Interesting cruise tip for first-timer

[ckpan]

Who can list the most interesting cruise tip for a first-timer. We all know about the bungee cord and power strip. I heard one today while shopping for cruisewear. Bring nice PJ's cause the cabin steward lays them out on your bed for you in the evening (even if you put them away, he finds them). Kind of nice but also kind of creepy.

 

Carnival Festival 5/1985

Carnival Legend 8/2004

[StaceyM]

I have never heard of that one! Our steward didn't do that on the Celbration last year. Anyone ever had that happen?

 

Elation June 20, 2004

Celebration July 5, 2003

[aggieastrosfan]

Our cabin steward kept folding our dirty laundry, so we had to start hiding it! We didn't want him to have to fold our dirty underwear!!

 

Don't plan TOO much, I guess that's the only "tip" I can think of. Well, that and hiding your dirty underwear (unless you don't mind your steward folding it for you!)

 

'Till the Grand Princess 12/4/04

 

Holiday 12/00 - Baja

Elation 05/02 - Mexican Riviera

Elation 05/04 - W. Carribbean

Grand Princess 12/04 - W. Carribbean

 

See my pictures!

[PokrChick]

Instead of hiding the dirty underwear take along one of those pop-up hampers. They take up such little room in the suitcase and keep all the dirties out of the way!

[mayrashke]

Yes, the folding and laying out of the PJ's was true when I went on the Sea Princess. Aggieastrosfan-that is funny about the dirty laundry!!!!! Is the bungee cord for the balcony door or something like that?? I will not have a balcony so I do not need one? Also I should not need a power strip as I will not be taking along a blowdryer/curlingiron etc. I think I may bring one of those over the door holders for misc.things.and maybe I should bring a pop-up hamper(saw them at the Loonie$ store)

 

Valor Jan.23/05(W.Caribb.)-we are all going and are very excited!!!!!!!!!!!

SeaPrincess Jan./01(W.Caribb)

[sea-cruise]

On different cruise lines, they did display my nightwear each night on the bed and pinched in the waist of the nightgown (I always left the nightgowns on the hook, back of the bathroom door). Now that I'm older, the long tee shirts I wear to bed wouldn't look so appealing...Maybe that's why they never display my nightwear anymore A tip that I offered before on this board was to bring a twin sized flat sheet to bring to the beach. It folds up to fit in a purse and it dries quickly over the shower bar or balcony (no need to search for a beach chair). Have fun!

 

 

 

Celebrating 30th cruise soon....

[ckpan]

Another tip I liked was that if you want a spa treatment to wait until the end of the cruise when they are discounted.

 

Carnival Festival 5/1985

Carnival Legend 8/2004

[Bunkie103]

I brought a large brown envelope with a piece of cardboard to keep my purchased photos from getting bent.

 

Mary

Triumph Eastern 10/03

Victory CTN 6/17/04

Sensational Cruise from the Bayou 10/23/04

[Juliah67]

I was so happy I read the tip about bringing a cord with extra outlets and a nightlight! We used the extra outlets at night for the nightlight and to re-charge our camcorder and motorollas. Bring LOTS of ziploc baggies. We used them for seashells, taking snacks on shore excursions (packed granola, etc). Also used some for the used film canisters...so they'd all be together and ready for developing when I got home. All kinds of uses for the baggies Love, juliah

[ChardonnayKJ]

I found a beach blanket at walgreens that repels water and sand. It rolls up real tight and has flat weights to hold it down. It will be perfect for the beach.

 

6/27 Conquest let's party!

[glrounds]

It would be IMPOSSIBLE for the room steward to layout what I wear in bed.

 

Live well, love much, laugh often.

 

Gary

 

 

 

[luvscruzin]

DON'T OVERPACK!! You won't need half of what you think you do.

 

7/10/04 Carnival Triumph

Carnival Holiday 6/94

Dolphin Seabreeze 7/96 (now sunken!)

Carnival Paradise 7/99

Celebrity Century 7/02

[Bunkie103]

I'll second that. Next time I will pack wisely.

 

Mary

Triumph Eastern 10/03

Victory CTN 6/17/04

Sensational Cruise from the Bayou 10/23/04

[halos]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by PokrChick:

Instead of hiding the dirty underwear take along one of those pop-up hampers. They take up such little room in the suitcase and keep _all_ the dirties out of the way!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

 

AWESOME TIP!!

This is why I love these boards!!!

 

I believe in Miracles

MIRACLE JUNE 19, 2004

Calm Seas, Good Friends

[halos]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bunkie103:

I brought a large brown envelope with a piece of cardboard to keep my purchased photos from getting bent.

 

Mary

Triumph Eastern 10/03

Victory CTN 6/17/04

Sensational Cruise from the Bayou 10/23/04 <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

 

ANOTHER GREAT ONE!!

