Have someone in your life who loves the water as much as you? Here are a few gift ideas for the cruise fans in your life (you can gift yourself with some of these, too!) that will certainly say “I love you”.

Of course, the ultimate gift for a cruise fan is a cruise; if your budget can accommodate such a lavish gift, you’ll be everyone’s favorite gift-giver.If you want to purchase a cruise for someone else, one thing we’ve found to work the best is presenting them with a gift certificate so you can talk with Cruise Specialists together and have the fun of selecting a location and then dreaming about your big getaway long before it happens!

If your gift budget won’t cover the entire cost of a cruise, no worries. Remember, it’s the thought behind a gift, rather than the size or expense, that really counts. And, there are lots of thoughtful gifts for your favorite cruise companions.

Gifts to help prepare for a cruise

• Stylish carry-on bag that’s big enough to hold essential items, a change of clothes, and a swimsuit (so your giftee can change and jump in the pool immediately after boarding).
• Travel guides for the cruise region or specific ports of call, which are helpful when choosing shore excursions.

Gifts to take on the ship

There are lots of options here: any one of them is useful, and you may have fun putting together a collection of the smaller items that you can present inside a toy ship!

• Lip balm and sunscreen.
• Highlighters: experienced cruisers use these to highlight items of interest on the ship’s daily schedule, so they won’t miss a thing!
• Some fun sunglasses.
• Sunhat that provides a little shade while lounging on deck.
• Lanyard with a pouch that can hold a stateroom keycard, identification, credit cards, money and other small valuables.
• Travel alarm clock: most ships don’t have alarm clocks (or any kind of clock) in the staterooms.
• Plug-in nightlight to help navigate an unfamiliar stateroom at night.
• Plush beach towels to take on beach-themed shore excursions.
• Packable rain jacket or umbrella: something that folds up small, but provides protection from any sudden showers.

Gifts that can be waiting on the ship

If your loved one has already scheduled a holiday season cruise with Cruise Specialists, we can arrange for one of these wonderful gifts to be waiting when they board.

• Shipboard credits, which can be used to pay for a variety of extras on board, from beverages to spa treatments to goodies from the boutiques.
• Special touches that make your loved one’s stateroom even more welcoming: a bottle of wine, some chocolates and fruit, fresh flowers, or a holiday-themed decoration.
• A gift certificate to the onboard spa, with instructions to use it for an indulgent, relaxing treatment.
• An exclusive, personalized shore excursion – this is a spectacular gift. Examples include arranging for an experienced guide to provide a personal tour of a port city; a flightseeing adventure in a small plane; or a personal cooking lesson from a celebrated local chef.

Gifts to enjoy after a cruise

• Picture frames with a nautical look for favorite cruise photos.
• A scrapbook for photos taken on the cruise, as well as other mementos like shore excursion tickets, tour brochures, dinner menus and daily bulletins.

If you’d like even more gift ideas or help with any of these, talk with your Cruise Specialists cruise expert.