Thoughts, impressions, and observations for the World Cruise.

[island lady]

Not intending for this to MY live review of the World Cruise, but rather a place for all of us on the adventure to post as we continue the journey, and others that want to follow us along...virtually.  Ready to sail fellow World Cruisers?  How is the packing progressing?  Quite the challenge on this one.  😉 

 

And a special thank you to @Merion_Mom for posting the blog thread.  This is in addition to the blogs choice, and is simply for posting here on CC.  🙂 

[kernow]

Thanks for starting this, look forward to following you all on your adventure.

[island lady]

3 hours ago, kernow said:

Thanks for starting this, look forward to following you all on your adventure.

 

Thanks..I have totally enjoyed the review and travels of @orville99 as he has brought us along on the Shakedown cruise.  Thanks again Orville!  

 

Time for us to welcome the ship back to Miami.  🙂 

[cruiselvr04]

Just a week to go!  You all must be really excited!  And how is the packing going? 
 

[janabelle61]

Can't wait to follow this! Thank you, @island lady, for taking those of us who couldn't go with you!

[island lady]

1 hour ago, cruiselvr04 said:

Just a week to go!  You all must be really excited!  And how is the packing going? 
 

 

Trying to figure out what we will need for the next 63 nights.   I can't  imagine what the full 274 night pax have to deal with!  😮  

 

No Walmart or Amazon deliveries.   So meds, and other things...yeah...a challenge.   We usually take two suitcases...but will be two suitcases and two duffle bags.  Yikes.  😉 

[island lady]

1 hour ago, janabelle61 said:

Can't wait to follow this! Thank you, @island lady, for taking those of us who couldn't go with you!

 

Aww...you are welcome.  And BTW...I love your avatar picture!  Such a beautiful kitty!  

[Merion_Mom]

I have done cruises as long as 71 nights before, and did not take any "extra" luggage.  I am not concerned about my 63 night 3rd segment.  Now, I have the advantage that it will be ALL very warm to hot days.  Dubai to Barcelona.  May to July.  No need for extra layers.  🙂 

[lovesthebeach2]

Thanks @island lady for starting this thread, which I will be following.  We’ll only be on it for 20 days in June and July but can’t wait!
And thanks to @orville99 for allowing us to follow you on the shakedown!

 

[island lady]

53 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

I have done cruises as long as 71 nights before, and did not take any "extra" luggage.  I am not concerned about my 63 night 3rd segment.  Now, I have the advantage that it will be ALL very warm to hot days.  Dubai to Barcelona.  May to July.  No need for extra layers.  🙂 

 

We are going from very hot Rio to not so warm Antarctica....with Ushuaia being a tad chilly, so yeah...we have the hot to cold weather clothes...and everything else as well.  I may be silly, but I am packing a 1.5 inch extremely compressed king size mattress foam topper in one of my duffle bags, that takes up most of the room in just that one bag.  😉 

[island lady]

29 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Thanks @island lady for starting this thread, which I will be following.  We’ll only be on it for 20 days in June and July but can’t wait!
And thanks to @orville99 for allowing us to follow you on the shakedown!

 

 

Barcelona?  We rejoin in Barcelona for the 4th quarter.  🙂 

[island lady]

31 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Thanks @island lady for starting this thread, which I will be following.  We’ll only be on it for 20 days in June and July but can’t wait!
And thanks to @orville99 for allowing us to follow you on the shakedown!

 

 

You are most welcome.  I thought it would be nice to have somewhere here on CC for the WC cruisers to post observations.  Will be fun!

[lovesthebeach2]

3 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Barcelona?  We rejoin in Barcelona for the 4th quarter.  🙂 

We get off in Barcelona ☹️

[island lady]

Just now, lovesthebeach2 said:

We get off in Barcelona ☹️

 

Aww..drats...but hoping you have a wonderful 3rd quarter cruise!  I have one way flights to Barcelona booked already, and even the return flight from Miami in September set up.  Will be another nice quarter leg 🙂 

[perfect match]

Since we aren’t able to join everyone on this amazing journey I’m looking forward to at least being able to follow along with you.Thank you in advance to everyone on some. Or all of this journey who will be contributing to this thread! 

[travelberlin]

4 hours ago, island lady said:

 

We are going from very hot Rio to not so warm Antarctica....with Ushuaia being a tad chilly, so yeah...we have the hot to cold weather clothes...and everything else as well.  I may be silly, but I am packing a 1.5 inch extremely compressed king size mattress foam topper in one of my duffle bags, that takes up most of the room in just that one bag.  😉 

May I ask why you are taking the topper? Cruise lines usually provide one. Maybe you could ask the cruise line. How long is your World Cruise?
 

Concerning packing, we have done a world cruise on another cruise line and it was really not necessary to take too many clothes. We took one suitcase each and one suitcase to share. The only things that were important to take, were medicines that we could not buy over the counter. In addition we took a basic medicine kit with anti flu, vitamins, heartburn pills. If we saw we were using them, we replenished our kit on the countries we have visited. Our cruise was before Covid, but now we include in our medicine kit, Covid self tests kits and ibuprofen.

