Packing list for newbies.

[maryjo62]

Hi i went on my first cruise this year in march.

As you all can relate to,a first cruise is something special,so you have many questions.

I read a list about what i should pack.

On my cruise i did not use my travel mugs.

I did not need my zip up bags,for cosmetics.

I did not use my duct tape,but a small roll of stickey tape may be usefull.

A small pair of scissors is great,a highlighter pen also.

A travel alarm clock is something i used.

I did not need extra coat hangers,but i was cruising alone.

You dont need extra $1 coins for tips,or washing machines,all you need to do, is find the poker machines,put in your notes and presto.

The water is expensive at $3-50 per bottle,if you can cope with the extra baggage, and you want to save some money,take your own bottled water,and perhaps some soda water u like.

You could take your own washing powder or liquid,i used theirs,but it would work out expensive if u had a lot of children.

I packed too many clothes,i did not use half of them.

I packed in shampoo and conditioner,but used theirs some times, and found it good.

The laundry and pursers deck can be hetic,some people advise u to find a good time to do these things.

But on my cruise i found time did not make any difference.

About dressware, i saw people going to restaurants in a mixed bag.

I feel as long as what u are wearing looks casual and dressy, it should be ok.

My self and my friend just wore, what we would wear, if we were going to the RSL.

My first cruise was a refund to all passengers,but it has not put me off of cruising,i will be going next year,perhaps more than once.

Cheers to all and have a good time.;)

[Zigoty88]

Very useful information.

We're planing our first cruise from NY to Bahamas so we're looking for some info like this.

 

Thx.

[UlvaZell]

Hi i went on my first cruise this year in march.

As you all can relate to,a first cruise is something special,so you have many questions.

I read a list about what i should pack.

On my cruise i did not use my travel mugs.

I did not need my zip up bags,for cosmetics.

I did not use my duct tape,but a small roll of stickey tape may be usefull.

A small pair of scissors is great,a highlighter pen also.

A travel alarm clock is something i used.

I did not need extra coat hangers,but i was cruising alone.

You dont need extra $1 coins for tips,or washing machines,all you need to do, is find the poker machines,put in your notes and presto.

The water is expensive at $3-50 per bottle,if you can cope with the extra baggage, and you want to save some money,take your own bottled water,and perhaps some soda water u like.

You could take your own washing powder or liquid,i used theirs,but it would work out expensive if u had a lot of children.

I packed too many clothes,i did not use half of them.

I packed in shampoo and conditioner,but used theirs some times, and found it good.

The laundry and pursers deck can be hetic,some people advise u to find a good time to do these things.

But on my cruise i found time did not make any difference.

About dressware, i saw people going to restaurants in a mixed bag.

I feel as long as what u are wearing looks casual and dressy, it should be ok.

My self and my friend just wore, what we would wear, if we were going to the RSL.

My first cruise was a refund to all passengers,but it has not put me off of cruising,i will be going next year,perhaps more than once.

Cheers to all and have a good time.;)

 

Some of the packing lists that are floating around on this site and others are completely over the top:eek:. Pack as you would for any other vacation and you will have a great start. Are there other things that would make the cruise experience more enjoyable if you packed them? Perhaps, but who wants to carry around more stuff on vacation? Not me...

[jenigirl4]

We just got back from our first cruise, baggies are not nessecary at all for toiletries, there was ample space and we were able to unpack and hang everything. I brought 2 outfits for each day, one for the daytime and a summer type dress for the evenings, that worked out wonderful, I wore every outfit I brought! I was able to pack it all in one bag, if you roll clothes it is easier.

I would say pack room spray, Lysol or something....the bathrooms are tiny...nuff said....

 

Sticky notes...ok i thought that was stupid now I wish I had brought them, we met a lovely couple on board and kept missing them and them us in our rooms and certain places, it would have been easier to find each other if we could have put little notes on each others doors as cell phones were turned off.....yes you can slide paper under the door...if you can find some......stickies would have been easier though!

 

Def I agree with the bringing water and soda......

[JanineM]

I agree that there are a lot of truly unnecessary things on some of the packing lists. If you want to haul around an extra bag full of "stuff", then go for it ... but other than clothes, camera, medications and some toiletry items (oh, and MONEY), you will have a wonderful cruise without all of the extras.

 

 

I know that some of the posters here on this site will make it sound like you will have a horrible time and will suffer if you don't bring X, Y, Z and the kitchen sink, but as a previous poster said, just bring what you would on a normal vacation and you'll be fine. :)

[Marie51]

I don't see any reason to bring bottled water but then again I am one of those people that thinks there is nothing wrong with tap water. I have never understood why people insist on carrying heavy water bottles with them.

