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What is your favorite cruise "hack"?


grillinchillin
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9 minutes ago, Crazy4Camping said:

I did ziplocs with outfits for our cruise as well and it worked perfectly.  I was able to throw all of them on the shelves in the closet, hang jackets and dress clothes that I didn't put in ziplocs and put the empty suitcase in the closet area nearest the door and forget about it for a week. As things got dirty I could put them back in ziplocs, no smell, no dampness on anything.  Everyone is going to pack the way that works for them.  No one mentions shoes much.  The amount I need for a 7-day would take up 1/2 the carry-on so no way could I get everything(toiletries take up more space than many people would admit also)in a carry-on although it's a goal of mine....

I like to bring three pairs of shoes. One pair of shoes are sneakers that are always on my feet, another is a dress shoe, and the third is water shoes that could double as another pair of sneakers. I would put the dress shoes in my carry suitcase and stuff the insides with toiletries/electronic accessories. The water shoes would get compressed in a Ziploc bag and stuffed into the personal item. 

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On 11/8/2018 at 2:13 PM, Out of Iowa said:

I learned it here:  after a hot day on an excursion, when family arrives back at the cabin, order Room Service:  cold drinks, a basic sandwich, cookies or chocolate cake, depending on your preferences.  First thing, dial the phone for Room Service!! 

 

Start the cycle of showers/getting ready for dinner.  Room service will arrive and everyone can enjoy a worthwhile snack so no one gets "hangry" and dinner doesn't seem too distant. 


when everyone is clean, dressed, fed and happy, the result is an opportunity for family time making memories with a game on deck, music in the atrium, etc. before dinner in MDR.

Dumb newbie question- is room service free?

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5 hours ago, legieza said:

Dumb newbie question- is room service free?

Yes, prior to 10pm you will find plenty of free items (sandwiches, cookies, chips, etc. and also some pay items (chicken wings, fries, etc). You can get milk, juices for free but will pay for soft drinks and alcohol at all times.

 

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On ‎12‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 8:08 PM, stellarose said:

oh a used wawa/ starbucks card for the safe. don't use your credit card!!!  any magnetic strip works 

I've only been on Carnival once and I don't remember the safe. I need a card to use it ????

Edited by Bollycats
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15 minutes ago, Crazy4Camping said:

Bring one just in case.  Some rooms have a keypad, others require a card.  We used our AAA card.

I'm used to Princess where we set our own combination. So if it's not a keypad, how does a generic card open a locked safe? It reads the magnetic stripe? Sorry, I just don't get it. (and want to be prepared!) We're going on Ecstasy if that makes a difference.

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37 minutes ago, Crazy4Camping said:

Bring one just in case.  Some rooms have a keypad, others require a card.  We used our AAA card.

 

I use an old Tower Records card (remember them?).  It's bright yellow and red, so easy to identify in my wristlet, etc.  I punched a hole in it and put a red ribbon loop through the hole, making it even easier to spot and grab.  My whole family knows this is the safe key and won't mistake it for anything else (such as an actual gift card to a now-nonexistent-in-the-U.S. music store:classic_rolleyes:).  It's been on at least a dozen cruises with us.

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On 3/1/2019 at 7:36 AM, BAMAMOMOF3 said:

I read somewhere that someone had a gadget or something unique to use in shower for shaving legs.  Does anyone know what that was or is?

yeah someone mentioned a dent puller works for this purpose

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On 5/3/2019 at 10:03 PM, BigEasyCC said:

Ahhh Grasshopper, you can stuff 9-10 t-shirts in that packing cube if you really try. Hahaha. and YES, I did try and did it! For me, it ended up taking less space to use the cubes. DH on the other hand, I could have put another 5- 6 items in each of his packing cubes. Guess I'll do his packing too next cruise.Anyway, this is what helped me. You do you. 

 

LOL, me, too. We moved from Florida to Lisbon, Portugal and drove up the East coast for 4 months before flying out, living out of 2 carry ons, using packing cubes.(We also had other luggage and dog stuff). He had his, I had mine and packing and unpacking was a cinch, many times only one or two nights in a city. After many cruises and land vacations, we have achieved what is "packing nirvana" for us - cubes, rolling, his own and my own. And I love having a choice, so we generally over pack.

 

As for cruising, we always take towel clips, a packable beach bag, an extra power strip, first aid kit with basics, and my own hand soap. I also use a plastic box used for crafts that has lots of compartments for jewellery. Bring baggies, too.

