5 things you would/wouldn't bring

[phoenix_dream]

Bring:

- besides the obvious prescription meds, a full supply of any type of OTC med you may need. Ships supplies are limited, and we had a hard time finding the right meds we needed for colds even in Alaska ports (everyone else there must have been suffering from colds as well!). Have caught UR viruses on our last three cruises so we have learned our lesson.

- Metal magnet hooks to hang on the wall - we always bring a couple to hang hats, a wet bathing suit, etc.

- Plastic zip lock bags - quart and gallon size. We ALWAYS use these

- Travel alarm clock

- A second credit card. Our primary got 'hacked' and cancelled mid-trip once and thank goodness our son had a different one with him we could use. Do NOT forget this one!

 

Don't bring:

- So many clothes and shoes and stuff - I'm talking to you girls:D. It's a cruise not a fashion show. (I know, I know - your business - this is just my opinion)

- Over the door hangers, little fold up boxes for S class, etc.., - really no need if you pack light

- Anything other than travel sized toiletries.

- Clothes that wrinkle if at all possible. There are so many options now, why pay for pressing, or worry about Wrinkle Release or steaming out wrinkles.

- Piles of reading material (books, magazines) unless you have alot of days at sea. I always seem to come back with as many magazines as I brought - never seem to find time to settle in and read them

[Pavovsky]

If you bring your wife, definitely don't bring your girlfriend and vice verse.

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

duck tape is so much more fun than duct tape, even if you only have seagulls ;)

 

lol.:d

[MicCanberra]

1. I look at the Duct Tape like others look at the rain poncho. Bring it so I don't need it. Hope it keeps on working.

 

2. Always bring a mini first aid med kit. What is in it has grown over the years.

 

3. Ziplocks in multiple sizes

 

4. Good mood

 

5. Open mind

 

Carol

 

Yes, we have quite a few things like that and also travel insurance.:D

[lobster129]

A one page mini-medical info for each person in your group (if you don't have the info on an app or electronic documents in your smart phone. Must not rely on WIFI service to access).

 

Your medical info should include:

Your name

Age & date of birth

Allergies

Home Meds: Prescription and OTC with doses (and why you take them if you are not sure)

Major Medical History of diagnoses, surgeries, hospitalizations, injuries w/dates

Immunizations: Last Tetanus

Emergency Medical Contact for you with phone numbers

Info of your home doctor including address and phone contacts

Your info on your travel and health insurances contact info.

 

I also bring a travel thermometer in my medical/first aid kit.

 

Becky, RN

Edited January 22, 2016 by lobster129

[chemmo]

Duct tape, used it several times too. Heavy duty magnets with a clip to hang up all the paper on the wall. Sunscreen X2. Sunglasses X2. LED candle X2. Champagne stopper. First aid stuff (i.e., Tylenol, Mucinex, band aids, extra prescription meds), ball cap & packable hooded rain jacket. Those are my must haves.

 

Love champagne stopper!

[emileg]

Do NOT bring a Swiss Army Knife. Even if you pack it in your checked luggage, the luggage doesn't find its way to your room. You have to go to security to claim the bag. They confiscate the knife and return it at the end of the cruise. The first time it occurred they told me the knife was too big. next time I brought a tiny Swiss Army Knife and that was confiscated too.

[Tommy3putts]

Bring:

 

Flip-flops, cut-offs and tank top for formal nights

Book and extra towel to save pool deck chair I'll never use

Two cartons of Camel cigarettes to smoke on the balcony

Three rent a kids and let em run loose on the ship

Two extra loud walkie-talkies

My ultra platinum diamond club suite card so I can yell at the crew.

 

Seriously

All of the above is good advice, but you'd need three extra large suit cases to bring all of it. My advice is (someone already said) bring 1/2 of what you're planning. Pack light.

 

Must haves.

power strip and adapters

Meds and aspirin for hangovers

Sink soap/tide stick

Microfiber no wrinkle clothes

Travel size toiletries

No more than two pair of shoes. (I won't count my flip flops as shoes)

Starbucks Via Coffee

 

Don't bring

Huge suit case

Prey much agree with all of the above.

Edited January 22, 2016 by Tommy3putts

[Goes Cruising]

Bring:

 

Flip-flops, cut-offs and tank top for formal nights

Book and extra towel to save pool deck chair I'll never use

Two cartons of Camel cigarettes to smoke on the balcony

Three rent a kids and let em run loose on the ship

Two extra loud walkie-talkies

My ultra platinum diamond club suite card so I can yell at the crew.

 

You actually don't need either of these! Just take a book out of the library, and take a spare towel off of one of the other saved chairs!

[Bo1953]

You actually don't need either of these! Just take a book out of the library, and take a spare towel off of one of the other saved chairs!

 

.... or, even a book from one of the saved chairs too.. ;-)

[Tommy3putts]

Too funny. [emoji23][emoji481]

[clmom]

We always bring (sorry, more than 5):

1. COLORFUL DUCT TAPE wrapped around the handle of our suitcase. We can spot our bag in a sea of similar ones AND we always have an emergency supply of duct tape (which we have used)

2. MAGNETS for the walls. We like to bring a large map of the area we are cruising and hang it on our cabin wall. We post a lot of stuff on the walls because we don't like the clutter on the table surfaces. If I find some funny/cute ones at the dollar store I'll use them while on board and then leave them as an extra gift for our cabin steward.

3. SMALL BOTTLE OF HAND SANITIZER with attached strap for our "port" bag and travel size KLEENEX. Anyone who has ever had to use a port-a-potty or traveled outside the USA will agree with these essentials!

