A couple last minute questions

[Lionesss]

First of all have a great trip, we love the Freedom.

 

We brought our lanyards from home and had our passes punched with the hole at the service desk. We saw our tablemates just keep theres in their pocket.

 

We did not need a shoe organizer, we took one on our first cruise circa 2006, and it was not used. I have read some like them, but we were in a suite and had enough room.

 

By being in a suite we were able to get on board at 11am.

We got to port at 10:15, thru security and eagerly waiting to board by 10:30.

 

Enjoy

We did

[griffy116]

After 18 cruises, we have found that a lanyard is one of the most convenient things you can have on a cruise. We take a magnetic hook, stick it on the wall and put the lanyards on it.

 

We take small bills for tips from the porter at the dock to room service. In the cabin they go in a zip lock in the dresser/desk drawer to keep it handy for when room service arrives. We also keep cash in the safe for spending on small purchases on the islands.

 

With 2 people in a cabin, we've never needed the over-the-door hanger. They take advantage of every inch of space in the cabin for storage. You have shelves by the mirrors in the bathroom and in the cabin on the sides of the mirror on the dresser/desk, drawer and big shelf on the nightstand. Drawers and hanging space in the closet. Storage is more than we need and we NEVER have clutter on the dresser or the bathroom counter. We carry a mesh tote with short handles and pockets that can sit under the counter in the bathroom with all of our toiletries and equipment (hair dryer, flat iron, hair brushes, etc. ). That way we pull it out, use the easy to see items and it goes right back under the counter. No mess. toothbrushes deodorant, etc. goes behind the mirror in the bathroom, where you will find 3 shelves. More than enough for each of you.

 

Put your suitcases under the bed. Carry zip-lock (larger size) to put dirty/damp swimsuits, etc. When clothes are dirty, put them in a plastic bag or zip-lock in the suitcase, which means no dirty clothes stack/pile in the cabin.

 

Antiseptic Wipes: We swipe down the inside drawers of the dresser and the shelves, phone, remote control, etc., when we arrive in the cabin. Individually wrapped wipes can be thrown in your bag when you leave the ship. Very handy to have.

 

We take over-the-counter meds like Advil, Pepto-Bismol, Benadryl, band-aids, cold meds etc. We use the pills/gel caps in a zip-lock and toss it in one of the drawers. Nothing worse than you need something in the middle of the night and you have no medicine chest to go to.

 

We take a cheap LARGE watch that stays on ship time. When we leave the ship we take it with us. Your phone will adjust to local island time and you NEVER want to be late getting back to the ship.

 

We carry what we can in the form of the wipes: Antiseptic wipes, sunscreen, bug repellant. Saves space in the luggage and in a tote that you can carry with you to the pool or to the beach or out on shore.

 

We try to stick with only carrying the things that will fit into the corners of our luggage. If you carry everything mentioned on some lists, you'll need an entire additional piece of luggage to fit it all in.

[Catladyesq]

As to packing - I always pack a night light. Unless you leave the bathroom light on all night, the night light plugged in the vanity outlet provides just enough light to make it safely to the bathroom in the middle of the night. This is important for our senior citizens especially. Already mentioned - small LED clock and empty water bottle a must, safety pins and rubber bands. I once used the rubber bands to "hike" up my hubby's shirt sleeves when we realized his new shirt was too long in the arms. Worked like a charm. Most of all relax and enjoy the experience.