 

I believe in Miracles

MIRACLE JUNE 19, 2004

Calm Seas, Good Friends

[hilltopfamily]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by glrounds:

It would be _IMPOSSIBLE_ for the room steward to layout what I wear in bed.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

too funny! fun people (like you) on this board never fail to entertain us! thanks

 

a good tip that I learned here (and somehow forgot to do on last cruise) was bring a highlighter for marking activity selections on the Capers--not really interesting, but is helpful and takes up no extra room to bring.

 

Penny

Disney Magic~~Eastern 7/03

Carnival Celebration~~Western 3/04

Aug 1, 2004 Carnival Elation--Yippee, Our 3rd Cruise!!!

[GAndie]

I always take the bag that's left for laundry takeout and put my dirty underwear in it and keep it either in the bottom drawer or on the closet floor.

 

I also pick up BEFORE the steward gets into the room. I"d rather have him/her clean the room and not spend time trying to clean up and fold my clothing.

 

Then again, I'm one of those people who clean up for the maid..when I had one once a week!

[TexasAlexus]

I have my pop up laundry bag packed and ready to go...we leave tomorrow morning for our flight to Hawaii I found one that has handles for carrying to the laundry room and it also has a large pocket on the side for laundry soap and coins. I got mine at Wal-green for $2.99.

 

 6/9/04 Norwegian Wind to Hawaii

 

[SoccerMom#3]

Gandie,

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one that straightens up a bit before the folks clean my room. I agree that I would rather have them clean than pickup my family's stuff on the floor.

 

And I also clean up before I have our housekeeper at my house once every 3 weeks. My kids think I'm nuts!

 

Elise

 

7/11 Pride Cruise

[MrPete]

Go one step further.

 

Pack your ratty underwear that deserves to be thrown away, wear it, AND THROW IT AWAY!

 

Just pray the airport luggage screeners don't choose YOU on your way there.

 

 

__ /7__/7__/7____

\:::::::::::::::::::/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Legend 5/13/05 NY to E. Caribbean

Miracle 7/10/04 NY to Bahamas and Port Canaveral

 

Disney Wonder 3/04/04

Pride 7/16/03 Bermuda

Legend 10/17/02 CTN

Disney Wonder 9/15/02

Destiny 4/29/01 Southern Caribbean

Victory 9/14/00 Canadian Maritimes

Triumph 9/99 Canadian Maritimes

Jubilee 4/98 Trans Pacific/Hawaii

Imagination 4/97 Western Caribbean

Imagination 4/96 Western Caribbean

Fascination 4/95 Southern Caribbean

Ecstasy 4/18/93 Eastern Caribbean

Fantasy 9/25/90 Bahamas

Jubilee 5/13/90 Mexican Riviera

NCL Seaward 1/15/89 Western Caribbean

Jubilee 4/24/88 Eastern Caribbean HONEYMOON

[imsulin]

This may not exactly be a tip, but I always bring a pencil with an eraser. On my first HAL cruise, I got a copy of the NY Times section with the cross-word puzzle on it each day. Tried to buy a pencil in the gift ship - no luck. Tried the Purser's Desk - no luck I finally found one in the card room, but it was worn down to a nub, and had no eraser. Well, you can imagine what those puzzles looked like after I had to use my ball-point pen on them!

[Sassy5]

Before my last cruise, I read on these boards to bring a lanyard and a hole punch so that my sea pass would always be around my neck (except on formal nights of course). That way I always knew where it was and didn't have to fumble around in my purse or tote bag to find it. It was the best tip I ever read.

 

 until we sail the Carnival Miracle

 

[dream2much]

The BEST tip I ever got from this board........

 

Take half the stuff and twice the money!

 

Next Cruise(s).......

Glory, Eastern 7/04

Miracle 2/05

 

Flavia 4/76

Jubilee 6/02

Inspiration 7/03

Conquestadors! 1/04

Sensational be "Coz" 5/04

[momofmeg]

Our daughter left her nightgown in the floor when we were on sovereign in 99. We came back to the cabin and found the steward had fashioned an "anchor" ouit of it. After that she put her clothes away.

 

Never had a problem with the steward folding our dirty laundry but then I keep a garbage bag in the closet to put my dirty stuff in-then when I go home (unless I have been to the self laundry) I put my few clean things in the side pocket of my suitcase and all the dirty things in the main area of the suitcase.

 

Carnival Tropicale 10/15/98 Western Caribbean

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/22/99 Bahamas

Carnival Fascination 09/23/00 Southern caribbean

HAL Statendam 05/20/01 Alaska

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/08/01 Bahamas

Pacific Princess 09/29/02 Bermuda

Carnival Inspiration 12/14/03 Western caribbean

Carnival Miracle 04/09/04 Bahamas

[tef43]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ckpan:

Bring nice PJ's cause the cabin steward lays them out on your bed for you in the evening <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Or don't bring ANY.

 

Eleven cruises so far. Up next:

Carnival Valor 10/30/05 CC Group

Perhaps something else as well. Watch this space.

 

Dance like it hurts, love like you need money, and work when somebody's watching.