HELP ME PLEASE.. Packing Questions

[newlife_2010]

I can not believe that my cruise is less than a month away. I am starting to get my essentials together over the next 2 weeks.

 

I am meeting with my doctor tomorrow to get my prescriptions filled and ready to go. But what do you recommend for Sea Sick medication? This is my first cruise so I am not sure if I will get sea sick or not. What is the best product? Do I get it at the pharmacy (over the counter) or is it on the shelves? What do you guys use?

 

Also, besides sea sick medication - is there any other things you pack like cold and flu medicine, ear plugs, first aid kit, etc?

 

Thanks for your help, I just want to be prepared. I have never traveled outside of the country and never been on a cruise, plus I am going SOLO. AHHHHH.. :p

[beemergal]

Wrist bands have worked for me and the people I know. I hate to take medicine, because it can either make me groggy or wired and always leaves me with a cotton mouth. If you can get some chewable ginger, that's been recommended.

 

Bringing ear plugs is not a bad idea ... just in case. You probably won't need them, but they are small.

 

Bring a small power strip. I got mine for less than $4 at Walmart. There are not enough outlets in your cabin.

 

If you use a hair dryer, bring one. There are no clocks in your stateroom or even most places on the ship, so you may want to bring a small clock.

 

One of the best things I brought was a small room deoderizer for the cabin and one for the bathroom.

 

Bring hair conditioner. Bring a small lap blanket if you have room in your luggage. You can use it on the plane (they don't provide them anymore) and then use it for naps or just for a coverip in your stateroom.

 

Just a few suggestions...we just got off the ship. Have fun!

[5waldos]

Good for You! You'll have a great time.

 

Start with ginger pills which will help to settle mild upsets. We get them in the grocery vitamin section. I am not prone to sea sickness so let others recommend something stronger if you need it. But you probably won't- most people don't get sea sick. And the ship always has some in case it sneaks up on you.

[vacruizer]

I have always taken a small container of non-drowsy dramamine and some ginger altoids candies with me but have never gotten seasick - even in 20 foot seas! But just in case I always take them with me. You can get it just about any drugstore, or Walmart, or Target and it's over the counter. The other thing I've heard - if you do start to feel seasick then go outside on a lower deck, get some fresh air, and as counter-intuitive as it sounds - get something mild like crackers or apple slices on your stomach.

 

I also take the following - most of this stuff comes in travel or small bottles or blister packs so they don't take up much room. I'd rather be prepared out to sea somewhere than not have what I need and not be able to get it.

 

I have a mini first aid kit that has band-aids, a small tube of neorporin, q-tips and tweezers. It's all in a small plastic case about 3 inches across. For meds - prescription meds are first on the list - you might not be able to replace those in port or out to sea! Always travel with at least a few days extra in case you were to be delayed getting back home. Other than that...

 

Pepto (or immodium)

Advil (or Tylenol if you prefer)

Pepcid or Tums (all that rich cruise food will get to you!)

Benadryl (works for both sinus problems and allergic reactions or bug/bee stings)

 

That pretty much covers aches/pains/headache, tummy troubles or heartburn, and sinus/allergy problems. You don't need to take tons of it - just enough so that you have it if needed. My first aid kit saved my feet a few cruises ago when my heels on formal night rubbed blisters that got infected - i was so glad I had the neosporin and band-aids!

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[GayleR]

We use Bonine. It's available right on the shelf.

[slotaddict]

Bring a small flashlight..especially if you are in an inside cabin....

[vacruizer]

Another suggestion - a handful of clothespins. There's a clothesline in the shower you can clip your wet bathing suit on and you can also clip them to the bottom of the shower curtain for weight if you have problems with it blowing in and sticking to you while you shower.

 

I always laughed at the suggestions here to bring duct tape. That is until I ended up with a suitcase that came off the conveyor belt at the airport slit open with my clothes hanging out. We'd already had our night before flights delayed and couldn't get out until the day of the cruise. Had to make the cab stop at Walgreen's so I could buy duct tape to patch the suitcase before turning it over to the porters. I found some travel size rolls at Target later - after that incident I always travel with a small roll!

[supercrunch]

I took a thermometer with us on our cruise. With all that is going around, If someome wasn't feeling well, I didn't want to wonder if they had a fever...and I didn't want to have to pay for a trip to the medical center for a false alarm.

[texankhj]

Extra large zip lock baggies, you can get them at Wal-Mart. I fold my clothes neatly and lay them in the baggie, fill then close the zip almost all the way. Take all the air out of the bag (I do so by sitting on it). Then zip it shut. It is amazing, you can do this a week in advance and when your luggage gets to your stateroom it is wrinkle free. Plus it takes up less room in your luggage. Enjoy!

