Cruising is a great excuse to buy new travel essentials, and I recently shopped at Target to check out the store’s top cruise items.
I often visit Target to stock up on toiletries before my cruises, and I wanted to see what other items the store offered at a budget-friendly price. Packing for a cruise means bringing essentials like a swimsuit, sunscreen, and your passport, but there are some lesser-known items that can make a huge difference.
Although the Royal Caribbean Blog team has covered pre-cruise shopping trips at Dollar Tree, Five Below, and Amazon, this is our first dedicated shopping trip to Target.
I set a budget of $20 per item to see what products are available that won’t break the bank before your next cruise.
After browsing nearly every aisle, these are the 11 cruise essentials you’ll want to buy on your next trip to Target.
8-Piece Travel Toiletry Set: $14
One essential I always bring on a cruise is a set of reusable toiletry bottles, and I love this $14 silicone set from Target. Travel-sized toiletries like shampoo and conditioner can be expensive, so a set of reusable bottles will save you money in the long run.
Plus, having your own reusable bottles lets you put your preferred products into the containers. Not all toiletries come in travel-sized bottles, so this gives you more freedom over which products you can pack.
In my experience, the silicone material is also less likely to break compared to conventional plastic bottles.
Buy it here: 8-Piece Travel Toiletry Set
10-Foot Charging Cable: $16
In some cruise cabins, power outlets can be hard to come by. If you’re sailing on a ship built before 2014, you might be surprised by how few outlets there are in your stateroom.
Even if you are on a newer ship, the availability of USB outlets can vary greatly. When I sailed on Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Star of the Seas, I was surprised to find a charging outlet on just one side of the bed.
Read more: What an inside cabin looks like on Star of the Seas
Because of this, I always travel with a long USB cable so that I can make the most of the available charging ports. This 10-foot cable from Target costs just $16, but greatly improves the charging capability of your cabin.
You can plug the cable into a USB port near the desk and it will reach your nightstand!
I recommend the USB-A to USB-C cable option, as most Royal Caribbean cabins do not feature USB-C outlets. As noted, outlets can vary greatly by ship, so it’s a good idea to pack a USB hub as well just in case your cabin has only standard plugs.
Buy it here: 10-foot USB-A to USB-C Charging Cable
Dual Port Wall Charger: $10
Speaking of outlets, I recommend packing a USB hub or dual-port charger, too.
Maximizing outlets is important, and this $10 charging hub from Target allows you to plug in two USB cables at once. There's one USB-A port and one USB-C port.
Royal Caribbean recently tightened its policies on outlet adapters. If your adapter is a multi-plug outlet, you cannot bring it onboard. USB adapters like this one are allowed.
Buy it here: Dual Port Wall Charger
Neida EVA Two-Band Sandals: $10
I always make sure I pack proper footwear on a cruise, and these $10 sandals from Target are my go-to sandals to wear onboard.
Whenever I cruise, I pack a wide range of footwear. At a minimum, I bring sneakers for travel days, dress shoes for formal night, and a pair of sandals or flip flops to wear onboard and in port.
My favorite sandals to pack for a warm-weather cruise are the Neida EVA Two-Band Sandals from Target. I purchased a pair of these sandals nearly five years ago, and they’re holding up extremely well even with frequent use.
These sandals have a Birkenstock-style design, and they’re made with a durable foam material, making them comfortable and waterproof.
I love wearing these on beach days or for walking around the ship during the day. They feel much more sturdy than flip flops.
Buy it here: Neida EVA Two-Band Sandals
Plug-In LED Nightlight: $7
If you’re cruising in an interior cabin, your room will be pitch black at night and whenever the lights are turned off during the day. Even if you’re cruising in a balcony room, your room will still be extremely dark at night, especially if the blackout curtains are drawn.
If I wake up in the middle of the night on a cruise, I often use my phone’s flashlight to make my way around the cabin. I don’t want to wake up my cabinmate by turning on the main light just to walk to the bathroom.
