The One Item You Will Regret Not Packing
Why You Should Pack Ziploc Bags on Every Cruise
I don’t care how organized you are. Pack the Ziploc bags. Not one or two. Assorted sizes.
Because if there’s one completely unglamorous thing that has earned a permanent spot on my cruise packing list, it’s a stack of Ziploc bags. They’re cheap. They take up practically no room. And once you start using them on a cruise, you’re going to wonder why you didn’t bring more. And yes… I have a very specific reason for putting a Ziploc bag over the remote control. We’ll get to that.
Put the Remote Control in a Ziploc Bag. Let’s just start with the elephant — or perhaps the Funky Frank — in the room.
The remote control. Your cabin steward has cleaned your room. You’ve wiped things down. You’re feeling pretty good about everything. But then there’s that remote. Everybody has touched it. And you have absolutely no idea where those hands have been.
Funky Frank could have been there. So here’s my solution: put the remote in a Ziploc bag.
You can still use the buttons right through the plastic, and when you’re done with the cruise, you can toss the bag. Simple. Is it slightly ridiculous? Maybe. Am I still doing it?
Absolutely.
Keep Your Toiletries From Becoming a Cabin Disaster. Travel-size shampoo. Conditioner. Lotion. Sunscreen. Toothpaste. Face wash. That one bottle that you swear you tightened all the way. Put them in Ziploc bags. Because there is nothing quite like opening your suitcase and discovering that your shampoo decided to escape sometime between dropping it off with the porter and being delivered to your cabin.
I like putting toiletries in smaller bags so if something leaks, it stays contained. Your clothes will thank you.
Turn Ziploc Bags into Compression Packing Cubes
This is one of my favorite tricks, especially when you’re traveling with kids. Take a gallon-size Ziploc bag — or a half-gallon bag if you’re packing little-kid clothes. Put an entire outfit inside. Shirt. Shorts or pants. Underwear. Socks. Whatever they need for that day. Then zip it almost closed, press the extra air out of the bag, and seal it.
Now you’ve got a little compressed outfit package. And here’s the part I love: The kid doesn’t have to dig through an entire suitcase looking for an outfit. You can literally say: “Grab the Tuesday bag.” Done. It also keeps everything together and makes packing and unpacking ridiculously easy. And because you’re pressing the air out manually, the finished package can actually be smaller than a typical packing cube.
For kids, especially, this is a game changer. And don’t think you’re limited to gallon-size bags.
You can find two-gallon Ziploc bags at Walmart, and they’re great for larger clothing bundles or even as a replacement for traditional packing cubes. They’re especially useful for bigger kids, adults, jackets, or bulkier clothing. No fancy compression system required. Just a Ziploc bag and a little elbow grease.
Make a Quick Ice Pack
This one is ridiculously simple. Need something cold? Fill a Ziploc bag with ice. Maybe you have a sore knee after walking around port all day. Maybe you bumped your shin on something. Maybe you just want something cold on the back of your neck because you’re melting in the Caribbean. Grab some ice, put it in the bag, and you’ve got a makeshift ice pack. Just wrap it in a towel so you don’t put freezing-cold ice directly against your skin.
**Also can become a quick seasick bag in a pinch.
Save Those Buffet Cookies
Now we’re getting into the really important stuff. Cookies. Sometimes you see something at the buffet that you want to take back to the cabin for later. A Ziploc bag makes this easy. Cookies. Fruit. A little snack for later. You can tuck it into your bag for the afternoon excursion or keep something handy when you get back to the cabin after a long day. Just remember that cruise lines have different rules about taking food off the ship, so check the rules before you take anything ashore. But to enjoy a little snack later? Ziploc to the rescue.
Collect Beach Treasures
Did you find a really cool piece of sea glass? A pretty shell? A tiny beach treasure that you absolutely must bring home? Put it in a Ziploc bag. It’s much better than throwing wet, sandy treasures into the bottom of your beach bag.
And if your treasure is still wet, the bag keeps the water — and the sand — contained.
Just be sure you’re allowed to collect whatever you’ve found. Some beaches and protected areas don’t allow collecting shells, coral, rocks, or other natural materials. And never, ever bring home anything that has a living creature in it. When in doubt, take a photo and leave it behind.
Deal With the Wet Swimsuit
This might be one of the most obvious uses, but it’s still one of the best. You’ve got a wet swimsuit, or water shoes. Your suitcase has dry clothes. Those two things do not belong together. Put the wet swimsuit or the water shoes in a Ziploc bag until you can get it hung up or washed.
Same thing goes for: Wet socks, damp washcloths, A damp cover-up, Anything else that shouldn’t be mingling with your clean clothes
Contain the Sand
If you’ve been to the beach, you know. Sand gets everywhere. Put sandy flip-flops, small beach toys, goggles, or other sandy items into a Ziploc bag before throwing them into your suitcase or beach bag. You won’t eliminate the sand. Let’s be realistic. But you can contain the crime scene.
