Looking for a list of handy things to bring to make my cruise easier...

[kenoqueen]

LOL - I'm sure this should read 'travel shoe cloth for HUBBY to shine HIS shoes' :D

that's funny

[kenoqueen]

Thanks for the all the tips, I actually grabbed a couple I hadn't thought about like the clothes pins to hang the bathing suits on the balcony chairs and the over the door shoe holder for gadgets and toiletries.

 

A couple things we have found very helpful have been mentioned already:

highlighters

*baggies (for extra dessert in the room for late night snack)

*cheap rain ponchos - you can get them at the dollar store 2 in a pack $1

*I love coffee so I take my travel cup and fill it at the buffet drink station

*I make copies of my cc and id (passport) and email to myself in case I lose either, I will know what i took and can pull it up wherever I am at.

*Post its for letting others know where we are if we separate.

*cold meds just in case

*aloe gel - very pricey if you have to buy on ship or other ports.

* I don't take a pop up hamper but do take extra bag that folds small and put dryer sheet in it to help with odor

*I pack my nice clothes in the dry cleaner bags so they don't wrinkle.

 

These are just a few of the important things I try to be sure to take. There are others but they have been mentioned already.

 

Have fun and I hope you enjoy your cruise as much as we enjoy it. We leave in 63 days, but whose counting :-)

[stlcruise]

Thanks for the reminder on the LLBean bags... I had been meaning to buy one but was having a hard time guessing the size I would need. Ended up checking out the site and low and behold SALE... got the medium sized fake Burberry plaid one for $18.99 with no duty/taxes to Canada :) Hopefully it'll be big enough for our 16 day Hawaiian adventure lol

 

I'm loving this thread! I just ordered one of these bags and it's an extra 10% off, $17.09 w/ free shipping until tomorrow 3/25. What a great buy! I can't wait to take this on our next cruise.

 

Kimberly

[Clarea]

Quick question - is the Compass not delivered to your room each day?? Do you have to go out into the public areas to get one?

Yes, the next day's compass is delivered to your stateroom by the room steward during the evening turndown service. It's also available near Guest Services and possibly one or two other public areas around the ship.

[MrsPete]

Why drag your suitcase out everyday from under the bed

 

Works for us...

Simple: If you use your suitcase as a hamper-- whether you keep it under the bed, in the bottom of the closet or in a corner -- then at the end of the week, you just close it and go home. It removes one chore from the last night, which can be hectic with packing to disembark so early the next morning.

[MrsPete]

I second the extra SD cards. You might not fill one up, but if you were to lose your camera you would lose the whole week's photos. I swap line out every day or two just in case.

I also bring a small notebook. We will write in things we want to do before we leave, then use the notebook t take notes of important activities, details, names, etc.

A well stocked med/first aid kit is also great--no one wants to visit the ship doctor for a minor ailment.

Hand sanitizer/hand wipes for when a sink isn't available.

Comfortable walking shoes.

Bug spray.

As a photography teacher, I advise against extra memory cards. Over the years, I've never had a student lose a camera . . . But I've had lots of memory cards disappear. Even if they're in a case, they're easy to drop behind a nightstand or to leave in a drawer.

 

Do label your camera with your name and room number, and bring a camera with a wrist strap.

 

Technology has advanced to the point that you can easily store a week's worth of pictures on one $10 card, even if you're a heavy picture taker. Name brand is unimportant, but do buy a 10X card. The number before the X refers to "load time". It means your camera will store and "recover" faster and will be ready to take another picture more quickly. Yes, we're talking about mili-seconds, but if you're taking pictures of wildlife, for example, it's the difference between excellent pictures and good pictures.

 

A hint on the medicines: pack your might- needs -- asprin, cold meds, sinus meds -- in one of those SMTuWThFS organizers. The large ones will hold plenty. Label them with a Sharpie. It'll allow you to carry 7 types of medicine in a small space. Several people mentioned special-ordering a medicine case to do this job. Note that you can pick up these small organizers at any dollar store.

[MrsPete]

Make sure you take some OTC meds for a cold or sore throat, cough, etc. If you have to buy that stuff on board or in port you would not believe the mark-up....but when you are sick and you've got to have it..... And if you have the medicine then that will guarantee you won't get sick!

That's my superstitious belief too! If I bring seasickness meds, I'll not be seasick . . . But if fail to bring it, I'll need it.

[MrsPete]

I always make my own wrinkle releaser. I put one fabric sheet in an empty spray bottle and fill with water. Works just as good as the $5.00 bottle of Downey.

 

I use a little bit of hair conditioner in water. Either way, it can be made very cheaply.

[3dogmom]

I use a little bit of hair conditioner in water. Either way, it can be made very cheaply.

 

I never would of thought that hair conditioner takes our wrinkles. Interesting!

[knarf]

Hi all,

Read the whole 11 pages !! We have been on 20 cruies so many of the things I have seen or read about before. Always interesting to read !!

Many of the things we have to take and as someone said, it does add a lot of weight to the suitcase.

To the person who asked about the shower curtain and how to keep it in the shower so water doesn't go everywhere..My DW has always taken clothes pins and put them on the bottom of the curtain..works great. Gosh she is smart..must be because she sleeps with me !!:eek::D:)

Probably one of the most useful things that we use is the scale that weighs our suitcase. Small , but accurate. We use it before the cruise and at the end of the cruise. really handy, ....over 50 pounds the airlines really sock you. :(

[Tucker in Texas]

That's my superstitious belief too! If I bring seasickness meds, I'll not be seasick . . . But if fail to bring it, I'll need it.

