Top 5 Things You Must Pack

[LeeNHCruiser]

We're leaving this Thursday for our cruise on Monday. This board is so helpful ! I see the threads about what not to forget and what you would have left home, so what are your top 5 items that are an essential on the cruise? (Besides the obvious of clothes, personal hygiene, camera, sunscreen, etc.) I'm looking for those "oh yea!" items that would be helpful. :)

[GinaDucey]

1) First and foremost - sense of humor

2) special conditioner for your hair (salt water and salt air is harsh for hair)

3) a small shoulder bag for on board - or small purse like backpack for those times you are on board just hanging around

4) Be sure to keep those small bills handy for tips

5) a light jacket to wear up on deck in the evening that will go with anything.

[ken_nyc]

1) Multi-outlet Powerstrip, there is only one outlet in the cabin, just incase you need to charge your cell phones, camera batteries, iPod, etc.

 

2) Post-it-Note pad to leave notes for your cabin steward or significant other.

 

3) extra film or memory cards for you camera...will cost more if you buy it on ship.

 

4) Am open mind along with the sense of humor that Gina said.

 

5) Wire ties to close your suitcase before you give them to the porters when you get to the port and before you put them outside the door the night before.

 

6) Zip lock bags for your wet bathing suits, and to pack your leakables in.

 

Lee, wish you a GREAT CRUISE!!!!! ;)

[LeeNHCruiser]

Great ideas ~ keep 'em coming!!!

 

Thanks Gina and Ken ~ I do appreciate it. Ken, thanks for #6 even though I only asked for 5. I'll give you an A+++ for effort :D

[megr1125]

Air freshener or a little OUST fan just in case the cabin is a little smelly.

 

An international calling card for your cabin attendant. We gave one of these (from TARGET...they work overseas, just with less minutes) and $10 to our cabin atrtendant. Let's jsut say we had our cabin done while at breakfast each day....we had towel animals each night....and we were very happy...never needed anything.....

 

An...an open mind. I can't agree more.......go with the flow....don't expect perfection. That way, if any little things happen you won't go as crazy.

 

 

My mom didn't want to go...I said, look, I paid....you just show up. Ya hate it....so be it.......she'd rather be on a ship right now than anyplace else.

[KenMo]

2 special conditioner for your hair (salt water and salt air is harsh for hair)

 

Gina: I agree about the conditioner......which product do you recommend??? Thanks!

[Flamingo19040]

We are leaving Friday for our Monday cruise!! What ship are you sailing.

 

We are sailing on the Fascination.

 

T-8 :) :)

[LeeNHCruiser]

We are on Holiday out of Mobile. It's our first cruise. I am telling everyone that I don't care if the boat just stays put ~ I am happy to be on the boat and away from home :D I have nothing to compare it to so how can I complain?? I'm looking forward to family time with no chores to do.

[kaclmay]

Wire ties to close your suitcase before you give them to the porters when you get to the port and before you put them outside the door the night before.

 

I'm a little confused -- is this so the porters cannot get into the luggage before getting to the airport (or wherever you 'take over' your luggage to go home)?? Then if the airport personnel needs to get in the luggage to search it for some reason, they can just clip them off right? (I think I may have just answered my own question.... but your verification on that would be great! lol!)

[Cruisin Dave]

Since 9/11, locks, unless they are TSA approved, are not alowed if going on luggagegoing on airplanes. Cable ties are the recommended solution to this. Be sure to put a set of nail clippers in an outer pocket of your checked luggage to cut the ties. If you do not want to use the plain white ties, you can find color ties at any Walmart(Wally World), Lowes or Home Depot.

Dave

[MamaMicki]

Hello all,

1. Zip lock bags are for sure

2. sound machine...takes care of any extra noise

3. swim shoes

4. walkie talkies

5. box of wine...:D

 

Have a great cruise!!! Take Care!!

[Cruise Cat]

Camera extras (battery, film, memory cards, etc.) unless you want to give up your first born.

 

First aid kit, including atibiotic ointment, etc.

 

Copies for you and your spouse of the toll free numbers to call and cancel your credit/bank cards (should not need card numbers)

 

Emergency letter, to carry on your person, in case of an accident. Should includ contact number, insurance, alergies, revival instructions, etc.

 

Copies of all the embarkation info you may have filled out on-line, just in case.

 

(OK, 6) Maps of all the ports you will be stopping in.

[Victrola]

1. Plug in strip

2. Over the door shoe pocket thingy

3. Sticky note and bold marker

4. Field glasses ( to check out the lights you see passing while at sea)

5. Lysol handi wipes for wiping off everything in site.

 

If your not use to lots of walking or stair climbing and suffer joint pain don't forget your favorite pain reliever. Real pricey once you get onboard.

