Help! Looking for useful suggestions/tips/tricks!

[ChicagoCruiser2007]

Greetings fellow cruisers!

It's been a while since I've cruised so looking for any suggestions/tips/tricks from you that you've found useful when cruising.  Things to do/not do, bring/not bring, in advance of the cruise or during.  I'll be sailing on Celebrity to the Caribbean in February.  Any info would be most helpful! Knowledge is power! 🙂

Thanks in advance,

Erica

 

[CruiserBruce]

Take a look over on the Celebrity board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/16-celebrity-cruises/

 

Do some reading there, because that is what every post and thread here is...tips, tricks and great advice.

[crystalspin]

2 hours ago, ChicagoCruiser2007 said:

Knowledge is power! 🙂

Thanks in advance,

Erica

Erica,

Love your attitude!

 

I didn't answer the first time I read your post, as I have no experience with either Celebrity or the Caribbean. But mulling the question, I think I do have one area of slight expertise: PACKING!

 

Pack as little as you can. (Exception: if you are a swimmer -- pool/beach/snorkle -- take two suits. One to wear, one to wash out and drip-dry.) Ask about laundering on the Celebrity board: price and quality. Ask if anyone has warnings!

 

I see you will have to fly to the ship. Try to keep to a carry-on and a tote of some kind, maybe a daypack you can use for excursions.

[ChicagoCruiser2007]

Thank you Crystalspin!  Very helpful!!

[puppycanducruise]

I've never sailed Celebrity and I don't do Caribbean but my tip is to cross pack (assuming you are not going solo).  Put half your stuff in your travel partner's checked bag and he/she will put half their stuff in your checked bag.  That way if one bag is lost or delayed, you will have at least a few outfits.

Don't forget to take patience and a sense of humour!

Enjoy your cruise.

[ColeThornton]

There is a thread on the First Time Cruiser forum regarding what to take on your cruise with you.  Personally, I laughed at some of them who apparently think they are either leaving home forever or invading Normandy.

 

 

[leaveitallbehind]

Pack less and bring more cash. (For port of call spending - and the US $ is universally accepted in the Caribbean).  Just my opinion but there is no need for shoe storage bags, over the door organizers, wall magnets (to hang what, exactly?), or other such extra clutter as the staterooms have plenty of well thought out storage for anything you would typically need to bring.  Make sure you have extra prescription medications on hand and any other personal OTC meds that you would normally take.  

 

One thing we learned early on is to store your luggage under the bed so it is out of the way, and each day place any dirty laundry from that day in it.  In this manner your worn clothing is out of the way each day and by the last night of the cruise you are 90% packed for your return trip home.

 

Nothing unique to Celebrity (great cruise line!) or the Caribbean in terms of suggestions other than to enjoy your cruise.

Edited December 26, 2023 by leaveitallbehind

[navybankerteacher]

A lot of posters talk about only going with carry-on.  Nice if you can do it, but remember, you will spend a lot more time on the ship than you will flying to and from. Do you really want to spend a lot of cruise time with minimal stuff you might want or need, or washing your undies in the sink or waiting for a washing machine? 

[leaveitallbehind]

13 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Do you really want to spend a lot of cruise time with minimal stuff you might want or need, or washing your undies in the sink or waiting for a washing machine? 

Not to mention that most cruise lines - including Celebrity, the OP's line of choice on this post - do not have self serve laundries on board.  So along with the sink method, you would be waiting on - and paying for - the ship's laundry service.

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

Do you really want to spend a lot of cruise time with minimal stuff you might want or need, or washing your undies in the sink or waiting for a washing machine? 

As someone who goes carry on only while cruising, I have two related comments:

 

1) The more I travel this way, the more I realize I don't need to carry too much stuff while traveling, and

 

2) The only thing this distresses me more than the thought of doing laundry onboard is the thought of doing laundry in the sink. I don't do things that distress me on vacation. 😛

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

…

 

2) The only thing this distresses me more than the thought of doing laundry onboard is the thought of doing laundry in the sink. I don't do things that distress me on vacation. 😛

So you simply re-wear unwashed clothes? How long are some of your cruises?

[Mum2Mercury]

15 hours ago, crystalspin said:

Pack as little as you can. (Exception: if you are a swimmer -- pool/beach/snorkle -- take two suits. One to wear, one to wash out and drip-dry.) 

Yes, almost all my swim suits are Lands End, which are thicker /more supportive, and they don't dry as fast as you might wish.  I wear a swim suit frequently on a cruise, so I bring 2 for a short cruise /3 for a week-long cruise.  

I also like to bring several cover-ups because they do tend to get sweaty (especially if worn to a water-based excursion).  

Note that you'll have a retractable clothesline in the shower ... perfect for drying swimsuits.  If you have a balcony and are drying your suits outside, it might be smart to bring some hooks /be sure your things don't blow away.  

3 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Pack less and bring more cash.

I don't know about the more cash -- I personally don't spend much on a cruise -- but yes to the packing less.  When I overpack, I don't use it all -- so what's the point?  

