Soft Cooler and other packing "hacks"

I've been researching the best cruise packing "hacks" and one suggestion was to bring a soft cooler in your luggage and buy beers onboard before getting off the ship. Has anyone done this before. Another suggestion was to have a hole punched in the room key so you can wear it on a lanyard. I also got a over-the-door shoe organizer to help keep the room organized. Any other suggestions or tips from experienced cruisers with small children?

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I have a lanyard with a key card holder, makes life easier when trying to find it.

Buying beers onboard? If you have UBP, you can only purchase drinks for yourself and I'm sure only 1 at a time.

Power strip is always a good idea.

I have a lanyard with a key card holder, makes life easier when trying to find it.

 

Buying beers onboard? If you have UBP, you can only purchase drinks for yourself and I'm sure only 1 at a time.

 

Power strip is always a good idea.

If you have UBP you can get drinks 2 at a time, but it might be harder to find a bartender that will give you an unopened beer. Never tried taking drinks off the ship.

If you bring a power strip it can't have a surge protector on it

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Remember, if you take booze off, you are going thru customs, and will need to declare it.

Go to the main dining room for lunch, one will be open, but they will try to steer you to the buffet -much more relaxing way to start the trip.

Magnets to hang notes, schedules, plans on the walls.

Guest services gives out free motion sickness pills.

Rekax, enjoy, make memories.

Safe sailing

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To avoid wrinkles (not completely eliminate them), use the bundle method. See NBC link below. From trial and error via a trip or two a month for work these past 10 years, the bundle method beats folding, rolling or any other method of packing clothes hands down. And you can fit more clothes in less space. The con is that your clothes are not easily accessible if they're in a bundle. And if the TSA unwrapped my bundles, I'd be a little irritated. Ha.

Also, we get everything packed the night before we fly out and I step onto the scale with each bag to do the math and see if any of them is overweight according to the airline's rules. Then reallocate items to different bags as necessary.

We also bring a handful of door friendly hooks (i.e. won't scratch the door) that hang over the door for extra swim suit and cover up drying space. Good luck!

I am not sure how small your children are but for babies and tots a small blow up bath tub is great for bathing and to use on the balcony and at a beach. It is also easier to wear babies than use a stroller if you use a stroller try and find the smallest one.

Someone already mentioned magnets for holding notes to the walls, but you can also bring children's magnetic activities (think letters and numbers but also animals, etc.). Granddaughter enjoyed playing with the animals on the walls. I don't know if all the ships have metal walls, but the Breakaway does.

And strong magnetic hooks/clasps will hold caps, scarves, etc.

Small children who are picky eaters: bring something that they like (snack foods, juice boxes, cereal). The selection on board may not be exactly the same as they're accustomed to eating. Introducing new foods is great, but it helps to have a back-up in the cabin if they need a quick snack before bed- one that reminds them of home.

Why would you want to buy beer onboard to take off the ship? It's less expensive to buy beer at most of the ports. If you are trying to take it off at the end of the cruise - you may have to declare it. Not to mention - why on earth would you want to carry beer around on your port visit - especially if you have small children to deal with?

If you have the beverage plan, your drinks were not meant to leave the ship.

For small children - bring something familiar that they can play with when you are just hanging out in your cabin.

Someone already mentioned magnets for holding notes to the walls, but you can also bring children's magnetic activities (think letters and numbers but also animals, etc.). Granddaughter enjoyed playing with the animals on the walls. I don't know if all the ships have metal walls, but the Breakaway does.

 

And strong magnetic hooks/clasps will hold caps, scarves, etc.

 

Small children who are picky eaters: bring something that they like (snack foods, juice boxes, cereal). The selection on board may not be exactly the same as they're accustomed to eating. Introducing new foods is great, but it helps to have a back-up in the cabin if they need a quick snack before bed- one that reminds them of home.

Are you allowed to take juice boxes/pouches on board?

If you have UBP you can get drinks 2 at a time, but it might be harder to find a bartender that will give you an unopened beer. Never tried taking drinks off the ship.

 

If you bring a power strip it can't have a surge protector on it

 

 

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When I was on the Epic this past December it was very easy to get unopened cans of beer.

Why would you want to buy beer onboard to take off the ship? It's less expensive to buy beer at most of the ports.

Exactly. Walk into any souvenir, drug, or convenience store at the port and buy a cold beer for a buck. No sense in hauling some around with you.

Are you allowed to take juice boxes/pouches on board?

No beverages allowed unless it's wine or previously approved by contacting NCL

https://www.ncl.com/faq/liquor-beverage-policy

They don't care about juice boxes for kids...or whoever. Just pack them as normal...or carry them on, especially if you are with kids.

If your kids are young and have the type of magnetic toys that you can build with they work wonderful on the ship walls. Kept my grandkids busy for hours when I took them. Then when you are ready to clean up they can just put them on the walls and they are out of the way.

1. If you have small kids, plastic bags are great for filling with snacks when going into port; bacon, crackers, hard-boiled eggs, bread, etc. We usually make PB&J sandwiches, especially on GSC because the kids don't necessarily eat on our schedule.