[morninglight67]

First, I agree that you're primarily going to pack like any other vacation, but here are my thoughts and I didn't see the original list that this lady used, but this could be the logic on some of those... and yes, I actually do pack like this for almost all of my trips (little less arduous if I can get by with a carryon and not check anything).

 

1. I always pack as many of my clothes into the 1 and 2 gallon ziplocs that I can. You never know when TSA will want to search your suitcase and do you really want them pawing your privates? Also, never know when one of those blue storage tanks are going to have problem on the plane... better to be sure your stuff is "safe and sound".

 

2. I also put any liquids (shampoo, hair spray, etc.) into a ziploc just in case it comes open... liquid is contained.

 

3. I do not take any extra ziplocs, just used what I needed to pack with.

 

4. I don't usually take duct tape, but could see this being helpful... clasp on the suitcase breaks, seal it up with duct tape... hem come out of a skirt or slacks, tape it in place - it'll keep til you get home.

 

5. a pen, small scissors, and postits are always helpful, just make sure the scissors are checked and not in your carryon.

 

6. I tend to make bathroom breaks during the night and hate bright lights so always bring a nightlight for the bathroom so I don't stub my toe and completely wake myself up.

 

7. Being single, I tend to travel with a lot of female friends... a power strip is nice if you've got 2 curling irons, 2 phones and maybe 2 camera batteries that need charging at various times.

 

8. I'm a scrapbooker, so this time I've made "designer" notebooks (4x6 inch) for both my friend and me... some pages have pockets to put things in and we can also jot down experiences as they happen... I'll then incorporate these into scrapbooks after the cruise.

 

9. Then a book, magazines or puzzles for those down times that will come along.

 

10. A handful of ones for tipping as the need arises.

 

11. Oh and I hate it when I forget lip balm and tylenol... my lips get chapped or I get a headache that I can't control and I am not a happy camper!! (which I do also.):D

[Set Free]

We had an inside on the Veendam to Bermuda and a few things that were helpful:

 

Reuseable water bottles - definitely saved a lot of room over a case of water bottles and the water on the ship tasted great.

 

Small battery operated votive candles - The bathroom is dark, the light in the bathroom is quite bright. The little candle in the in the bathroom made it MUCH easier to go in the middle of the night.

 

My own shampoo and conditioner - I have very coarse long hair and their shampoo and conditioner didn't cut it and it also smelled very masculine to me.

 

A small scissors - to cut off tags from things that we bought.

 

A book light if you travel with a companion - for when one wants to go to sleep and the other doesn't.

 

Bonine - had a rough day to Bermuda.

 

My own medicine chest - I got a hanging bag with pockets and loaded up what I felt we'd need. We only needed the motrin (for my headaches) and Aleve (for hubby's foot) but I also added in: immodium, benadryl, mucinex, solarcane and aloe.

 

Travel mugs - We DID use these but then again, we like to have a second or third cup of coffee and tea in the morning and sometimes want some coffee in the evening when we're doing our thing. It was nice to be able to fill up the mug and have it stay hot for a bit longer than if we just used a cup from the Lido.

 

Extention Cord - The outlet in our room was so close to the counter that my blow dryer with the large plug wouldn't have plugged in. Instead I brought a space-saver extention cord where the plug is actually at an angle and it worked great!

 

Air Freshner - Yankee Candle makes nice ones that are pretty small. Made for a much more pleasant room with that tiny bathroom in there. ;)

 

A small cross body bag. I got one from Etsy (http://www.etsy.com) that was PERFECT. It had a small snap pocket on the front where I kept my picture ID and room keys and then a larger pocket where I kept my camera, a pack of tissues, a pen and small note pad and a lip balm. PERFECT !!!! Here's the link to the one I got: http://www.etsy.com/transaction/29042238

[Happy ks]

I always tell people to go through their morning and evening routine in the bathroom and decide which items they cannot live without. I've used the shampoo on cruise ships and have to disagree with the comment that it is fine, it even dries out my hands, so that is one toiletry item I'll never leave for surprise.

 

Our packing lists will vary from one person to the next. I've never found a need for mugs, post its, duct tape, bungee cords, highlighter pens, over-the-door shoe holder etc...but I cannot travel without my DVD player (I sleep to a movie, same one every night :rolleyes: I think it bores me to sleep). The next person can't survive without those things and I don't think either of us is wrong.

 

Cut down on clothing to what you are comfortable taking. I'm fine taking only enough for 5 or 6 days and I don't at all mind repeating clothes, others think that would be the most horrible thing in the world. I dress from the shoes up, to be able to take the bare minimum.

