Jump to content

Cruise travel tips & secrets


Recommended Posts

I have made a list of some tips for cruise travel. Please feel free to add your cruising "secrets" to my list!

 

Cruise & travel tips

 

1.) Invest in hard side luggage to avoid bed bugs. It only takes one infested soft luggage to affect everyone else's luggage on a plane, train, ship etc.

2.) Pill boxes make excellent jewelry holders for traveling.

3.) Buy a cheap (dollar store, walmart) over the door shoe holder with clear pockets. Can hold sunscreen, glasses, hair brush, make up, sprays, hair gel, toothbrush, toothpaste and many other toiletries. Now you can have everything organized on the door and it doesnt take up your drawer and counter space. Works wonders in tiny cruise ship bathrooms!

4.) A travel wallet/organizer keeps all of your important documents together. That way your not constantly digging around for your plane tickets, passports etc.

5.) Bring a travel alarm clock. Cruise staterooms do not have them.

6.) I always travel with Lysol wipes. Airplane/train seats are filthy!

7.) Cruise ship stateroom doors are metal and can hold magnets. Just ask anyone that I have cruised with what I put on their door!!

8.) Bring 50% more money and 50% less clothes than you think you need.

9.) Dress for formal nights! It takes just as much effort to put on tux pants as it does to put on jeans. And where else are you going to wear fancy clothes?

10.) Travel with your teddy bear! It makes a great pillow on the plane and also quiets noisy children! (True story!)

11.) Always bring air freshner. Lysol doubles as a disinfectant.

12.) Pack or bring a backpack. It's lightweight and holds a lot. Can be used as a beach bag or a quick carry on if your luggage is over weight.

13.) Get change (small bills) prior to your vacation. You'll be glad you did when you go to a vending machine and when you need to tip the luggage handlers.

14.) Pack medicines, bathing suit and a change of clothes in your carry on.

15.) Two words - Duck tape! Can temporarily fix anything from luggage to hemming a pair of trousers! Makes a great lint "brush" too! My husband wraps duct tape around the travel hairspray bottle so we have some if we need, without packing a big roll of it.

16.) Do not forget your phone/laptop

charger.

17.) The buffet is very crowded on the first day of a cruise. There are other options for dining - do your research prior to boarding!

18.) Make a copy of your passport and e-mail it to yourself. You can access it from any computer or smartphone if it gets lost.

19.) Put a copy of your name, cell phone number and e-mail address INSIDE your luggage, as well as on your luggage tags.

20.) Always pack a "medicine cabinet." Gift shops are not open 24 hours.

21.) Walkie-talkies are a great way to keep in touch with the kids when they want to venture out on their own.

22.) A household extension cord lets you charge a few cell phones and laptops at once. Power strips are bulky and banned from cruise ships.

23.) Gold bond powder is a must if your doing a beach vacation.

24.) Downey Wrinkle Release works wonders! Especially on cruises where travel irons are banned.

25.) Be sure to use a Travel Agent for their expertise cruising knowledge, customer service, same point of contact after booking and to look into special promotions.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pack a flashlight and Immodium.

 

 

We use dollar store baby powder for sand removal. It's amazing how many feet a travel size will clean.

 

Not all cabin doors/walls are metal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My recommendation for people travelling with another person, is to crosspack! That is, put one complete outfit in your travelling companions checked bag, and they put one of their outfits in your bag. Packing cubes make this easy. That way, if one checked bag is lost or late, you have another outfit.

Also, don't forget your sense of humour, and patience.

Enjoy your vacation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have made a list of some tips for cruise travel. Please feel free to add your cruising "secrets" to my list!

 

Cruise & travel tips

 

1.) Invest in hard side luggage to avoid bed bugs. It only takes one infested soft luggage to affect everyone else's luggage on a plane, train, ship etc.

2.) Pill boxes make excellent jewelry holders for traveling.

Too small...most of my jewelry is bulky. I use the boxes dept. stores put your jewelry in when you buy it.

3.) Buy a cheap (dollar store, walmart) over the door shoe holder with clear pockets. Can hold sunscreen, glasses, hair brush, make up, sprays, hair gel, toothbrush, toothpaste and many other toiletries. Now you can have everything organized on the door and it doesnt take up your drawer and counter space. Works wonders in tiny cruise ship bathrooms!

Bought one once...never needed it. Find there to be more than enough storage on every cruise we have been on.

4.) A travel wallet/organizer keeps all of your important documents together. That way your not constantly digging around for your plane tickets, passports etc.

Have these items tucked in a zippered pocket of my tote; no need to purchase another item.

