What things do you carry with you around the ship?

[Sammy*]

First time (nervous!) cruiser here....departing in Feb on the Mariner. We will have adults, teens, and children with us. I'm wondering what we should be carrying with us at all times and also, how do people carry them? I mean, is everyone walking around with lanyards around their necks that hold their $$ and ID's? Should DH just have his regular wallet? What about the teens?? And I don't want to have to worry about carrying a purse around all day....what do you ladies do? Sorry to sound so clueless, but I want to make sure we're prepared for what we need once onboard.

 

Thanks for any suggestions and info you can provide!

 

Sammy

[LARGIN]

Easy answer.. :)

 

Since the cruise is cashless you will not to need to carry any $$. The only thing will be your cruise card. It is a combination room key and credit card. You will settle your bill at the end of the cruise. You can establish $$ limits for the kids. That way they can buy sodas without you being there to sign.

[dna1990]

Agree with above - only your cruise card, no billfold, purses, packes, etc! Very light way to unwind.

[Nitemare]

I take two things:

 

A) Cruise Card

B) Pocket Map of ship (at least for the first few days)

[kitty9]

The only time you'll have to carry actual cash is if you go into the casino, but even for that, you can take money from the casino cashier and have that on your shipboard account.

 

Everything like wallets and credit cards are locked in the room safe until we need them for shore excursions.

[vijoge]

Cruise Card and digital camera.

[Sophiesmom2]

Walkie Talkies are great too...especially if everyone/anyone wants to do their own thing. Great way to stay in touch.

[MrsPete]

Around the ship, perhaps going to lunch, going to a show, etc. -- I'd carry just a tiny wrist wallet on a strap. It should contain the ship card (with which to buy a drink or something in the shops) and a couple dollars. Technically, you should never need cash, but I like to have $2-4 with me. Sometimes a waiter at breakfast or lunch will really go out of his way to do something special (like go hunt up a BP&J sandwich for your child even though it's not on the menu), and you'd want to be able to leave a couple dollars for that special service. Depending upon where I'm going, I might have my camera.

 

Going to the pool -- I'd carry my beach tote with my own towel, sunscreen and a book. I like to have my own towel because it "marks my spot" and no one will move it. I'm not a chair hog, but I don't want someone to move my stuff if I go buy a drink or go to the rest room. Being a mean mom, I make my kids carry their own stuff to the pool -- it really cuts down on the amount of "must haves".

 

Going onshore -- This requires a bit more "stuff". If it's a swimming-type excursion, I'd wear my swimsuit under my clothes and carry a towel, sunscreen and camera in a backpack or beach bag. If it's more of an around-town type excursion, then I"d just carry a fanny pack with my camera and some cash. You don't need your passport, etc. to leave the ship -- they'll check your ship's ID card when you leave and they'll check it again when you reboard.

[Z'Loth]

What I (plan) to carry around my cruise:

• Sail & Sign card - Acts as a "charge" card which gets applied to my account
• Soda card - Because I plan on drinking plenty of Ginger Ale
• Camera
• Hat
• Map of the Spirit

And, occassionally, my GPS unit to see hwere the heck we are at the moment.

[trudle]

When we returned to our ship, from Cozamel, they asked for a picture ID and you ship card. This was just a week ago.

Have a great cruise.

[Andee]

Around the ship, I need to have my ship card, Epi-pen, lipstick and sunglasses, so I carry a small purse. No big deal.

[StephenJohnson]

Cruise card + photo ID onboard (mostly so I don't need anything else for short off-ship jaunts), and usually a small amount of cash in port, unless we're doing somewhat more srious shopping.

 

Pocket map is good if you like, though most ships are well signed.

 

OTOH, if it makes you feel good, drag around whatever makes you feel comfortable.

[Host Walt]

Ditto above. We have lanyards with a plastic id card holder for our cruise card and room key-card so it's always around our necks and easily accessed whenever needed. We also carry a folded copy of the daily program for reference and a small pad and pen.

 

However, there is one important thing to add. All the suggestions are for on board only. If you are in port and want to get off and do something, you'll clearly need a wallet with id (and/or a Passport) and spending money or credit cards. I usually have a photocopy of the photo page of my Passport in my wallet and usually have in my pocket whenever we are in port so I can get off and on at a whim.