A better option, though, is to plug an LED nightlight into one of the cabin’s outlets. This 2-pack set of LED nightlights costs just $7 at Target, and it’s an easy way to add just a little bit of light to your room.
Buy it here: Globe 2 pack LED Auto On/Off Nightlights
Premium Belt Bag: $20
Belt bags are popular hands-free handbags that are not only functional, but also fashionable. Essentially, belt bags are like fanny packs, but with a more polished style.
Belt bags are often associated with Lululemon’s popular Everywhere Belt Bag, but Target offers their own version as well. For $20, you can buy Target’s Premium Belt Bag, which is designed for traveling and outdoor activities.
I like wearing belt bags on a cruise, as it allows me to be hands-free when exploring. I don’t have to worry about wearing a bulky backpack or bringing a bigger purse around the ship. My belt bag fits my SeaPass card, phone, and any other small essentials I need throughout the day, such as a travel-sized tube of sunscreen or my sunglasses.
Buy it here: Premium Belt Bag - All In Motion™
4-Piece Packing Cube Set: $10
I don’t know how I ever traveled without packing cubes. They make packing for a cruise so much easier. I can keep all my belongings organized in my suitcase and easily unpack once I get to my cabin.
Packing cubes come in a huge variety of sizes and price points, but this $10 set from Target is a nice option. It includes three packing cubes and a shoe bag, and it's available in three different colors.
Personally, I recommend spending a little more for a sturdier set of packing cubes. I prefer packing cubes with a second zipper to compress the cubes. Compression features are only available with more expensive sets, such as this $35 set from Target.
If you just want a cheap, budget-friendly set, though, this $10 one will get the job done.
Buy it here: 4-Piece Packing Cube Set
8-Pack Reusable Snack Bags: $9.39
Some of the most useful items to pack for a cruise that take up little to no room in your suitcase are resealable snack bags. Many parents like bringing these bags to pack snacks for shore excursions, and I personally find them helpful as a water-resistant way to protect my passport in its case.
If you’re looking for a more eco-friendly option, consider Target’s 8-pack set of reusable snack bags. You can quickly wash the bags in your cabin’s sink (or in your dishwasher when you get home), and you won’t run through so much single-use plastic in the process.
Buy it here: Reusable Sandwich Bags
Pop-Up Mesh Hamper: $5
Another useful item that takes up little space in your suitcase is a pop-up laundry hamper. It might seem like a silly item to pack for a cruise, but it’s a foolproof way to keep your cabin just a little bit more organized.
I once shared a cabin with my brother and our stateroom’s closet quickly became filled with piles of dirty laundry. We didn’t know where to place our dirty clothes, so we just threw them onto the floor without a second thought.
From that point forward, I try to keep my dirty clothes more organized in my cabin. A pop-up laundry hamper, like this $5 option from Target, is an easy and cheap way to do that.
Buy it here: Pop-Up Mesh Hamper
Door and Room Decorations: $6
Many passengers enjoy decorating their cabin during a cruise, whether that means decorating the door, the inside of the room, or both! If you’re celebrating a special occasion or just want to join the fun, you can find plenty of decorations at Target.
Lining Target’s party aisle are dozens of decorations to buy, including Happy Birthday banners, sparkly backdrops, and colorful garlands.
Most items cost around $6, making decorations a low-cost purchase that will make your cabin a lot more colorful.
Buy decorations here.
Toiletries: Under $10
Target’s toiletry aisles are perfect for stocking up on essentials like sunscreen, over-the-counter medication, hand sanitizer, and also helpful items like stain remover pens.
I often head to Target to purchase last-minute toiletries for my cruises. They have a huge variety of products and the shelves are always well-stocked. If you’re traveling with just a carry-on, the travel-sized products are a lifesaver.
While you’re stocking up on toiletries, I also recommend purchasing items like Band-Aids in this section of the store. I never cruise without a box of blister-healing Band-Aids, but regular bandages are useful to have on hand.
Finally, grab a few boxes of over-the-counter medications like Ibuprofen and Benadryl. You never know when you might need them, and they're a lot cheaper to buy at Target than onboard the ship.
