Must haves to bring on cruise...

[1 Buffett Fan]

My husband and two kids are leaving this Sunday on Freedom....yay!!!! Finally here!!!! This is my second cruise so I am not quite an expert yet on packing for the cruise, plus this is our first time bringing the kids. What are some must haves that I need to pack?????

 

Wife or girlfriend, but not both. Kidding!

 

I bring an iPod with a tropical-themed playlist. Some ships have an iPod dock in the cabins. For those that don't I bring a small dock. I keep the volume low enough to not disturb anyone else.

[mustangjoe]

And in the special instant where your luggage handle breaks or the drawers in your stateroom keep sliding open..... duct tape.:)

[NorbertsNiece]

Someone else said husband and maybe the kids.....I was thinking the same thing when he said it, kids and maybe the husband!! Hehe, thank goodness he does not read cruise critic ;)

 

Currently in the throes of packing so thought I would read this thread..... read your first sentence as : Someone elses husband.

 

This is why I need a holiday. One and a half more sleeps...

Edited September 16, 2014 by NorbertsNiece

[Nebr.cruiser]

All good advice--most important is to be absolutely sure you have your passports/birth certificates, or you probably will not be cruising. Also picture ID's are needed in some ports (for adults).

 

We were leaving for a TA cruise--flying to Miami and then 6 days at sea. As we were pulling out of our driveway for the 2.5 hour drive to the airport to get to Miami, I checked our passports one last time.

 

I had two little blue booklets; unfortunately one was an address book almost exactly the same size, shape and color as a passport and kept in the same drawer.

 

Luckily I caught it; would have been very difficult to get it to Miami in time the next day. Needless to say the passports do not reside in that drawer any more! Sometimes compulsively checking things does help!

Edited September 16, 2014 by Nebr.cruiser

[iheartbda]

Wife or girlfriend, but not both. Kidding!

 

I bring an iPod with a tropical-themed playlist. Some ships have an iPod dock in the cabins. For those that don't I bring a small dock. I keep the volume low enough to not disturb anyone else.

Be careful, the iPod may not fit in the safe.:D:D:D

[cruisenshop]

Zip lock bags in different sizes always come in handy! We also bring one large garbage bag per person for dirty clothing.

[ken3028]

My husband and two kids are leaving this Sunday on Freedom....yay!!!! Finally here!!!! This is my second cruise so I am not quite an expert yet on packing for the cruise, plus this is our first time bringing the kids. What are some must haves that I need to pack?????

Two things we found we needed last cruise was a sewing kit and an eyeglass repair kit. We had neither but people we had met did. Both very small but invaluable.

[cantw8togo]

Meds for the kids as the shops on board don't stock kid strength meds. (I learned this the hard way.) At least Gravol, Benedryl, Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, and a couple of bandaids are the minimum that I take, but some parents also take powdered Pedialyte. I usually take them out of the box, cut out the dosing info and attach it with an elastic band to reduce the bulk.

[duesouth]

Following

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[bjinouno]

Especially if you are traveling with friends or family members, I purshcased a cheap battery operated door bell, glued it onto a manget for the main door, and while we were on the balcony would have the chime part out there with us! this way we knew when our friends arrived, and they wern't banging crazy on our door, espcially when your on a wrap and there is no way of keeping your door open to hear the door or the phone, So yes a door bell...

[GottaKnowWhen]

since electrical plugs are sparse in any stateroom.....an adapter plug with USB ports....allows for additional items to be plugged in and for charging electronics (phones/cameras/ipad/kindle) via the USB cord.

the plug i use has 4 additional outlets/plugs and 4 USB ports...cost me $18.00

a convenience must pack item for us.

 

 

Adapter plugs transform voltage from eg 220 to 115. You don't need that onboard unless you want to use the Euro plug. What you need is an outlet multiplier, gives you 4-6 outlets in place of two. But be careful - many are designed for home use and won't work properly unless you disassemble the ship outlet cover and screw your multiplier in its place.

[CruisingSince2012]

Beware of the "Must Have Packing List" threads.

 

If you packed everything suggested, you'll have no room for your clothes.

 

I remember reading a thread on another forum called "What NOT to pack."

 

To answer the OP, obviously one "must have" item is a point and shoot camera. I took over 1,000 pictures last time and that was not enough.

[Ex techie]

Adapter plugs transform voltage from eg 220 to 115. You don't need that onboard unless you want to use the Euro plug. What you need is an outlet multiplier, gives you 4-6 outlets in place of two. But be careful - many are designed for home use and won't work properly unless you disassemble the ship outlet cover and screw your multiplier in its place.

 

You are one scary and dangerous individual posting the above!

 

This is an adaptor plug that does NOT transform any voltage. Just convert the Euro socket into a US socket. Still 220v.

 

 

 

DO NOT mistake it for one of these

 

 

This is what 2004corvette was advising from my interpretation of their post.

 

 

Or this

 

 

ex techie

Edited May 17, 2015 by Ex techie

[GUT2407]

Me,

Wifey poo

Tickets

Passport

Any medications we need

Money

 

 

The rest is purely optional.

[GUT2407]

Me,

Wifey poo

Tickets

Passport

Any medications we need

Money

 

 

The rest is purely optional.

 

 

Though to be fair even the money is optional.

 

One cruise we had eight parts of nothing but still had a great time, everything was paid for, Cabin, Food Entertainment, Basic drinks ie water coffee tea some juices. Do our own thing in port got by fine, just not happy when I got home to find $20,000 had gone in to account the day we left so we lived on a tighter budget than we needed to, but still had a great tme.

[GUT2407]

[quote name='ken3028']Two things we found we needed last cruise was a sewing kit and an eyeglass repair kit. We had neither but people we had met did. Both very small but invaluable.[/quote]


Both handy to have if you need them. But are they really must haves the pursers desk will have access to both.