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This cruising must-have might seem surprising, but it makes a lot of sense

Even if you don’t bring a snoring friend or partner along with you, you might find yourself bothered by noise in your cruise ship cabin. That’s why I recommend you always bring earplugs with you on your cruise.

Every cruise ship is different in a lot of ways, of course, and in-cabin noise is definitely one of them. On Royal Caribbean ships, I like to pick a cabin by the elevator for convenience; however, on Carnival ships, I find that I often hear the “ding!” of the elevator if I’m too close.

It’s also true that every sailing is different. If you hit rough waters, your ship might make noises it doesn’t usually make. It could be anything from rattling hangers in the closet (or the closet in the cabin next door — speaking from experience) to the creaking of the ship.

(By the way, the ship is supposed to creak. It’s actually a good thing — that’s what keeps it from breaking!)

Shorter party cruises and sailings with a lot of families and kids tend to be louder, as well. That’s why I always pack a pair of earplugs to wear when I go to sleep. Especially on those weekend party cruises — I tend to go to bed on the earlier side, and the last thing I want is to be woken up by drunks yelling in the hall at 3 am.

You might need to experiment to find a type of earplug that works for you. I like these ultra-soft ones from CVS, and a couple of pairs of them always live in the pill case that I bring with me on cruises. Make sure that you bring one pair for every 3-4 days, because you’ll want to be able to change them out.

You’re doing a lot on your cruise vacation, and sleep is important. Throwing in a couple of pairs of earplugs won’t take up room in your suitcase, and they can make the difference between a restful vacation and a fitful one.