Help with a packing list

[2red4u]

I am making our packing list. As a first time cruiser what should I not forget. We are cruising to alaska. And for the life me I can't figure out why I've seen people pack tape. What is it used for?

[Sauer-kraut]

• Binoculars
  
• layers of clothing
  
• windbreaker/waterproof shell
  
• waterproof shoes/duck shoes/boots
  
• light weight gloves and hats
  
• sunscreen
  
• mosquito repellant
  
• a grin and a good attitude! :D
  

Edited February 23, 2014 by Sauer-kraut

[Fishbait17]

I am making our packing list. As a first time cruiser what should I not forget. We are cruising to alaska. And for the life me I can't figure out why I've seen people pack tape. What is it used for?

 

A small roll of duct tape can do amazing things.. Fix a torn suitcase, secure closet doors that rattle at sea, lock the curtains closed (for those bright Alaskan summer nights), fix a leaky snorkel, secure a torn clothing hem, affix notes to cabin doors, used like moleskin on a blister in a pinch, plus about a million other things. I have a very small travel roll in my carry on everywhere I go. Had to replace it three times! I have given up buying it, but now use an old medicine bottle and wrap the tape around it from the big roll at home. Inside the medicine bottle I keep other emergency items like safety pins, a couple band aids, paper clips and a small binder clip, etc.

 

Robin

Edited February 23, 2014 by Fishbait17

[Tricialy]

I always bring post-it notes for leaving notes for my husband if we are doing different things on the ship and a highlighter to hilight the dailies so I can remember the things I want to do on board.

[garycarla]

Two notes

 

1 - Visit the PORTS OF CALL boards and select ALASKA. Awesome help on Alaska cruising.

 

2 - Never taken tape, but have made use of an alternative we always have with us. Those big tags the airlines slap on your luggage have lots on unused sticky that is just like tape. Peel back the extra paper as the entire tag is like one long piece of tape. On one cruise, we used it to cover the in room speakers that kept making announcements, over and over. (they have since appeared to stop that).

[triptolemus]

I understand that your Alaska cruise will be unique, but give this a read anyway:

 

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=What+to+pack+for+alaska+site:boards.cruisecritic.com&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

[perkydebrajean]

When I took my first cruise I had planned on taking duct tape since I had seen it suggested. I forgot. I flew from Atlanta to NYC. When we got to our hotel in NYC, I noticed a huge crack in the outside of my suitcase. Was at least a foot long. I had to go buy a roll of duct tape and tape my suitcase so that it wouldn't crack any further.

[xriva]

I am making our packing list. As a first time cruiser what should I not forget. We are cruising to alaska. And for the life me I can't figure out why I've seen people pack tape. What is it used for?

 

 

A small power strip. There are never enough outlets in the cabin, and if you have multiple items that need charging (cameras, laptops, tablets, phones), you need all the outlets you can get.

[LrgPizza]

An envelope or paper clips to organize and keep track of receipts. It's a pain to have stacks lying around the cabin, worrying that the steward might accidentally throw them away, but they can also get in my way in the safe. Much better to just put them in an envelope. We always save receipts from all onboard ship purchases (drinks, snacks, etc) to compare with our onboard account.

[meatball_nyc]

Never been on an Alaskan cruise, but two things I like to have with me are:

 

Battery operated LED tea light candles for the bathroom at night.

 

Battery operated travel clock. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I need to know what time it is. Weird, I know. My cellphone is off and in the safe.

 

Have a great cruise!

Please come back and let us know what a blast you had.

 

 

~Robin

Norwegian Breakaway July 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

[cperk97]

Get yourself an inexpensive over the door shoe holder. We got ours at Walmart for 8 or 9 dollars. It has 10 or 12 clear pockets. We put it on the back of the door to the bathroom and put all the little stuff in it. Meds, nail clippers, small notepads with pens and highlighters (for the dailies), eye glass cleaner, receipts, tape and so on. It kept the rest of the cabin and bathroom from all the little clutter. I will never cruise without one again.

[cherrypop]

Get yourself an inexpensive over the door shoe holder. We got ours at Walmart for 8 or 9 dollars. It has 10 or 12 clear pockets. We put it on the back of the door to the bathroom and put all the little stuff in it. Meds, nail clippers, small notepads with pens and highlighters (for the dailies), eye glass cleaner, receipts, tape and so on. It kept the rest of the cabin and bathroom from all the little clutter. I will never cruise without one again.

 

I had seen this tip in the past and have to say its a must since the counter space in the bathrooms is non existent. We keep all our toiletries in it works like a charm.