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1 hour ago, Bollycats said:

I'm used to Princess where we set our own combination. So if it's not a keypad, how does a generic card open a locked safe? It reads the magnetic stripe? Sorry, I just don't get it. (and want to be prepared!) We're going on Ecstasy if that makes a difference.

The safes on the Ecstasy use the keypad. I was just on her last week.

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2 hours ago, Bollycats said:

I'm used to Princess where we set our own combination. So if it's not a keypad, how does a generic card open a locked safe? It reads the magnetic stripe? Sorry, I just don't get it. (and want to be prepared!) We're going on Ecstasy if that makes a difference.

 

ANY card with a magnetic strip will work. An old gift card is a popular choice. I just wouldn't recommend using a card that you currently use, like a credit card. There have been reports in the past that using the safe damaged people's credit cards. And the same card that locked it is the only one that'll open it, so you can't set multiple cards. If you have more than one person in your cabin who needs to access the safe, like we do, you can hide the card somewhere. That way one person isn't carrying it around when someone else might need in the safe.

 

Edited to add: Just noticed emoorehead said the Ecstacy uses keypad safes, so it looks like you won't need to worry about it. But I'd still bring a spare card just in case.

Edited by Organized Chaos
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3 hours ago, Firery Fairies said:

I read somewhere that someone had a gadget or something unique to use in shower for shaving legs.  Does anyone know what that was or is?

 

 

A razor works pretty well.😂

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On 5/3/2019 at 4:58 PM, Organized Chaos said:

 

I take too many clothes as well. I am definitely not a light packer. But that's ok, I actually prefer it. I get hot & sweat easy, so I like to have some  extra T-shirts if needed. Those are what I take the most of. And I always take a few extra pairs of undies & socks, but those extras don't take up much more space, so what the heck. What else was I going to put in that little hole? I tell myself not to pack extra T-shirts and just do a load of laundry, but it's just habit. I don't wear the same shirt twice in one week at home, so I don't feel like doing it on the cruise. Most of all, I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I take the same suitcase regardless, so since I have the space, I might as well use it.

 

 

OK, someone please sell me on packing cubes. I've seen so many people who swear by those things, but I don't see how they'd help me. Other than maybe one reason...some people have said they can take the cubes out of their suitcase and put them right in the closet, done. But how do they save space? For example, if I roll up 5 T-shirts, put them in a packing cube, and put that packing cube in the suitcase...how is that different than just rolling up those 5 shirts and putting them directly in the suitcase? I get that they can separate different items, like undies and socks, but how does that save space? I like to put all of my undies and socks in the inside lid pocket, so they're already out of the way. I feel like I'm missing something here.

Packing cubes create a bit of compression. This allows more to be packed in the same space. 

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5 hours ago, cruizergal70 said:

Packing cubes create a bit of compression. This allows more to be packed in the same space. 

 

Thank you. I couldn't really get anyone to say if they actually take up less space or not. For instance, if I roll up 10 T-shirts into a packing cube and put the cube in my suitcase, is it really taking up less space than the 10 rolled T-shirts on their own? The video someone posted on another page kind of convinced me that they're probably not for me. I do like the idea of easy unpacking...taking the cubes out of the suitcase and right into a drawer or closet, but I don't think that's reason enough for me to buy them.

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6 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Thank you. I couldn't really get anyone to say if they actually take up less space or not. For instance, if I roll up 10 T-shirts into a packing cube and put the cube in my suitcase, is it really taking up less space than the 10 rolled T-shirts on their own? The video someone posted on another page kind of convinced me that they're probably not for me. I do like the idea of easy unpacking...taking the cubes out of the suitcase and right into a drawer or closet, but I don't think that's reason enough for me to buy them.

 

Hi

 

The thing about packing, is that the more efficient you are in using the space in any container, the more you will fit in. That's easy. There are many YouTube videos tat will show you how. The problem is that then your bag will weigh a ton. That doesn't help is you are flying, or if you will have to lift it at all. I clearly demonstrated this to myself after copying one of those videos. What I learned is that for most situations, you are better off, just packing less. 

