A few of handy things to know:

[Alice Anne]

Formal night is always the second night of a cruise, never the first night.  Traditionally everyone went to dinner in their traveling clothes the first night.  People  brought huge amounts of luggage (see Titanic movie).  All luggage would not be delivered by dinner time.  It would be an extreme embarrassment to go to dinner under dressed without a tuxedo or gown.  To prevent anyone from being embarrassed, everyone wore travel clothes the first night.  Keep your first day’s clothes in your carry on. 

 

The walls of cruise ships are magnetic.  A few magnetic clips will help you keep all those daily bulletins organized and off your surfaces.  I like to keep my sun hat hanging by the door on a magnetic hook. 

 

I keep a night light, for bathrooms, in my toiletry kit.  When I turn the bright bluish bathroom light on at night, it wakes me up and kills my night vision, making it hard to get back to the bed.  The bathrooms on cruise ships do not have electrical outlets.  Bring a soft battery powered light.    

 

Please turn your outdoor balcony light off at night (unless you are using it), so cruisers can try to see some stars. 

The extreme outdoor lighting and total lack of visible stars was my biggest disappointment on my first cruise. 

 

The cruise ship charges a ridiculous amount of money for a bottle of water.  Bring a refillable bottle to take on excursions.  Liquid water is not allowed through airport security, but solid water is.  Freeze your water bottle to take on the plane.

 

In the past, NCL has had “White Night”.  Everyone is encouraged to wear all white.

 

If you take medication, be sure to bring a list of the generic names and dosages.  Brand names change by country and you could get a completely different drug.  The generic names will be the same all over the world.  Write out anything a medical person treating you should know.  Put all medication in your carry on.  Even healthy people need a health care proxy.  Discuss it with your family. 

 

Put a color copy of the photo page of your passport in each suitcase, just in case. 

 

 

[shipgeeks]

Never leave your balcony door open;, or even slightly ajar.  It will disrupt the AC in not only your cabin, but the other cabins around you.

Find the little drain in the floor of your cabin bathroom (not the one in the shower), and pour a glass or two of water into it.  That will take care of any odors in the bathroom.

Do not put wipes or other non-toilet-paper items into your toilet.

Don't believe that there are "50 essential items", apart from clothes, meds, etc., that you "must pack" to have an enjoyable cruise.

[KP@Sea]

I always cross pack with my husband. If one of our cases go missing, at least we each have half of our clothes.

[Reina del Mar]

Pack a swimming costume, flip flops and a change or two of outfit in your carry on bag, as well as medication, chargers, passports and money…just in case your hold baggage is delayed/lost.

[Ferry_Watcher]

I travel with the little battery tea lights to use at night in the bathroom, and until I get use to the stateroom, I place one between the bed and the bathroom.  Also can be used to set a romantic mood.  ;  )

 

Cross pack with your traveling companion, or at lease have a couple of tops and underwear changes in your carry-on bag.

 

Store your suitcase under your bed.

 

Bring a travel mug to enjoy coffee/tea on sea days.  Having a water bottle is also helpful to say hydrated on the ship, and while visiting port-of-calls.

 

Having something to use as a laundry basket is helpful - a net bag, or a dollar store collapsible bin.

 

I have given magnetic hooks as sail-a-way gifts to friends, but I have yet to use them myself, but I will this May.

 

If sailing to Alaska, bring a clothespin to help secure the drapes to keep the room dark.

 

Husband suggests a hanging toilet kit due to limited shelf space.

 

 

 

 

[Cruise Kay]

Always buy travel insurance. Policies for all budgets can be browsed at insure my trip dot com.

 

Always pack seasick meds (Bonine, for example) and assume you won't need them. But if you do need them, it's great to have. 
 

Don't reserve pool chairs and then disappear for a long time. Don't send one person to the theater early to reserve a bunch of seats for a big group. 
 

Be kind to crew and always pay those gratuities!

[shipgeeks]

Well, now we will get into disagreeing.....

Post 4 says pack bathing suit, etc.  This assumes one cares about being at the pool on boarding.

Post 6 says travel insurance and seasick meds.  We do neither, and have never regretted it.

 

[travelingman]

@Alice Anne I might question - "Put a color copy of the photo page of your passport in each suitcase, just in case."  I actually used to do this but then someone pointed out that if someone got into your suitcase and took that copy of your photo page they would have your identity.

I now put a copy of our itinerary in the suitcase and the outside pocket of the suitcase - in case it gets lost the airline will at lease know where we will be each day.

 

We do make address cards for everywhere we will be staying during the trip and change out the address card in the luggage tag holder each time we get ready to move to another hotel, ship, Airbnb, etc.

