Are you looking for the perfect gift for someone going on a cruise? Well, this list of the best gifts for cruise lovers should certainly give you some ideas.
If you’re looking for cruise gifts for friends, mum and dad or the kids, I’ve done all the research for you to put together a list of interesting cruise-themed gifts.
Whether you want practical birthday gifts for someone going on a cruise or a funny cruise ship-themed gift for a cruise addict, you’ll find some great cruise gift ideas here…
Cruise gifts for her
Looking for a gift for your mother, sister, daughter, wife, girlfriend, friend or female colleague? Be inspired by this list of the best nautical-themed gifts for ladies.
Anchor Tote Bag
This anchor shopping bag is of great quality and will last for years to come. It’s perfect to take on a cruise to use as a beach bag or a shopping bag to carry your haul of souvenirs back to the ship.
Silver Anchor Bracelet
Anchor jewellery has become a really popular trend. More than just symbolising a love of the ocean, it’s also a sign of strength and stability. This sterling silver bracelet is beautiful and would make a welcome addition to any Christmas stocking.
Nautical Passport Holder
This stylish passport holder is a really practical gift to take on a cruise. It has a slim, lightweight design and slots for all of your cards as well as your passport.
Nautical Cushion Covers
These gorgeous cushion covers will transform any room into a nautical haven and remind you of the place you most like to be – at sea.
Cruise gifts for him
If you’re looking for a present for your husband, brother, dad, son, boyfriend, friend or colleague, be inspired by this cool selection of the best nautical-themed gifts for gentlemen.
Anchor Tie
He’s sure to be the star of the show on formal nights with this anchor stitched tie which adds a classy look yet is sure to be a talking point with fellow cruisers.
Eat, Sleep, Cruise, Repeat T-Shirt
The perfect t-shirt for people who like to cruise, this shirt is available in men’s, women’s and kids’ sizes and a choice of different colours. You could have matching ones for the whole family!
Port and Starboard Socks
Can you remember which is port and which is starboard? These socks should help. These men’s nautical socks are a fun stocking filler for any dads or grandads who like to cruise.
Cruise Fund Money Box
This handcrafted, ceramic coin bank will make it easy to save for your next cruise. A fun gift for cruise lovers, it’s so pretty, they’ll be excited to pop their pounds in there.
Men’s Nautical Bracelet
Made of the highest quality materials, this handmade bracelet is comfortable enough that he never needs to take it off. It comes in many different colours and sizes.
Nautical Cufflinks
These shirt cufflinks are the perfect gift to take on a cruise. They come packaged in a lovely gift box.
Cruise gifts for kids
Boys and girls of all ages will love these thoughtful nautical gifts, whether for Christmas, a birthday or to give before going on a cruise.
Top Trumps – World Famous Ships
I received this card game from Secret Santa for Christmas last year and I absolutely love it – we played it for hours! This entertaining Top Trumps card game is great for kids and ship geek adults alike. It features all kinds of ships as well as cruise ships, but Allure of the Seas is the overall best card, beating the others in almost every category.
P&O Cruises Colouring Book
This is another gift that I’ve put in the list of cruise gifts for kids, but actually, many adults would love too. This beautiful colouring book celebrates the history of P&O Cruises with interiors and exteriors of ships past and present to colour in. There’s also a Cunard version.
Cruise Ship Jigsaw Puzzle
As a kid, I used to love doing jigsaws in the Christmas holidays. I’d always get one for Christmas and it would keep me busy until January. This 1000-piece puzzle is fun for kids and adults alike. I wouldn’t fancy being on that ship much though!
Polly Pocket Cruise Ship
My daughter has this Polly Pocket and she loves it! Polly Pocket compacts are so much fun for kids aged four and up and this cruise ship version comes with two Polly dolls and a jet ski. Polly Pockets are even better now than they were the first time around in the 90s as Polly now sticks to the surfaces.
Playmobil Cruise Ship
Playmobil is a classic favourite toy and the figurines from this cruise ship set can be used with other Playmobil sets. Children can have hours of fun using their imagination with this brilliant cruise ship toy.
Cruise accessories
If you’re wondering ‘What is a good gift to give someone going on a cruise?’, then you should think about the practical things that will make their cruise less stressful and more fun.
Here are some ideas…
There are lots of cruise gadgets and gizmos which are really practical to have. Even the most regular cruisers might not have seen some of these, but they’re all really useful gifts. Take a look at these cruise essential gifts.
SailPak Cruise Hamper
The ultimate cruise gift, I was thrilled to receive this bumper hamper of cruise accessories from SailPak. It has everything you need to enjoy your cruise including a tote bag, magnetic hooks, towel bands, seasickness patches and so much more!
Cruise Lanyards
These lanyards have a waterproof cruise card holder as well as a retractable reel for making it easy to swipe or scan your card as needed. They come with a nice gift box too, so they make an excellent gift.
Hanging Toiletry Bag
Space can be limited in a cruise ship cabin, so this wash bag is perfect to take on a cruise thanks to the hook and space-saving design. It has loads of compartments which are all easy to access with the bag hanging from the towel rail or coat hook in your cabin bathroom.
The Cruise Planner
This planner is jam-packed full of info to help you plan your cruise to a tee. It has space for you to add all your own details so that you can take it with you when you travel. I have a copy of this and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone going on a cruise.
