What little extras do you take on your cruise

[weltek]

I try to limit the "extras" because we fly and want to have weight left to bring back duty-free alcohol! Usually we bring these "optional" items:

 

-Snorkel masks (we quit bringing fins..I had a horrible experience with rental once, so this became a must)

-Highlighter for the daily

-Deck of cards/card game for two

-Empty envelopes for any gratuity above and beyond

-Tiny bottle of bug spray (only once have we ever used it, but want to be prepared!)

-refillable water bottles

-Backpack for excursions where we need to bring gear/towels

-Giant ziplocs for booze bottles for the flight home.

-Water wallet, though it's used variably

-Power strip

 

Sometimes:

-Portable speaker (if we have a balcony, and yes, we keep it very low)

-Nightlight. Not needed on newer ships, we have found.

-Can/bottle cozies

-Binder clips/clothespins

 

Tried once, not worth it for us:

-thermal mugs

-over the door organizer

-Post its

-Door magnet

Edited August 10, 2015 by weltek

[weltek]

-Downey wrinkle release (you can't bring an iron on board and although you can get one from the stewards, wrinkle release works great).

 

We're from UK and don't think I can get it here but hoping to be in a Walmart before going on ship - does Walmart sell it? Sounds like an ideal cruise companion!

 

You can make your own from regular fabric softener and a small pump bottle. Do an online search. I have done it and it works reasonably well.

Edited August 10, 2015 by weltek

[weltek]

Thanks everyone for all these tips, some I would have taken anyway but others I wouldn't have thought of - and won't take up much space either. As always, CC members come up trumps!

We have a balcony cabin - do we therefore have tea/coffee making facilities? If yes, what is provided with it?

 

You will have a pod style coffee maker and you'll also get iced tea bags and sugars with it.

 

We used the tea bags and our water bottles to make sun tea on the balcony. :-) Better than the iced tea in the buffet.

[keeponcruising]

You can make your own from regular fabric softener and a small pump bottle. Do an online search. I have done it and it works reasonably well.

 

I also read you can make it with vinegar, hair conditioner and water. I've made it the other way and will try the new way too.

Edited August 10, 2015 by keeponcruising
needed to change shampoo to conditioner

[DHnDWplus2]

I know this sounds crazy...but bring a hair tie! If u have even shoulder length hair you'll want it on deck to keep ANNOYING hair from blowing into your face.

 

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[Medtech2]

For every trip, including land-based ones, I have started using those 10¢ 3 prong pocket folders you always have to get kids for school. I fill them with the clear pocket pages. When I print out plane tickets, cruise tickets, hotel info, etc, they go into the folder in the order in which they will be needed. The last page has copies of our insurance, ID's, etc. The in-between pages get filled with the dailies, brochures I want to keep, tickets to excursions, travel notes, etc. At the end of the trip my keepsake is already made and ready to go in my "memory box" at home.

 

I also have a prescription dive mask for snorkelling. That mask and my daily medications stay on my person while travelling to whatever destination. I can easily replace anything else but the medications are definitely necessary and the prescription dive mask essential for my enjoyment in tropical waters.

 

I also email copies of my insurance cards, passport, etc, to myself so that I would be able to access them if I ended up in a hospital with no wallet on me...

[beau4]

Since I love playing the slots in the casino and don't want to blow my budget early on I pre-fill envelopes with my daily allowance. Take one with me each day and leave the rest in the safe. I do the same for each port stop.

 

Another envelope with some cash in case I want to tip the steward or others extra at the end of the cruise as well as a stack of singles for tipping for drinks.

 

Moleskin in case I get a blister.

Sunscreen

OTC meds

post-it notes

cell phone charger

yarn - or something - to put on my suitcase at the end of the cruise - easier to spot

 

A positive attitude - hey! I'm on vacation - go with the flow.

[*summer*]

We got a travel clothes steamer for our last cruise, it's fab! It was around £35 from Amazon. It does all my silky type dresses and hubby's shirts (getting the crease on the arm is a bit tricky but doable). I don't pre iron anything now and just spend 30 mins on the first day steaming.

[Elkpad]

We now always take a small eyeglass repair kit. Trying to find a Mini screwdriver and screws in a port is impossible!