2. The hole in the key card thing is a must...lanyards are pretty cheap through Amazon.

3. Clothes pins or maybe even stronger clips are useful for keeping your towel attached to your chair, both by the pool and at the beach.

4. Power strip, but one w/o the surge protector.

5. Highlighter, for highlighting activities in the Freestyle Daily that you want to do.

6. Lysol wipes or hand sanitizer...even though it's all over the ship, it's good to have with you too.

7. I usually bring a bunch of $1 bills for tipping when warranted. Even though tipping isn't usually done because it's pretty much included in everything, you will find certain members of the crew who go WAY ABOVE and deserve prompt recognition.

Not a hack but I pack a travel alarm clock, one that I can see the time in the middle of the night without having to press any buttons. I use to use my phone but a couple of cruises ago my phone went batty with time changes (I have an iPhone 6+) and I never knew if I was looking at the correct time and like to set alarm for gym in the morning. Now I dont need to worry any longer.

Also, I use packing cubes. I iron all my clothes 2-4 weeks prior to a cruise (past cruise last month I packed a month before), and fold and place in packing cubes. Shirts in one, pants in another and I do not have ANY wrinkles.

Above are my must haves (along with over the door shoe hanger that is mentioned above if you travel with more than two people).

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1. If you have small kids, plastic bags are great for filling with snacks when going into port; bacon, crackers, hard-boiled eggs, bread, etc. We usually make PB&J sandwiches, especially on GSC because the kids don't necessarily eat on our schedule.

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You are not allowed to take meats or eggs and other non-prepackaged foods off the ship at MANY ports.

If you need to take food off at a port, then little boxes of cereal, granola bars, or other wrapped prepackaged foods should be OK.

Bluetooth speaker to enjoy some music in your cabin getting ready etc. or just relaxing on the balcony. Over the door set of hooks for towels, swimsuits etc. from the dollar store. Travel size container of laundry detergent.

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We love our magnetic hooks and an over the door hanger that someone left in our last cabin....sorry we didn't know how to return it to you! So we don't forget and leave them behind on future cruises, my DH spray-painted them all a bold color.

We found our magnetic hooks at Walmart and the dollar store is good for over the door hangers. You can hang wet bathing suits, jackets, hats and all kinds of other things on them.

Haven't found a ship yet that doesn't have magnetic walls.....except for our Windjammer cruises 20 years ago.

Yes, we carried the portable collapsible cooler. It was nice to have ice in the stateroom all day. Just ask your steward to fill it up twice a day. We bought ours from Amazon.

I will add a few things to the list. We brought battery powered tea lights that we had glued magnets to the back of. We placed them along the floor in the cabin, so that we did not have to leave any lights on in the cabin at night (they have timers). It gave the cabin a wonderful romantic glow, and gave us safety lighting at night. We also brought magnetic hooks for extra space for hanging things (they could hold 50 lbs+). We did not bring an over the door space saver. I do recommend a medicine bag filled with any over the counter items you made need, aspirin, Motrin, Dramamine, eye drops, Imodium, etc.. it could save you a trip to the ship doctor. The #1 thing I am so very glad I brought was Downy Wrinkle release spray, what a lifesaver! Also, we never travel anywhere without Lysol wipes to wipe down our room (remotes, door knobs, etc..) and a small flashlight.

They don't care about juice boxes for kids...or whoever. Just pack them as normal...or carry them on, especially if you are with kids.

That is contrary to published restrictions. Juice is mentioned here:

https://www.ncl.com/faq#can-i-bring-water-or-soda-board

We have 3 boys. they are older now but i will give you our list:

1. Lysol wipes

2. Baby wipes

3. quick dry towels to take off the ship (much easier then carrying the large towels ship provides)

4. Foldable eddie bauer lightweight backpacks for use on port

5. over the door organizer

6. each boys gets his own packing cube. 1 for socks/undewear and 1 for clothes

7. a beach bag to carry to/from pool

8. flip flops/tennis shoe

9. every medicine i have

10. shovels for beach toys

11. pop up laundry basket for the room

12. i bring a lanyard for myself with a coin pocket type purse (holds my lipstick and key card)

13. ziplock bags for snacks

14. I usually bring snacks they like (goldfish, graham crackers, etc)

15. a large plastic container to hold my wet clothes at the beach.

Are you allowed to take juice boxes/pouches on board?

Man, I hope so!

One thing I learned from our last cruise where we hit two hurricanes is to bring some duct tape. It will keep the drawers and closet Fromm opening in rough seas. It was very loud banging all night.

Also, for shore excursions, we have a couple of these waterproof dryboxes and my wife has a waterproof case for her phone. The nice thing about these is you can take them with you snorkeling and not worry about any of your valuables being left on shore when everyone is in the water. One of these will hold an iPhone6 plus, four passports, credit cards and cash. I just put it around by wrist and off I go.

https://www.amazon.com/Scuba-Choice-Waterproof-Container-iPhone/dp/B00VAZVT6I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1489375739&sr=8-2&keywords=scuba+dry+box