Must Pack Items??

[Hampton Girl]

I want to make sure I pack everything we (family of 4) need for our trip in Aug for 4 nights. Can you share what are the "MUST" have items to pack? I read a while back to take a clear shoe holder (fab idea!), disinfect wipes and detergent & fabric softner. But what else? Please share! I don't want to overload but I want to take what is necessary.

 

[alwayslisad]

some kind of motion sickness meds - Tums ( if you are not used to the food like I am ) - tylenol -

I myself love to bring my alarm clock - as I like to hear it ticking (crazy I know ) but I sure do NOT set it!

ehhe

 

[jilljill]

Lots of sunscreen and after sun lotion. Also, bring some sort of sunburn relief spray like Solarcaine or aloe gel with lidocaine. Lip balm with an SPF in it.


You only need detergent and fabric softener if you are going to do laundry on the ship. No need to pack it if you won't use it.

 

[dbenlee]

Cameras, don't forget the cameras and memory! Got to bring back those memories!!

 

[Waltworshiper]

We always bring an air freshener with us. With the husband and 3 boys, it is something I will not leave home without!!!

 

[mickeyluv]

Some of the items we feel are must haves...

1. An extension cord/power strip as there are only two outlets and really helps if you have things to plug up to charge such as camera/video batteries, hair dryer/curling irons/flat irons, etc.

2. Clock with a lite-up display. We really like bring this so that when we wakeup in the middle of the night we'll know what time it is and it can also double as a nightlight.

3. Speaking of nightlight...a nightlight of some kind. It really gets dark inside those staterooms, even the verandahs.

4. I like to take a folder of some sort to put all of my Navigators into so they don't get bent all up and then put the folder in the bottom of my suitcase.

I know there are a more but I can't think of them at the moment.

 

[atinkerbellmom]

Passports, other IDs and cruise documents.
High-liters, cameras. extra memory cards & do not forget any charges that you may need..... IPods; Phone and whatever else that needs charging... I also bring a fanny-pac to carry in POCs and leave my purse on the ship, but that is just me....

 

[tvguy]

Lots of sunscreen and after sun lotion. Also, bring some sort of sunburn relief spray like Solarcaine or aloe gel with lidocaine. Lip balm with an SPF in it.

With the highest SPF you can find (but be warned, SPF 30 does not give you twice the protection of SPF 15) . But more importantly, apply before you go out, and keep reapplying. Don't forget your ears, your toes if you are wearing open toed shoes, and the part in your hair if you are not wearing a hat. In 8 cruises I have met more people who "never get a sunburn" get very bad sunburns in less than an hour in that Caribbean sun.

 

[wmjivey]

Kilts, you won't believe the responses you get by wearing that inocent little garment

The Man

 

[slk]

The 3M removeable hooks - to hang up wet bathings suits. There are only
2 hooks on the back of the bathroom door and I was looking for extra
places to hang towels, wet suits, etc. I could've used a couple of those.
I know better now though!

 

[TDC Nala]

Pack a power strip or extension cord for extra outlets (there is an outlet behind the television - plug your power strip into that as without the strip it's hard to reach with your chargers or curling irons) and an alarm clock (either battery operated or plug-in) because there is no alarm clock in the staterooms. If you need to get up for an excursion you will need it, especially if you are in an inside cabin. This was especially great on the Med cruise where I had an inside cabin and had to get up early almost every day for a port excursion.

 

[Grumpyismyfavorite]

$1 dollar bills for tipping the porters and room service crew members.

 

[Hampton Girl]

Check! check! check! I got them all written down so I do not forget. If you can think of anything else which will make our vacation easier please let me know.

 

[tvguy]

I think the most important thing is to read these suggestions and apply them to your personal situaiton.
In our case:
The only electronic device we took was the charger for our digital camera, so a power strip was unnecessary.
There is also a clothes line in the tub that we used to dry bathing suits on.
We used the alarm clock in the room, but it is not lighted. Also, you can get a wake up call from Mickey so a clock may not be necessary. I just wore my lighted digital watch to bed. Bedsides, my vision is so bad without glasses, I never would have been able to read even a clock with a light anyway.
Just some thoughts to help you pack light.

I concur about the dollar bills....and taking cash in general, especially for buying little items like soda and snacks in ports. I spent a very eye opening week at Disneyland with my cousin her husband and 4 kids.. They brought almost no cash, just a debit and credit card. Three meals plus sodas and goodies for the 6 of them each day often exceeded their daily debit card limit, and of course, those soda/snack carts in the park only take cash.

 

[jilljill]

I think the most important thing is to read these suggestions and apply them to your personal situaiton.
In our case:
The only electronic device we took was the charger for our digital camera, so a power strip was unnecessary.
There is also a clothes line in the tub that we used to dry bathing suits on.
We used the alarm clock in the room, but it is not lighted. Also, you can get a wake up call from Mickey so a clock may not be necessary. I just wore my lighted digital watch to bed. Bedsides, my vision is so bad without glasses, I never would have been able to read even a clock with a light anyway.
Just some thoughts to help you pack light.

I concur about the dollar bills....and taking cash in general, especially for buying little items like soda and snacks in ports. I spent a very eye opening week at Disneyland with my cousin her husband and 4 kids.. They brought almost no cash, just a debit and credit card. Three meals plus sodas and goodies for the 6 of them each day often exceeded their daily debit card limit, and of course, those soda/snack carts in the park only take cash.

