If you’re preparing for an upcoming cruise, you might be looking to stock up on some essentials before setting sail. I am always searching for budget-friendly ways to fill up my suitcase.
One of my favorite pre-cruise tasks is heading to the store to look for items that I want to take on my cruise. Shopping is much more fun than packing clothes, in my opinion! After hitting up the dollar store this fall, I couldn’t believe how many must-have cruise items I found.
I recently cruised on Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas on a short 4-night cruise from Port Canaveral. I hadn’t cruised in a few months, so I needed to replenish my cruise essentials before heading to the port.
This time, I decided to visit Five Below, a discount retail store that sells most products in the store for under $5. Some of the higher-end items are more expensive, but the vast majority of the store includes budget-friendly products.
Five Below has become more popular for frugal shoppers in recent years, leading to the store’s rapid expansion. In 2008, there were only 100 stores across the country. By 2023, the chain had expanded to more than 1,500 stores and continues to grow.
Because the cost of cruising continues to increase, many travelers are looking to save costs elsewhere. I’m not a frequent shopper of Five Below, but I have seen other cruisers head to this popular store to look for cruise essentials. I wanted to see what the hype was all about!
In fact, I had never shopped at my local Five Below, but I was pleasantly surprised by the store. First, the atmosphere was more elevated and clean than your standard dollar store or discount store. Five Below is fun, funky, and well-organized for shopping.
It’s easy to get carried away with the wide selection of items available, and I’ll definitely head back for my upcoming travels to buy these cruise essentials. Here’s what was worth purchasing at the store during my shopping spree.
Wide Variety of Travel-Sized Essentials
Before heading to the cruise port or airport, I often stock up on travel-sized essentials. By packing smaller bottles, I can save space in my suitcase and cruise cabin. Considering that cruise cabins can be tight, this helps maximize the small space by limiting clutter.
If you’re flying to your cruise with only a carry-on, you’ll also need to follow TSA’s liquid restrictions and keep items under 3.4oz. I prefer traveling light with just a carry-on suitcase, so I’m always on the lookout for travel-sized versions of my must-have products.
Five Below offers a huge selection of travel-sized essentials, which is perfect for cruising. Most items cost around $2, with name brands priced slightly higher, though nearly everything was under $4. The store had a wide variety of toiletries, such as shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, sunscreen, hairspray, dry shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, and face wash.
I was also thrilled to find many popular cruise staples here as well, including wrinkle release spray, Tide-To-Go stain remover pens, small first-aid kits, and travel-sized disinfectant wipes. I stocked up on disinfectant wipes and stain-removing pens — you can’t have enough of these when cruising!
I also found many different options for hand sanitizer, including this small spray bottle for sanitizing. It’s important to keep your hands clean while traveling to stay safe and healthy, especially on a cruise.
I stock up on hand sanitizer before every cruise for this reason, and I use it religiously during my time aboard. Five Below had a variety of affordable options for hand sanitizer, and some were even priced as low as $1.50 each.
Lastly, if you prefer to pack your own toiletries from home, Five Below offers a variety of travel-sized bottles and containers, making it easy to bring your favorite products on the go. You can purchase sets with multiple travel-sized containers or silicone travel bottles that you can fill with your own products.
Read more: 16 Packing Tips for First-Time Cruisers
Cruise Tech and Gadgets
One way that Five Below stands out from the dollar store is its selection of technology and gadgets.
Some of the items here were more expensive, ranging from $5 to $15 for some of the higher-quality products. While you might be able to find these products at other stores or online, Five Below’s selection is great for last-minute shoppers looking for budget-friendly and convenient options.
Five Below had an entire section of gadgets and technology, such as phone accessories, chargers, cords, and smaller electronics. For instance, I was able to find many different magnetic and portable chargers. These are must-haves for any cruise, especially when you’re planning to spend long days ashore.
If you’re sailing on an older cruise ship with limited outlets in the cabin, these essentials can provide additional charging options for more devices.
Some older ships only have one or two outlets for everyone to use in the stateroom, which can be difficult when everyone has multiple devices that need to be charged daily. Other cabin essentials that I was excited to find included a 10-foot-long charging phone cord and a USB extender.
The electronics sections also featured some handy travel gadgets that could be useful while cruising. This includes a digital luggage scale to ensure your suitcase isn’t overweight and a portable sound machine, which can help reduce noise in your cabin.
In fact, I always travel with a portable sound machine on a cruise ship to ensure I can sleep well each night. These were more expensive than $5 but could be worthwhile.
Towards the checkout line, there were even more tech essentials in a section called “Tech Out More for Less.” You can find more charging blocks and cords, mostly priced under $3.
