First Cruise Sleeping and Packing Questions

Hi everyone,

My boyfriend and I are going on our first cruise in 12 days, yay! We are sailing with RCI on a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas. We're both 23 and working full time (I'm taking a year off before I start my masters degree) and we're so excited to get away and relax. However, I still have a few questions. I'd love some answers from more experienced cruisers.

First, for some reason whenever we go on vacation my bf's snoring gets MUCH worse. I think it's probably a combination of eating late at night and drinking more than usual. Usually I can bear it but I keep hearing about the incredibly small rooms with little to no space to escape the sound (even if just for a little lol). Does anyone have any advice on how to cope with snoring? And are the rooms really as small as everyone says? My bf's parents once told us that when they sailed with RCI they couldn't both get ready at the same time. One would have to get ready and then leave the room for the other to get ready.

Also, any tips on fighting the urge to over pack? I feel like I keep adding things to the list and I know we probably won't need them all.

Thanks so much!

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For the packing, plan your outfits for each day and use clothes you can mix and match (clothes worn at night when you get back from port days don't tend to get that dirty, so it can be easy to wear them twice). That way you don't overpack on clothes. As for not overpacking on non-clothes items, don't feel like you have to cover every possible scenario. It's just a 4 day cruise, so you'll survive :-)

For snoring, bring ear plugs or earphones for music. Skull candy makes great ear buds that block out noise (so well that I can't wear them at work because I can't hear when people are trying to get my attention! Now they're my go to to wear on planes!)

Have fun!

As for getting ready, I've shared a room with three other people :-). As long as you only use the bathroom when you need it (eg don't brush your hair or do makeup in there when you can use a mirror in the room) you can rotate in/out of the bathroom and be fine.

BreathRight nose strips stop many folks' snoring and they're OTC at little cost.

Go to your cruise line's web site and look at the square footage of you cabin (or ask your TA). Then measure your current bedroom for comparison (but only after you adjust for the ship's head (i.e., bathroom) being in the same space).

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Hi everyone,

 

And are the rooms really as small as everyone says? My bf's parents once told us that when they sailed with RCI they couldn't both get ready at the same time. One would have to get ready and then leave the room for the other to get ready.

 

Also, any tips on fighting the urge to over pack? I feel like I keep adding things to the list and I know we probably won't need them all.

 

Thanks so much!

 

 

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1. Typical rooms are 160 - 180 sq ft. That is equivalent to a 10x17 room. I can't figure out why your parents couldn't handle 2 people in a 10x17 foot room. Check out the room diagrams on the RCI site.

2. You are only going to be gone for 4 days. Hardly a long cruise. You should be able to fit everything you need in a small carry on bag. If you can't, you are taking too much. How many different changes in clothing do you need for 4 days?

Relax. You are over stressing.

DON

My wife has the same complaint about my snoring. I use Breathe Rite spray and it is a big help. I found the strips would often fall off.

My wiffe also has a "Sound Machine" that produces background noise to drown me out.

This was our inside cabin on the Radiance. DH and I spent 34 days in it with no problems.

It may look small but the people who design ship cabins are geniuses. Every last inch of space is utilized. I didn't take a shot of the desk area or closet but the closet is good sized with lots of hanging space and shelves, the desk which has a nice big mirror has several drawers, there are drawers in the nightstands by the bed, etc.

The bathroom is small and pretty much one person size - you'll probably want to take turns in there. :D

The desk is on the opposite side from the couch with the closet next to it.

Besides, you're only in your cabin to sleep, change clothes, etc. Have a great time - and prepare to be hooked.

For the packing, plan your outfits for each day and use clothes you can mix and match (clothes worn at night when you get back from port days don't tend to get that dirty, so it can be easy to wear them twice). That way you don't overpack on clothes. As for not overpacking on non-clothes items, don't feel like you have to cover every possible scenario. It's just a 4 day cruise, so you'll survive :-)

 

Have fun!

More than just planning- schedule your clothes. My wife actually schedules everything she will wear (using the itinerary). And even with that, she always tells me that she brought too much.

For the most part, if you brought too little, the shops on board will be able to fill you in. So don't worry too much about that. Almost every trip, my wife buys a new dress.. :D (for fun)

+1 on have fun!!!

Thanks everyone, the advice has been super helpful. I'll have to look for the breathe right spray, I've never heard of that. And I think the bf would be more inclined to take that then wear the strip.

I am also now reassured that we won't be crammed into our room like sardines. I think people just like to exaggerate... Lol.

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I am also now reassured that we won't be crammed into our room like sardines. I think people just like to exaggerate... Lol.

I did a 7-day cruise with 4 people in 1 room and we survived :-)

I have shared a cabin with my sister my last 2 cruises and she sounds like an injured bear when she sleeps. I found that foam earplugs(available at Lowes or Home Depot) work wonders at drowning her out. They are light and comfortable.

DH is an Olympic snorer, so you have my sympathy. He found the strips work better than the spray to reduce his snoring. BUT you have to wash the area and dry it well to remove skin oils first or the strips will peel off. Does he snore more when he's on his back? I've found that nudging him to turn on his side, or if that fails, a well placed knee to the kidney region helps.

ditto here on how well the strips work. Take both and if the spray doesn't do the trick the you could ask him to try the strips ; -)

Cheap insurance.

And the cabins are very comfortable in my (small two cruise) experience. Well planned and easy to get around.

Breathe-right strips for him and foam earplugs for you should combine to lessen, if not cure, the snoring problem. The cabins are not huge, but if you keep yourself organized there is plenty of space. Pack about half of what you originally think about bringing - a lot of things can be worn twice, and no one else will notice if you wear the same thing.

Enjoy!

