Can I bring.....

[Nashna]

OK, serious here. Are you allowed to bring a fold-up lounge chair?

On a Summit Bermuda cruise in August, several people carried them on to bring with them to the beach. I must say they looked rather awkward as they walked around the ship.

[tonit964]

There was a blog from a circle Pacific cruise earlier this year with some photos of people in the CC group sitting around on fold up chairs on deck.

Not something I would have a need for :)

 

There is a link in this thread somewhere to the blog and lots of photos

http://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?t=2364566

 

We bring two travel sized beach umbrellas in case there are none available at the beach or pool in the ports. They fold up pretty small and have a carrying case you put over your shoulder. Don't take up much room in the suitcase either.

[RoadTripFanatic]

If I had room or wanted to waste weight I would bring a hairdryer onto the cruise ship. I really think their hairdryers are wimpy. I actually take a european plug adaptor with me to have an extra outlet on a cruise. As for the costume- I've packed halloween costumes for my daughter on Carnival since they have halloween activities for the kids.

[4cats4me]

Stevia in the Raw sweetner for coffee

Dental repair kits in case crown falls off

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[scott4020]

Pillows

 

I don't go anywhere without one of my feather pillows and I spend at least 100 nights a year in hotels for work.

[myfuzzy]

I read someone wanted to bring their bike and someone else a crockpot.

 

Regarding hairdryers.....go on your balcony, face the wind, 3 minutes, dry hair

[shredie]

Bail money. :p

[Renmar]

Bail money. :p

 

What are you planning?

 

Theo

[scott4020]

Bail money. :p

 

or bribe money.

[tango55]

pepper grinder with added garlic and chili peppers etc.

[CruzinNoony]

Didn't someone once post if they would be allowed to bring their fishing poles? Or was that just someone with a sense of humor? :D

 

I always bring one of those travel pillows that look like a horseshoe. It's for a minor health issue but couldn't sleep without it.

 

Also a portable fan. I have to have air moving regardless of how warm or cool the room is.

 

The hair dryers are much too weak for most women's hair but I make do because I don't want to deal with carrying one on board.

 

I also always bring a small portable (electric) fan, but on our last cruise it was confiscated at security (I had it in my carry on). I got it back in the end, but I wasn't very happy.:mad:

[sunsetme]

I just ordered these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037TSTUO/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[WupperAV]

TP was the funniest one. They think their backside is going to get sandpapered

[sunsetme]

we've had some horrible tp on some cruises. its that way so that the disposal system can process it. I forgot, now I have to pack some decent TP.

[Krozulo]

For starters, I know I probably have too much free time :D but clicking through some past posts and treads I noticed that sometimes people ask if they can, or do, bring stuff that (IMHO) begs the question; Why??

...

Pillows

 

My wife and I sleep on buckwheat hull pillows and we can't sleep on anything but. We always travel with them and make room in our luggage for them. To answer the question "Why", when I'm on vacation, I don't want to wake up in pain and be miserable.

[chengkp75]

we've had some horrible tp on some cruises. its that way so that the disposal system can process it. I forgot, now I have to pack some decent TP.

 

No, the quality of the toilet paper has nothing to do with the "disposal system", whether the vacuum system or the treatment plant. It is what it is because they go through pallet loads of it each week.

[MJC]

I just ordered these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0037TSTUO/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

We pack an extra in case one gets a leak.

[TravelingEA]

When we cruise out of Seattle, we will go to Pike Place market the morning of the cruise and get a $5-10 bouquet of flowers. The steward generally will find a vase for us to put them in. It normally lasts throughout the cruise.

[shredie]

No, the quality of the toilet paper has nothing to do with the "disposal system", whether the vacuum system or the treatment plant. It is what it is because they go through pallet loads of it each week.

Really? I have always heard that weird TP is for the plumbing. Interesting.

[iceleven]

we've had some horrible tp on some cruises. its that way so that the disposal system can process it. I forgot, now I have to pack some decent TP.

 

And after being reminded of this, you are certain that yours won't clog the system? Sure, they load by the pallet their own specific paper but that doesn't mean it isn't specifically made for the plumbing system for the ship. Even most septic systems in rural homes cannot use some commercial grade TP. I'm not saying I'm right, more curious.

Edited October 30, 2016 by iceleven

[GRAYTech]

Really? I have always heard that weird TP is for the plumbing. Interesting.

 

It is because of the plumbing. This is from a popular travel site noting things to leave behind on your next cruise -

 

3) Toilet Paper — The vacuum toilet systems used on cruise ships can’t take a whole lot more than they are intended for. Use the provided TP, as ultra cushy, thick and plush Charmin from home will surely cause a maintenance call.

