first time cruising - top five tips

[William Dean]

1. Remember that you are on holiday. So send the laundry to the laundry, and forget the launderette.

 

2. Pace your eating, or you will not enjoy dinner. It is not necessary to eat every single item of food that one sets sight on.

 

3. Do not reserve steamer chairs - unless there is a facility to do so officially. It may be "your vacation" but that does not give you carte blanche to act rudely.

 

4. Remember that you sleep in a cabin, not a room, and that the ship has a whistle, not a horn.

 

5. Make sure that you know which is port and starboard, as well as fore and aft. It makes directions so much simpler.

[michelle1836]

2. Magnets. A small one on the stateroom door will help you find your "home" in those long hallways. Also, use them in your stateroom to post a map and a one page calendar with ports of call and tours. There is steel behind that wall paper.

 

just get a magnet that no one will want.:rolleyes: you can try the dollar store door clings

[Happy ks]

Make your own packing list and stick to it. Pack away from your bedroom closet so you aren't tempted to pack "what-if" clothing. If you see suggestions on here that you wouldn't have thought of yourself, you probably don't need that item. Really think through each item. Some of it does make sense, like we take a tap light for the bathroom instead of a nightlight plus a small alarm clock. Those items may seem a waste of packing space to the next person, but after all the cruises we've been on those things work for us. Experience has taught us that a lot of stuff can be successfully left at home, the ship provides everything for you except for your basic clothing, toiletry (yes they have stuff, but we prefer our own), camera and first aid kit.

 

I see these pop-up hampers mentioned a lot, I don't think I'd ever use one, but I think it's mostly the way we pack. We have a huge rolling garment bag, so almost all our clothes are hung on hangers already. After wearing the clothes (if we aren't going to send them out for laundry/dry cleaning) we just re-hang them in the back of the closet. Packing for the homebound trip is just as simple as packing to leave, I think it takes me about 20-30 minutes.

 

We do pack smelly things in ziplocs for the trip home, so the suitcase doesn't stink. On the outbound trip those ziplocs are packed empty, flat on the top and the bottom of the case, if your luggage is left out in the rain or underneath your neighbors smuggled wine bottle that breaks, you have a bit of protection for your clothing.

 

A small first aid kit is essential, but don't go overboard. My permanent first aid kit is a small, clear cosmetic bag 4 X 6. I have just a representation of typical meds (stomach, pain, cold, anitibiotic ointment) plus a few bandaids.

 

If you are flying and the 3-1-1 bag just doesn't hold enough for you, divide your toiletries and pack some in your checked case. If you don't want to check a case, wait until you arrive and make some purchases in the port town. My husband uses so little space in his 3-1-1 bag, I put some of my items in his. I've also started using almost all powder makeup so I don't have to pack it into the 3-1-1 bag at all.

 

If we're not driving to port, we like to get there at least one day prior and stay over one extra day. We're very thankful that with the jobs we have we can arrange these extra days and I do realize not everyone can, but it is so pleasant to disembark and not have to rush to the airport and wait. It kind of allows a little more civilised way to re-enter the real world :)