Best holiday gifts for cruisers 2005

By Elissa Vallano

updated 2:45 p.m. ET Dec. 7, 2005

Year after year, you tell yourself this time will be different. You'll be prepared, you'll have a game plan, and you won't crack under the pressure. But year after year, you fall into the same old trap -- rushing around at the last minute, trying to get all your holiday shopping done in time for the festivities, and inevitably walking away with picked-over socks and stale fruit cake.

Cruise Critic knows exactly how you feel. So forget the screaming kids, rude salespeople and crowded malls. Since Christmas is just around the hull, we've made our list of the greatest holiday gifts for cruisers -- and checked it twice -- to lend you a helping hand this season. From books to water bottles, we've outlined the best of the best.

So what do you get the cruiser who has everything? Well, that's obvious: a cruise! This year Carnival's really promoting cruise travel as a great gift (seems like a brilliant gimmick) and if you've achieved past-guest status you can purchase one with a reasonable discount but still look like a Rockefeller to your lucky recipient. Prices start from $249 for a four-night Western Caribbean sailing on Fascination, and free upgrades are available for those who book before December 31, 2005. Not sure which line to pick? Travel agencies will be happy to sell you gift certificates that your recipient can use to choose his own cruise.

But there are other, just as nice ways, to honor the cruise traveler in your nearest and dearest. Here are some ideas:

Tasty Holiday Treats
This holiday season, you can bring a taste of the Caribbean to your loved ones. The number one exports of the Cayman Islands, Tortuga Rum Cakes ($25) have been a favorite treat of Caribbean cruisers for years. The new cake flavor, spiced with cinnamon and studded with plump raisins, is a tropical gourmet treat fit for a ship's godmother.

Slide show   2005 Holiday Highlights From Rockefeller Center to Red Square, people all around the world celebrated the 2005 holiday season. more photos

You might not be able to afford buying a real ship for your loved one, but you can certainly afford to buy a chocolate one! Carnival's six-ounce solid semi-sweet chocolate Fun Ships($11.50) come with the Carnival logo and state-of-the-art funnel, and are a sure-fire way to please any sweet tooth.

Stocking Stuffers to Scream For
If you know someone who loves to cruise but succumbs to some unpleasant doses of sea sickness, BioBands ($12.85) is the answer -- and the perfect gift. The acupressure wrist bands control nausea that comes with rough seas without drugs or side effects. Adjustable for maximum comfort, BioBands can quench any queasiness.

Captain's wife Joyce Gleeson-Adamidis, who pens Cruise Critic's popular Under the Captain's Table column, came to us after she'd written her first book: If I Were Not Upon The Sea. If you think she's candid about what goes on below decks in her column, her book is even more explosive!

Rain or shine, a cruiser will never miss a chance to explore a port of call. Soleil Chic has designed umbrellas ($31.95) with just that attitude in mind. The umbrellas not only block the rain, but are UV-proof as well, and come in several sizes with matching totes.

No cruise is complete without the stateroom mascot -- the unique towel animal Carnival has become famous for that sits eagerly on your bed awaiting your arrival each night. The cruise line has release a new instructional book ($12.95) offering step-by-step directions, along with accompanying photos for guests wishing to recreate these creatures back home.

A book that truly captures the essence of cruising, What Time is the Midnight Buffet? ($12.95) is a humorous and entertaining read by chesterh (otherwise known as Richard Holleran), a self-proclaimed computer geek hailing from New Hampshire who cruises regularly with his wife. This book has everything from travel tips to plot twists to a pronunciation guide.

No cruiser wants to be hassled with technicalities once onboard, that's why Bumps B Gone Travel Hangers ($12.85) are a packer's prime present. Made of soft, padded foam and sturdy plastic, these bendable folding hangers let shirts drip-dry without bumpy bulges at the shoulders, and thin-strapped garments stay firmly in place.

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