 

Read The Full Article

 

 

We also have first hand experience with a plumbing problem causing half the ship to be without operational toilets. Captain came on the intercom after about 3 hours announcing the toilets had been fixed and not to flush anything other than the ships TP down the toilets - including "...your own TP you may have brought on board..."

[GRAYTech]

...Even most septic systems in rural homes cannot use some commercial grade TP. I'm not saying I'm right, more curious.

 

This is true for us and we aren't even on septic. We are in a 50+ year old home with a 50' run of cast iron pipe out to the main sewer line. Recently changed both of our toilets to low-flow 1.4 gal/flush and continued to use the "good" paper.

 

So we went from 3 and 4 gallons per flush to less than half that. The old toilets also leaked a bit so there was at least a trickle of water always moving through the pipe.

 

It didn't take long before we needed a $150 visit from Roto-Rooter. "Paper sludge" was the problem. Not enough water to push the waste through the pipe and it begins to just fill the mainline. The video camera he sent down was rather eye-opening. 50' of wadded-up, wet, soggy paper.

 

Roto-guy said this has become their top seller, a very common issue when folks go low-flow. He said they should even include a warning with the toilets stating use only "septic safe" marked TP to avoid this problem.

 

So don't bring the good stuff on a cruise ship and if you swapped out your toilets be careful what you put down the chute or you may get in unwelcome surprise in your basement.

[RocketMan275]

DW and I used to own a small yacht (38 foot) with a septic system similar to that found on cruise ships. Our owners manual was very specific that we were to use a special toilet paper that easily dissolves. You can find this TP here:

 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-RV-and-Marine-1-Ply-Toilet-Tissue-4pk/23146560

[chengkp75]

Here's what I posted on another thread earlier this year:

 

Myth busters to the rescue. This is a persistent urban legend about cruise ships. People equate the dissolvable toilet paper used on small boats for their sanitary systems with use on a cruise ship with its vacuum toilet system. The small boat system has no treatment ability, and the paper needs to dissolve quickly to keep from blocking pumps and valves. To put it crudely, the "product" in a vacuum system needs to hold together and form a "plug" in the pipe that can be carried along by the vacuum. If the paper dissolves too quickly, the "plug" will break down, and the "product" will not be able to travel through the piping as needed (sometimes up). The cruise lines buy the cheapest toilet paper they can, because they go through so much of it.

 

In 40 years of working on vacuum toilet systems, I've never seen a blockage caused by "incorrect" or too much toilet paper.

 

The problem really comes with paper products that differ from toilet paper. Toilet paper and facial tissues use "pressed" paper fibers, and these products will provide sufficient strength to form the "plug" and yet break down to fibers over time. Products like make-up wipes, diaper wipes, and paper towels tend to have "woven" paper fibers that will not only provide the necessary strength for the "product" plug, but will also form longer plugs that cannot transit bends in the piping. Unlike home sewage systems, whether sewer or septic, where the piping gets progressively larger the more appliances (sinks, showers, toilets) are attached, vacuum toilet systems have the same size pipe almost all the way to the engine room, only increasing in size after you get 100+ toilets on that branch line.

[chengkp75]

This is true for us and we aren't even on septic. We are in a 50+ year old home with a 50' run of cast iron pipe out to the main sewer line. Recently changed both of our toilets to low-flow 1.4 gal/flush and continued to use the "good" paper.

 

So we went from 3 and 4 gallons per flush to less than half that. The old toilets also leaked a bit so there was at least a trickle of water always moving through the pipe.

 

It didn't take long before we needed a $150 visit from Roto-Rooter. "Paper sludge" was the problem. Not enough water to push the waste through the pipe and it begins to just fill the mainline. The video camera he sent down was rather eye-opening. 50' of wadded-up, wet, soggy paper.

 

Roto-guy said this has become their top seller, a very common issue when folks go low-flow. He said they should even include a warning with the toilets stating use only "septic safe" marked TP to avoid this problem.

 

So don't bring the good stuff on a cruise ship and if you swapped out your toilets be careful what you put down the chute or you may get in unwelcome surprise in your basement.

 

Yet the main difference to what you describe is that your drain/waste/vent system in your house and the connector to the sewer, and even the sewer relies on gravity to work. Therefore, yes, low water flow and high paper usage can result in blockages (though typically after something else like roots or frost heave have started the blockage). Vacuum toilet systems use the force of the vacuum to move the "product" along the pipes, and many cabins have toilets that flush UP to a vacuum main the deck above. Therefore, the "structural" requirements of toilet paper is different for vacuum systems than for either gravity systems, or yacht systems that use pressurized water for motive force.