[WooWooGirl]

Wrist bands have worked for me and the people I know. I hate to take medicine, because it can either make me groggy or wired and always leaves me with a cotton mouth. If you can get some chewable ginger, that's been recommended.

 

Bringing ear plugs is not a bad idea ... just in case. You probably won't need them, but they are small.

 

Bring a small power strip. I got mine for less than $4 at Walmart. There are not enough outlets in your cabin.

 

If you use a hair dryer, bring one. There are no clocks in your stateroom or even most places on the ship, so you may want to bring a small clock.

 

One of the best things I brought was a small room deoderizer for the cabin and one for the bathroom.

 

Bring hair conditioner. Bring a small lap blanket if you have room in your luggage. You can use it on the plane (they don't provide them anymore) and then use it for naps or just for a coverip in your stateroom.

 

Just a few suggestions...we just got off the ship. Have fun!

 

wow that seems like a lot of 'stuff' to bring!! I have never had a prob with the amt of outlets in a cabin and I have shared with plenty of people...an air room deodorizer? never needed that..not saying someone else might but I haven't...lap blanket? wow..I just climb under my comforter on the bed when I want to take a nap :) works great!

 

We use Bonine. It's available right on the shelf.

 

I recommend Bonine too! I have taken the other and it makes me soo drowsy but Bonine does not nor does it make me wired or make me feel weird. It is what I take and I take it before I need it, that is the key.

[cruiselover 43]

I can not believe that my cruise is less than a month away. I am starting to get my essentials together over the next 2 weeks.

 

I am meeting with my doctor tomorrow to get my prescriptions filled and ready to go. But what do you recommend for Sea Sick medication? This is my first cruise so I am not sure if I will get sea sick or not. What is the best product? Do I get it at the pharmacy (over the counter) or is it on the shelves? What do you guys use?

 

Also, besides sea sick medication - is there any other things you pack like cold and flu medicine, ear plugs, first aid kit, etc?

 

Thanks for your help, I just want to be prepared. I have never traveled outside of the country and never been on a cruise, plus I am going SOLO. AHHHHH.. :p

*********************************

My MD said lots of side effects from RX med - I took over the counter bonine 2 x day - I was fine the whole cruise in July . bring some mylanta

also if upset stomach. Have a blast!

[Chacooe]

If you have a balcony room, take a bungee cord so you can keep the door open for fresh air, but make sure you turn your A/C off. I like sleeping with a window open, but since the balcony rooms do not have open windows it was so much better having the full door open and especially hearing the sound of the ocean, it was great.

[KJPG]

As a mom cruising with kids, I've also learned to bring cold remedies, like the DayQuil & NyQuil capsules. Bug Spray, too.

 

I'm also a believer in duct tape. My husband laughed as I packed it for our first cruise but I actually used it within 5 minutes of getting to the cabin - I wanted to show our then 5 yo how loud the tiolets were. I pushed the button and nothing happened. I pushed again and still nothing. I popped the plastic cover off and discovered a hole in the rubber cover underneath. Popped on a piece of tape, replaced the plastic cover and we were "good to go" the rest of the week.

 

I have since wondered if another cruiser found my tape and if they wondered why Carnival used duct tape to fix things. Of course, if they were a CC member, they probably laughed and understood...

[MacysMimi]

I just got back from my first cruise.....I too wondered if I'd get seasick because I do tend to get carsick......I found some really great tips on here.....here's what worked for me:

 

seasick bands....found these at Wal Mart.....put them on when I first got on the ship, before we ever left and I was NEVER sick, even in what I found out were very rough seas....only time I got queasy at all was when I took the bands OFF to shower.....I quickly put them on again and all was well.

 

Bonine - over the counter at Wal Mart....Like someone on here recommended, I took one every NIGHT at bedtime, starting the night BEFORE we set sail...I also took them a couple of days after we got home.....I was never drowsy this way and it really seemed to help once we got home with the rocking I was still doing....lol

 

I took one of the over the door shoe hanger thingys.....put it on the bathroom door and loaded the pockets with every medical remedy you could think of....I had it all covered.......and used NONE of it....lol........I'll still take the hanger on future trips, cause it was great to store our sunscreen, sign & sail cards, sunglasses, etc.....but I'll for sure cut down on the medicine cabinet....lol

 

Have a great trip!

 

Sharon

[newlife_2010]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am going shopping for my essentials next weekend.