 

For days at sea, my wallet is locked in the safe. For port days, whether or not we get off the ship, my wallet is in my pocket.

 

My wife always carries a small sportsac bag for her wallet and other stuff (compact etc) so she doen't have to find her way back to the cabin to freshen up.

 

Another suggestion. Carry some Post-it sticky notes. It's a great way to leave notes for each other if you split up. For example, if my wife is playing Bingo and I'm checking my eyelids for holes by the pool, and she wants to tell me where she is going after bingo, she just leaves a sticky note on my book or sunglasses rather than waking me. Works great.

[Sammy*]

Thanks so much everyone! And thanks to Host Walt for going into the "off ship" list of things as well. Very helpful!

 

Sammy

[Lenora1426]

Sea pass (cruise card) and walkie talkie.

[karenh1127]

What about the kids? Do they need their birth certificates and S&S cards? They obviously dont have a picture ID and no passport so do we have to take their BC on shore with us while in ports?

[Happy ks]

Leave all original documents in the safe on the ship, you can take along copies. The kids will need their seapass card to get on and off the ship. Sometimes, not always, they will ask for a photo ID in addition to the seapass card , such as driver license. Kids are usually not required to have an additional photo ID for re-boarding in port, as long as they are with their parents.

 

A suggestion, go through wallets and purses before you travel and leave all unnecessary items at home. Besides our IDs, we each carry only one credit card, if your wallet or purse is stolen or lost, you don't want to be cancelling everything you have. I have an aunt, who I swear, has not cleaned out her wallet or purse in years. She travels with her purse that way and it drives me crazy to see her dig through her purse to find the plastic baggy with her cash. She has to use a baggy because her wallet is too full with old grocery store receipts and other junk. I'm sure I drive her crazy, too, when she sees me toss out all receipts I don't need and only have a wallet on a string. However, she is the one with the shoulder pain.

 

Onboard the ship, I make sure I take shorts with pockets, my room key goes in there, along with my lipstick. Off the ship, I make sure the beach bag or back pack I take is one my husband does not mind carrying, that way we can share the chore. Don't forget to carry bottled water off the ship, it can get hot and you don't want to get dehydrated. Everyone in my family carries their own.

[CruiseFever]

First time (nervous!) cruiser here....departing in Feb on the Mariner. We will have adults, teens, and children with us. I'm wondering what we should be carrying with us at all times and also, how do people carry them? I mean, is everyone walking around with lanyards around their necks that hold their $$ and ID's? Should DH just have his regular wallet? What about the teens?? And I don't want to have to worry about carrying a purse around all day....what do you ladies do? Sorry to sound so clueless, but I want to make sure we're prepared for what we need once onboard.

 

Thanks for any suggestions and info you can provide!

 

Sammy

Consistent with some of the above suggestions, I walk around the ship with nothing but my cruise card. Going ashore I'll take a supply of cash and a credit/debit card, should I need more. We lock everything else (passports, other forms of payment and ID) up in the cabin safe.

 

Smart Move: Keep the receipts for everything you buy on the ship in case there is a discrepancy later when compared to your shipboard account statement. We check that about half way through for sure if not more often..especially when traveling with the kids

 

Reality: We DO check that shipboard account statement but if we lose a receipt I sure don't worry about it....never had a problem yet

[MaryPoppinz]

On the ship, I carry a small Witz case on a lanyard that contains my S&S card/key and several dollars in cash, in case I want to tip anyone.

[Host Walt]

...Smart Move: Keep the receipts for everything you buy on the ship in case there is a discrepancy later when compared to your shipboard account statement. We check that about half way through for sure if not more often..especially when traveling with the kids

 

Reality: We DO check that shipboard account statement but if we lose a receipt I sure don't worry about it....never had a problem yet

Good suggestion. All cruise lines will give you a preliminary statement 2 nights before the end so you can check it. I always get one earlier as well, as does LifeIsCruising2, so I can check it and can discuss it with the pursers office when there's no big crowd.

 

I, too, have never had a problem...except, perhaps, with my own spending habits. ;)