As an avid cruiser and cruise packing expert my suggestions for gifts for someone going on a cruise are all tried, tested and 100% practical.
This post on gifts for a cruise covers:
- If you’re looking for the perfect gift ideas for cruise lovers in your family or circle of friends then you’ll find almost all these things would make a great birthday or Christmas gift.
- Cruising with others? It’s a lovely idea to surprise your travel companions with a few cruise gifts prior to your trip, especially if it’s something really useful that they might not have thought to pack for themselves.
- Tips on how to make a DIY cruise gift basket.
- If you want to know how to surprise someone with a cruise as a gift, then I have some ideas for that too.
Pin this post for later!
50+ Cruise Gift Ideas
Waterproof phone case / Towel Clips / Cruise Lanyards
If you’re looking for a small and inexpensive but extremely useful gift for a cruise then these are some of my top picks. The waterproof iphone case is one of the most useful items for cruise travel because it lets you carry your phone around the ship or on excursions without worrying about it getting wet or sandy. The towel clips are great for keeping your towel in place on a sun lounger. Lanyards are so useful for looking after your ship card and making sure you always have it to hand.
Cruise Luggage Tags / Passport Holder / Travel Document Wallet
If you’re looking for practical cruise gift bag ideas then pop in some cruise luggage tags and a passport or travel document wallet. Just make sure you by the right sized cruise luggage tags for the ship you’re traveling on as there are two different shapes depending on the cruise line you’re traveling with.
Cruise Tote Bag / Sandproof Beach Tote/ Wet-Dry Bag
These bags make great gifts for cruisers and you could also use them to pack up other smaller cruise gift items to give to someone you’re traveling with.
Waterproof camera / GoPro / Selfie Stick
If you’re looking for some more expensive gifts for people going on a cruise then a waterproof camera or GoPro are a wonderful idea. A selfie stick is a less expensive option.
Cruise T-Shirts & Tank Tops
One of my favorite cruise themed gifts! If you’re looking for fun, matching gifts for cruise lovers then get them some t-shirts that you can all wear on your cruise. Matching shirts are great fun for embarkation day and cruise photos. They help you find your group and keep them together.
You can either buy readymade matching shirts easily just click on any of the images above to get links to the shirts I’ve shown here.
You can also make custom cruise t-shirts with your family name, cruise ship name, cruise date or vacation theme by going to Zazzle.
Full face Snorkel / Sandproof Beach Blanket
If you’re looking for cruise related gifts for someone who loves the beach on their shore excursions then these are a great choice. These new full face snorkel masks are all the rage and really work. A sandproof beach blanket means no mess back in your cabin.
Travel Coffee Cup / Reusable Water Bottle / Wine Bottle Protector / Cruise Love Mug
Some simple, inexpensive gift ideas for someone going on a cruise like a cute travel cup or drink bottle to use on board are a lovely idea. Wine bottle protectors are also useful as most ships allow you to embark with one bottle of wine per person to drink in your cabin.
Coffee mugs to use at home or in the office that reminds everyone your friend loves to cruise are also a cute, cost-effective gifts for people who cruise.
Sea-bands / Dramamine / Ginger Candy / Seasickness Patch
Putting together a little seasickness prevention kit makes for great gifts for going on a cruise with someone who hasn’t cruised before. They might not have the knowledge or experience to know to bring a few bits and pieces like these along to combat seasickness on a cruise. My article on how to avoid seasickness on a cruise is a must read!
A little DIY disinfectent kit (Lysol Spray / Wipes / Hand Sanitzer) will also work really well for keeping healthy on a cruise.
Sunscreen / After sun gel / Sun vizor
Sun care products are great gift ideas for cruise goers. They’re inexpensive but thoughtful and make great fillers if you’re putting together a gift basket of cruise gifts. The sun visor I’ve pictured above actually rolls up making it perfect for travel!
Binoculars / Travel Alarm Clock / Travel Luggage Scale
Binoculars make great gift ideas for a cruise to Alaska! They’re one of my Alaska cruise essentials for spotting all the wonderful wildlife. Travel alarm clocks are another great little cruise ship gift ideas as there aren’t clocks inside the staterooms. A luggage scale for travel is also very useful to help avoid overpacking.
Kindle / Portable Speakers / Walkie Talkie/ Power Strip without Surge Protector
If you want to give some useful electronics to the cruise lover in your life try these! The new waterpoof Kindle is great for cruising. Portable speakers are fun for listening to music in your room. Walkie talkies are so useful when you’re traveling with older kids who want free reign over the ship but who you also need to keep tabs on. Powerpoints are always in short supply in cruise cabins and you must use a non-surge protector power strip if you want to use one so this is a very useful little gift.
Highlighter / Marker / Post-it Notes
If you’re looking for inexpensive Christmas gifts for cruisers then some stationery to use on a cruise makes for excellent stocking stuffer gifts for cruise passengers.
Delsey Luggage / Nautica Luggage / Heys America Luggage
Luggage or luggage sets makes ideal gifts for a cruise passenger who you know hasn’t traveled much. You can get some really great suitcases with four spinner that are perfect for cruising. A 25″ case is the ideal size for a one week cruise.
Cruise Cash or Gift Cards
If you’re still stuck for gift ideas for cruise travelers then grab then a gift card to use on board for drinks, spa treatments, excursions or shopping. You can also gift items like wine, birthday cakes or decorations for in their cabin. Here are the links to buy cruise gift cards:
DIY Cruise Gift Basket
White Cane Basket / Cellophane Bags for Gift Baskets / Nautical Storage Cube/ Nautical Anchor Printed Ribbon
Here are some ideas on how to make your own cruise gift basket:
- Purchase a wicker/cane gift basket or a nautical themed reusable storage box.
- Include a variety of the cruise themed gifts I’ve mentioned above OR go for a specific theme e.g. sun care & beach gear, useful cruise travel products or electronics for a cruise.
- Pack the items creatively into your chosen gift basket
- Use cellophane gift basket wrappers and a nautical themed ribbon to wrap up the gift basket
If you have any other cruise gift basket ideas I would love to hear them!
How to Surprise Someone with a Cruise
Giving a cruise as a gift is an amazing idea! If you’re planning a cruise as a surprise for a friend or family member and want to give them something to announce, you’ll need some ideas to surprise someone with a cruise.
Here are some surprise cruise gift ideas that you might like to try:
- Give them a cruise gift basket or give out cruise gift bags that you’ve made up with the instructions in the paragraph above. Maybe add a nicely printed card with the ship name and date on it to announce the cruise.
- Another creative ideas on how to gift a cruise is to wrap up a smaller present and then explain that you’re actually giving the recipient a cruise once they open it will a puzzled look on their face! A cruise ship model works to give as a gift (either with a note or an explanation or another cruise specific gift (like luggage tags!) from the list above.
- Print out images of your cruise ship and destination port and make a collage on a piece of card or inside a a greeting card and give it to your loved one and let them guess what the
- Simply print the itinerary out and package it in a nice envelope like this.
If you’ve got any creative cruise surprise ideas I would love to hear them!
Post Cruise Gifts
If you’re looking for a post cruise gift idea then a photo frame or cruise scrap book stickers is a nice idea.
I hope my list of gifts for cruise travelers has given you some ideas on what to buy someone going on a cruise. If you’re looking for a present for someone going on a cruise this holiday season, any cruise lover would be delighted with these gifts or a gift basket made up to include these items.
