Best tip used?

[solle1]

Thought it would be good for 1st timers to see all the tips we've used from all the experienced cruisers on this site in one thread

 

mine is simple but I never thought of it, and that was the over the door shoe holder, worked GREAT for all the stuff that would otherwise clutter your counter

 

The best TIP from my baroom days is allways tip early in other words tip cabin steward waiter etc on the first night they might believe you are insane and will follow you around the rest of the cruise :)

[SMSACE6]

Im not sure what beverages are in the buffets now on Carnival, as my last cruise on Carnival was in 2010, but I didnt like the ice tea from the dispenser ( it was unsweetened, and tasted vile ), so I remembered a tip from others who said to mix the ice tea half and half with the lemonade. I loved that combination. So if there is still ice tea and lemonade in those buffet beverage dispensers, try mixing them half and half or so. It makes a nice refreshing drink.:)

[422Melissa]

Bring a couple of bungee cords if you're in a balcony cabin. I had to use two of them attached to our coffee table to pull our balcony door closed tightly during a storm. Otherwise, there was just enough of a gap between the door and the frame to cause LOUD howling. The cords worked like a charm.

 

Other random useful items:

SnapIn™ Travel Jewelry Case Best thing since sliced bread.

Waterproof sport watch

Binoculars

Corkscrew (if you BYO wine)

Small bills for room service and excursion tips

Cardboard sheets to protect purchased photos

 

Things I packed and didn't use on my last trip:

Flashlight

Insulated mugs

Door stop

Snorkel gear & underwater camera (couldn't dock in Freeport due to poor weather)

[askimdog]

The day you leave port is a busy day, checking in, lifeboat drill, awe of the ship etc. So our favorite tip is to take it easy that morning if you are in the port city already, we fly in a day or 2 early. Then have a HUGE ..NICE..brunch at some place right before boarding.

 

This way you avoid the free for all, everyone having lunch at the same time since the dining rooms are closed for lunch first meal. Plus you avoid, since the buffet is near LIDO pools often, the over crowded Lido deck near sail away hour.

[ccruisequeen]

I use the door stop to hold the balcony door open. There doesn't seem to be a good enough place to hook the bungee that it will hold.

I use a walker and a door stop also holds the door open so I can put it in the cabin at night.

 

 

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[jenn6743]

You CAN smoke in your cabin unless it is a Spa cabin.

 

actually you cant smoke in your room. When I first started cruise I requested a non smoking room due to lung problems and they ensured me that all rooms are smoke free, and people may smoke on their balconies. My husband use to smoke, and we always got a balcony...

[ceffler]

Those Glow in the Dark necklaces work great for night lights. Hang one on the bathroom door and it gives enough light to see to get to the bathroom and is not invasive to others in the room.

 

Why not just bring a travel pack of Lysol wipes? Less than $2 and very portable and easy to use - I keep it in my carryon and wipe down the 'culprits' (e.g. tv remote, phone, knobs, etc)when I get to the cabin.

 

As for a motion sensor bathroom night light - that will only turn on when you GET into the bathroom - how about getting there in the dark? I usually use my booklight - when finished reading at night I generally put book and booklight on night table and if I have to visit washroom at night I use the teeny tiny booklight to light my path and in the bathroom - works great.

 

I think I have also seen some travel alarms that can double as a night light....

 

I also take a nice carryon that doubles as my beachbag in ports - saves on packing another 'thing' to use.....

[solle1]

Best tips:

 

* Tipping the cabin attendant as soon as you meet him/her - made for really great service.

 

I have always wondered about this. Then I read on here from an ex cruise director that many of the cabin attendants consider this an insult. They said they take pride in taking care of all of their passengers. You don't have to bribe them in advance.

A small grease not the entire thing :D

[G-Luvs2cruise]

This was a great help! We are going on our third cruise and I am learning new things on this thread. I to have a pad of paper next to me taking notes.

 

I am going to get one of those shoe holders!

 

I always use something like my grocery rewards card or a restaurant rewards card for our safe. I usually keep it somewhere easy to find in the room. I never carry it on me.

 

We always take the travel pack of Clorox wipes. We don't wipe everything completely down but have it just in case. I agree with some previous post. Unless you walk around the ship in a germ free body suit there is no way to avoid it! We just wash our hand all the time. I always keep hand sanitizer on me. Plus the ships have them everywhere now.

 

One thing some people may want to try before you cruise is Airborne. It is basically a heavy dose of Vitamin C. They have it in pills and dissolvable tablets. I think you take it 5 days before you leave for a trip. My DH and I took that our last two cruises and we never got sick. Not sure if that is what actually helped. It also may not work against the Norovirus. Since we have to fly to our next Port we will definitely be taking it again. I worry about germs more in a plane then a ship. It is recirculating the same air on a plane.

 

OK. That was my two cents! LOL! :D

[ccruisequeen]

I load up on Zinc at the first sign of a cold.

 

 

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[Packerman52]

We load up on Emergen-C about a week before any vacation, we also try to hydrate a few days before (it helps for long flights). We also never travel without Pepto-Bismol or Imodium A-D capsules. We haven't cruised in a few years but with all the electronic gadgets we have a power strip is a must!