In retrospect, what are belongings you wish you brought?

[Cariot]

About to set sail in a week, would love to hear any stories or lists of items you wish you would have brought on your cruise!

[Jasonmom]

Highlighter to mark Dailies to remind me what I was considering for the day.  Forgot one last cruise and I missed a few things i had considered that morning.

[dcipjr]

I am a super light packer, and in general, I’d advise to pack lightly for a cruise—if you can do without it, do without it. Less stuff to coordinate usually means less packing and less stress, which is ideal on vacation.

So many folks recommend bringing over-the-door organizers and all that stuff, but if you’re a light packer (or aspire to be), skip those—they take up valuable room in your luggage, and if you pack light, you won’t have that much stuff to organize, and the in-room storage will typically be good enough.

 

I do, however, usually bring a few essentials:

• A double-walled vacuum-sealed water bottle. Super useful when going ashore on a warm-weather cruise: load it up with ice and water from the buffet, so you can stay hydrated and cool. Get something with really good insulation, where the ice can last all day. Something like a Nalgene isn’t quite good enough because the plastic means the ice melts too fast and the water gets warm. 
• If you’re a coffee drinker, a travel mug, with a lid. I like having coffee on my balcony in the morning, but the in-room coffee maker is kind of blah. If I go up to the buffet to get coffee, it’s easier to bring it back down to my room in a travel mug than one of the open mugs that the ship uses. Plus it’s nice to be able to take a walk and sip my coffee. Skippable if you manage to snag a suite, as the in-room coffee is excellent.👌.
• A watch. I wear one anyway, but it’s essential on a cruise, especially if you’re in port and need to make it back to the ship at a certain time. For a cruise, I always bring one that lights up, or has glow-in-the-dark hands, in case I wake up at night and don’t know what time it is. A watch that’s water-resistant to 100m or 200m is also useful if you plan to swim.
• Good sunscreen. Make sure it’s reef-safe if you’re planning on swimming in the ocean with it! Lots of sunscreen is damaging to marine life, so choose with caution.
• A good book. Self-explanatory.

[McFins]

Hot/Cold insulated travel mug with lid.    

[imlulu]

pretty much for most vacations: a bathroom night light..though I recently stayed in a hotel that had one. 🙂 I brought a mini flashlight (think smaller than palm of a small child) on vacation last week and that worked super well. We like a portable usb charger and pretty much take on all vacations. 

 

I too advise to packing  lightly. IVe always found enough storage in cabins.  I don’t usually bring an insulated water bottle, but am considering on NCL as the beverage package does not include water like RCL.

 

Happy cruising! 

[Georgia_Peaches]

I'm not a light packer AT ALL.  The better question for me is, what can I leave at home?  Truth is, almost all of the things I though I would need (beyond clothing and toiletries) I end up not using.

Going to the Caribbean?  You need a wide-brimmed hat for port days.  I typically tuck my hair into a ball cap but that doesn't protect ears/neck from the intense sun.

Agree with insulated cup/water bottle.

[Ptroxx]

I use the Swell reusable water bottles.   You can fill it with ice and it will last all day.  

I use them at work and there great. The 20oz bottle cost about 30 bucks and is great 

[Iworktocruiseandtravel]

I agree with the insulated water bottle.   On one of my cruises I felt sick about three days in... nauseous, headache, like I was coming down with something.  My friend mentioned maybe I was just dehydrated (I normally drink a lot of water every day, and the small glasses just don’t cut it).   Luckily I purchased an insulated bottle while in port earlier that day as a souvenir/I’d take it to work every day.   Filled it up with ice water (after cleaning it out in sink), and within a couple hours I was feeling much better!!  Last cruise I picked up another insulated bottle (did I mention I drink a lot of water every day), and husband wound up using it for duration of that cruise (after I washed it out of course).  From now on, two insulated bottles are being packed 😂

[Jasonmom]

29 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

I'm not a light packer AT ALL.  The better question for me is, what can I leave at home?  Truth is, almost all of the things I though I would need (beyond clothing and toiletries) I end up not using.

Going to the Caribbean?  You need a wide-brimmed hat for port days.  I typically tuck my hair into a ball cap but that doesn't protect ears/neck from the intense sun.

Agree with insulated cup/water bottle.

 

As far as the wide-brimmed hat goes, remember the wind.  Have seen many wide- brimmed hats blow away as people get off the boat.  Get a hat with a strap that goes under your chin so it won't fly in the breeze.