 

Just keep in mind that, especially if you are a first timer, the ships are quite sophisticated and will provide everything you need except your personal items. If you start going by other peoples lists and including all the extras you didn't think of yourself, you will only be hauling stuff along you don't need (as the OP has pointed out), it adds weight to your suitcase, it all needs to be packed, organized, repacked and hauled home again.

 

Our first 2 cruises, I believed all the packing lists and I purchased so much junk and all new clothing (believing that certainly people dressed up for cruises) that we probably could have paid a deposit for another cruise.

[Set Free]

I keep seeing people say that they reuse clothes but I don't see how you do that. I wear a t-shirt/top/tank (nice looking - not junky) during the day and by the end of the day with the wind and the heat, it's definitely ready for the hamper. I can certainly rewear my "nicer" clothes (I would change in the evening to a new top and a nicer pair of pants or a skirt), but I can't see rewearing my daily shirt. It's the same when we go sailing.

 

So do you guys really reuse the daytime shirts??

[STARFISH*4]

some of the packing lists are a bit EXTREME, but you just have to make your own and decide what you think you NEED...your first cruise is really the test of what to take and not to take...you will get so you know what work for YOU & YOURS:)

some of the things others DONT take are necessity for me and vice-versa

we are all different and we NEED different things...cruising is no different in that area!!

[Alrana Eris]

I know them packing lists, I read . I am not a "what if" and less is more packer. I just pack as if I'm going on an normal vacation. The only thing I would bring on my next cruise(which I didn't last time) some sort of air freshener, and "tide to go" pen or an oxy clean spray for stain removal, maybe a power strip. Other than that, no real change in the way I pack.

 

Alrana

[Happy ks]

I keep seeing people say that they reuse clothes but I don't see how you do that. I wear a t-shirt/top/tank (nice looking - not junky) during the day and by the end of the day with the wind and the heat, it's definitely ready for the hamper. I can certainly rewear my "nicer" clothes (I would change in the evening to a new top and a nicer pair of pants or a skirt), but I can't see rewearing my daily shirt. It's the same when we go sailing.

 

So do you guys really reuse the daytime shirts??

 

There is a laundry/dry cleaning service onboard the ship. It's turned out to cost us less than checking an additional bag in at the airport. For the week for both of us, laundry/dry cleaning is between $10-25.

[falconfan]

We bring one empty duffel bag. That way if (when) we buy something we can pack it in the bag and easily carry it off the ship.

Also, bring a dryer sheet. This is placed in the dirty clothes bag to keep everything from smelling awful.

Never brought an alarm clock, just used the phone for a wake-up call when it was needed.

Never needed a power strip.

Post-It notes are a great idea, very useful.

Never brought bottled water, the water on the ship is about as pure as you can get.

Extra memory cards and batteries for your digital cameras.

[treeshepherd]

Ziplocks - I use a lot, like for ordering room service cookies or sandwiches and packaging them up to take off the ship for snacks later.

 

Highlighter - I love to highlight the Daily Schedule (called different things on different ships) for the things that are important to us.

 

I will be packing Diet Cokes this trip - I am a Diet Coke addict and we have the space since we are driving, not flying.

 

Advil, and a lot of it, is in all my bags.

 

Disposable cameras - waterproof and non-waterproof. I don't use my good camera very much on cruises. We only use the good camera for sunsets, sunrises, dining room and entertainment.

 

First time taking post-it-notes, but since this is the first time my daughter is old enough to be on her own some, I want us to have a way to communicate with each other.

 

Reusing clothes - On ship days we are in our bathing suits so much that we throw on t-shirts and workout shorts to cover up, but we would reuse those, since we aren't in them for long. We might reuse nicer casual clothes in the evening. We usually don't get hot and sweaty in them, but this is our first cruise in July.

 

I have also always had enough room for toiletries and never needed over-the-door hangers. I have seen comments about needing bungee cords to hold curtians back, but we have never needed them and I have never seen a need for Duct Tape.

[BratDet]

there are things I do not need- that others must take.....and there are things I take that others could care less about...

like aloe, cough drops, cough syrup, and antibiotics.

 

I did not bother with air freshener...and still won't.

I love using my own larger coffee mug.

 

I do carry more than I would on a land based vacation- like tons of sun screen-

but that is my personal problem. :)

 

I am sorting thru clothes now....and weeding stuff OUT!!