5.) Bring a travel alarm clock. Cruise staterooms do not have them.

I use my cell phone (which is on airplane mode while on the cruise)

6.) I always travel with Lysol wipes. Airplane/train seats are filthy!

7.) Cruise ship stateroom doors are metal and can hold magnets. Just ask anyone that I have cruised with what I put on their door!!

8.) Bring 50% more money and 50% less clothes than you think you need.

9.) Dress for formal nights! It takes just as much effort to put on tux pants as it does to put on jeans. And where else are you going to wear fancy clothes?

I do like to dress; DH no longer brings a jacket--seems silly to put it on, walk to the dining room to take it off to dine. He does wear a dress shirt & tie.

10.) Travel with your teddy bear! It makes a great pillow on the plane and also quiets noisy children! (True story!)

Don't have a teddy bear...:rolleyes:

11.) Always bring air freshner. Lysol doubles as a disinfectant.

Don't like the toxins of air fresheners personally.

12.) Pack or bring a backpack. It's lightweight and holds a lot. Can be used as a beach bag or a quick carry on if your luggage is over weight.

I don't care for backpacks, but I do pack a beach tote.

13.) Get change (small bills) prior to your vacation. You'll be glad you did when you go to a vending machine and when you need to tip the luggage handlers.

14.) Pack medicines, bathing suit and a change of clothes in your carry on.

15.) Two words - Duck tape! Can temporarily fix anything from luggage to hemming a pair of trousers! Makes a great lint "brush" too! My husband wraps duct tape around the travel hairspray bottle so we have some if we need, without packing a big roll of it.

Gotta back you up on this one; we were checking in at the airport & noticed the corner of our luggage had a hole. Luckily we were at a small town airport--they had duct tape!

16.) Do not forget your phone/laptop

charger.

17.) The buffet is very crowded on the first day of a cruise. There are other options for dining - do your research prior to boarding!

18.) Make a copy of your passport and e-mail it to yourself. You can access it from any computer or smartphone if it gets lost.

19.) Put a copy of your name, cell phone number and e-mail address INSIDE your luggage, as well as on your luggage tags.

20.) Always pack a "medicine cabinet." Gift shops are not open 24 hours.

21.) Walkie-talkies are a great way to keep in touch with the kids when they want to venture out on their own.

Tried these on one trip & they didn't work.

22.) A household extension cord lets you charge a few cell phones and laptops at once. Power strips are bulky and banned from cruise ships.

Have never needed to charge everything at once. We just charge a couple at a time.

23.) Gold bond powder is a must if your doing a beach vacation.

Do carry baby powder, but have never had a problem just washing off sand.

24.) Downey Wrinkle Release works wonders! Especially on cruises where travel irons are banned.

BIG fan of Downy wrinkle release!

25.) Be sure to use a Travel Agent for their expertise cruising knowledge, customer service, same point of contact after booking and to look into special promotions.

 

 

I truly appreciate your list...but do want to point out that many tips may or may not be necessary. But I think it is always good to have many points of view--I know I have picked up many tips fro these boards due to people like you & me who are willing to put tips out there!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Take a couple of gallon sized good ziplock bags. You can use them to put anything wet in before traveling. Just remember to take out ASAP. Also, the bags can be great for alcohol bringing home or other gifts.

I not only bring a few zip lock baggies (all sizes) but I also bring a trash bag to put the dirty clothes in. Then I put the bag in an empty suitcase. On the last day I pack the shoes in that suitcase along with anything else that I don't mind co mingling with a bag of dirty clothes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My recommendation for people travelling with another person, is to crosspack! That is, put one complete outfit in your travelling companions checked bag, and they put one of their outfits in your bag. Packing cubes make this easy. That way, if one checked bag is lost or late, you have another outfit.

Also, don't forget your sense of humour, and patience.

Enjoy your vacation.

 

Great idea. We usually only take one bag but this year we are going to St. Thomas and buying the max amount of liquor allowed so we need an extra suitcase to bring it all home...LOL. :eek::D

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My tip: once you print out luggage tags, take them to Staples and have them laminated... They include a rubber tie on that won't rip or come off.. Cost me less than 2.00 and it's so nice to feel confident all your luggage will make it to the proper room !

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My tip: once you print out luggage tags, take them to Staples and have them laminated... They include a rubber tie on that won't rip or come off.. Cost me less than 2.00 and it's so nice to feel confident all your luggage will make it to the proper room !

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

If you have clear packing tape, it also serves well as "laminate"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I try to keep makeup to a mininimum and pack it well to avoid bulk in my bags. I usually just bring a plastic round pot and put foundation in there. Therefore , no heavy bottles and of course its very light in my bags , depending on which bag I use!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any tips on parking? I heard there maybe cheaper parking in the immediate area?