4. FIRST AID KIT..a little bit of a lot of things. Z-pak of antibiotics for exotic locales.

5. GARBAGE BAG for dirty laundry

6. ZIP LOCK bags in sizes from Jumbo to snack for so many uses from wet bathing suits to ice packs to organizing receipts and papers. I usually pack in zip lock bags. Keeps clothes wrinkle free and great for liquid toiletries that may leak.

7. BACK-UP CREDIT CARD/MONEY/COPIES OF DOCUMENTS. We keep these in the cabin safe. We also leave copies of our itinerary, credit cards and passport documents at home with a friend or family member.

8. PLASTIC BINDER SLEEVES/ENVELOPES/FOLDER. Before we leave home I organize my paperwork for flights, hotels, port tours, gratuities. I want to do all the work ahead of time so I can just get on the ship and RELAX.

9. MESH POCKET ORGANIZER. Much lighter than the over the door type. I took out the hanger hooks and replaced with ribbon laces. This way I have the option to tie it on a hanger in the closet or on a towel bar in the bathroom or a bar in the cabin if available. I don't bother to take it for a short cruise but it really helps on a longer one.

10. SWITCH-FLOPS (by Lindsay Phillips) for warm weather cruises. A pair of their flip-flops, a pair of their wedges and several different straps to change with my outfits and I have a full shoe wardrobe in only 2 shoes.

[Pavovsky]

I am laughing about the saved chairs. On our reflection cruise someone tried to use a towel to save seats in the theatre.

 

 

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[CanadianDee]

We always bring (sorry, more than 5):

1. COLORFUL DUCT TAPE wrapped around the handle of our suitcase. We can spot our bag in a sea of similar ones AND we always have an emergency supply of duct tape (which we have used)

2. MAGNETS for the walls. We like to bring a large map of the area we are cruising and hang it on our cabin wall. We post a lot of stuff on the walls because we don't like the clutter on the table surfaces. If I find some funny/cute ones at the dollar store I'll use them while on board and then leave them as an extra gift for our cabin steward.

3. SMALL BOTTLE OF HAND SANITIZER with attached strap for our "port" bag and travel size KLEENEX. Anyone who has ever had to use a port-a-potty or traveled outside the USA will agree with these essentials!

4. FIRST AID KIT..a little bit of a lot of things. Z-pak of antibiotics for exotic locales.

5. GARBAGE BAG for dirty laundry

6. ZIP LOCK bags in sizes from Jumbo to snack for so many uses from wet bathing suits to ice packs to organizing receipts and papers. I usually pack in zip lock bags. Keeps clothes wrinkle free and great for liquid toiletries that may leak.

7. BACK-UP CREDIT CARD/MONEY/COPIES OF DOCUMENTS. We keep these in the cabin safe. We also leave copies of our itinerary, credit cards and passport documents at home with a friend or family member.

8. PLASTIC BINDER SLEEVES/ENVELOPES/FOLDER. Before we leave home I organize my paperwork for flights, hotels, port tours, gratuities. I want to do all the work ahead of time so I can just get on the ship and RELAX.

9. MESH POCKET ORGANIZER. Much lighter than the over the door type. I took out the hanger hooks and replaced with ribbon laces. This way I have the option to tie it on a hanger in the closet or on a towel bar in the bathroom or a bar in the cabin if available. I don't bother to take it for a short cruise but it really helps on a longer one.

10. SWITCH-FLOPS (by Lindsay Phillips) for warm weather cruises. A pair of their flip-flops, a pair of their wedges and several different straps to change with my outfits and I have a full shoe wardrobe in only 2 shoes.

 

Love this list and already do most of them. We travel with our granddaughter and I'm definitely adding your map idea to my list.

[MicCanberra]

I am laughing about the saved chairs. On our reflection cruise someone tried to use a towel to save seats in the theatre.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

LOL, must have wet bottoms.:eek:

[jengar]

hi, posted to the wrong forum I think

Edited January 22, 2016 by jengar
wrong forum

[cookiersmom]

1. even though power strips are a no-no these days, we have a multi-USB charger, a must for all our electronics. Works great overnight to charge phones, tablets, etc.

2. Agree about the map for the wall. We loved it for our South America cruise to use highlighter to track where we had been...

3. extra camera memory cards. And DOWNLOAD to some type of storage often. We once lost a whole trip of photos when camera had a "glitch".

[MicCanberra]

1. even though power strips are a no-no these days, we have a multi-USB charger, a must for all our electronics. Works great overnight to charge phones, tablets, etc.

2. Agree about the map for the wall. We loved it for our South America cruise to use highlighter to track where we had been...

3. extra camera memory cards. And DOWNLOAD to some type of storage often. We once lost a whole trip of photos when camera had a "glitch".

 

I use multiple cards (a card for every other day) for the camera so to avert losing the pics.:D

[JuliaMS]

Where can I find the Pacsafe products? The store locator on their website is pretty useless.

[lobster129]

Where can I find the Pacsafe products? The store locator on their website is pretty useless.

 

Pac safe has their own web site. But you can find them on e-bags, Travel Smith, Magellan etc too.

Edited January 24, 2016 by lobster129

[JuliaMS]

Pac safe has their own web site. But you can find them on e-bags, Travel Smith, Magellan etc too.

There is a Magellan's about an hour from me. Really wanted to see them and try them on. Any other brick and mortar stores sell them?

[NCHPcruiser]

Where can I find the Pacsafe products? The store locator on their website is pretty useless.

 

Amazon has a lot of their products.

[rioigo]

I found the only problem with the hair dryer is you have to hold it down all the time. I bring a good rubber band and that works perfectly.

[donaldsc]

Half of the posts on CC are lists of stuff that you must bring. Some of these lists are hundreds of posts long. Do we really need yet another long list of must brings?

 

DON

[neverbeenhere]

Please make a list of those posts.