3 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Just my opinion but there is no need for shoe storage bags, over the door organizers

Yes, the shoe storage bags just bring your clutter out in to the open.  Who wants that?  Cruise ships have quite a bit of storage -- if you don't overpack.  

3 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

wall magnets (to hang what, exactly?)

We do bring a couple magnets -- they take up about the same amount of space as a travel toothpaste, and they keep our dresser/desk from being cluttered.  We each bring a ball cap, and they hang on the wall on a hook (but I put my nice straw hat on a shelf in the closet).  We like to get a paper Compass each day, and we put them on the wall /take them home at the end of the cruise.  Also any other paperwork we've accumulated during the cruise goes on the wall.  

3 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

Make sure you have extra prescription medications 

I make up little baggies (they sell them at all pharamacies) for my daily meds /vitamins.  I like that I can carry one little baggie to breakfast.  

3 hours ago, leaveitallbehind said:

One thing we learned early on is to store your luggage under the bed so it is out of the way, and each day place any dirty laundry from that day in it.  In this manner your worn clothing is out of the way each day and by the last night of the cruise you are 90% packed for your return trip home.

We do the same thing -- except that we place a suitcase in the bottom of the closet and toss clothes in as they become dirty.  I tend to re-hang my dresses (especially the ones I wore for just only briefly -- maybe to breakfast or an afternoon movie).  On the last night I just pull them off the hangers and let them fall into the suitcase -- but, yes, about 90% of our things are already packed on the last night.  

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

1) The more I travel this way, the more I realize I don't need to carry too much stuff while traveling

So much!  When I pack more than a carry-on, I'm frustrated that I bring things back home un-worn, and I'm not going to return them to my closet without washing them.  Waste of effort.  

I pack less now than I did when we were new to cruising -- I have a much better handle on how much I actually use /what can be saved for a re-wear.  

The small stateroom is more comfortable /relaxed without excessive stuff.  

[Honolulu Blue]

11 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

So you simply re-wear unwashed clothes? How long are some of your cruises?

I've done some of this. I also sometimes send my clothes out to be cleaned by the ship. I'm more likely to do this on the cruise lines that give me free laundry bags.

 

I have done multiple cruises of 14 days, with the rest being less.

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

So you simply re-wear unwashed clothes? How long are some of your cruises?

Yes, we do -- we re-wear unsoiled clothes that still look nice (and I have eliminated pants/leggings that bag at the knees from my wardrobe) at home and on vacation. If you don't at home, you probably won't feel comfortable doing so on the ship.

 

Our longest cruise was 28-days (trans-Atlantic + Mediterranean) on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I washed all of our clothes (that needed it) in the sink! This was before I learned that Holland America's laundry service is as good as it is. They will follow special care requests, even air-dry! Subsequently I have made use of laundry-by-the-bag on our cruises -- all HAL except one RCCL (which does not have large cloth bags, only smaller paper bags which tear and even if they don't tear are restricted to smaller items). 

 

Having achieved 4* loyalty, we will have unlimited laundry on our THREE 35-day cruises this year... but we will still re-wear clean clothes!

 

[ChicagoCruiser2007]

wow, lots of good ideas here!  I love the idea of splitting his/hers clothes in two different bags.  Indeed one time my checked luggage was lost and it was quite stressful! (although fwiw, I got myself an AirTag now!). 

  

[SbbquilterUT]

I travel in carry on luggage only so do not bring most anything on the long packing lists you may see.  Love my magnet/hooks for keeping the cabin tidy - holds caps, coats, bags on the wall or from the ceiling for air drying hand laundry.  Dirty laundry goes into one of the bags under the bed so no need for separate laundry bag.  Enjoy your trip.

[navybankerteacher]

48 minutes ago, SbbquilterUT said:

I travel in carry on luggage only so do not bring most anything on the long packing lists you may see.  Love my magnet/hooks for keeping the cabin tidy - holds caps, coats, bags on the wall or from the ceiling for air drying hand laundry.  Dirty laundry goes into one of the bags under the bed so no need for separate laundry bag.  Enjoy your trip.

If you travel in carry on only why do you need magnet/hooks for caps, coats, and bags — in virtually every cabin I’ve seen there is more than enough drawer, closet, and shelf space for what you could bring on board as carry on only?

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

If you travel in carry on only why do you need magnet/hooks for caps, coats, and bags — in virtually every cabin I’ve seen there is more than enough drawer, closet, and shelf space for what you could bring on board as carry on only?

You seem confused as to what one person (or TWO people) can pack in roll-aboard case and personal item tote or daypack. We always have hats/caps, jackets and/or raincoats, and additional bag(s) besides the tote/daypack. Surely any solo or couple could put away every little thing they pack (carryon or checked) in most cabins. But sometimes having your jacket handy for a stroll around the promenade or a sunhat for the Lido deck is convenient.

[clo]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

If you travel in carry on only why do you need magnet/hooks for caps, coats, and bags — in virtually every cabin I’ve seen there is more than enough drawer, closet, and shelf space for what you could bring on board as carry on only?

Because they get damp?

