What do you take with you on embarkation day?

[moposh]

What do you have with you on embarkation day while you wait to receive your luggage?  I believe we can take a carryon with us.  I just don't know if I will need to.  Thanks.

[ktbr11crs]

At a minimum we take a carry on with medications, jewelry, electronics, and anything else that is valuable or important.

 

[poocher]

All my cruise documents, prescription meds, bathing suit if I am so inclined, my 2 bottles of wine, sunscreen.

[loman]

We take a small purse like travel bag with meds , documents , and socks and underwear , just in case luggage is lost.

 

[brillohead]

Anything that would ruin my cruise if I didn't have it -- electronics/chargers, glasses/contacts, medications, identification documents, cash/cards.

If you're going to want to access the swimming pool or hot tub that first afternoon, pack swimming gear as well. 

[Mum2Mercury]

If my husband has his way, we'll board with a small backpack each ... containing the things people have mentioned above:  electronics, medicines, jewelry, money and paperwork, wine and soda.  I'll be wearing my prescription sunglasses /carrying my eyeglasses because I am dependent upon them.  We're really not into swimming right away, so we don't pack swimsuits. 

 

If I have my way, we'll board with one roll-on carry-on each.  Rolling luggage really isn't any effort, and then we don't have to wait for our luggage to be delivered.  As soon as the rooms open, we're ready to go in and get set up.

 

Regardless, a warning:  My sister cruised a couple months ago with some first-time cruiser friends.  They told the friends what to carry on /what to send through with the porters ... but the friends didn't listen.  When they opened their suitcase, their iPad was gone.  That bag went through multiple hands and then sat in the hall unattended for some time, and they had no recourse /could not prove anything.

 

A much lesser problem, but still a problem:  My brother-in-law fussed because my sister had failed to pack a box of Little Debbie Oatmeal Cookies, which he'd wanted to have in the room for snacks ... no big deal, right?  Except she swore she HAD packed them, and back at home they found no left-behind cookies.  So someone in the bag-moving line-up removed them.  I really wonder who's risking his job for a pack of cookies, but I suppose the risk of being caught is pretty low for them.

Edited August 11, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[moposh]

I guess I should put locks on the cases.  

 

No, I'm not putting my phone in my suitcase.  I'll guess I'll have to carry meds on with me along with a few other things.

 

I was hoping to avoid having to take another carryon (besides my small backpack), but it seems like I will have to.  But I should be able to put in the room so I don't have to take it around with me.

[cruiseguy1016]

As other have mentioned, at minimum, you should carry on your meds, electronics and other valuables. We bring one small carryon with those things and we also put in our bathing suits and a change of clothes for dinner in case our luggage hasn't arrived by then.

[cruiseguy1016]

1 minute ago, moposh said:

I guess I should put locks on the cases.  

 

No, I'm not putting my phone in my suitcase.  I'll guess I'll have to carry meds on with me along with a few other things.

 

I was hoping to avoid having to take another carryon (besides my small backpack), but it seems like I will have to.  But I should be able to put in the room so I don't have to take it around with me.

 

The rooms don't open until 1:00 or 2:00 so depending on when you board, you may have to drag it a round with you for a while.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

since we fly to the port, we always pack these into the carry-on luggage (aka, a backpack per person) and then carry it on:

 

1) passports, money, electronics

2) all the meds

3) One swim suit or trunks, one pair of shorts, one pair of flip flops per person. Toothbrushes.

4) lysol wipes - we use them on the plane and to wipe down everything in the cabin before suitcases arrive

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Itchy&Scratchy

[klfhngr]

Swimming trunks and lotion!

[davekathy]

My wife. 

[BND]

Jewelry, meds, cash, passports, laptop, cameras, wallet, phones, all go in carry on.  We also lock our regular luggage.  If anything's going to get opened, it will be bags that take no effort.  Locking them means an extra step or two which someone wanting to grab something doesn't have time for.  You don't want to make it easy so we don't.  

[TwinMamainMN]

Passports, medication, iphone, sunglasses, Kindle, chapstick. It all fits in a small backpack or tote bag. We leave the rest with the porters so we don't have to schlep it around to bar hop or get lunch.

[moposh]

31 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

The rooms don't open until 1:00 or 2:00 so depending on when you board, you may have to drag it a round with you for a while.

I've got 12:30 to 1 for my boarding time.

[moposh]

I'm not flying to the port so it's a bit different.  

[njkruzer]

1. Checked luggage is locked. 

 

2. In addition to what's been said clothes for dinner.  Since someone's luggage is delivered last, I figure I might want my very casual change of clothes for the evening just in case my bag is that last one!

[Mikew0805]

I carry on everything. Short cruises I have a rolling backpack, and longer cruises I have a rolling duffel. I prefer to board later in the day, so I am able to go directly to the cabin and unpack. 

[rudeney]

My carries her purse with all her usual accoutrements in it.  I have a very small rolling carry-on that is large enough for a laptop, chargers, meds, and two bottles of wine.  I don't bother carrying on any clothes.  I figure if they lose out luggage, I'm going to have to buy new stuff anyhow and I have insurance so I'm not too worried about the cost.  

[pattak619]

Since We don’t fly to our port,we don’t worry about clothes. The only things we bring are a rolling duffel we can put our coats( we sail in January out of Bayonne) also the meds,tablet,chargers,then in my purse(extra large) all documents,passports,copies of reservations,valuables(jewelry),and cash.

[OCVTSGIRL]

3 hours ago, moposh said:

I've got 12:30 to 1 for my boarding time.

That's the time you can arrive at the pier not the time you can get into your cabin.

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, moposh said:

What do you have with you on embarkation day while you wait to receive your luggage?  I believe we can take a carryon with us.  I just don't know if I will need to.  Thanks.

Small backpack with passports, vaccine card, covid test results, meds, phone, camera. Everything else goes in the suitcase given to the porter. 

[RJ257]

I take my airplane size roll on suitcase and a backpack onboard. They contain everything except dive/snorkel equipment. I check my dive bag and only my dive bag. I always board around 1pm as I live in south Florida so drive to the port. This past April I dropped off my dive bag about 12:30, parked my car and started the check in about 12:40. Got to my room at 1pm and my dive bag was already there:)

[neverbeenhere]

Check in 1-2pm go straight to stateroom with all items packed in a carryon. Unpack, cruise…

[denamo]

Along with all the valuable items and med others have mentioned, I have my swimsuit in my carry on.  Not because I'm quickly heading to the pool, but finding a swimsuit to fit the way I like probably would be difficult if something unforeseen happening to our luggage.  Especially critical for a Caribbean cruise when typically there's a beach day planned. 

 

As someone mentioned, getting on after cabins are open would mean no lugging around a carry on.