 

Since the cruise line had a formal dress code, we took some combinable formal wear. In addition I have packed blouses and shirts that I was tired of wearing and replaced them in ports of call. We delivered used clothes in a port of call in Africa. This was organized by the cruise line. We had many opportunities to buy new inexpensive clothes in the ports of call. Because of the same reason, there is no need to take shampoo or creams. We can always buy what we need on the ports of call and in that way we contribute to their economy.

 

For Ushia, a wind jacket, a long sleeve blouse, a pullover, gloves, a scarf and a head cover. This is enough for the one day and can be used on other ports of call and on board. 

 

And of course there is laundry on board. Think that the cabins are small and your suitcases will have to be stored there. The challenge is to keep the cabin tidy and to be able to store your empty suitcases under the bed.

 

A world cruise is a wonderful experience. Have lots of fun. I hope Royal does a good job in terms of quality of food, services and entertainment.

 

 

[cynt]

I'm excited to follow along on this journey. This is the type of traveling I want to explore when I retire in 11 years and 6 months. 

[island lady]

6 hours ago, travelberlin said:

May I ask why you are taking the topper? Cruise lines usually provide one. Maybe you could ask the cruise line. How long is your World Cruise?
 

Concerning packing, we have done a world cruise on another cruise line and it was really not necessary to take too many clothes. We took one suitcase each and one suitcase to share. The only things that were important to take, were medicines that we could not buy over the counter. In addition we took a basic medicine kit with anti flu, vitamins, heartburn pills. If we saw we were using them, we replenished our kit on the countries we have visited. Our cruise was before Covid, but now we include in our medicine kit, Covid self tests kits and ibuprofen.

 

Since the cruise line had a formal dress code, we took some combinable formal wear. In addition I have packed blouses and shirts that I was tired of wearing and replaced them in ports of call. We delivered used clothes in a port of call in Africa. This was organized by the cruise line. We had many opportunities to buy new inexpensive clothes in the ports of call. Because of the same reason, there is no need to take shampoo or creams. We can always buy what we need on the ports of call and in that way we contribute to their economy.

 

For Ushia, a wind jacket, a long sleeve blouse, a pullover, gloves, a scarf and a head cover. This is enough for the one day and can be used on other ports of call and on board. 

 

And of course there is laundry on board. Think that the cabins are small and your suitcases will have to be stored there. The challenge is to keep the cabin tidy and to be able to store your empty suitcases under the bed.

 

A world cruise is a wonderful experience. Have lots of fun. I hope Royal does a good job in terms of quality of food, services and entertainment.

 

 

 

Thanks!  Though I do have to keep in mind...this is not a Viking cruise.  😉 

 

The topper is due to reports of very firm mattresses...even with them being replaced.  And no...RCI ships have not provided toppers to pax under request for many years now.   

 

It's not so much the clothes, though we will have to pack for 90 degree...down to 40 degree weather changes, but rather the "other things".   Indeed meds, possibly needed cold/flu meds, heartburn, misc. etc.  Shampoo/conditioner/favorite bar soaps (shower has the "universal" crap soap for body, hair, etc. that the DH especially hates).   I also am taking extra toothpaste, and other toiletries that could be tough to find.  

 

Self service laundry machines on board?  LOL!   It is only offered for the full 274 day World Cruise pax (we are only on half...being first and last quarter).   We all get the "wash and fold" which we laughingly call the "Boil and Fry".   You definitely don't want to send anything out to that of which you care about.  😮   I take my collapsible small laundry tub and some detergent for hand washing...plus my wonderful hook magnets I can hang  clothes from the ceiling to dry with.  Dry cleaning very expensive, but we will be using that as well when needed. 

 

Tidy?  Our cabin attendants like to tease us that they really don't need to clean our cabin...just replace used towels.  😉  Which is why having the once a day cleaning does not bother us at all, and is actually preferred for us.  

 

It will be an interesting experience to say the least.  😄  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by island lady

[island lady]

4 hours ago, cynt said:

I'm excited to follow along on this journey. This is the type of traveling I want to explore when I retire in 11 years and 6 months. 

 

Happy almost retirement!   One thing we noticed when we retired 15 years ago...wow...the time flies when you are having fun!!  😄 

[RFerrington]

45 minutes ago, island lady said:

having the once a day cleaning does not bother us at all, and is actually preferred for us.  

Ditto

[doghog]

Pat, looking forward to being a stowaway on your cruise. 🍷

[island lady]

7 minutes ago, doghog said:

Pat, looking forward to being a stowaway on your cruise. 🍷

 

I so wish that you and Kathy were joining us...but will be good to hear from you as we travel!  🤗

[janabelle61]

16 hours ago, island lady said:

 

Aww...you are welcome.  And BTW...I love your avatar picture!  Such a beautiful kitty!  

Thanks!  Bennie was the youngest of my three babies. We lost her too soon, but I can't take her picture down. She was a sweet little girl 💕

[island lady]

22 minutes ago, janabelle61 said:

Thanks!  Bennie was the youngest of my three babies. We lost her too soon, but I can't take her picture down. She was a sweet little girl 💕

 

I agree.  When we lost our last kitty, (5 years ago now) I had kept her picture up as my avatar for a couple of years as well.  Only reason it came down, was a glitch during an update process with CC.  

I finally added the picture of sunrise coming into Nassau as replacement.  

 

They do leave paw prints on our hearts.   😽  I still miss her dearly.  😢

[island lady]

One week from today...should all be boarding the Serenade for our new adventure!  🙂