Let's try a "best tip or idea in one place" thread

[magiroux]

Save the plastic bags that your dry-cleaning comes home in. I have a HUGE garmet bag (holds 3 suits and about 20 dresses) and I packed everything in these bags (I doubled and tripled some items in the bags) and I unpacked virtually "wrinkle free" clothes!!!!

I was skeptical when I first heard this tip but I never ironed one item on board.

 

[BeanoC]

Pack one suitcase full of stuff, then put that suitcase inside another one. Then when you get where you're going, you've got an extra, empty suitcase for all the stuff you know you're gonna buy!

(Here's a weird one):

Buy 7 or 8 air fresheners, and make sure it is a fragrance you've never used before. Take a couple of them on the cruise with you. Use them to continually freshen your stateroom. Then, a few days after you get home, open up a couple of the ones you left home and place them around your house. I guarantee it will remind you of being on the ship!!


Take more film, less clothes.


If you're undecided about that beach towel, or tshirt, or other souvenir... buy it. You'll be mad at yourself later if you don't!






'Beano'

 

[dianedisney]

Tips for cruisers:
#1. If you smoke, buy cigarettes in St. Maarten, about $12.00 per carton.

#2. Individual Shout stain remover packets.

#3. Papaya Enzyme. chewable tablets, helps digest food in case you eat something that doesn't agree with you, THIS IS A MUST.

#4. Correctal, gentle laxative, for men or women. Nothing worse than have that bloated feeling while on a cruise.

#5. On 7nt cruise, Who Whats to be a Mouseketeer show, wait to sit down until everyone else is. Pick out an empty row or one that has very few people. When the computer picks seats for the "Hot Seat" it is done randomly. If the seat is empty they go to the next closest one. So....if your row is practically empty you have a better chance.

#6. Take pictures of everything, if you don't you will regret it once you get them developed and wish you had a photo of it.

#7. To cut down on clothing, bring a nice pair of black slacks. They go with just about everything, and just change tops each night. Plus you only need one pair of nice black dress sandals to go with them.

#8. If you want a Beach Cabana Massage on Castaway Cay go directly to the Vista Spa once you have boarded. The reservations go VERY fast.

#9. If you like the internet, buy the unlimited access, while on board. It is 89.00 but worth it if you on the computer alot.

#10. Relax, enjoy and don't stress......rememeber this is a vacation.

 

[westjones]

I second the suggestion of 'more film, less clothes'. Twice I ended up buying very over prices film because I ran out, and I almost always had more clothes than I needed (except on our seven day cruise, I did reallly good packing then, but I used the same suitcase as our 3 day, and just did laundry while onboard).

I found a 'folder' to be helpful to keep papers in that you want to take home with you.

Underwater camera is fun too! We took it with us to Castaway Cay and to Stingray City (on the Western Cruise).

DJ

 

[disgal1]

what I learned last cruise:

Coffeemaker,
ext cord
alarm clock for the room
over door shoe holder
air freshner
2 way radios
zip loc bags
more bathing suits than I thought I'd need
clothes pins
comfortable walking shoes
skin so soft insect repellent
baby spray on scalp sunscreen
aloe for sunburn
sweater for show
individual antibacterial hand wipes
night light

 

[GoofyDisney]

I always say...

1. Twice the film, money and sunscreen you think you need.

2. Order the 'All Hands on Deck' cheese platter every single night even if you aren't hungry. It is awesome!

3. Get a wake-up call everyday. It is Mickey Mouse calling!

4. Have your bathings suits with you when you board.

5. Have fun and don't sweat the small stuff!!!

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

1. Roll or 2 of quarters.
2. Shout wipes or stain sticks.
3. Laundry tablets.
3. Little flash lights (more than and pass them out to your family). Also keep 1 in the bath room.
4. Chewable Dramamine if you have little ones and I used it too.
5. Pack 60% less than you think you need.
6. Bottles of H20 and you can refill them with the filtered water on deck.
7. Dish soap.
8. Illuminated night clock.
9. Zip lock bags (large and small).

 

[Samsma]

Zip off pants for the guys. Pants for shows, dinner, shorts for the next day!

 

[Magic_Fan_Bruce]

A Digital Camera is Great. I can take over 400 high quality pictures with my digital camera. I take a bunch of every scene, and then delete the ones I don't like. When I get home, I burn the pictures onto a CD for each person in our travel group, and get the really good ones professionally printed (now if it only worked underwater!)

On that thought, be sure to have a waterproof watch.

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

BeanoC beat me to the extra suitcase tip.

The Sharper Image offers a pocket-sized recorder with 3-minute capability. Prior to cruising you might be well-advised to watch the Discovery Channel and tape 3 minutes of whale mating calls. Then, while onboard the ship, you can playback the tape at top volume just prior to any late night/early morning bathroom flush... Then, should you happen upon any stateroom neighbors in the corridor, you can simply say, "Gee whiz, those whales were sure loud last night!"

