PACKING ADVICE: Tell me one thing you never pack, or an unusual must-pack items?

[quarkwright]

Never cruised before. Booked for Sept 2014 - long ways away, and I am haunting these boards to keep my excitement alive.

I know there are a million threads about packing. I have seen many threads with the advice to pack less. And quite a few with advice to bring a shoe organizer, pop-up hamper, etc.

I know every cruise and every person is different, and different people will need/not need different things. So tell me what things you leave behind. Or tell me about something you make sure to pack that doesn't appear on everyone else's list.

 

[Momma2Jax]

Never pack: shampoo/conditioner. They have stuff in the room, and will replenish it.


Always pack: a flame less candle or another sort of nightlight for bathroom runs (and one you can take in the bathroom with you) because all of the lights will burn your eyes out in the night! Also my own flavored coffee creamer for room service or drink station coffee!

 

[Dug720]

Never pack: shampoo/conditioner. They have stuff in the room, and will replenish it.


Always pack: a flame less candle or another sort of nightlight for bathroom runs (and one you can take in the bathroom with you) because all of the lights will burn your eyes out in the night! Also my own flavored coffee creamer for room service or drink station coffee!

Yes, but how good is it? If it's like the stuff in the park resorts (I've stayed in all categories there), it is HORRIBLE for my hair. Especially with all the abuse it will be taking in the new environment (salt water, wind, sun, etc.) I'm going to stick with what helps a little.

 

[sambycat]

The hair care and lotion products on the boat are vastly superior to those at any hotel. I have coarse hair, at most I bring along a tube of a deep leave in conditioner. This is the only vacation I've gone to that I don't bring shampoo along with!

We don't bring all theses storeage tchotchkes people write about, we seem to do just fine with the options in the room.

I always bring more than one bathing suit and a ridiculously large but super cool pirate hat that I hate dragging along but what else would you do with a big fluffy hat with feathers and a pirate ship on it?? Not many places to wear that!!

 

[lovetotraveltx]

Now that everyone is older and has a lot more stuff I brought along power strips. On the classic ships anyway there aren't many outlets in the cabin and the wave phone takes up one! This was the first time I did a nightlight for our inside cabin. It was the sensor kind so just left it plugged in on the desk!

 

[Minniemiss]

We used to pack a night light, but we have found that with the wave phone we don't need a night light. We have a wave phone on each night stand. One quick push of any button and the screen is bright enough to get you to the bathroom and back to bed.

 

[KPetty725]

We got a $1 foldable step stool from Hobby Lobby so my DD3 could reach the sink in the bathroom. We will never travel anywhere without it again (until she grows about a foot more, at least!). A nightlight for the bathroom is a good idea.

I agree with the PP who said the cruise shampoo is good. I also never bring beach towels as towels are readily available. We do bring clips to hold towels to our beach chairs (they sell them lots of places but ours came from Kohl's). They keep the towels from falling down and help you see your stuff from a distance.

 

[amie416]

Based on the current "kids running in the hallway" discussion thread, I will definitely be packing my sound isolating in-ear headphones (Sennheiser SE215) - I've learned that I can fall asleep through just about any obnoxious noise as long as I put these in my ears and listen to some light music or a podcast. They're a less expensive, single-driver version of the in-ear monitors a lot of musicians performers wear on stage. For me, they're way better than earplugs.

 

[Mickeyhugger]

We've never packed a power strip or a shoe organizer (never needed either one, but everyone is different.)

We always bring a lint roller.

 

[caribbeandreaming]

Yes, but how good is it? If it's like the stuff in the park resorts (I've stayed in all categories there), it is HORRIBLE for my hair. Especially with all the abuse it will be taking in the new environment (salt water, wind, sun, etc.) I'm going to stick with what helps a little.

Don't get me wrong - the H20 products are great. However, I have long, thick hair and the conditioner just wasn't doing it for me especially with the abuse like you mentioned. My hair felt yucky all week, and getting back to my regular conditioner made getting off the ship a little easier to bear - lol I would suggest at least trying the products on the ship b/c they smell heavenly, but bring your own just in case!!

I also don't need to use frizz control at home, but it was a necessity for the cruise. My hair drove me crazy all week and never looked right.

 

[caribbeandreaming]

Never cruised before. Booked for Sept 2014 - long ways away, and I am haunting these boards to keep my excitement alive.

I know there are a million threads about packing. I have seen many threads with the advice to pack less. And quite a few with advice to bring a shoe organizer, pop-up hamper, etc.

I know every cruise and every person is different, and different people will need/not need different things. So tell me what things you leave behind. Or tell me about something you make sure to pack that doesn't appear on everyone else's list.

DO PACK: frizz control for your hair - I don't need it at home but my hair was a hot mess the entire week. I live in Virginia, and the humidity in the Caribbean just doesn't even compare. Also, bring a watch or some other way to tell time. There aren't many clocks on the ship.

