nyfarmgirl

I wish I could give an opinion. I wanted to complete my online check in for my 2/21 cruise but their site is "under maintenance" today. I guess they weren't happy with the new site either :eek:

A different way to save dollar bills that works for those who don't typically handle alot of singles is to not allow yourself to spend the ones for purchases. For example if I stop at the gas station on my way to work and get a cup of coffee for $1.96 and pay with a $20, I will get 3 ones in my change. For the rest of the day, if I make another purchase, I can only use the $5 or $10. This not only encourages me to save more money at the end of every day but to avoid mindless spending. My ones and change go into a large empty olive oil jug from the warehouse club at the end of every day. The narrow neck prevents me from digging ones or quarters out when I am tempted.....I will cut the top off of the plastic jug a few days before my cruise and cash out my savings.

I was at Harbor Freight Tools w/DH and decided to just wander around. Major score!!! Little bottles of "craft magnets" in a small bottle, contains 8-10 dime sized magnets for $.33. Yep, I bought 3 sets for less than $1. Since walls and doors are metal, I can use these to put up my door decorations and hang things in the cabin as well. I have been looking at outlet extenders (like a power strip but they plug directly into the outlet and convert a 2 outlet into 4 or 6) but they have all been around $10. Found one of these at Harbor Freight for $3. They even had 4 outlet power strips for about the same price but this is smaller and lighter.

At Sam's Club and I got a very colorful beach blanket that folds into its own very flat tote for $15. I know we don't really need it since they provide beach towels but I thought it would be helpful to identify our spots among so many identical beach towels.

Cruise shopping is almost as much fun as cruise packing:D Only 43 days until my 2 wk cruise vacation!!

I know this will sound a little like overkill but I learned the hard way a long time ago that being prepared saves time, money and most of all frustration. I just updated my first aid and otc med kits this week for our cruise next month. Regardless of what kind of trip I am taking (land, cruise, business, pleasure etc) I carry the same small kit because I (or another member of my family) have needed every item in it at one time or another. I break it into several small ziplock sandwich bags so that I can quickly find what I need. This also enables me to keep the first aid supplies in my carry on, purse or beach bag in case of an accident while leaving the rest of my stuff in the hotel or cabin. I use a sharpie marker to write on each baggie so I know what is in it.

First aid:

band aids

alcohol wipes

gauze pads

Neosporin

Benadryl cream (itchy bug bites or stings)

small roll of sports wrap (use for twisted ankle or gauze pad without tape)

tweezers (removing splinters)

eyeglasses repair kit

Pain:

Ibuprofen

Orajel

Icy Hot

Abreva

Stomach:

Immodium

Laxative

Bonnine or Dramamine

Tums

ginger lozenges

Cold or Sinus:

Day & Nite formula capsules

nasal spray

Vicks salve

Visine

Small bottle of aloe w/lidocaine for sunburn

A couple of thermacare heat wraps

All of the above items fit into a small dop kit style bag and gives me comfort and peace knowing that I am prepared for the little unexpected moments.

We are rarely on prescription meds but it seems that travel (especially when it involves flying) tends to wreak havoc on digestive systems and makes you particularly susceptible to virus/colds. Even if you are willing to buy rather that take meds with you, there is nothing worse than having an issue at 2 am.

Portable luggage scale (if you are flying)

Sunglasses

Watch

I-tunes or Amazon gift card to fill Ipod or Kindle for cruise

Aloe Vera or solarcaine(in case of sunburn)

toiletry bag or packing cubes

earphones or portable bluetooth speaker

roll of brightly colored/patterned duct tape to decorate suitcases with to make identification at airport and cruise terminal easier

First off, I am a bit of an obsessive list maker. I had everything super organized for our first cruise. We were driving from Atlanta to New Orleans so no worries about over packing. I had been through these boards and had my extension cord, post its, highlighters, over the door shoe holder, collapsible hamper, small bag of first aid & assorted otc meds. Since we were going to NOLA for 2 nights pre-cruise, I was very proud of myself for packing the hotel clothes in a small suitcase so we could leave the larger cruise cases in the truck. We had a stay & park special so we could leave our truck in the hotel garage during the cruise and it was only a few blocks so we could walk to the port. Perfect planning, right?? Wrong.

Sure enough, we parked in the garage & checked into the hotel with our single suitcase and small carryon. We were able to walk everywhere in NOLA so we didn't move the truck the whole time. On Sunday morning we got ready, ate breakfast and checked out of the hotel. We joyously went down to the parking garage and put our carryon, & small case in the truck. We retrieved our 2 cruise suitcases and set off for the port. We arrived at the port and quickly checked in. Our luggage arrived just before dinner so we happily changed clothes and went to dinner. I finished unpacking around 11:30pm and it was only when I went to the bathroom to take out my contacts that I realized I didn't have my carryon bag from the hotel. Yikes!! No contact case, solutions, make up, eyeglasses, extra contacts or jewelry!! I had put that bag into the truck when I switched from "hotel" luggage to "cruise" luggage.

The eyeglasses, extra contacts and jewelry presented a huge problem. I knew the glasses & contacts couldn't be replaced but maybe I could buy a new case & solution and just get very lucky for the week. I was disappointed that I had no jewelry but most of it was costume stuff, I just prayed that no one broke into our truck because I had my emerald necklace, earrings & ring in that case for formal night. Makeup was a real pain but I could just buy some on the ship. It was the most restless night ever on vacation because I had to sleep in my contacts since the shops onboard weren't open until the next day.