 

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[Nightengale31]

After loosing a filling as well as having a crown fall off during cruises I always travel with a small tube of Fixodent. Per my dentist Fixodent is good for a temporary fill of a hole made by a lost filling, and is a decent adhesive to temporarily reapply a crown.

[kerryincork]

I only travel with hand luggage, I have no space to add any extra. Though if I remember I will put a pack of cards in pocket & I won't leave home without out my kindle ☺

[wndmom]

Travel games - farkle, fluxx, etc

 

IKEA travel bottles with my shampoo, conditioner and lotion

 

Lanyards

[ELA]

Small alarm clock if you are in an inside cabin

[ELA]

And a large coffee travel mug. We are big tea drinkers and those little cups at the buffet are not good enough for us

[cherrypop]

Best advice was to bring a see through over the door shoe hanger. We put it on the inside of the bathroom door and it holds all our toiletries, hair brushes, toothbrushes etc. A lot of the ships don't have a lot of counter space in the bathroom and this is something we don't ever forget.

 

Always make sure we have a lot of dollar bills for either onboard or a shore they come in handy.

[HighVoltage#9]

Birth control !!!

[js]

I drink iced coffee all year round, each morning.

 

During the year, if I purchase DD coffee, I save the plastic large cups, tops and straws they come with. I pack enough for each cruise. So I make my coffee in the morning and get to walk around with it and wherever I finish it, Im able to just throw away.

 

That as well as travel bottle of lysol to spray down EVERYTHING and over the door shoe hangers are my big staples.

Edited March 6, 2016 by js

[Mirrasi]

I also make my own first aid kit. Someone always gets a stomach or headache. I put in sea sick meds, stomach/pepto meds, pain releavers, bug spray, band aids, antibiotic and antihistamine cream, a couple Clorox wipes to wipe down room, a couple tiny cuts of a sponge that was soaked in dish soap and laundry soap so I can hand wash clothes or cups of needed. Next time I will bring Benadryl. Never had a food allergy in my life but had one last time and it was expensive on ship. And baggies.

 

Multi usb charger and One small extension cord so phone can be my bed which doubles as alarm clock and flash light.

 

I no longer bother with highlighters, I use the ship ap. Or clothes pins, the shower string works just fine for me.

 

My other must have is one of those floating things you wear around your neck to hold money and cards. I never feel safe leaving them on the beach unattended. So that way j can swim with.

[Yorkvillain]

Birth control !!!

 

 

Whoh. Look out.

[SoflaSharon]

A spray can of room freshener for the bathroom.....

[tartan cruiser]

For us older women I always take a compact size magnifying mirror and 3M velcro "command" strips. I leave one strip permanently attached to the mirror and then attach the other strip to the bathroom wall. Push the mirror strip onto the wall strip and it stays put the whole trip. When it's time to leave just pull off the mirror and pull down on the tab on the wall. No adhesive left behind and no worry of damage to the surface.

[toyotaford]

This is a great list. We get return address labels during the year from different organizations requesting donations and I never use them. I have started packing a page of them and use them when I have to put name and address on something. It saves time and sometimes the space is small and these works great.

[lindaler]

We always bring a sewing kit. They wanted a fortune for just one needle and about ten feet of thread. We just wanted to attach a button that came loose. Now we always bring a very small kit with several needles and small rolls of thread.

[TraJon9]

I do travel with basics in case anyone gets sick, sunscreens/noxema and Bonine.

 

Brita water bottles.. Powder Gatorade.

 

Clorox wipes and POO POURRI. That stuff is awesome..

 

Snorkels and masks.. Water shoes not fins..

 

BOSE Bluetooth

 

Large towel clips for balcony and to hang swimsuits in shower

[DHnDWplus2]

I forgot one of the most important items. Clorox wipes that kill norovirus. I also bring gloves and wipe down the cabin when we arrive, including the toilet. I have had the virus several times, including once while pregnant. I hate that virus. I can take most illness in stride, but norovirus completely incapacitates me.

 

I buy the wipes on Amazon and they are EPA registered to kill noro.

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Healthcare-Hydrogen-Disinfectant-Norovirus-Rotavirus/dp/B00BFFGJ6S

 

I bring these as well and wipe everything down. Shower floor, door handle, and the nasty remote control

 

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