DON'T PACK - beach towels! I filled up half a suitcase on our first cruise with towels b/c I didn't know they were provided.

 

[daisywithak]

Don't get me wrong - the H20 products are great. However, I have long, thick hair and the conditioner just wasn't doing it for me especially with the abuse like you mentioned. My hair felt yucky all week, and getting back to my regular conditioner made getting off the ship a little easier to bear - lol I would suggest at least trying the products on the ship b/c they smell heavenly, but bring your own just in case!!

I also don't need to use frizz control at home, but it was a necessity for the cruise. My hair drove me crazy all week and never looked right.

I agree! While the products are better than in most hotels, I still find that I need to bring my own. If you normally feel like you need your own, then you probably need it for the cruise too. I hate having to bring it, but I don't have a choice.

 

[tchrrx]

I just got off of the Fantasy yesterday. I packed a hair dryer, but didn't use it. The one in the room worked well.

Pack clothespins. They don't take up much space, and it makes hanging bathing suits up to dry much easier.

Pack a small pop-up hamper.

Don't pack towels. You don't need them.

Pack enough wire hangers to hang all of your clothes. Then, at the end of the trip, throw them away.

 

[cypressmom]

Yes, but how good is it? If it's like the stuff in the park resorts (I've stayed in all categories there), it is HORRIBLE for my hair. Especially with all the abuse it will be taking in the new environment (salt water, wind, sun, etc.) I'm going to stick with what helps a little.

M own conditioner is a must. I wash my hair with conditioner, use a leave in and even use it when shaving. I am very picky about what I do and don't put on my hair.

 

[lovetotraveltx]

I just got off of the Fantasy yesterday. I packed a hair dryer, but didn't use it. The one in the room worked well.

Pack clothespins. They don't take up much space, and it makes hanging bathing suits up to dry much easier.

Pack a small pop-up hamper.

Don't pack towels. You don't need them.

Pack enough wire hangers to hang all of your clothes. Then, at the end of the trip, throw them away.

If you are on a classic ship, you need a blow dryer. Otherwise, it is very weak one attached to the wall in bathroom!

 

[Bluestars]

When I used the conditioner on the ship, it took me forever to comb out the tangles. I will definitely bring my own conditioner next time.

Do pack -
* pop-up hamper
* individual laundry detergent packets
* plastic baggies to put things in that are taken to the beach. Once it starts to rain, it's good to know your phone (or whatever) is nice and dry.
* plenty of sunscreen. We went through more than we anticipated.

We did not need -
* beach towels
* any type of organizers
* power strip
* water bottles

It might also be a good idea to pack some ponchos. We could have used them a few times when we were off of the ship and it started to rain.

 

[Lauriejl2]

I just got off of the Fantasy yesterday. I packed a hair dryer, but didn't use it. The one in the room worked well.

I keep reading about the hair dryers either work good or people say on the classics they stink.... I'm curious to find out if they will be fixing them up on the Magic so I don't have to pack a hair dryer in April lol

 

[kuhltiffany]

The trick to the hair dryers is to not use them in the bathroom, take them out to the mirror and outlets in the room...

The shampoo/conditioner on the cruise is H2O Plus, better quality than most of the Disney resorts basic H2O stuff.

 

[omalley1118]

I have never packed a powerstrip, over the door organizer, pop up hamper, or nightlight. I love these threads to see what everyone does or doesn't bring... I never use the shampoo provided...that's just me. My DH uses it. I always pack a small pharmacy with us. LOL!!! It's includes but is not limited to the following: pepto, Imodium, Motrin, Tylenol, lactase, allergy medicine, sunscreen of course, antacids, etc...

 

[Dug720]

I have never packed a powerstrip, over the door organizer, pop up hamper, or nightlight. I love these threads to see what everyone does or doesn't bring... I never use the shampoo provided...that's just me. My DH uses it. I always pack a small pharmacy with us. LOL!!! It's includes but is not limited to the following: pepto, Imodium, Motrin, Tylenol, lactase, allergy medicine, sunscreen of course, antacids, etc...

We're traveling the week before (don't know where other than it's based out of Orlando, it's NOT the parks, and telling my bank "Florida, the Bahamas, and Disney Cruise Line" will suffice - our parents are taking us on a trip to celebrate their 45th anniversary (they get off easy...it's just me and sis - other friends of theirs have had kids with spouses/partners and grands), and they planned part of it as a surprise), so we're definitely not bringing organizers, hampers and the like. Three of us have LL Bean toiletry kits and my mom has her "training case" (it's a "train case" but from the time I was little I added the "-ing" onto it) for personal care stuff, and then we'll each have a suitcase with our clothes and stuff.

Getting excited!!