[mking8288]

For Alaska sailings, Sauer-kraut mentioned waterproof shell already (i.e. Eddie Bauer, LL Bean & North Face, etc. 3 season removable fleece parka are ideal) and lightweight, bolding/emphasize shell or outwear w. a hood, and/or waterproof hat. (Most folks will be flying to the embarkation port, just board your flights hand carrying it as these could take up "excess" space if doing just carry-on bag if free checked luggage isn't included)

 

Umbrella - pack a lightweight & folding in your "weather-proof" day pack as cotton tote bag could be soaking wet by the time you get back to the pier at the end of the shore visit for the day.

 

Of course, you can buy these onboard at the gift shops (:D with OBC) or at local shops steps away from the pier, use them & as souvenir.

 

Alaska & its ports gets more rainfall than most cruisers realized, more so than Seattle, WA - don't let those bright & sunny tourism promo pictures fool you. Ketchikan gets over 7 inches of rainfall in June and mean temperature of only 54 degree F (cloudy, fog & often misty on arrival)

Edited February 23, 2014 by mking8288

[terrymtex01]

One tip for Alaska and two general cruise packing tips.

 

We were on an Alaskan cruise the early part of June and it was supposed to be cold. When we got to Skagway it was almost 90 degrees. People were fighting for any bit of shade they could get. So I recommend taking at least one set of clothes for ware weather.

 

Also I like to take a highlighter so as I go through the Freestyle Daily I can highlight what we may like to do the next day.

 

Also if you are going on a cruise where you think you might want to bring back items you purchase, take a few articles of clothing that maybe a bit old and you don't care if you bring back or not. You can always throw those away and you will have extra room for purchases. Usually I recommend small items like socks, maybe one old pair of shoes, etc. Use them on the cruise then toss them.

[Dorhead1230]

I bought a smallish, inexpensive backpack that packed away nice and flat. It definitely came in handy for shore excursions, and we filled it up with stuff we had acquired during the trip for debarkation.

 

Also, bring a good amount of small bills ($1 and $5) for tips, if you plan on tipping wait staff and/or bartenders. You don't use cash much on the cruise, so you might not be breaking many large bills.

 

I also made a small first aid kit before we left, which I recommend. I put in bandages, gauze, antiseptic spray, ibuprofen, Benadryl, cough drops, antacids, and the like. It'll save a trip to the infirmary for minor things!

 

Have a great trip :)

[gizfish]

The general rule is to bring half as much clothing as you think you will need and twice as much money ; )

[2red4u]

Thanks everyone. I totally forgot about the battery candles. We will definitely need those. Also didn't even think about the possibility if needing to tape curtains closed or cabinets.

[artist47]

You can buy smaller, thinner power strips now so they're not as much a hassle as they used to be. But I've always just used a cube tap. Smaller, takes less room and have never had a problem.

 

Also, bring a 220 adapter so you can take advantage of the 220 outlet in your cabin. (Not sure which ship you are on, but most of them have these.)

 

To save space, I leave the clock at home and just ask for a wake up call from the front desk. My standing order for roomservice coffee also wakes me up too.

 

Small emergency sewing kit. If you forget it, though, no big deal. They have them at the front desk on most ships.

 

Duct tape and/or masking tape: I wrap these around my paint brushes - they do double duty: on my paintings for straight edges, and also in case I need them for something else.

 

I just bought a Kindle so I don't have to waste space on books/magazines. Can also watch movies on it.

 

My "in case of emergency" card that I always carry in my wallet at home. It's laminated and I keep it with me, along with my seapass (ship card) in my "cruising wallet". It's got my name, blood type, dob, and my religious affiliation along with the name of my priest, and my emergency contacts. On the back, it has my medical condition and list of the medications I take every day.

You can make one yourself, by typing it up, then taking it to Kinkos for laminating.

 

Rx, just in case, signed by my doctor. I am relatively young, but I have a serious medical condition, that if untreated, can cause death (or coma). Never forget an actual written Rx in case your meds are lost or whatever.

 

Business cards, or personal calling cards, in case you make friends you want to stay in touch with.

 

Travel size Lysol Spray (thank you God for inspiring Lysol to do this.) and Lysol wipes. It kills norovirus among other things.

 

YOUR PASSPORT> if you don't have one, get one. It is the best form of ID you will ever have.

 

Happy cruising.

Edited February 23, 2014 by artist47

[bluesea777]

Leave high heels at home!! Too much walking on ship.

[kayhil3]

Instead of packing rain gear go to the dollar store and pick up a few of the clear plastic rain ponchos, they take up less space in the suitcase and on my trip to Alaska we didn't even need them. Also dress in layers a sweater and hoodie is great, no need for a bulky coat. Have a great time.

[debsjw]

We take a couple of clothes pegs on every cruise for keeping the curtains shut, it certainly helped in Alaska!