This only takes a few minutes to do.

 

[Ferry_Watcher]

6 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Well, now we will get into disagreeing.....

Post 4 says pack bathing suit, etc.  This assumes one cares about being at the pool on boarding.

Post 6 says travel insurance and seasick meds.  We do neither, and have never regretted it.

 

 

The nice thing about suggestions is that you take what you can use, and leave the rest. 

 

I appreciate everyone's thoughtful and practical suggestions. When I was new to cruising, I found other cruisers' ideas and suggestions very helpful.  Now that I am cruising more, I share what I find useful.

[mjkacmom]

If you are cruising on NCL (or other mainstream lines) the majority do not participate in a formal night, so feel free to dress as you wish, dress, jeans, many restaurants allow shorts. We always get travel insurance in case of medical emergencies (our health insurance does not work outside of the US), or even just to get a refund if we need to cancel, don’t want to be out thousands for nothing.

[Longford]

On 2/12/2023 at 1:02 PM, Alice Anne said:

Formal night is always the second night of a cruise, never the first night. 

No.

[shipgeeks]

16 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

The nice thing about suggestions is that you take what you can use, and leave the rest. 

 

I appreciate everyone's thoughtful and practical suggestions. When I was new to cruising, I found other cruisers' ideas and suggestions very helpful.  Now that I am cruising more, I share what I find useful.

Agreed.  The only problem I've come across is the line between suggestions and requirements. I recently came across a post in which the young lady was led to believe she had to purchase specialty dining packages in order to be able to eat on her cruise. I think it is important for us to be clear on what is required (documents, etc.) and what can be useful.

[ldubs]

On 2/14/2023 at 4:53 AM, shipgeeks said:

Well, now we will get into disagreeing.....

Post 4 says pack bathing suit, etc.  This assumes one cares about being at the pool on boarding.

Post 6 says travel insurance and seasick meds.  We do neither, and have never regretted it.

 

 

Agree completely.  Don't need the swim trunks on boarding day.   Why pack seasick meds if we don't get seasick.   Good risk management would say there is a time when travel insurance should be considered and a time when it shouldn't.   And, not one rule fits all.     

[ldubs]

8 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Agreed.  The only problem I've come across is the line between suggestions and requirements. I recently came across a post in which the young lady was led to believe she had to purchase specialty dining packages in order to be able to eat on her cruise. I think it is important for us to be clear on what is required (documents, etc.) and what can be useful.

 

Suggestions, requirements, and simply incorrect information.   

[John Bull]

On 2/12/2023 at 6:02 PM, Alice Anne said:

Formal night is always the second night of a cruise, never the first night. 

 

Not wishing to add to the nay-sayers, but :

 

"Never the first night"...................... correct ✔️

 

"Always the second night" ............. incorrect ❌

Whenever possible, formal-night / dress-to-impress-night / call-it-what-you-will-night, is on a sea-day - so no having to rush after visiting a port

On a lot of cruises the first day is very often a sea-day (it's sometimes the longest  sector / it allows for time to be made up if delayed at the turnaround port  / it gives the excursion staff a full day to sell, sell, sell). So quite often you're right. 🙂

 

JB 🙂

[Guest CunucuMom]

Very helpful suggestions.  As for travel insurance, my big thing is coverage for medical evacuation.  Even those who are young and healthy, an accident (we've seen some of the island transportation and roadways! 🙈) can land you in the hospital.  I want to make sure I have the option to be treated at home without having to max out credit cards to pay for a med flight.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 2/14/2023 at 7:53 AM, shipgeeks said:

Post 4 says pack bathing suit, etc.  This assumes one cares about being at the pool on boarding.

not at all. We don't even use the pools... But we do use beaches, and if something happens to our luggage, we'll at least have swim suits, sunhats, and flip flops with us. Plus, 1 pair of shorts and a t-shirt. So, all we'll need is a bottle of SPF lotion/spray.

 

On 2/14/2023 at 7:53 AM, shipgeeks said:

Post 6 says travel insurance and seasick meds.  We do neither, and have never regretted it.

 

Also, about the nausea meds - we never needed them until one day my kid became both sea sick and car sick very out of the blue. He never was until he was 10!!!!! And on one of the cruises my dad was all of a sudden very sea sick, but, thankfully, I had the dramamine for the kid, so it came in handy for my dad as well.

 

Insurance is such a thing - you almost never need it when you have it, but when you need it - bam, you don't have it.