Protect Your Electronics
Ziploc bags are cheap insurance for your electronics. You can use them for: Charging cords, Earbuds, Power banks, Small accessories, Extra cables, your phone while you’re near water. They’re particularly handy when you’re heading to the pool or beach.
Obviously, a Ziploc bag isn’t a substitute for a properly waterproof case when your electronics are actually going into the water. But for splashes, sand, sunscreen-covered hands and general vacation chaos? They’re pretty darn handy.
Organize Medications and First-Aid Stuff
Small Ziploc bags are fantastic for keeping little things together. Bandages. Blister pads. Pain relievers. Motion-sickness supplies. Antacids. Meds for the day. Instead of having a handful of little things floating around your toiletry bag, put them together in their own bag.
Just keep prescription medications in their original labeled containers and follow any applicable medication/travel requirements. If you pour your pills into daily containers (which also fit into Ziploc bags) be sure to keep photos of your prescriptions on your phone.
Keep Your Important Stuff Dry
Cruise cards. Shore excursion tickets. Copies of important documents. Receipts. Small pieces of paper you don’t want destroyed by water. A Ziploc bag gives you a simple extra layer of protection. Especially when you’re heading out for the day and there’s a chance you’re going to encounter rain, water, swimming pools or an aggressively enthusiastic splash zone.
Create a “Don’t Lose This” Bag
You know all those tiny things that mysteriously disappear while traveling? Hair ties. Bobby Pins. Jewelry. Charging adapters. Earplugs. Small clips. Safety pins. Little odds and ends. Give them their own Ziploc bag. Then when you need that one tiny thing you were positive you packed, you actually have a fighting chance of finding it. Also, great to keep everything that you put in your safe – if it’s in one Ziploc bag, it’s not as easy to leave small items behind.
Do Laundry in Your Cabin Sink
This one is another favorite. You can actually use a Ziploc bag to help wash a few small clothing items right in your cabin. Grab a sturdy gallon-size Ziploc bag. Put in a couple of small clothing items, some water and a small piece of a laundry detergent sheet.
Seal the bag securely, leaving enough room for the clothes and water to move around. Then comes the important part: Agitate it. Squish it. Massage it. Move the clothes around inside the bag. Basically, you’re creating your own little washing machine — without the washing machine. After you’ve worked the clothes around for a few minutes, drain the dirty water, rinse the clothes with clean water, and repeat as needed until the detergent is rinsed out. Then gently squeeze out the excess water and hang the clothes up to dry. Obviously, this is for small loads and lightweight clothing, not your entire cruise wardrobe. And don’t use boiling or extremely hot water in a plastic storage bag. Room-temperature or comfortably warm water is plenty. The beauty of this trick is that it can help you get a few extra wears out of your clothes without sending everything to the ship’s laundry. One gallon Ziploc + a little detergent sheet + a couple of small clothing items = emergency cabin laundry. Now that’s a cruise hack.
Separate Dirty Clothes
Here’s another easy one. Use a larger Ziploc bag to separate smaller amounts of dirty laundry. Socks. Underwear. Swimsuits. Workout clothes. Whatever you want kept separate. And if something is particularly… fragrant? Please give that item its own bag (and for heaven’s sake, throw in a piece of a laundry sheet). Your suitcase will thank you.
So How Many Should You Bring?
Honestly? More than you think you’ll need. They weigh almost nothing and take up virtually no space. I bring a variety of sizes: Snack. Sandwich. Half-gallon. Quart. Gallon. Two-gallon. Because the minute you have a gallon bag in your suitcase, you’ll suddenly need a sandwich bag. And the minute you bring the sandwich bags, you’ll find something that really needs a gallon bag. That’s just how this works.
My Cruise Packing Rule: If It’s Small, Cheap and Useful — Pack It
This is one of those travel tricks that doesn’t look very exciting when you’re packing at home. Nobody gets excited about putting Ziploc bags in a suitcase. Nobody posts a glamorous Instagram photo of their collection of gallon bags. But once you’re on the ship? You will use them. For the remote. For toiletries. For packing outfits. For wet swimsuits. For snacks. For beach treasures. For electronics. For medications. For dirty laundry. For washing a few things in your cabin sink. For the random little things that somehow accumulate when you’re traveling. And when you’re standing in your cabin thinking, “Man, I wish I had something to put this in…”
Guess what? You brought Ziploc bags. You’re welcome. Funky Frank approves.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need expensive gadgets to make cruising easier. Sometimes the best travel hacks are the boring ones. A few Ziploc bags take up almost no room, cost very little, and can solve a ridiculous number of little travel problems. So the next time you’re packing for a cruise, don’t just grab your passport, swimsuit and sunscreen. Throw in the Ziploc bags. Assorted sizes. Trust me. You’ll find a use for them.
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