 

[GenieDana]

Some of the tips I've read (and cut & paste into my own tips document) from posters on this board include:

AS SOON AS YOU GET TO YOUR CABIN MAKE SURE YOU REQUEST NEW BLANKETS AND BEDSPREADS!

Save the tip $ aside before your trip and had them all labeled and in separate envelopes. It made it so nice at the end of the cruise to just take the $ out of the in-room safe and put them into the little tip envelopes. No standing in line at guest services

The counselors in the children's programming are not tipped positions, but appreciate a small gift (phone cards)

You can go to guest services at anytime during your cruise to take care of the tips

The lines at guest services get longer towards the end of the cruise, so make sure you get any business (paying tips, etc) done as early as possible. The same applies for shopping.

There is a change machine in the 2 upstairs laundry rooms. On the 7th floor room you get more time than the 6th floor. Bring our own soap from home pre-measured in Ziploc bags and dryer sheets in another. There are no dryer sheets available on the ship. There is no stain remover on the ship, so pack some. People are CUTTHROAT with the washers and dryers and I had to go the two different decks to find availability. It's better if you wash on a Port day, because sea days are killer in the laundry. Guaranteed that the dryer will take 2 cycles. You can put more than one cycle worth of money in the dryer. i.e. you could put $2.00 for a load and it would dry for 80 min.


Order a pitcher of lemonade from room service each day (no charge) and kept it in the fridge

There is a drink station located aft on deck nine, includes milk, tea, coffee, water, juice and or lemonade

Bring back some fruit from the breakfast buffet and boxes of cereal to snack on.

Fruit and cookies available at Scoops throughout the day.

The best time to find characters is during the sail-away celebration, on deck 10.

In the corridors on the ship, just look at the carpet to find out which way the back or front of the ship is - the anchor on the carpet is two-colored, the red points towards the back of the ship, the blue towards the front.

Don't leave "Disney Dreams" early. This is a "must-see" show, but at the end, don't join the people who leave before the final bows. There is still one more surprise to see.

Allow your kids to participate in the kids program at the end of the cruise. They get free t-shirts.

Don't worry if you don't make it to the disembarkation talk. Although everyone is told to attend, they rebroadcast it continually on the stateroom televisions for the rest of the day. Do something else while everyone is packed in the theater, and then watch it later, at your convenience

Order the cheese tray at night (and room service is free, just tip him a couple of dollars when he brings you your tray)

 

[JLSM97]

AS SOON AS YOU GET TO YOUR CABIN MAKE SURE YOU REQUEST NEW BLANKETS AND BEDSPREADS!

Dare I ask WHY???

 

[GenieDana]

Because in the hospitality industry, they RARELY change these between guests, and I for one, don't want to sleep with someone else's dirty beadspreads and blankets.

I cannot speak for what DCL does between guests, and maybe someone can elaborate more, but I read here that particular "tip" and I for one will certainly make sure I have fresh linen AND bed spreads / blankets (I'm bringing my own pillows BTW).

 

[ike]

I will be staying in Cat 11 on my cruise. Why is everyone recommending a nightlight or flashlights? Is there no light in the bathroom or is it one light for the entire cabin?

 

[dizneykids]

In the corridors on the ship, just look at the carpet to find out which way the back or front of the ship is - the anchor on the carpet is two-colored, the red points towards the back of the ship, the blue towards the front.

not completely true! we had read this as well, but if you notice, halfway through the ship the anchor colors flip so that blue is aft and red is forward!

 

[SC Minnie]

ike-
There is a separate light in the bathroom but it is very bright. It can be rather jolting in the middle of the night when you have been asleep. Also with the flashlight, inside cabins especially are very dark. The flashlight helps find your way to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

We didn't use either. We generally sleep with the TV on (volume turned down very low) and this gives enough light to be able to see to get around.

 

[Minnie's Guy]

maybe two:
took an envelope full of $1 bills for room service -
worked out so well - just reached in the drawer by the
door and was ready for room service
phone cards for extra special people - the staff was
so pleased with them - bought a pack at Sam's.
THANK YOU to whoever created the idea of the over-
the-door organizer - this was the best tip i got from cruise
boards - our room was 'almost' organized the whole week.

 

[CRB#33]

I saw coffee maker here. I don't believe they're allowed in the staterooms. Room Service is very quick in the morning, plus there is the beverage station, or you can order a pot the night before before you turn in and it will stay hot (or so I've heard)

 

[DopeyRN]

WOW!!! I knew there were things out there only former cruisers would know...

 

[pigelet]

I think I read thru all but may have missed:

- order sandwiches the night before a day on land and put them in your soft-side cooler. Megans Bay in St. Thomas was super expensive for food and wished we had our sandwiches that we had in St. Martin from the boat.

-we kept the light on in the bathroom and shut the door, light came from underneath and worked fine.

-store all life vest under bed to give more shelf space

-bring your own beach toys from Target/Walmart. The kids got so much use out of them even at the pool.

-do your laundry at the crack of dawn cause their always filled. bring along a roll of quarters

-clothes pins work great to hang things from the back of your chairs on balcony if you have one. Stuff, like car seats can be stored out there, too.

Hope this all helps