msnyder6706 Posted October 30, 2007 #1 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I am packing 4 kids- 2 boys and 2 girls plus my husband and myself. I am wondering if anyone has a great packing list for families as this will be our first family cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianTwosome Posted October 30, 2007 #2 Share Posted October 30, 2007 Okay, I had a look and if I'm right, you're leaving from Fort Lauderdale and cruising to Panama, Costa Rica and Belize? Sounds like a great itinerary!! I saw the Panama Canal when I was on a cruise as a child and it's really something to see. Your kids will love it - and learn from it! So... packing... I don't know where you're starting from, so you're going to have to choose your travel clothes accordingly. We'll be flying out in January when it could be -40 here, but we'll likely only take medium weight jackets since we'll be in a warm cab between our house and the airport, then we'll be pretty much indoors until we get to LA. When you're on a cruise, the storage space is limited, so winter coats can be an issue. You know what kind of weather you'll be in and how much exposure you'll have, so judge by that. For your suitcase, unless your kids are the kind that need a new outfit every day, you're going to want (each) a couple of pairs of comfy shorts, a couple of tee shirts or tanks (whatever they're comfortable with), a bathing suit, something to wear to the dress up evening(s), appropriate casual clothing (not shorts) for the dining rooms on non-formal evenings (a couple pairs of non-denim pants and shirts for boys and pretty much anything that's not shorts for girls - whatever they feel nice in), a pair of easy shoes for during the day that are comfortable for whatever excursions you have planned, shoes for the dining room (no flip flops), and a hat that won't blow off or be uncomfortable. You may want watershoes, but that will depend on your kids and your plans. If they wear sunglasses, those are good to have along as well. If you're anything like us, you'll be picking up some souvenir tees and that sort of thing while you're away, so it might seem like you're packing really light, but you'll be accumulating as you go. On our last cruise, I kind of overpacked for my daughter, but it wasn't a problem, because even with a few extras to choose from, everything she took still fit easily into her small suitcase. The list above is pretty much what we could have gotten away with. You know your kids. How often do they 'need' to change? Mine would wear the same pair of sweats every day if I let her! ha ha ha It's also a very good idea to check the weather forecast for the areas you're visiting the day before you leave. Our last cruise was through the Gulf of Mexico, with Belize as a stop as well, and we had terrible weather. It was still shorts weather for us hardy Canadians, but there were quite a few people in sweaters and jackets. Have fun! You're going to love it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelgarn Posted October 30, 2007 #3 Share Posted October 30, 2007 One of the best pieces of advice I found on these boards was to put your children's outfits in a zip lock bag, individually. So each day all they (or you) have to do is pull out a zip lock bag & the entire outfit is already there. No matching or mismatching to worry about! :p And I will definitely be doing this for our January cruise!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warm Breezes Posted October 30, 2007 #4 Share Posted October 30, 2007 With that many people I would suggest using an over-the-door shoe holder for toiletries, first-aid items, jewelry, cameras, etc. It was the best investment I ever made. We use ours on all our vacations now. When we come home I hang on the back of my bedroom door to restock. When we leave I fold it up fully loaded and it fits right in a rolling back pack. When we get where we are vacationing, I just take it out, unfold, hang up, and everything is already for use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelgarn Posted October 30, 2007 #5 Share Posted October 30, 2007 With that many people I would suggest using an over-the-door shoe holder for toiletries, first-aid items, jewelry, cameras, etc. It was the best investment I ever made. We use ours on all our vacations now. When we come home I hang on the back of my bedroom door to restock. When we leave I fold it up fully loaded and it fits right in a rolling back pack. When we get where we are vacationing, I just take it out, unfold, hang up, and everything is already for use. Me too!!:D I just love it!! DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msnyder6706 Posted October 30, 2007 Author #6 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I have heard of using the shoe holder. I am going to have to hunt one down. I am sure that Bed, Bath, and beyond would have one. I am thinking of trying to pack fairly light, like 5 t-shirts for the boys, they aren't too messy and my dh said that will probabley be running around without them a lot anyhow. I have mostly dresses for my girls with a few shorts and t-shirts and I figure if all else fails I will do some laundry since we are on there for 8 days. What about sweatshirts/jackets? Is one per child enough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prttygirlmss Posted October 30, 2007 #7 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I am packing 4 kids- 2 boys and 2 girls plus my husband and myself. I am wondering if anyone has a great packing list for families as this will be our first family cruise. How old are the children going? I think age is something to consider. My 2 teenage boys changed clothes 2-3 times a day. Luckily it was only shorts,t-shirts and bathing suits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msnyder6706 Posted October 30, 2007 Author #8 Share Posted October 30, 2007 How old are the children going? I think age is something to consider. My 2 teenage boys changed clothes 2-3 times a day. Luckily it was only shorts,t-shirts and bathing suits. The girls are 7 & 8 and the boys are 5 & almost 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelgarn Posted October 30, 2007 #9 Share Posted October 30, 2007 You can get the over-the-door shoe holder from Wal-Mart. About $6. DJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.