 

Yep. Details will vary by departure port. Do some google searches for cruise parking for your port in the weeks leading up to your cruise. Also check the port specific subforums here for reviews.

 

Since we're a several hour drive from a couple cruise ports we prefer to drive in the night before do a stay-and-cruise package. Includes overnight stay at the hotel plus transportation to/from the cruiseport and free parking at the hotel for the duration.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

buying the max amount of liquor allowed

 

What's the maximum amount "allowed" and by what authority?

 

Last I knew there wasn't really a defined limit on how much you could bring back. You just might have to pay duty on the bottles above the duty-free quantity. (not talking about quantities to stock a store with here, they might give you grief if you bring twenty cases through on a fold-up flatbed cart)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I try to keep makeup to a mininimum and pack it well to avoid bulk in my bags. I usually just bring a plastic round pot and put foundation in there. Therefore , no heavy bottles and of course its very light in my bags , depending on which bag I use!!

 

I've bought several tiny bottles and containers at Daiso (a Japanese home goods store; any large city with an Asian town will have a shop like this). Some things like moisturizer, hair pomade, makeup remover, etc you don't need very much and I decant them into the tiny 1 oz containers. Saves a lot of room. Usually at Walmart or Target the smallest they have are 3 oz. Wastes much too much space.

 

Also for other things such as shampoo, or whatever I need I use the samples I get from Sephora.

 

Last time bf and I were gone for about 2 weeks. We each had a small personal bag and we shared a small carry on bag. I still had clothes that I didn't wear.

 

Bring a small sample of laundry detergent and do laundry on a sea day so you don't have to bring as many clothes.

Edited by whataboutport
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since this is a money-saving thread, here are my thoughts.

 

Look for souvenirs and experiences in unusual places. Grocery stores are a wonderful way to get a sense of how people live day-to-day. And you may find genuine, inexpensive souvenirs there. Pharmacies, fabric stores, and hardware stores are also really interesting.

 

Local buses are a great way to see how people really live and also get from place to place yourself for much less money. Do your research beforehand (Trip Advisor is great for this) to ensure it's safe and easy. Then just ride along with the locals. So far I've taken local buses in Antigua, Dominican Republic, St Vincent and Santorini and they all turned out well, were very inexpensive, and were among the most memorable travel experiences I've ever had.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
We have been able to stay in hotels that provide free parking to cruise passengers if you stay at least one night.Just ask the desk.

 

 

We're sort of doing this for our upcoming cruise. We're planning on a two week trip, and we live about an hour or so from Denver International and will likely have an early flight out to Florida. We have a few options for transportation here. We are a family of five, so taking a roundtrip shuttle would be roughly $175 from Fort Collins to DIA and back. Or, we could get up at 3am and drive to Denver, and park our vehicle in one of the private parking facilities - cost around $140.00 for parking. The third option, which we will likely do, is that the Country Inn and Suites in Aurora has a park, stay, and fly package where we can get a night stay and 14 days of free parking, and a free roundtrip airport shuttle for about $130.00. Granted, this is not much cheaper than the remote parking option, but the advantage is that we can drive down the night before, get a decent night's sleep at the hotel, be able to sleep in a bit later being so close to the airport, the free breakfast at the hotel, and the included parking. The only downside to this option is that the hotel does not have a fenced/secured parking lot, but we already carry full coverage insurance should something happen to our vehicle. Upon arrival in Florida, we will likely rent a car at Orlando airport, run a few errands to get last minute cruise items, stay one night at a hotel in Port Canaveral/Cocoa Beach area, and either drop off the rental car that same evening and use hotel shuttle to port the following morning, or use the rental car to drop off the family at the cruise terminal in morning and then drop off rental car and use rental car shuttle back to terminal.

 

While in Florida after the cruise, we will likely stay with family to eliminate any further hotel stays (the only reason we would not stay here for one night before cruise is that we would be staying with my mother, and don't want to get the kids all excited to see grandma for one night and then leave again for a week - would rather the kids get to see grandma the full week after the cruise). Unfortunately, the kids want to go to Disney. We figured that between paying for 4 people's one day park tickets, parking (we will have a rental car), food, and any souvenirs from WDW, that one day alone will likely run about $500 or so. We had considered attending a timeshare presentation to get the discounted tickets, but don't know if our valuable vacation time is worth suffering through a high pressure timeshare sales pitch, knowing full well that we'll be telling the sales rep to go pack sand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...