Sunrise Alarm Clock
This sunrise alarm clock is a fantastic gift for anyone who likes to cruise in an interior stateroom. It’ll gradually fill the room with a gentle sunrise glow at the time you set, so you don’t end up waking up in the morning wondering if it’s 3 am or 8 am. A fantastic option if you want cruise ship gifts for someone going on their first cruise, too.
Gorilla Hooks
These magnetic hooks are super strong. They stick to your cabin walls (which are always metal) and hold your handbags, hats, coats, swimming goggles and everything else! Since I started parking these, I wouldn’t cruise without them.
Full-Face Snorkel Mask
If you’re buying a present for someone going on a Caribbean cruise then this is ideal. For the price of hiring a mask and snorkel, you can get them this full face snorkel mask which is not only more comfortable than a traditional snorkel set, it also gives 180-degree views. There’s even a mount to attach an underwater camera, should you desire.
Cruise Holiday Countdown Chalkboard
If you know someone who has a cruise booked, buy them this lovely hanger so that they can mark the days remaining. They’ll get more and more excited as the number gets smaller, and think fondly of you for reminding them of the exciting times ahead – one of the more simple gifts for cruisers and yet oh so effective.
Towel Clips
Sometimes, it can be really windy at sea so towel clips are a must for any cruiser. There are some really cool novelty ones available, which also makes finding your sunbed much easier when everyone has the same cruise ship towel.
But, before you go ahead and buy the pineapple ones, you might want to read this article: What do pineapples mean on a cruise?
And if you already know what they mean and you’re pranking a friend…this is definitely a good option for funny cruise gifts.
Waterproof Phone Pouch
This is a brilliant invention. Not only does this waterproof case protect your phone from water and sand, but you can also use your phone while it’s in the case. Safe for depths of up to 30 metres, you can turn your phone into an underwater camera. It comes with a handy lanyard so you can’t lose it in deep water.
Mini Binoculars
A pair of binoculars are great to take on a cruise so that you can admire the distant scenery from your balcony. Or, when you spot another ship in the distance and want to know which it is. These binoculars are small enough that you can take them everywhere easily and cheap enough that you won’t mind letting the kids have a go.
GoPro HERO9 Action Camera
I love my GoPro and take it on every cruise. It’s pocket-sized, tough and waterproof. The photo and video quality are both amazing. I use mine for filming cruise ship tours, as even if you have a shaky hand, the image looks smooth thanks to revolutionary self-stabilising technology. There are newer models available if you prefer, but the HERO9 is great value and does everything you need for a cruise.
Cruise Luggage Tag Holders
If you’ve ever faffed around trying to fold a cruise luggage tag into the right shape and staple it to your luggage with only two hands, you’ll know what a challenge it can be. These cruise luggage tags are a game-changer. Not only do they make affixing the labels so much easier; they’re also more secure and weatherproof.
Tip: Different cruise lines have different sized luggage labels, so be sure to get the right one for your cruise.
Travel Alarm Clock
Cruise cabins have no clocks in them, and the time zone can often change overnight as you sail into different time zones. Relying on your phone can be problematic as sometimes they update the time themselves and sometimes they don’t, so you can never be sure. That’s why I recommend taking a travel alarm clock.
This small travel alarm clock also tells you the temperature and what day it is, as that’s another thing that’s easy to forget on a cruise!
Packing Cubes
Anyone who’s tried packing cubes swears by them and would never go back to packing everything together. These cubes are thicker than most packing cubes that you’ll find and are waterproof. Say hello to being organised when you pack for your cruise.
Cruise gift cards
If you want to get a really special gift, you could gift someone a cruise. Cruise gift cards are available to buy, so that they can choose their own dates and itinerary for their trip.
Carnival Cruise Gift Cards
Carnival gift cards are available to buy. US residents can purchase physical gift cards, and international customers can purchase online gift cards with a value of $100 to $1000.
Princess Cruises Gift Cards
Princess Cruises gift cards come as traditional plastic gift cards or e-gift cards which are sent by email. You can choose any value between $25 and $2000.
See Princess Cruises gift cards
Celebrity Cruises Gift Cards
Celebrity cruises gift certificates are available only for on-board credit in multiples of $25, or a speciality restaurant credit which costs $45.
See Celebrity Cruises shipboard credit certificates
Whilst giving the gift of a cruise can seem like a nice idea, cruise gift cards and vouchers can have pitfalls that come with being tied to a particular cruise line and its terms and conditions.
If you want to gift a cruise, you could instead opt for a handmade card or gift certificate detailing your promise. Or instead of on-board credit, you could gift dollars or Euros in cash which could be used to pay a balance on board or be used to spend in ports of call.
To wrap up…
Once you’ve chosen your perfect cruise gift, continue with the theme with some nautical gift wrap or a cute cruise ship greetings card.
Nautical Gift Wrap
This cute ocean-themed gift wrapping paper has various designs including anchors, whales, ships, ships wheels, stars and waves. It’s of premium quality so it’s not easy to rip.
Pop-Up Cruise Ship Greeting Card
If you’re looking for a greeting card with the wow factor, then this one is guaranteed to cause a splash. Perfect for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries or any other special occasion, this handmade card has an intricate pop-up cruise ship.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Hi,
I’ve been struggling for some ideas this Christmas but there are some great suggestions on this list,
Thanks for taking the time to make it,
Loved the cruise gift ideas
Cheers
Peter