My DW is a deadly snorer, and if I wake up, I cannot fall asleep with the snoring going on. (I've heard rumors that I snore too, but she can fall asleep again.) I just put in headphones and start some music from my "Pete Chill" playlist, and hope that I'll fall asleep within an hour. :(

depends on the room you booked

if you got an inside on the enchantment, its either about 125 or 145 sq ft, if its 145 you'll be ok

125 cramped but you can make it

if you are on the majesty of the seas, the smallest rooms inside are about 120 sq ft and if you put the beds together, you'll trip on the bed about 6 feet into the room!

been there, done that! and we had 3 in one of those rooms, but only for 3 days

that's the deal, if its a 3 or 4 day cruise, you can deal with it whatever the size of the room

we had a tomb room on the carnival way way back in the day, only about 110 sq ft and the old high threshold sealing door so no ambient light at all in the room - absolutely creepy - didn't take a carnival cruise for many years after that:confused:

breath right strips, bring you some asprin, and a frying pan, and you'll have no problem with his snoring!:eek:

I use the silicon ear plugs. roll them into a ball then put in the outer ear and flatten them. they muffle the sound of the snorer. Macks is a common brand easy to find; but I like CVS brand as my ears are small.

Hubby is always complaining about my snoring. I tend to get congested and can no longer take anti-histamines for my allergies due to another condition. He also snores but he wears the Breathe Rite strips. I tried one once and it took forever to get it off. I should try it again as it's not good to snore. There are sprays you can use for snoring too. Just look in your cold remedy aisle and you should be able to find them by looking for Breathe Rite (any sprays would be in the same area).

As for cabin size, maybe your parents didn't realize that cabins aren't the size of hotel rooms until they actually were in there. Our last three cruises were two weeks long and the three of us were in insides or ocean view cabins and did fine. As for changing, we took turns using the bathroom -- my daughter and husband aren't going to change in front of each other obviously, so while one is in the bathroom, the other would change either in the closet area (Princess has a little area by the closet) or in the main part of the cabin. If hubby got up much earlier (which was often the case), he would shower and dress in the bathroom while his girls slept in.

What ship are you on? Answers to your questions can be ship dependent!

My husband uses http://m.walgreens.com/mt/www.walgreens.com/store/store/product/view_product_details.jsp?id=prod6163238 when we travel. At Home he has a pillow that supports his neck better and I get him to sleep on his side. He actually will respond to me saying "roll over"in his sleep at night. :p

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breath right strips, bring you some asprin, and a frying pan, and you'll have no problem with his snoring!:eek:

This made me laugh a little too hard :P lol

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What ship are you on? Answers to your questions can be ship dependent!

We're on Enchantment of the Seas.

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DH is an Olympic snorer, so you have my sympathy. He found the strips work better than the spray to reduce his snoring. BUT you have to wash the area and dry it well to remove skin oils first or the strips will peel off. Does he snore more when he's on his back? I've found that nudging him to turn on his side, or if that fails, a well placed knee to the kidney region helps.

This is a great tip about making sure the strip doesn't fall off! Thanks so much! He's agreed to try the strip (he said he'd prefer it over the spray if he had to choose) hopefully it works *fingers crossed*

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hi CJ. we just went on the enchantment

we booked last minute had an inside K 8135

categorized as a large interior the room was oblong, put the beds together, they were left of the door as you enter and had I think a privacy curtain which we didn't ever pull, the vanity and some shelves and drawers opposite the door, and a short sort of hallway between the closet and batroom entrance

the bathroom is the old corner style I remember from cruise ships years ago, so its a really small bathroom but we are big peeps and didn't have any problems with it, they were at least better than the old monarch of the seas!

for a 4 day cruise, plenty of room, now had we had the smaller inside we'd have been cramped! they do have small outsides on the enchantment too so what kind of cabin are you in? category is fine you don't need to give a specific # or maybe pick another number out on that deck

vacations to go has a great quick website where you can click on your ship and deckplans and navigate around the ship on their site much faster than the cruise ship websites, although their websites are interactive on info

anyway you can check out the ship, also a tip, the buffet on enchantment though OK was always really busy on our cruise in feb,, but the forward windjammer café thingy was almost always a breeze, it didn't have everything the full buffett had ( including the mess ) but it was always neat and had interesting choices and actually more healthy stuff too!

hi CJ. we just went on the enchantment

 

 

 

we booked last minute had an inside K 8135

 

 

 

categorized as a large interior the room was oblong, put the beds together, they were left of the door as you enter and had I think a privacy curtain which we didn't ever pull, the vanity and some shelves and drawers opposite the door, and a short sort of hallway between the closet and batroom entrance

 

 

 

the bathroom is the old corner style I remember from cruise ships years ago, so its a really small bathroom but we are big peeps and didn't have any problems with it, they were at least better than the old monarch of the seas!

 

 

 

for a 4 day cruise, plenty of room, now had we had the smaller inside we'd have been cramped! they do have small outsides on the enchantment too so what kind of cabin are you in? category is fine you don't need to give a specific # or maybe pick another number out on that deck

 

 

 

vacations to go has a great quick website where you can click on your ship and deckplans and navigate around the ship on their site much faster than the cruise ship websites, although their websites are interactive on info

 

 

 

anyway you can check out the ship, also a tip, the buffet on enchantment though OK was always really busy on our cruise in feb,, but the forward windjammer café thingy was almost always a breeze, it didn't have everything the full buffett had ( including the mess ) but it was always neat and had interesting choices and actually more healthy stuff too!

Thanks so much for all the helpful tips (especially the buffet tip I'll make sure to check it out, overly crowded spaces frustrate me lol). The vacations to go site was also great. I think I have a better handle on how our room looks. We're in a superior ocean view stateroom with a balcony (says category D1 on the vacations to go site).

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