For days ashore or hot days on the pool deck, you can even purchase a handy 2-in-1 portable fan and charging bank! Many cruisers love bringing small fans on board, and you can’t beat the $5 price tag.
Lastly, you can find plenty of connection cords, headphones, and earbud cases for very reasonable prices. I couldn’t believe the wide selection!
Read more: The best cruise gear that Cruise Blog editors bought (and loved) in 2024
Organization and Cruise Essentials
In addition to tech gadgets, I was also impressed by the variety of travel organization products and other cruise must-haves.
Right at the entrance of the store, I was greeted by an assortment of cute and practical cosmetic organizers. Everything from makeup bags to beauty organizers were only $5 with multiple options and sizes available.
In addition, the travel area featured a travel jewelry organizer. I never cruise without this, and I love how organized it keeps my earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. This section also included a travel laundry bag for dirty clothes, which can be helpful for keeping your stateroom organized.
Five Below had a large selection of lanyards available too — a cruise staple! Because you need to carry your cruise card everywhere, many cruisers prefer to keep their card on a lanyard.
I also found plenty of ID holders to use for keeping your purse or bag organized while aboard.
Another cruise staple for many is a small handful of sandwich baggies. I was excited to find some reusable sandwich bags, which would be perfect for travel. Baggies are extremely versatile, such as packing snacks or keeping valuables safe. I always pack a few of these in my suitcase and use them on every cruise.
Finally, I found a protective carrying case for your passport — another travel essential to protect your travel documentation. The pack at Five Below also included a matching luggage tag for only $3, such a steal!
Over-the-Counter Medication
No one wants to think about getting sick on vacation, but it’s always best to prepare for the worst-case scenario when cruising. Whether it’s a headache, upset stomach, or motion sickness, having the right medication on hand can save you money, time, and stress.
If you need some over-the-counter medication during your sailing, purchasing it onboard can be significantly more expensive than bringing it with you.
Whenever I pack for a cruise, I always bring my own medication for this reason. I call it my “travel pharmacy” with a variety of over-the-counter medications, creams, band-aids, and hydration packets. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been grateful to have medication on hand while cruising — and not needing to make a run to the overpriced store onboard.
Five Below had a large selection of medication, mostly travel-sized packs. For instance, I found travel-sized packets of Benadryl and Tylenol for purchase.
These are two medications that I bring on every vacation, and you can’t beat the price! These were listed between $3 and $4 for the travel-sized packets. Other medications to purchase included cough drops and supplements, such as Vitamin C and zinc tablets for immunity support.
If you need to purchase some medication before your cruise, you should swing by Five Below to see the options available. My store also had multiple options for organization, including some fun bubble-style pill organizers and multiple traveling cases for medication.
Cabin Door and Stateroom Decorations
One popular cruise tradition is decorating your stateroom door, whether to commemorate a special occasion or just add a fun, festive touch to your cruise experience. You’ll see many other guests onboard with decorated doors, and the trend has become even more popular in recent years.
If you’re looking for stateroom decor, Five Below is a great place to shop. The store was filled with many different choices for decorations, including balloons, streamers, banners, and magnets. You can even decorate the inside of your cabin with some of these options!
Many of these options are similar to what you would find at Target or Walmart, but cheaper. Other celebratory accessories included crowns, sashes, and headbands.
Our store also featured a few options for seasonal decor, which is especially popular if you’re cruising during a holiday.
For instance, I cruised last fall over Halloween, and many people decorated their doors with Halloween decor. Purchasing these cheap decorations is the best strategy, as you can leave them behind after your cruise is over if you don’t feel like lugging them home.
Beauty and Skincare
Cruising is all about relaxation and rejuvenation - you’re on vacation, after all. For me, this involves taking more time for self-care than I typically do at home. I was blown away by all of the beauty, makeup, and skincare options available at Five Below for affordable prices.
At the entrance of the store, I was greeted by a large display of eye-catching beauty and skincare products. Everything from cleanser, toner, serums, face masks, face mist, and exfoliation were available. I grabbed some watermelon exfoliating scrub to bring on our cruise to treat myself.
If you’re someone who loves to have your nails done on a cruise, Five Below has a large selection of nail polish and press-on nails. Our store also featured a travel-size manicure set, which would be perfect to stow away in your suitcase.
Finally, I was impressed by the variety of hair styling products at Five Below. If you need some new clips, brushes, or ponytails before you hit the beach on your cruise, I would definitely visit your nearby Five Below.
Allie Hubers
Allie Hubers has been cruising since she was a tiny toddler. What started as a yearly vacation with family quickly turned into a passion for travel, cruising and adventure. Allie's been on over 45 cruises all over the world. She even studied abroad on Semester at Sea, sailing the world on a ship while taking courses for college and visiting 4 continents.