 

A long time ago, I bought some el cheapo ponchos at the $ store. I pack them every cruise, still in the original package. Never had to use them. That's my insurance against rain! (lol)

 

Tucker in Texas

[Donut23]

DH calls it "nesting".

 

I have not been well the last few years and travel with a scooter, though I just had a heart proceedure and should be DANCING on the Radiance when we sail. We have become "room rats". We are aft-cabiners and spend a great deal of time on our balcony.

 

 

 

List is long, ready?

 

Teensy speakers (QVC). With the music stored on my IPhone, we always have music in the background. Even Caribbean Christmas playlist for our recent Explorer cruise!!!!

 

Small battery candle. Has a timer so I set it, forget it and don't bump into things.

 

Extra hangers

 

I take a small army of heart medications. To save space, I pack each morning and evening set if pills in the teensy ziplock bags you can find at Michaels. To satisfy TSA, or anyone else wondering what I carry, I bring the top part if the CVS info label for each medication and letter from my physician with this list.....just in case.

 

Disposable rain ponchos from the Dollar Store. They are one-use and very lightweight but also teeny and take up no room in my purse. If rain catches us by surprise, we are ready ....... Also useful for Disney World's Splash Mountain on a chilly night if you don't mind looking a little silly.

 

Cruise appropriate napkins for cabin drinks

 

 

BIG insulated drink cup with lid and rigid straw. I can fill it with diet coke before we head back to the cabin.

 

Photos of Shadow, my Cairn Terrorist who I miss terribly when we travel.....using the blue tape.....see farther down.

 

Power strip

 

I bring some non-skid shelf liner and cut to fit the speakers, my insulated drinking cup....anything I don't want flying

 

Nautical charts for the cruising area

 

3M Blue masking tape. This is from my boating days and designed to be in the sunlight on boats for up to 2 weeks without getting gooey. I can tape the charts on the bulkhead and have no trouble removing the tape at the end of a cruise.

 

Contact hooks, as needed to hang bathrobes, for example. Easy to remove at the end of a sailing.

 

 

 

Yes, and I still have room for my cloths and ....... SHOES!!!

[bplazo]

Ok, I was looking at everything I bought for our cruise next week and then I looked at my suitecase, not going to work.

[nicster]

Ok, I was looking at everything I bought for our cruise next week and then I looked at my suitecase, not going to work.

 

Larger suitcase? :)

 

 

Nicci

[WetToes]

Ok, I was looking at everything I bought for our cruise next week and then I looked at my suitecase, not going to work.

 

 

Aw! Guess you'll have to stay home. ;)

[Tucker in Texas]

Ear buds are not compatible with my ears--they just won't stay in. So, I bring those ear buds that are attached to a piece that goes over your ear. Like the ones the airlines give/sell you to use for their entertainment on TV.

 

These come in handy when on HOHO's or a tour that gives you ear buds so you can hear the leader.

 

Tucker in Texas

[shipshape sam]

Things to bring that we use:

 

flash light-small

ipod

cloths line and cloths pins

alarm clock

pharmacy (just kidding). do bring a number of over the counter stuff, just in case

 

binoculars

small poncho

small umbrella

bunch of $1's for room service tipping

duct tape

liquid washing soap

my coffee mug with lid

hole punch / lanyard for guest card

small speakers

some small decoration for room - varies with time of year

baggies of various sizes for stuff

 

good attitude

short memory

thankful spirit

loving wife and friend

 

camera for all the memories

travel business cards for the friends we make

[tray]

This was a wonderful 11 page read, but boy was I disappointed to see it completely stopped in March. Any other tips? I have been on 9 cruises and am a planaholic (is there such a word?), and I just love threads like this. There are some things I packed long ago that I realized were a waste of space, but there are a few very valuable ideas on this thread that I'll be packing this time around!

[gcvt]

This was a wonderful 11 page read, but boy was I disappointed to see it completely stopped in March. Any other tips? I have been on 9 cruises and am a planaholic (is there such a word?), and I just love threads like this. There are some things I packed long ago that I realized were a waste of space, but there are a few very valuable ideas on this thread that I'll be packing this time around!

 

Personally, of the five cruises I've been on, I have found that things go a lot better if I take my girlfriend with me :p

[elvismeggi]

Great thread - thank you.

I bring small $ bill's with me - (for tipping).

I collect it each time from a holiday before (my DH rolls his eyes :eek:)

[Kiwi_mum]

This was a wonderful 11 page read, but boy was I disappointed to see it completely stopped in March. Any other tips? I have been on 9 cruises and am a planaholic (is there such a word?), and I just love threads like this. There are some things I packed long ago that I realized were a waste of space, but there are a few very valuable ideas on this thread that I'll be packing this time around!

 

 

I am so pleased that I am not alone in planning.

 

As we are away for five weeks from home (Gisborne, NZ), we have a folder with all the details in it - airline tickets, hotel accommodation in Niagara Falls, Ft Lauderdale, Orlando, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, car rentals, shore tours for the cruises, land tours for the places we are staying in etc.

 

I love threads like this one, as although we have been on a few cruises, we are bound to forget something - and the USA is a bit to far from NZ to be able to come home and get something :)

 

With best wishes

Marita