[SbbquilterUT]

3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

If you travel in carry on only why do you need magnet/hooks for caps, coats, and bags — in virtually every cabin I’ve seen there is more than enough drawer, closet, and shelf space for what you could bring on board as carry on only?

Folks above have said it well - keeping hats and coats out so they were easy to grab particularly on northern trips where they might be damp.  Also hanging rinsed items where they can dry easily which is not my shower.  Have a need to have a tidy cabin so these help me with that.  

[Essiesmom]

16 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Yes, almost all my swim suits are Lands End, which are thicker /more supportive, and they don't dry as fast as you might wish.  I wear a swim suit frequently on a cruise, so I bring 2 for a short cruise /3 for a week-long cruise.  

I also like to bring several cover-ups because they do tend to get sweaty (especially if worn to a water-based excursion).  

Note that you'll have a retractable clothesline in the shower ... perfect for drying swimsuits.  If you have a balcony and are drying your suits outside, it might be smart to bring some hooks /be sure your things don't blow away.  

I don't know about the more cash -- I personally don't spend much on a cruise -- but yes to the packing less.  When I overpack, I don't use it all -- so what's the point?  

Yes, the shoe storage bags just bring your clutter out in to the open.  Who wants that?  Cruise ships have quite a bit of storage -- if you don't overpack.  

We do bring a couple magnets -- they take up about the same amount of space as a travel toothpaste, and they keep our dresser/desk from being cluttered.  We each bring a ball cap, and they hang on the wall on a hook (but I put my nice straw hat on a shelf in the closet).  We like to get a paper Compass each day, and we put them on the wall /take them home at the end of the cruise.  Also any other paperwork we've accumulated during the cruise goes on the wall.  

I make up little baggies (they sell them at all pharamacies) for my daily meds /vitamins.  I like that I can carry one little baggie to breakfast.  

We do the same thing -- except that we place a suitcase in the bottom of the closet and toss clothes in as they become dirty.  I tend to re-hang my dresses (especially the ones I wore for just only briefly -- maybe to breakfast or an afternoon movie).  On the last night I just pull them off the hangers and let them fall into the suitcase -- but, yes, about 90% of our things are already packed on the last night.  

So much!  When I pack more than a carry-on, I'm frustrated that I bring things back home un-worn, and I'm not going to return them to my closet without washing them.  Waste of effort.  

I pack less now than I did when we were new to cruising -- I have a much better handle on how much I actually use /what can be saved for a re-wear.  

The small stateroom is more comfortable /relaxed without excessive stuff.  

The OP hasn’t said which Celebrity ship she will be on, but the Solstice class ships do NOT have retractable clothesline in the shower.  EM

[Keksie]

I guess it depends on your travel style.  I like to have choices, at least three swimsuits etc.  I don't necessarily over pack because I wear everything I bring but no way would it fit in a a carry on.  While I can rewear  bottoms I don't rewear tops.  I do like the over the door organizer for all the small things.  Yes there is drawer space but then you have to remember which drawer you put the chargers in, what drawer the meds are in etc.  Plus find what your husband needs because he sure won't remember where he put things.  Do bring a wide variety of OTC meds because they don't sell them onboard anymore.  

[9tee2Sea]

There was an article that i had read that when going to the Caribbean, DO NOT WEAR CAMOUFLAGE clothing.  That design is reserved for military only, and there could be severe penalties.  Leave the green/tan clothing behind.  I always take my prescription meds in the original bottles with the pharmacy information on it.

[leaveitallbehind]

1 hour ago, 9tee2Sea said:

There was an article that i had read that when going to the Caribbean, DO NOT WEAR CAMOUFLAGE clothing.  That design is reserved for military only, and there could be severe penalties.  Leave the green/tan clothing behind. 

Specifically St. Lucia, Antigua, Jamaica, Barbados, Dominica, Granada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.  And although not in the Caribbean, add the Bahamas to the list. 

 

These countries take these rules very seriously and do not tolerate those who don't respect them.

[Mum2Mercury]

On 12/26/2023 at 3:52 PM, crystalspin said:

Yes, we do -- we re-wear unsoiled clothes that still look nice

Yes, for example, I often wear something along the lines of a tee-shirt dress to breakfast, then change into a swimsuit ... the dress has been worn maybe an hour, so I hang it up.  Or I'll wear a swimsuit all morning, then change into shorts for the afternoon ... but I'll wear something nicer for dinner.  That shorts outfit is still fine for the next day's island stop.  

21 hours ago, SbbquilterUT said:

I travel in carry on luggage only so do not bring most anything on the long packing lists you may see.  Love my magnet/hooks for keeping the cabin tidy - holds caps, coats, bags on the wall or from the ceiling for air drying hand laundry.  Dirty laundry goes into one of the bags under the bed so no need for separate laundry bag.  Enjoy your trip.

I could have said every bit of this. 

20 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

If you travel in carry on only why do you need magnet/hooks for caps, coats, and bags — in virtually every cabin I’ve seen there is more than enough drawer, closet, and shelf space for what you could bring on board as carry on only?

It keeps paperwork and hats "up", organized and off the dresser/desk.