Convenience is king on any cruise, and bringing a lanyard is something I'll always bring on my cruise to make my life onboard easier.
There are plenty of things you could pack to bring on a cruise, but a vastly underrated one is a lanyard because I doubt I've ever considered having one on any land vacation I've taken.
I first noticed other cruisers wearing them when I started cruising, and I never thought I needed one until I gave it a try. It was one of those "don't knock it 'till you try it" situations.
Here's why you might might want to try it too.
Easy to use and store
Your key, literally and figuratively, to everything onboard a Royal Caribbean ship is your SeaPass card.
Ships are cashless and you use your SeaPass card to get into your cabin and make purchases, so you need to keep it with you. Some folks use pockets, some have a stick-on wallet on their phone, some put them in a wallet or a purse and others opt for lanyards.
One of the top reasons a lanyard is helpful is because it stores your SeaPass card in an easy to access spot. This is especially true if you don't have pockets, such as women wearing a dress or anyone in a bathing suit.
They're also really good for anyone prone to losing cards, as I've found is a not-so-useful talent of mine.
Having a lanyard makes it easier than digging in your pocket or searching for the SeaPass card in a bag.
It's easy to put the SeaPass card down and walk away from it, but the lanyard is a good reminder since it's around your neck.
One advantage of lanyards over using your pockets in pants is how often you may change pants during the day.
You start off with shorts, switch to a bathing suit, and then formal wear in the evening. The amount of times I've had to go back and dig through the dirty laundry pile to find my cash or SeaPass card in a pocket seems to be my own personal unwanted cruise tradition.
Lanyards aren't necessary, but they are so darn convenient.
Lanyards are so helpful for kids
Stop me if you've heard this before: kids misplace everything.
To that point, a lanyard makes it more difficult for them to misplace their lanyard it if it's around their neck!
I also keep some cash in them
I'll sometimes keep cash in the lanyard too, because tipping a little bit extra at bars is common on sea days.
I usually tip a waiter or bartender $1-$2 per drink I order, so it's easy to store a few of those dollars in my lanyard.
I keep my casino gambling money in my pocket, but I prefer not to pull out a big wad of money if I don't have to. I'm not so much worried someone is going to steal my money as I am concerned I'll fumble through it and drop some.
A waterproof lanyard is really helpful at the beach
I've also purchased a waterproof lanyard to have with me when I'm at the beach, and this is even more useful.
At Perfect Day at CocoCay, I'll want to maximize my time in the pool, but leaving valuables back at the chairs can be unnerving.
Having a waterproof lanyard allows you to keep your identification with you, along with cash.
I'll leave the lanyard behind during one part of the cruise
I love my lanyard on the ship or at a private destination, but I'll leave it behind on a port day.
No one will really question or think twice about you wearing a lanyard on the ship, but if I'm on a shore excursion or exploring a city, I wont wear my lanyard because I think it makes me stick out too much as a tourist.
To be fair, I'm sure I'll stick out as a tourist anyway, but I think it's important to do what you can to not make yourself an easy mark. Meaning, don't be so blatantly obvious to become a target.
Instead, I'll keep my valuables in a cross body bag that is great for preventing pickpockets.
My favorite lanyards to buy
There are so many different lanyards you can buy, including ones Royal Caribbean sells in the cruise terminal and onboard its ship.
Here are a few options for men and women:
- Retractable, detachable lanyard
- Leather lanyard
- Cruise On Lanyard Essentials (2-Pack)
- Vera Bradley Women's Cotton Zip ID Case and Lanyard Combo
All of these links are affiliate links, which means I get a few bucks if you buy something, but it costs you nothing extra.
