Gadgets play a huge part in modern life. I’m a massive tech-head, and anything that’s quirky really grabs my attention.
So quite why it’s taken me this long to write a blog about the best travel gadgets that you can take on a cruise, I’ve no idea. But as soon as the idea was suggested to me, I was away. I’ve found 15 great gadgets for your cruise holiday – ranging from the simple but useful to the out-there – which you might be interested in. I’ll cover five a day, so I can really get into what makes each one great.
Metal-Detecting Sandals
Some people like to go to the beach to sunbathe, and escape from the world in peace. Some people prefer to play sports, or head out for a swim in the sea. And then there are those who have more of an adventurous streak. For those, these sandals are ideal. Costing around £20, these have the optional pack which straps to your leg which tells you when you’re walking over potential treasure.
While it might not be something you’d use on a Mediterranean beach, there are plenty of destinations around the world where these could be fun, and the best thing is you’ll get a small buzz or vibration, rather than that annoying whine that standard detectors emit, so you won’t have to pester those who are just trying to unwind.
Shirt Shuttle
If you’re travelling to another country before you depart the ship, particularly if it’s a long distance, there can be a couple of issues. One of these is making sure your outfits for formal nights don’t appear all creased or, even worse, damaged. The shirt shuttle takes care of part of this anyway, giving you an easy tool to protect a shirt.
You simply fold the shirt around the board and then it will remain tightly packed in a sealed case, so you don’t need to worry about paying for laundry services or ironing your shirt yourself when you’re on-board. The only setback is the price – the best deal you’ll get for one of these cases is £30, and you can expect to pay up to £40. Seems a bit much for me to protect a shirt but it is useful, and reusable.
Credit Card Razor
One of the absolute bargains on my list and a great little space-saver. If you want to take a travel razor abroad with you then this is a fantastic idea – one which folds down to the size of a credit card, meaning you can carry it around in your wallet rather than having a bulkier razor amongst your luggage.
It’s not half-baked either, as the card includes two spare blades and its own mirror, so you’ve got almost everything you need for a full shave. And available to buy at just £6.99, it’s a cracking little purchase to keep you looking your best while on-board.
Suitcase Scale
Not a whole lot to say on this one, but it does make good sense if you’re on a fly cruise. The last thing you want is to turn up to the airport and be hit with a raft of charges because your suitcase has strayed a few grams over the limit.
You can get dedicated digital scales these days for less than a tenner, which can save you a lot of money in the long run. Of course you could just cruise from UK ports, which would remove this problem altogether…
SpareOne Phone
Sometimes with gadgets something just makes you think “wow” and today, this was that item. This is an emergency mobile phone that is powered by one AA battery. It has a battery life of up to 15 years and talk time of up to 10 hours on one battery.
While you’re travelling around the world, you’d need to add local SIM cards to avoid roaming charges, and since you’ll generally visit multiple countries on one cruise this may not make the most sense. But used purely as an emergency phone, with one large button dedicated to this and no SIM card required to make emergency calls, this could be a godsend. Well worth the £50 or so that it costs.
Look out for part two where I’ll be looking at more power solutions, ways to keep items safe in the sea, and the most bizarre gadget to help you sleep on planes that I’ve ever seen…
By Ian Lewis
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