Preparing For My First Cruise - What To Pack?

[dtownjbrown]

Since I'll have some extra free time on my hands this week, due to the holiday, Ive decided to start packing for my cruise (which is only about two weeks away :D). Ive got my "outfits" planned out, I think. Im planning to pack a few t-shirts, some shorts, a sundress or two, and of course my formal night attire.

 

But, I was wondering if anyone had any tips on other things to pack. For instance, Ive heard that its a good idea to bring a plug-in or solid air freshner, an extension cord and an alarm clock (all of which I plan to bring, even though Im not sure if we'll need them, but better safe than sorry)

 

Any other suggestions?

[kl25th]

A couple things I packed for our first cruise last year that i used....a highlight marker for you to mark the Caper for easy veiwing and sticky notes...small things but did use them...oh yea don't forget the sun screen.... have a great cruise, you will be hooked, we are......our next cruise is in Jan.....:)

[momofzeke]

My best advice for you is......do NOT overpack. I WAY overpacked my first cruise, and took every gadget suggested on here (there is a HUGE packing list on here somewhere......search for "packing list"). Didn't use half of it.

 

The air freshener is a good idea, and the alarm clock (although you can use your cell phone if you want). If you're in an inside cabin, a small flashlight or nightlite is nice for nighttime trips to the bathroom.

 

If you are going to plug in lots of things, you can bring a powerstrip.....there is only 1 plug in for the cabin. I never need one since I only plug in 2 things at a time at the most.

 

It's nice to have a lot of $1 bills so that you can tip the room service delivery person and anyone else like tour operators in your ports, taxi drivers, etc.

 

Enjoy your cruise! :)

[LeeNHCruiser]

I remember preparing for our first cruise and I was asking the same thing. I started a thread back then and there was such a great response to "Top 5 Things You Must Pack". I still look at when I'm preparing to leave as there were some GREAT responses.

 

Here's the link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=165816

 

ENJOY!

[reginar]

This year im taking walkie talkies so we can keep track of the kids.

[matj2000]

That list is crazy. Nobody needs to bring that much crap on a cruise. I printed it and showed my wife, she said it was for a 65+ year old man.

[-ClevelandRocks-]

For sure, DON'T overpack. Take half the planned cloths and twice the planned $$$$.

[*Sparkle*]

don't forget some bug repelant but other than bring a great attitude and a sense of adventure!:p

[crusinpsychRN]

To avoid clutter and for easy storage I pack the over the door thingie with odds and ends like deodorant, conditioner, shampoo, hair spray socks, stockings etc and when I get my luggage I just take it out and put it over the bathroom door. Easy up, easy down, no packing required.

 

If you take kids I would lay out outfits with underwear, socks, shirt, pants and roll it up and then they just grab a set and they have everything.

[sappygirl]

Since I'll have some extra free time on my hands this week, due to the holiday, Ive decided to start packing for my cruise (which is only about two weeks away :D). Ive got my "outfits" planned out, I think. Im planning to pack a few t-shirts, some shorts, a sundress or two, and of course my formal night attire.

 

But, I was wondering if anyone had any tips on other things to pack. For instance, Ive heard that its a good idea to bring a plug-in or solid air freshner, an extension cord and an alarm clock (all of which I plan to bring, even though Im not sure if we'll need them, but better safe than sorry)

 

Any other suggestions?

If you decide to bring air freshner try Febreeze travel size. It works better than any of those other brands IMO.

Instead of an extension cord you may benefit better with a power strip. It holds more.

Tape- most people bring duct tape. I brought freezer tape which did come in handy and is less bulky.

HIghlighter for capers

Hairdryer if cabin doesn't have any.

Don't need beach towels or robe. They supply those.

You can bring snacks and limited soft drinks and water.

Don't forget camera

I bring clorox wipes travel size to wipe down surface areas.

We bring a small pair of binoculars for use on the balcony.

I can't think of anything else off hand. But this is a good start.:)

Have a great time.:D

[BND]

You will learn to take less and less. I roll everything and don't take highlighters, tape, snacks or drinks, or an over the door thingy (we always stay in Cat 11 suites so plenty of storage). You don't really "need" a highlighter. You can circle what you're interested in with the pen they provide. I have never taken air freshener. I would recommend bug spray or wipes for ports such as Belize where there are lots of mosquitoes. I usually take a travel hair dryer even though we've always had one onboard (in suites). I may not take one this time. We always take two swimsuits. Definitely a power strip and binoculars.

[dtownjbrown]

Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions. I have alot more to do that I thought :-)

[sherrimjemison]

e just came back from a cruise to the W. Caribean. We had bug spray however the bugs managed to find spots to bite that the spray missed. They ate my sweet husband up. He had serious welts. We bought some 1% hydrocortisone on board the ship. It really was not very effective. What I am stronly suggesting is some cream for bug bites. There is nothing worse that beikng in hot weather and have itchy bug bites. I also found that some small packs of laundry soap for washing stuff out in the sink was helpful and cheaper since it was only a few items. I brought antibacterial hand soap for the bathroom and left it when we packed. The highlighter was an excellent idea. I do agree bring lots of $1 dollar bills for tipping. Used a gift card with a magnetic strip for the safe. I have seen alot of people mention not to over pack. I did and paid dearly for it. $50 extra bucks for being 56lbs. I only over 6lbs. They had placed my other luggage through the security so I was unable to put stuff into lighter luggage. Most of the stuff I packed we never used. Soooooooo i would suggest even if you do not pack alot weigh it before you allow them to take your other luggage so if you are over you can rearrange packed items to lighten luggage. Have a great time!!