I was going to post about the clothesline in the shower. No need to pack or buy the 3M hooks.

Applying the suggestions to your personal situation is a great thing to consider. We don't bring a powerstrip either, we just don't charge everything at the same time. I still don't get the over the door shoe holder to hold your 'stuff' in, there's plenty of room in the bathroom for us and we just use the desk drawer for other things.

 

[TDC Nala]

makes sense. I dislike phone wakeup calls so never used them. I needed to bring a clock. Of course I could hear whenever the people in the next room got their wakeup call. Did not actually realize the ship propeller clock they put in the stateroom has an alarm. It does not light and you can't see it. I have a folding battery operated travel clock that takes up no packing room. Bought it for the med cruise 2 years ago.

Did use the clothesline in the shower.

My friend and I had two computers, my camera, my iPod, her phone, and a curling iron (that was really just for pirate night) so yes we needed more outlets. We have to coordinate enough being in the same room that we don't want to spend time coordinating who gets to charge what when.

 

[BelievesinMagic]

After 4 cruises we never go without:
Cruise docs
Solarcaine/sun tan lotions lots of it!
Clothes pins for the clothes line
Quarters for the washer/dryer
Air freshner for the bathrooms
We don't use an extension cord, we found a plug in with 3 or 4 more outlets on it that works wonderfully without the extra bulkiness of an extension cord.
Pop up hamper, the best thing ever! It really keeps things neat in a small place and fits in the closet. It is mesh with handles so easy transport to the laundry room. About $5 - $6 at walmart
Ziplock bags We thought people were joking about this, but we are glad we have them every cruise so far!
A roll of duct tape and markers/highliters. Duct tape is king! Oh The days it has saved!
Extra memory
Chargers for batteries, ipods, computers, and phones.
I use papaya enzyme pills instead of rolaids or tums, it's the natural thing, and this has to make it in the suitcase.
Bonine
A cheap shoe organizer, Ikea had them for .99 we hang it in the closet and it gives us extra shelves where we put laundry detergent, bounce
things we seem to collect as the days go by, odds and ends to pack at the end. It's in the closet and out of the way but very accessible.


We have a plastic bin marked cruise box where all our stuff goes. As we think of something we toss it in the cruise box so we won't forget to pack it. I print a list and tape it inside the lid then check it off as we pack the item. Keeps me sane and hubby happy.

Hope this helps. Have fun! I can't wait for 2010 to get here! Our next cruise!

 

[Poohbug]

We always bring an air freshener with us. With the husband and 3 boys, it is something I will not leave home without!!!

I agree.
If you bring a little can of Lysol you can disinfect too.
The pop-up hampers are great. If you are doing laundry check out the detergent/softener that comes on a sheet. It takes up no room in your luggage and you don't have to worry about spills.

 

[KC-Disney]

I agree with the pop up laundry hamper, your own laundry soap and softner. I used the clothesline in the bathroom. I had taken a power bar, but never used it. I did take lysol wipes to wipe down the drawers before I unpacked our clothes, and the desk top, remote, etc. Ziploc bags were a necessity, especially to put some of the candies from the fish extender gifts we got.

I do wish i took a deodorizer for the bathrooms though.

I also took small pairs of binoculars, to watch from our patio.

thats all I can think of for now.

 

[disneycrazzzy]

Here is my list of things that I'd kick myself if I forgot:

1) Rashguards
2) Aloe Vera for the inevitable sunburn
3) Kleenex (the lotion kind, the normal kind scratches up my nose)
4) Advil
5) Airborne
6) Moleskin and needle (for blisters)
7) Sunscreen (Bullfrog Quik Gel....used for years on our white PacNW skin)
8) A&D Ointment (for friction rashes)
9) Disney Rewards Card
10) Magnet Hooks/Clips to hang lanyards and/or navigator on doors
11) Hat with back of neck coverage and sunglasses
12) DS, iPod, cameras, Kindle chargers (as well as DS, iPod, cameras and Kindle)
13) Defog for my snorkeling mask
14) Son's retainer (orthodontia)
15) Extra SD card for camera
16) Cord to connect iPod to rental car stereo
17) Goggles for my boys for pool on ship and hotel
18) powerstrip for all our chargers


And things I need to do before we go:
1) make door magnets
2) FE Gifts
3) re-confirm all hotel/rental car/air reservations (experience says we must)
4) charge all re-chargeables
5) prepare house
6) stop mail, newspaper, etc.
7) pay bills
8) get dress clothes for boys...they grow so fast I need to wait to last minute
9) Online check-in
10) haircuts
11) make fish extender
12) Get our cabin assignments!!!!!!!


....and the lists go on....I just realized this weekend that my schedule before our B2B cruises this summer is this...so I have to be ready for our cruises in the next five weeks:

June 17 (last day of school for DS15 and DS12)
July 11 (leave for two weeks working in Indiana)
July 28 (return from Indiana)
August 2 (leave for five days working in Florida)
August 6 (meet family before cruise)
August 8 (Western)
August 15 (Eastern)
August 24 (Fall sports begin)
September 9 (school starts)