Cruise Packing Tips?

[notentirelynormal]

Please don't take the gold coin or the $2 bill. These are basically considered useless tips. No one can spend them. When was the last time you got a $2 bill? Other countries don't want them. They think they are fake. I was in Australia and our bus driver asked me if they were real because someone had given him one as a tip and his bank wouldn't take it. Other countries, like the US, don't want foreign coins so they are unspendable.

Of course the crew member smiles. That's his job. If he sneered at you, you'd be offended and complain and he'd lose his job. So he smiles. Single dollar bills are the way to go every time.

[Sunburns]

Originally Posted by notentirelynormal

Please don't take the gold coin or the $2 bill. These are basically considered useless tips. No one can spend them. When was the last time you got a $2 bill? Other countries don't want them. They think they are fake. I was in Australia and our bus driver asked me if they were real because someone had given him one as a tip and his bank wouldn't take it. Other countries, like the US, don't want foreign coins so they are unspendable.

Of course the crew member smiles. That's his job. If he sneered at you, you'd be offended and complain and he'd lose his job. So he smiles. Single dollar bills are the way to go every time.

Wow! I'm glad you replied. I also thought the dollar coin was a neat idea.
On another note...you gave me an idea for another problem I was trying to resolve. To save suitcase space and avoid having shelves full of trinkets from everywhere I have been, years ago I began buying smashed pennies when I travel. Many destinations do not have penny smashers and I was trying to figure out another idea just as easy. I could just get some foreign currency from wherever I am at to add to my penny box

[notentirelynormal]

Years ago - which means I don't know if they still do - the ship had a big bowl of coins on the counter from various ports. The idea was you did an exchange. Say someone just needed one coin for Greece and didn't want get more change then they would need. You took one of those. On the other hand, if you had left over coins that you were never going to spend you threw them into the jar. I met a guy who did magic tricks and needed three identical coins in good condition and that's how he got them. It won't hurt to ask.

[sssteele]

Originally Posted by notentirelynormal

Please don't take the gold coin or the $2 bill. These are basically considered useless tips. No one can spend them. When was the last time you got a $2 bill? Other countries don't want them. They think they are fake. I was in Australia and our bus driver asked me if they were real because someone had given him one as a tip and his bank wouldn't take it. Other countries, like the US, don't want foreign coins so they are unspendable.

Of course the crew member smiles. That's his job. If he sneered at you, you'd be offended and complain and he'd lose his job. So he smiles. Single dollar bills are the way to go every time.

Thanks for the tip. I usually use them in the USA. Lots of people here know what they are, but some still don't.

The crew members are always so polite, and smile when we tip them for all the little "included" things they do for us.

[sssteele]

[quote=t60;34707413]Oh how I wish I´d done this on our last cruise in Italy!! How big is the one you take?

Sandy in Spain[/quote

I have several, but usually take one about as long as my suitcase. I use it to pack socks, roll DH's ties or whatever then use it for my "priceless" art purchases on the return trip.

Also used empty oatmeal containers for 1st aid kit, ect. going and small breakables coming home. You can just trash them if they aren't needed for that leg of the trip.

[GlendaleCruiser]

Originally Posted by t60

We NEVER take home used underwear. We wash underwear daily and hang to dry in the bathroom. This also works for Tshirts. The very thought of taking home dirty laundry...yeuk

Sandy in Spain

The very thought of hand washing my underwear every day in my cabin..Yuk. I'm on vacation!

[FloridaGram]

After reading many reviews about people using "packing cubes" I bought some for my last cruise. Wow, they really work! We were able to take all the clothes I wanted and still had too much room left in the suitcases! I do see how people could use a carry on only with these.

You roll your clothes and then put them in there. They help hold the clothes in place so they do not get as wrinkled. I would fit 7 XL shirts in a large one and they took up the space of about 10" x 15" by 2 inches deep.

When unpacking it was so easy, I just pulled them out of the suitcase and hung up some stuff but most just left in the cube in the drawer. It made unpacking and storage in the room so much neater.

Some people said they get different colors for each family member and then the kids know where to find their own clothes. So many neat uses for these if you are real organized. (I am not usually so I really like how they helped me to be)

The absolute best advice is only TAKE HALF OF THE CLOTHES YOU THINK YOU NEED!

[5326jan]

Originally Posted by GlendaleCruiser

The very thought of hand washing my underwear every day in my cabin..Yuk. I'm on vacation!

I don't like the idea of someone's dirty underwear being washed in the same sink used for washing faces, hands and teeth! Yuk!

If we wash out anything, we take it into the shower and wash it while showering. Especially, something like a bathing suit that could have sand in it. The sink is too small anyway.