Edited February 16, 2023 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Z'Loth]

My two cents worth from a United States perspective:

 

• Travel insurance... I get it for one big key reason: Emergency medical evacuation back to the states which can easily cost $100k and upward. Also, your medical coverage may not be available outside the United States. The rest, like trip interruption and lost luggage, are plain gravy to me. 
• Always fly in at least the day prior to the cruise. Yes, that means paying for a hotel stay, but it's better than waking up at o'gawd thirty to catch a 6 AM flight which you hope doesn't get delayed, only to be dog-tired on the first night of the cruise. If you are staying a few days prior to the cruise, spend a little extra money so that your hotel is within walking or public transit distance of the local attractions instead of renting a car.
• In addition to putting your contact information on the tag on your luggage (and instead of using that string, plastic zip ties), also include the contact information and hotel you are staying at inside your luggage. Also, since every piece of luggage looks the same. A luggage handle wrap on both handles comes in very handy. 
• Know how to put your phone in airplane mode, then enable the WiFi mode. 
• Know how to use the offline maps function of Google Maps so that you can pre-download the port areas or islands of the ports of call.
• Know how to use the parking function of Google Maps. You may not be renting a car, but once you disembark the ship at each port, you want to set where it is "parked" to make it easier to re-board. This is especially great when multiple ships are at the same port-of-call.
• Noise cancelling Bluetooth headsets and charger. A USB battery pack is also very handy.
• Know how to use the offline download mode of your favorite entertainment apps so that you can listen to your favorite audiobooks or music and watch your favorite movies or TV shows while on the flight and/or lounging at the pool on sea days. 
• If you have a password app like 1Password, you can store scans of your driver's license, passport card and book, global entry, and health insurance cards as secure documents for viewing on your mobile device.
• For those of us who stopped wearing a watch over ten years ago and rely on their mobile phones, know how to manually set the time zone on your phone in case the local time is one hour off ship time.
• Always take along a small umbrella that can fit into your day bag. Not only for rain purposes, but it's also portable shade. 
• Have fun! 

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by Z'Loth

[Mum2Mercury]

On 2/12/2023 at 1:02 PM, Alice Anne said:

The walls of cruise ships are magnetic.

Doors too. 

On 2/12/2023 at 1:02 PM, Alice Anne said:

If you take medication,

We like to divide our daily meds into tiny plastic baggies that're easy to carry in a pocket or purse.  

On 2/12/2023 at 1:02 PM, Alice Anne said:

Put a color copy of the photo page of your passport in each suitcase, just in case. 

Rather than leaving your personal identification in an unattended suitcase, scan the passport and email the image to yourself.  In the unlikely case you have an emergency, you could pull up your email in any emergency office where you find yourself.  

On 2/13/2023 at 10:55 AM, shipgeeks said:

Find the little drain in the floor of your cabin bathroom (not the one in the shower), and pour a glass or two of water into it.  That will take care of any odors in the bathroom.

I've never noticed this!  

On 2/13/2023 at 10:55 AM, shipgeeks said:

Don't believe that there are "50 essential items", apart from clothes, meds, etc., that you "must pack" to have an enjoyable cruise.

Absolutely true.  Aside from your clothing and documents, you need very little.  

On 2/13/2023 at 9:13 PM, Ferry_Watcher said:

Having something to use as a laundry basket is helpful - a net bag, or a dollar store collapsible bin.

You already have a suitcase -- it's a perfect hamper.  Just put it in the bottom of your closet and toss in your clothes.  On the last day, zip it up, and you're packed.  Zero reason to bring an extra item.  

On 2/13/2023 at 10:53 PM, Cruise Kay said:

Always pack seasick meds (Bonine, for example) and assume you won't need them. But if you do need them, it's great to have. 

Consider that, even if seasickness on the big ship isn't a problem for you, small boats can make you seasick.  If you're going out on a snorkeling excursion, for example, you might need that seasickness med.  I like crystalized ginger because it works INSTANTLY.  Great for car sickness too. 

On 2/13/2023 at 10:53 PM, Cruise Kay said:

Don't reserve pool chairs and then disappear for a long time. Don't send one person to the theater early to reserve a bunch of seats for a big group. 

Absolutely -- reserving resources you aren't actually using makes you a jerk. 

On 2/15/2023 at 6:50 AM, shipgeeks said:

Agreed.  The only problem I've come across is the line between suggestions and requirements. I recently came across a post in which the young lady was led to believe she had to purchase specialty dining packages in order to be able to eat on her cruise ...

Yes to reading the cruise line's information:

- The cruise line would like you to believe you must buy a soda package or NEVER have a soda ... that you must buy a dining package or NEVER eat in a specialty restaurant.  

- I saw a You Tube review recently in which a well-spoken spokesperson complained he hadn't been aware until mid-way through the cruise that small venues like Park Cafe, El Loco Fresh, etc. were no-cost.  No excuse, Dude!  That information is printed in your Compass!  