 

Bernadette

[itsmebuggy]

I remember WAY overpacking our first cruise .... now I take less and just do a load of causal clothes usually take 3 or 4 pairs of shorts ( purex 3 n 1 sheets are awesome ) I just put about 3 or 4 in a ziplock to take with (no liquid to spill) ... I usually just pack a couple pair of jeans can wear them more than once .... night lite a must .... power strip is nice if you will need more than on outlet for cameras , laptops ect .....I use the shampoo and body wash in the shower and just pack conditioner ... I save the little conditioners from hair color and usually just take 1 of those with me ( short hair ) so dont need as much .... SEWING KIT !!!!!!! you have no idea how hard it was to find a needle and thread when they messed up hubbies tux I had to do a quick fix to shorten the sleeves ....always have a few quarters when in port some times if you need to use a ladies room there will be an attendent even though it says public restroom they will still charge you 50 cents to use it but hey they keep it clean and there is tp soooooo worth it to me .... never use the ATM on the ship you can just have them put cash on your S & S card we didn't know this so paid the $7.00 fee for the ATM was in the casino and the lady next to me said I would like to put $500.00 on my S&S now I know .... we are getting ready for cruise # 4 so good luck to all you first time cruisers ( daughter and her b/f ) are in that group but at least she has me to help with the packing I had NO CLUE that first time lol

[Basil52]

Hi all....just back from the Freedom of the Seas and a very lovely cruise! What we found very, very useful was our power strip, WALKIE TALKIES - (it was great to stay in touch with family members while on the ship! ), water bottles (we just poured glasses of water into our bottles and used them throughout the day - at the pool, on excursions, etc.). Sticky notes is a fabulous idea - some people put up white boards on their doors, a small travel clock would have been nice in our room, and we def. missed our insulated coffee mugs - the mugs on the ship and the take out cups are very small.

We NEVER knew what time it was all week and hardly even knew the date or day of the week! ;-) It was very relaxing.

There is plenty of room in your room for clothing - either in drawers or hung in the closets and plenty of shelves in the bathroom for make up, etc. I was pleasantly surprised with our stateroom size (we did have a balcony which is a def. must if possible!!!!) and the storage capacity.

[canpass]

We are slowly learning the art of leaving stuff we don't need at home. First we try to limit ourselves to one suitcase each, we split the space in each case (his and hers), this way if one of the cases gets lost we still have clothes to wear. We also keep a change of clothes in our carry on, just in case and then you have some things when you first get on board the ship.

 

Take digitals of your belongings as you pack you never know you might need them for insurance purposes.

 

We always bring along a small flash light great if an emergency crops up.

[morninglight67]

We are slowly learning the art of leaving stuff we don't need at home. First we try to limit ourselves to one suitcase each, we split the space in each case (his and hers), this way if one of the cases gets lost we still have clothes to wear. We also keep a change of clothes in our carry on, just in case and then you have some things when you first get on board the ship.

 

Take digitals of your belongings as you pack you never know you might need them for insurance purposes.

 

We always bring along a small flash light great if an emergency crops up.

 

Love the idea of splitting the suitcase space rather than each taking your own!! Excellent idea! :D

 

I took a full size case and a weekender (carryon size) last cruise I went on and I am definitely cuting back to just the full-size this time!

[Firstime4Everything]

You folks give wonderful advice!!! This is my first cruise and first time posting here. We (me, my son and daughter-in-law) have booked with Freedom of the Seas in Oct. I have a balcony room on deck 7 with my dear ones next door. I will pass this packing info along to them. I may be asking some questions later on and look forward to finding out more!!

[GlendaleCruiser]

Feel free to ask questions and remember that everyone is different so they will adapt the packing lists to suit themselves and you will, too.

 

Couples will have different space requirements from 3 ladies in one room, or four 20-year-olds. Singles, same thing.

 

Take the lists and decide:

 

--if each one makes sense to you and you might need it in your own case

--if there is a good reason to bring something (extension cord or surge protector because phone chargers usually don't fit the outlet at the vanity, etc.

--if you like to keep the counters relatively clear and there are a lot of people in the room (over the door hanger)

--if someone has made a compelling case for bringing something (shampoo on board is bad and there's no conditioner, Aloe Vera is $12 in the gift shop)

[GlendaleCruiser]

ALSO:

 

It depends upon where you are going.............

 

12 days in the Mediterranean with 2-3 days pre cruise will mean you will take and need different things than a 7 day in the Caribbean.

[morninglight67]

ALSO:

 

It depends upon where you are going.............

 

12 days in the Mediterranean with 2-3 days pre cruise will mean you will take and need different things than a 7 day in the Caribbean.

 

and both are different from a 7-day Alaska cruise!! Don't forget the mittins!!:D