Finally the next morning, luckily my contacts were still safely in my eyes, I went to the shops. I was able to get a new case & solution but all of the makeup they sold on the ship was the really high end stuff. I wound up buying a $28 tube of mascara and I had my lipstick in my purse. That was the extent of my make up for the week!

It didn't ruin any of our trip but I learned not to be so proud of myself for my organization skills until I really know that I have everything. Thankfully, many trips later and I haven't repeated it. :)

I have a small porcelain box (about 2x3 inches) that I keep salt in by the stove. I fell in love with it in Cancun but didn't know what to use it for, about a month after I came home, I was watching a cooking show and thinking that I would like to have a pretty salt container for the counter that would make measuring for recipes easy. It dawned on me that the one I bought in Mexico would be perfect.

Going to Cafe Al Bacio for the almond croissant and cafe Americano every morning for my breakfast appetizer:)

This is all so wonderfully thoughtful and romantic. Have you considered printing all of the posts from this thread and putting them in a notebook for your wife to read while you are on the cruise? I know if it were me, I would love to see all of the thoughts and behind the scenes stuff that has gone on behind my back. Trust me it will be better than any novel either of you could select.

Carla

Complainers are too amusing. I wonder how many of them understand just how much fun it is to ridicule them with the poor person they just harrassed.

 

My own Dear Mother takes the silly cruise complaints. I know some of you have heard these in the cruise director's routine but as to where they got them, that is a chicken and egg discussion.

 

Anyways, Cruising Alaska on Princess for my brother's wedding and mom's first cruise. Went by their balcony cabin after we got settled to find her very dissapointed that thier view was obstucted by the other ship in port. She then Carped at my dad for not choosing the other side of the ship. My dad just smiled when I told my mom that I would get the ship moved for her within the hour.

 

While viewing the hubbard glacier from the ship she wondered about the altitude. Dad just shook his head and told her she was pretty high.

 

Carped at Dad again in Skagway because their balcony faced the mountainside and she wanted to see the water.

 

She is mostly harmless but gets annoying at dinner when she always wants something changed. Our poor waiter was gracious when she demanded a beef wellington without the liver paste. Of course she was dissapointed when he returned and very kindly told her that they had just run out. I slipped him a 5 on the way out and my wife and I had enough that night to slip the Maitre'd a 20 to get her and Dad "upgraided" to their own private table for 2.

 

LOVE to cruise but this was the last with dear old MUM.

Gotta love it when people are special enough to qualify for those wonderful "upgrades" ;)

I think one of the dumbest ones that I have heard was a lady who insisted that she didn't want to stay for the scrapbooking class, she just wanted the free pages they were giving to participants. Apparently she had a "scheduling conflict" and couldn't stay for the class. She nearly took the poor instructors head off for refusing because according to her the instructors on prior cruises had no problem just giving her the materials and allowing her to go on her merry way. I realize that people have to pick and choose because there are simultaneous events on board ships but for crying out loud this isn't a board meeting, conference call, court deposition type of thing it's vacation! Also, a little odd that she always had a conflict with THAT class no matter which ship! Me thinks she just doesn't want to play with others. :rolleyes:

I have been on two previous cruises and didn't notice any door decorations but this sounds like a cool way to express myself and identify my cabin. I'm sure we may need that as we have the premium alcohol package for this one :D

It is for our 31st anniversary (30th is the end of this month and just couldn't manage it financially or time wise) Feb 2014. It is also just after DH's 50th birthday and hopefully my graduation for my MBA. I was thinking of doing a type of storyboard w/a wedding pic, and other pics of significant events ending with a new pic of us for the 31st anniv. I know I'm silly but I like the idea of people recognizing us and wishing us a happy anniversary. We married very young (16 & 19) so most people figured it wouldn't last and of course we don't look old enough to have been married this long. :o

I don't know if they still have it or not but I was on the Carnival Conquest in 2003 & 2004 when they did the chocolate buffet on the final sea day. I have always loved chocolate and tried everything. The ONLY tasty item was a banana fritter! I don't know how it was possible to have so many horrible chocolate creations in one room.

On a happier note, all of deserts I had with my meals were really good. I loved the creme brulee' and tiramisu.

Your wife is a very lucky lady. It is obvious that you cherish her just the way a Christian husband should. I have really enjoyed reading all of your posts and pray that you both have the time of your lives and that everything back home runs smoothly while you are away.

Thanks for the fantastic information. This is great news, I prefer feather pillows but my DH loves the memory foam.

Call me stupid but what is the "pillow menu" that is provided in CC and AQ cabins?

Not to totally derail this thread, but I don't even think this is an acceptable use of them. My feeling is that people use walkie talkies to keep tabs on kids that are in all actuality too young to be out and about on their own. I never see people doing this on large, land based resorts. Why? I think people get some false sense of security from a ship. But it really makes no sense.

 

If kids are too young, they should be signed in and out of the kids programs or with their parents. If they are old enough to wander free on the ship, then setting up a time and place to meet up should be good enough. If you're not comfortable with that as a parent, the walkie talkie is a poor solution.

Amen!!! Walkie talkies are more annoying than children who are running wild.

I am so excited, I just booked my first X cruise!! I have been looking for a while but this promo pushed me over the edge. I got a Concierge class cabin for less than what I had priced on the lowest obstructed balcony cabin. I took the beverage package and still got a $200 cash back option from my ta when I prove that I spent at least 200 onboard. Wooo Hooo!