On 2/16/2023 at 1:27 PM, CunucuMom said:

Very helpful suggestions.  As for travel insurance, my big thing is coverage for medical evacuation.  Even those who are young and healthy, an accident (we've seen some of the island transportation and roadways! 🙈) can land you in the hospital.  I want to make sure I have the option to be treated at home without having to max out credit cards to pay for a med flight.

Absolutely.  Anyone can fall and have an accident.  I buy travel insurance specifically for medical evacuation protection.  No, I'm not likely to need it, but IF I do, the cost is SOOOO high that it's not worth the risk to go without it.  

On 2/17/2023 at 8:55 AM, Z'Loth said:

Always fly in at least the day prior to the cruise. 

Mandatory. 

[crazyank]

On 2/12/2023 at 7:02 PM, Alice Anne said:

Formal night is always the second night of a cruise, never the first night. 

Nope

 

On 2/12/2023 at 7:02 PM, Alice Anne said:

Liquid water is not allowed through airport security, but solid water is.

Nope, and by freezing it you will have to deal with condensation.

 

On 2/12/2023 at 7:02 PM, Alice Anne said:

Put a color copy of the photo page of your passport in each suitcase, just in case. 

This is a seriously bad idea.  If your suitcase goes missing this is asking for identity theft

On 2/12/2023 at 7:02 PM, Alice Anne said:

The generic names will be the same all over the world. 

Nope,  not true at all.

On 2/12/2023 at 7:02 PM, Alice Anne said:

 

 

 

On 2/17/2023 at 2:55 PM, Z'Loth said:

Also, since every piece of luggage looks the same.

Again, Nope

[ldubs]

On 2/16/2023 at 10:27 AM, CunucuMom said:

Very helpful suggestions.  As for travel insurance, my big thing is coverage for medical evacuation.  Even those who are young and healthy, an accident (we've seen some of the island transportation and roadways! 🙈) can land you in the hospital.  I want to make sure I have the option to be treated at home without having to max out credit cards to pay for a med flight.

 

Does your travel medical insurance coverage allow you the option of a med evac flight if there is not a medical need?  I understood, perhaps incorrectly, medical evacuation would depend on the medical necessity not just because someone wanted to be treated near home.   

[ldubs]

On 2/18/2023 at 8:16 AM, Mum2Mercury said:

 

Mandatory. 

 

About flying in at least a day before the cruise.  

 

Yes, I know I am being overly literal.   A best practice, yes.  Mandatory, no.   

[Guest CunucuMom]

51 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Does your travel medical insurance coverage allow you the option of a med evac flight if there is not a medical need?  I understood, perhaps incorrectly, medical evacuation would depend on the medical necessity not just because someone wanted to be treated near home.   

Good question and one I haven't explored.  I'm focused on a catastrophic injury or illness (for example, a fall that results in a brain injury or broken hip or a stroke or brain aneurysm) that would require a lengthy recovery period or extensive follow-up surgery or treatment.  Of course I would want to be immediately treated and stabilized and also the opportunity to be airlifted to an appropriate facility if the hospital/medical staff is unable to treat the ailment.  Lots of 'what if' scenarios, indeed.

[ldubs]

3 minutes ago, CunucuMom said:

Good question and one I haven't explored.  I'm focused on a catastrophic injury or illness (for example, a fall that results in a brain injury or broken hip or a stroke or brain aneurysm) that would require a lengthy recovery period or extensive follow-up surgery or treatment.  Of course I would want to be immediately treated and stabilized and also the opportunity to be airlifted to an appropriate facility if the hospital/medical staff is unable to treat the ailment.  Lots of 'what if' scenarios, indeed.

 

Thanks, God forbid, but yeah that makes sense.  We also focus on the medical part of travel insurance.  Just purchased an annual travel med policy.  The med evac was a big part of the decision for us too.  

[Ilovesailaway]

 My advice to first time cruisers would be:

 

Try to cruise for a week or longer... shorter cruises are more of a party and less of a vacation.

 

Pack basic over the counter meds incase of sea sickness or other illness.

 

Travel the day before your cruise, build in some slack time incase of problems or delays.

 

Don't go looking for every bit of info about your ship... ppl like to complain online. Instead go with an open mind and a bit of patients for potential bumps along the way.

 

Cruise ships are huge and amazing, try to thoroughly explore on embarkation day so you have an idea of where all the cool stuff is.

 

I pack light and and use the ships laundry. I do this so I can be flexible when flying and I won't lose my bag. It also allows me to carry on and carry off. I know a lot of ppl won't or can't pack light but for me it's a game changer.

 

Have fun and happy cruising.