 

Have a great cruise :cool: :cool:

[LeeNHCruiser]

I am beginning to realize that I have A LOT more to do than I thought......:eek:

 

Thanks for all the great ideas ~ my list of "TO DO" gets longer and longer LOL

[CruiseAwayWithMe]

1. first aid kit (tylenol, rolaids, motrin)

2. sea sick pill (i never actually have used it but just in case)

3. swim suits

4. formal clothes

5. passport, birth certificate, etc.

[swimmer_steph]

We are on Holiday out of Mobile. It's our first cruise. I am telling everyone that I don't care if the boat just stays put ~ I am happy to be on the boat and away from home :D I have nothing to compare it to so how can I complain?? I'm looking forward to family time with no chores to do.

 

Hi Lee!

 

I agree 110%! We're on Holiday for the April 30th sailing and this will be our first cruise as well. I'm getting really excited! :)

 

Thanks for starting this thread - I'm subscribing to it for sure!

Steph

[swimmer_steph]

Since 9/11, locks, unless they are TSA approved, are not alowed if going on luggage going on airplanes. Cable ties are the recommended solution to this. Be sure to put a set of nail clippers in an outer pocket of your checked luggage to cut the ties. If you do not want to use the plain white ties, you can find color ties at any Walmart(Wally World), Lowes or Home Depot.

Dave

 

Please forgive my naïveté but we're driving ourselves to the port in Mobile so does this apply to the luggage we are going to check at the pier or is this only for airlines?

What do you use to secure the bags you check at port? Are small locks allowed?

Sorry for being such a newbie...

Steph

[Guest Time2gocruzn]

1. Plenty of sunscreen. You will need it, and you will use more than you think you will. If you run out and have to buy some, it is EXPENSIVE on the ship and in ports (as are meds, personal items, etc). My mother ran out and paid almost $20 for a tiny bottle of coppertone in one of our ports:eek:

 

 

2. Camera, film/memory card, camcorder. I look at our pics almost everyday. Beautiful and I will always have them to remember our adventure:) Debated for a while about the camcorder, but I am SO glad I brought it. I could watch that video 50 times today and not get tired of it.

 

3. $$ $$ and more $$. Smaller bills DO come in handy. Great for tipping porters, room service and taxi drivers in the ports. I took mostly small bills and plenty of money orders. was able to cash my $$ orders at the pursers desk and whatever I didn't use I just deposited in the bank when I got home. Don't like to use my CC as there have been plenty of stories of fraud on this board.

 

4. Positive attitude. Sure things weren't perfect, sure I could have got all po'd about it and I suppose if I got po'd enough about these little things it probably would have ruined my day/cruise. Worth it? I think not...

 

5. Ziplocs. Great for packing snacks, putting your $$ in when you get off the ship, pacing clothes in and squeezing the air out to save space, putting bottles of sunblock in b4 you toss in your bag, putting rolls of film in, wrap your souviners in something and stuff in a ziploc...You may not use them as much as I did, but I was cruising with 2 small kids and I used them for MANY things

 

HAVE FUN!!:)

[zydecocruiser]

birth control

[Flamingo19040]

oh my! lol

[BettyB2]

Please forgive my naïveté but we're driving ourselves to the port in Mobile so does this apply to the luggage we are going to check at the pier or is this only for airlines?

What do you use to secure the bags you check at port? Are small locks allowed?

Sorry for being such a newbie...

Steph

 

 

When in port we put our locks on the suitcases (we used paperclips and colored pipe-cleaners during air travel)..we only put the locks in not so much because we were worried about theft..but to make sure they STAYED closed. Items I will bring next time:

1. Bungee Cord
   
2. Outlet strip
   
3. Battery charger
   
4. BEER
   
5. Seasick med (although we only needed it our last day @ sea)
   

[bippytrip]

1st night casual dinner clothes (Put on your carry on)

pen/pencil

paper

Sea sickness pills

cough drops

Imodium

Sunscreen

styptic pencil (for minor cuts)

ziplock bags

plastic bags for swimsuits

Folders for Capers/papers

Envelope/cardboard for pictures (so they don't bend)

plastic lock ties

Power strip

Anti-bacterial soap

Highlighter for Capers/Activities

Folding Cooler

$1 Bills

Credit Cards

Camera/batteries/charger

Bandaids

Vitamins

Bugspray

Air Freshner

Water Shoes

Binoculars

Rolaids/pepcid

Sunglasses

Aspirin

Sinus meds

dramamine

insulated cups for coffee, juice, mixers;)

Night light

lysol

 

 

Ok, so it is more then 5.

[bippytrip]

Oh, and I almost forgot:

 

Booze :p

[Flamingo19040]

Going on our first cruise in 8 days - have gotten LOTS of great ideas from this board - but just a couple of things that I always take on vacation is:

 

Fan - yes, I pack it in my suitcase - it helps to keep out unwanted noise and is great if the AC goes down

 

Hangers - there never seems to be enough of those.

 

:-)

[Flamingo19040]

Oh - I forgot - clothespins to keep the drapes closed, so it is nice and dark.