[jayscore]

With the tight weight restrictions on the airlines, I decided to buy one of those suitcase scales. $10 spent might save much more at the airport. And, not trusting the calibration on the scale, I aim for 45# instead of 50.

Another thing I bring is small, home made, weighted clothes pins to hang on the bottom of the shower curtain to keep it from clinging to you.;)

[afcj1]

I always bring collapsable hampers. They fit in the bottom of the luggage, no extra room.

 

The best item I read to take were medium binder clips to keep towels on the beach chairs. Everyone who saw them thought they were the BEST! Thanks to CC!!

 

I also bring bubble wrap, packing tape and plastic bags for my alcohol and breakable purchases. Some people wrap their items in clothes, but I'd rather not take the chance in case TSA ends up going through your bag, they won't care how it all gets put back:eek:

 

Definitely a power strip if you have a computer, electric toothbrush, chargers, etc.

 

Last but not least, Wal-Mart and Target have a great $1.00 section for small items like toothpaste, hair products, etc. so you don't have to worry about packing large sizes or buying containers.

 

Enjoy!

[Tbay-eh]

I always pack a handful of dryer sheets. I put them in the drawers - freshens them up, also one in a suitcase under the bed for dirty laundry .. I also take them ashore to rub over my arms and neck - for some reason the little critters don't like the smell and you have the bonus of smelling like fresh laundry and what man doesn't like that smell. Cindy

[elainmir]

The cruise line doesnt charge you if your bag is over 50 lbs do they? I just want to clarify that its the airlines only? Otherwise I'm gonna be weighing luggage.....

[SimplyAddicted]

The air freshener is a good idea, and the alarm clock (although you can use your cell phone if you want). If you're in an inside cabin, a small flashlight or nightlite is nice for nighttime trips to the bathroom.

:)

 

Speaking from personal experience, be careful using your cell phone as an alarm. If you switch time zones, your cell will be on a different time than the ship is. You can ask for a wake up call though -or my personal favorite - order in toast and coffee as your wake up call.

[valancy1]

One thing we didn't remember on our first cruise was cash money for tipping our room steward and head waiter. There is an ATM on the ship at the purser's desk area. But it costs $6.00 to make a withdrawal or do anything on it. So now we bring extra cash.

 

I don't bring alot of the gee-gaws other people bring. I travel 100% for my job and have learned to pack. I take a 22" rollerboard for a week. If it doesn't fit, I don't take it. This includes our snorkels and masks, too. You'll be surprised how little you can get by with. I took 2 pair of sandals... not a suitcase full of shoes! LOL.

 

We do bring our power squid--it's such a nifty invention. Believe it or not, in our room aboard Destiny there were TWO outlets, but we never needed all the power.

 

Make SURE you unplug your curling irons and hair dryers from whatever sockets you use. On Liberty they say they would be confiscated until the end of the cruise, so be careful about keeping up after this.

 

So think about having the tips--if you don't use them, no prob. If you want to tip them and don't have the cash, well then that's a problem. :)

[Havinsnest]

The cruise line doesnt charge you if your bag is over 50 lbs do they? I just want to clarify that its the airlines only? Otherwise I'm gonna be weighing luggage.....

Just the airlines.

 

And to answer the original question...take 1/2 as much as you think you need and you will probably still have too much.

[228THSTREET]

We bring extra disk one for each island or maybe for two islands and one for the ship. This way if you lost cameria you still have some picture of your trip

[mikefast]

If you are anything like my wife, I say pack, then unpack about half of what you packed. My wife always brings way more than we use. I hate carrying around all that extra luggage. :D

[Chigirlcruzin]

I can't believe all the "stuff" people bring! You don't need air fresheners, highlighters, post-its, over-the-door shoe hangers, flashlights, etc. A power strip IS necessary though. My last cruise my hair dryer plug would not fit into the standard outlet in the room due to the positioning of the outlet.

 

If you're in an inside cabin, you can do one of two things - leave the bathroom light on at night, or use the small amount of light from under the door to guide your way in the middle of the night.

 

You don't really need a clock for the room either. However, I don't recommend using your cellphone unless you turn the GPS off. Instead, you can use the phone to program a wake-up call.

 

I pack all my clothes in the large Ziploc bags. This cuts down on wrinkles and makes it easy on TSA if the decide to inspect my bags. I then use them for my dirty laundry, and it makes packing to go home easier. No need for a pop-up hamper.

 

I could pack everything in a 22" roll-on except for the liquid thing. Since I fly, I need to put sunscreen (I go through a can a day on a cruise) and my hair products (my stuff isn't available in travel sizes) in my checked bags. Since I'm checking luggage anyways, I do tend to pack a few more clothes. I could get by with the mix and match thing, but since I'm checking luggage, I pack cocktail dresses instead.

[CruisinJazz]

Regarding the power strip or extension cords...are the outlets in the cabins 2 or 3 prong?