Packing Tips

[rebeccalouise]

I tried to find an appropriate place for this but thought it might be helpful to people.

 

The cruise lines are really cutting back on things that used to be commonplace. For example- on Royal Caribbean you get the use of towels by the pool but must use your ship card to get them and then check them back in when you are done. Sometimes this made for a long chilly walk to the towel station.

 

ROBES

 

My suggestion to is that you pack some robes that you can wear to and from the pool- otherwise you might be dripping alot! I like to use the hot tubs at night and it is freezing when you get out. So bring a soft terrycloth robe. It is also a nice thing to throw on when you are getting ready for dinner and there are children under foot.

 

SHOES

 

Also- don't make the mistake I did. I mail ordered a pair of shoes that looked lovely and were the same make as another pair I already own. I didn't try them on until the cruise. They were too big and they started falling apart the first day. So try shoes on first and wear them to make sure they are comfortable.

 

LINEN

 

Don't overpack. I found that linen sundresses are great for Caribbean cruises. They are even better than cotton. The new linen blends don't wrinkle as much and are light and breezy. I never felt uncomfortable in linen as opposed to the cotton sundresses I brought, which hold more moisture.

 

BACKPACK OR BEACHBAG

 

Make sure to bring a backpack large enough to carry pool towels and the usually beach things. I found our backpack to be too small and there were only two of us. A family of four will be taking four towels off the ship on beach days.

 

PACK HALF AS MUCH AS YOU THINK YOU WILL NEED

For example- the same basic black cocktail dress can be changed up with a shawl or sweater. If you run out of clothes, you can send them out to be washed. Figure all but three nights of your cruise you can get away with capri pants or nice skirts or sundresses. I bring a white dresses, a white - sweaters and two black numbers. When close get dirty just send them out to be cleaned- you'll find them washed and hung up in you closet the next day.

 

HAIR AND NAILS

 

Get a nice french manicure and pedicure before you leave- saves time and money. Same with coloring your hair and getting haircuts. While I have gotten some nice haircuts onboard- you pay two to three times what you will pay on land.

 

It's your vacation- try not to be a packmule and laundry wench!

[Crusin6]

Some of you might think this is wasteful, but since we are a family of 6, with 4 kids and we travel usually in late August, it works for us even when we are just doing Disney World and not cruising.

 

 

Of course I usually buy the girls news packs of underwear for school so by late August it is time to throw the old stuff out. On a 10 day trip to DisneyWorld one year we needed to bring about 70 pairs of underwear!!!!

 

I do not do laundry on vacation as it takes up too much precious vacation time with the kids and I do not plan to do laundry in the future either:D on vacation.

 

So of course, we just tossed them as they were used. We always bring extra along anyway and should we get caught up in a hurricane, which has happened, we will not be without!

[fisherhum]

The one thing I found really great for the kids, was I let them pack all their things as long as they fit in one of the little character suitcases. It was the perfect size for them to pack on the plane (and pull by themselves). I taped a list of everything that was in it to the inside of the case so that when it was time to pack up I could ensure we had remembered everything.