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9 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Thank you. I couldn't really get anyone to say if they actually take up less space or not. For instance, if I roll up 10 T-shirts into a packing cube and put the cube in my suitcase, is it really taking up less space than the 10 rolled T-shirts on their own? The video someone posted on another page kind of convinced me that they're probably not for me. I do like the idea of easy unpacking...taking the cubes out of the suitcase and right into a drawer or closet, but I don't think that's reason enough for me to buy them.

 

I'm going to try a version of packing cubes for our next cruise.  I saved the plastic zip bags from sheets, pillows, etc and think that they should work in a similar way.  I figure it's a good way to reuse the packaging and a cheap way to try cubes. 

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Not to beat a dead horse but I’ll say this on thing for the packing cubes. I personally think they take up less room but it does depend on how you pack.  Last year, I was able to get the following items into 3 packing cubes:

14 prs of underwear (you can never have enough)

6 prs of shorts

6 shirts

4 maxi dresses

3 prs of pajamas

5 bras

2 light sweaters

1 dress for elegant nite

 

Undies went in the smallest cube, shirts and pajamas in the medium, and everything else in the large.  It left more room in the suitcase for shoes, etc.  

 

I know they won’t make sense for some, but they might work for others.  People who share a suitcase, etc. might benefit from the organization.  Since they guys are only bringing duffles and no carry ons, they can throw everything they need the first nite into a cube in my carry on until the luggage arrives.  

 

My cruise is next week 😁 and I need to go through my packing list.  I’ll try to remember to take some pics of how much I’m packing and how it fits into the cubes in case anyone wants to see what it looks like when you don’t plan to repeat clothing.  

 

The best thing about this thread is that every tip helps someone out there! 

 

ETA: I’m one of those wacky people that likes a packing challenge. Can I get it all in there? It’s like real life Tetris. 

Edited by NauticalNeophyte
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35 minutes ago, NauticalNeophyte said:

Not to beat a dead horse but I’ll say this on thing for the packing cubes. I personally think they take up less room but it does depend on how you pack.  Last year, I was able to get the following items into 3 packing cubes:

14 prs of underwear (you can never have enough)

6 prs of shorts

6 shirts

4 maxi dresses

3 prs of pajamas

5 bras

2 light sweaters

1 dress for elegant nite

 

Undies went in the smallest cube, shirts and pajamas in the medium, and everything else in the large.  It left more room in the suitcase for shoes, etc.  

 

I know they won’t make sense for some, but they might work for others.  People who share a suitcase, etc. might benefit from the organization.  Since they guys are only bringing duffles and no carry ons, they can throw everything they need the first nite into a cube in my carry on until the luggage arrives.  

 

My cruise is next week 😁 and I need to go through my packing list.  I’ll try to remember to take some pics of how much I’m packing and how it fits into the cubes in case anyone wants to see what it looks like when you don’t plan to repeat clothing.  

 

The best thing about this thread is that every tip helps someone out there! 

 

ETA: I’m one of those wacky people that likes a packing challenge. Can I get it all in there? It’s like real life Tetris. 

Thanks for sharing and also sharing how it goes with packing. I have been really curious about this!  Have a great trip too!

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1 hour ago, pacruise804 said:

 

I'm going to try a version of packing cubes for our next cruise.  I saved the plastic zip bags from sheets, pillows, etc and think that they should work in a similar way.  I figure it's a good way to reuse the packaging and a cheap way to try cubes. 

I think the only way this may not work as efficiently is the extra zipper on some packing cubes. Similar to the expansion zipper on a suitcase it is the one you zip while compressing the cube after you fill it. Not all cubes have them as they are simply organizing cubes but compression cubes save a lot of space. As long as the bags you have are not too big they should work well for organizing.

 

As for me, I have a few compression cubes and roll everything as tight as possible. Smoothing as I roll there are few if any wrinkles in most items.

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We always pack an empty duffle bag, flat in the suitcase, and use it to throw our dirty clothes in, along with a dryer sheet to keep it fresh. We check the duffle on the way home, which leaves room in our suitcase for the things we buy in the trip.

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On 12/1/2018 at 4:35 PM, Shaded Lady said:

I bring a can of Febreeze for the bathroom (no need to discuss further! ☺️)

 

I use Poo-Pourri toilet spray in our bathrooms at home.  I plan on bringing a small bottle with me and how appropriate - this one is called 'Ship Happens'. :)

https://www.amazon.com/Poo-Pourri-Before-You-Go-Toilet-Bottle-Happens/dp/B01C9R54GQ

 

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