[Froufie]

As someone previously mentioned do create your own mini 1st aid kit with your preferred remedies - the 'blister pack' idea is a good one - cuz you can just take a few of each. For tummy troubles there are tons of 'portable' chewables (I like pepto bismol - easy to carry) and of course chewable immodium just in case! Most pharmacies nowadays have travel sizes for almost everything (I even found a small portable spray 'bottl'e of polysporin). yes I bring lots of stuff - rarely need to use it - but everyone knows whose cabin to visit when they need something! :D

 

P.S. Bonine is usally also available at the purser's desk - and in a 'bin' outside the infirmary - both at no cost

[newlife_2010]

As someone previously mentioned do create your own mini 1st aid kit with your preferred remedies - the 'blister pack' idea is a good one - cuz you can just take a few of each. For tummy troubles there are tons of 'portable' chewables (I like pepto bismol - easy to carry) and of course chewable immodium just in case! Most pharmacies nowadays have travel sizes for almost everything (I even found a small portable spray 'bottl'e of polysporin). yes I bring lots of stuff - rarely need to use it - but everyone knows whose cabin to visit when they need something! :D

 

P.S. Bonine is usally also available at the purser's desk - and in a 'bin' outside the infirmary - both at no cost

 

I am with you on taking too much. But I like to be prepared (essential wise). Even more so than clothes, lol.

[newlife_2010]

Another question, what toiletries are in the stateroom? I am thinking what they have, I may leave behind.

[newporttngirl]

One suggestion on your prescription meds is to pack them in your carryon. Do not put them in your regular luggage. Bring an extra day or two's worth. When you go into port take the extra day or two with you in case of emergency. Since you are traveling alone, if you were to get sick or an accident or miss the boat, god forbid any of those things, you will have what you need to either show the doctor treating you or enough until you catch up to the boat. We always carry a backpack when we got off the ship. Bottled water, small first-aid, souveniers, small waterproof bag for passport, id,etc for "just in cases". worked much better than a handbag or pocketbook. As a matter of fact we used the backpacks as our carryon's. Also put 1 extra change of clothes in your carryon. Have a great time, wish it were me.

[crusinpsychRN]

Congrats on solo! The only way to go!

[michelle1836]

They had a nice razor in the bathroom! and liquid soap and shampoo in the shower

 

I took Bonine, ginger pills and ginger candy (Trader Joe's) ended up not needing it but had it just incase!

 

have a great cruise!!

[vacruizer]

Another question, what toiletries are in the stateroom? I am thinking what they have, I may leave behind.

 

The only guarantees are shower gel and shampoo in the shower. I don't like the stuff Carnival uses so I bring travel sizes of my own. There's also no conditioner in the shower.

 

There's usually a goodie basket on the counter but no guarantees what will be in it. I've had them stuffed to the gills with everything from toothpaste to razors to deodorant, Pepcid, & even a novel but I've also had a time or two where there were just some fiber samples and a few coupons for stuff like hairspray. :confused:

[dan40]

In addition to all the advice above, remember the mathematical formula:

 

 

(C/2)+($x2)=CV

 

C=clothes

$=Money

CV=cruise vacation.

 

Take half the clothes and twice the money you planned!:D

 

You might also look into sea sick wrist bands. They work fine for some people without ANY side effects. [Drug stores or Walmart, under $10.00)

[cricket32000]

In addition to all the advice above, remember the mathematical formula:

 

 

(C/2)+($x2)=CV

 

C=clothes

$=Money

CV=cruise vacation.

 

Take half the clothes and twice the money you planned!:D

 

You might also look into sea sick wrist bands. They work fine for some people without ANY side effects. [Dr10.00)

ug stores or Walmart, under $

 

This is for anyone who lives near the retail store FRED"S, you can get the wrist bands for $2.49 a set.

[newlife_2010]

I am getting a severe overload headache.. please help again:

 

For the MDR: I am packing a combination of long sleeve shirts (2) and (2) sweaters. Along with 2 pair of khakis

 

I am at a lost for the supper club. Will Khakis, long sleeve shirt and a nice sweater be accepted? I really do not want to pack anything suit related, I am also against ties.

 

cruise wear: i have looked all over for water shoes and swiming trunks. i am out of luck in illinois during winter shopping for summer things. i am packing a few tees, shorts, hoody, skully, ankle socks, sweats, polos.

 

It is just so hard because I am packing for 2 vacations (cruise and disney - 2 weeks). I really do not want to carry a 2nd bag nor do I want to send a box ahead. And being a large man is not making this any better as my clothes are twice the size of a small man, so it is taking up double space. lol