[april47]

Originally Posted by Sunburns

Wow! I'm glad you replied. I also thought the dollar coin was a neat idea.
On another note...you gave me an idea for another problem I was trying to resolve. To save suitcase space and avoid having shelves full of trinkets from everywhere I have been, years ago I began buying smashed pennies when I travel. Many destinations do not have penny smashers and I was trying to figure out another idea just as easy. I could just get some foreign currency from wherever I am at to add to my penny box

smashing pennies????

[Sunburns]

Originally Posted by april47

smashing pennies????

Yes Smashing pennies I have found them to be my favorite souvenir yet. They only cost me .51 cents and I can fit them in my pocket or handbag with no worries of it getting broken or taking up too much space. I have wonderful memories attached to each of my smashed pennies and need nothing more. I do, however, purchase a few 'typical' souvenirs for my family to be given to them when I get home and I always buy myself a t-shirt from wherever I have been if they are available.
This is the web site I use to find where the penny smashers are located if I don't see one anywhere. If any travelers here can add a location to this site, it would be appreciated I don't plan to go to Dolphin Cove in Jamaica, and I would really like to smash a penny.
http://www.pennycollector.com/AreaList.aspx

[MaisonRose]

A friend just off a TA said that she wished she had with her a small over the shoulder purse for carrying her lipstick and passenger ID card (instead of carrying a big purse around and keeping track of it)

[SusieCruises]

SUCH GREAT TIPS!! I thought I was a pretty good packer but I just learned you CAN teach an old dog new (packing) tricks! LOL
One suggestion for anyone who wears eyeglasses (or even sunglasses) is to take an eyeglass repair kit with you! Nothing puts a damper on a cruise like a broken arm or lose lens on your glasses! On my very first cruise we were in the giftshop when a man came in holding his glasses in a couple pieces asking if they sold a kit. They didn't! Another customer offered to let him use his.
One other thing to save space......wherever I travel, my 'remembrance' is always a refrigerator magnet! Not too expensive, takes up practically no room in your luggage, and every time you look at it you will remember that trip. I know I do!

[cam200]

Originally Posted by FloridaGram

After reading many reviews about people using "packing cubes" I bought some for my last cruise. Wow, they really work! We were able to take all the clothes I wanted and still had too much room left in the suitcases! I do see how people could use a carry on only with these.

You roll your clothes and then put them in there. They help hold the clothes in place so they do not get as wrinkled. I would fit 7 XL shirts in a large one and they took up the space of about 10" x 15" by 2 inches deep.

When unpacking it was so easy, I just pulled them out of the suitcase and hung up some stuff but most just left in the cube in the drawer. It made unpacking and storage in the room so much neater.

Some people said they get different colors for each family member and then the kids know where to find their own clothes. So many neat uses for these if you are real organized. (I am not usually so I really like how they helped me to be)

The absolute best advice is only TAKE HALF OF THE CLOTHES YOU THINK YOU NEED!

I've been thinking about getting these packing cubes. Do you fold your shirts in half or thirds before rolling? Don't they still wrinkle? How do you pack dirty clothes on the return trip (if like me you prefer to not spend vacation time doing laundry)? I wouldn't want to put dirty shirts in the cubes ...

Loved reading through all these packing tips - I've learned quite a bit so thanks to all for the ideas!

[FloridaGram]

Originally Posted by cam200

I've been thinking about getting these packing cubes. Do you fold your shirts in half or thirds before rolling? Don't they still wrinkle? How do you pack dirty clothes on the return trip (if like me you prefer to not spend vacation time doing laundry)? I wouldn't want to put dirty shirts in the cubes ...

Loved reading through all these packing tips - I've learned quite a bit so thanks to all for the ideas!

What I did was lay a shirt on the packing cube and then folded in each side to make it about the size of the packing cube. None of the shirts I took were cotton that had to be ironed, I took knit and kind of slinky material for my dressy shirts. I started rolling at the neck lines so that if any part came unrolled or was not as tight it was the bottom. It worked well for me.

[t60]

I´ve made a cardboard template (from a cornflakes packet) based on one of OH new shirt packaging. I use that as a template to fold shirts, I can then fold just as they are in the shop, which fit the cubes we use perfectly.(you could adjust the size of the card board to fit your cubes)

As for packing dirty shirts...well they´re not that dirty, and as OH wears them all,they get folded back the same way and put in the cube or you could fold them the same way and put them in a plastic bag

Sandy in Spain

[MaisonRose]

Are pthee cubes that need a vacuum cleaner to seal? If so, what happens when you pack to go home?
I roll everything, putting slacks down first, at the end soft things, then roll and slip the whole thing into a (big) plastic shopping sack. I use a shoe box or something like that for all the loose items, toiletries, etc. It seems to work--if you use your fingers to smoothe things out as you go.