 

 

[Peachypooh]

Powdered gatorade for when you need a little more help than water to rehydrate.

[lepidoptera]

I always bring a rash guard with me to help protect me from sunburn. Bring an extra bottle of sunscreen, better to have too much than not enough. Last cruise I didn't bring a light long sleeve sweater or shirt and really regretted it-it gets chilly in the dining rooms and the theater. Water shoes. Two swimsuits, it is the worst having to wear one that is still wet from the day before. An extra pair of prescription glasses if you have one. Ziplock bags to keep things dry in your bags. Mints to have after dinner if you don’t have time to get back to the cabin before going to the show. A small ziploc bag with a few bandaids and a few otc medicines that you might need, I bring bonine, cold medicine, stomach medicine and painkillers.

 

I know that sounds like a lot but I really do pack lightly though. I choose a color theme for my cruises so everything goes together and I have to bring fewer out fits and pairs of shoes. Last cruise I took a small backpack and checked a carry on size piece luggage (I bring more liquids than allowed through security because of allergies I want to use things like sunscreen and shampoo that won’t give me rashes and hives).

[lazydaz]

After many cruises some of the things I'm glad I packed - a few clothespins and cord for a clothesline (wet bathing suits etc), pillow case to use as laundry bag, small container of laundry detergent, needle and thread for emergencies.  

[farjar]

Bring a couple plastic hangers and a few clothes pins.  They are helpful to hang wet items in the shower and the clothes pins can also be used to hold your towel to the deck chair. 

Photocopy passports, credit cards and medical cards.  Leave the copy of the credit cards and medical cards in the safe along with contact numbers for the companies involved. Take the copy of the passport or the original on shore depending on what port you are in.  Leave the other in the safe in case something unforeseen happens. 

[cincicruisers]

Imodium 

forgot it my first cruise.  I never forgot again.

[DirtyDawg]

Last cruise I brought boxer type swim trunks. I now wish I brought Speedos. 😁

 

Check out the "Do you like international mix..."  thread in Ask a Cruise Question area.

 

Edited July 14, 2019 by DirtyDawg

[fastpitchdad]

My original e-ink Kindle so I could read while out on deck. 

[NancyW12]

I was to glad have a Bubba Cup from Walmart (6 bucks, almost a yeti) and full size bottle of name brand shampoo and conditioner I picked up in port before boarding. Extra undies- you will sweat thru them.

[dcipjr]

A bar of laundry soap can be a lifesaver for a longer cruise.

 

It’s great for swimsuits in particular—those get funky if you wear them more than once. When you come back from the beach, toss them in the sink with hot water, scrub them with some laundry soap, wring them out, and hang them to dry on the shower clothesline. They’ll be fresh-smelling, clean, and ready to go for the next day.

 

Any small items like socks and underwear also are easy to wash in the sink, and dry quickly on the line. 

 

We send out shirts, pants, dresses, etc. in the laundry bag. Those are too much work to wash, and tend to wrinkle—plus we’re on vacation, after all.

[cruiser1955a]

Binoculars 

[Hotspring]

All good ideas.  But remember to pack everything you set out to pack in addition to these.   I once set out seven pairs of underwear only to leave them under a bed blanket that inadvertently covered them up.   Only found out once on the Alaskan cruise, ended up spending 4 times as much as we would from an outlet store to get through the week---after we found them.

Another time, spouse left medicine in the refrigerator so we ended up spending a considerable amount of time tracking a pharmacy in Mexico to give her an emergency refill.

[pieshops]

I forgot it the first time incruised because I really did not think I needed it but every cruise after brought it as long as we had a balcony es especially a rear facing balcony and that is a fishing pole , nothing like waking up first thing in the morning with my cup of coffee and trolling for some big game fish, now it is easier in port but still fun 

[Nextcruise42]

Small first aid bag with bandaids, antiseptic cream, ginger pills, tylenol,etc.

[bellame]

If you're a coffee drinker, take some instant coffee.  I use Starbucks Via .... easy individual packs.  I find the NCL  (Breakaway) coffee very weak.  Forgot it on last week's cruise.  Bummer!

[RedwingHockeyFan]

Waterproof camera

Sunglasses

Small power strip with USB connections

Kindle

Zantac, Zyrtec or any other as-needed medication

[RNCheryl]

We use flavored creamer in our coffee at home.  Bought some International Coffee hazelnut creamers, took them to breakfast in a plastic baggie.  Ahhhh