Found this on another thread
some good tips here if anyone has the time to read it
I sent all of our clothes out to be pressed on our first night, and for $40 had my clothes ready for the week.
Bring an over the door shoe holder for the bathroom to hold all of the toiletries.
Don't forget the duct tape.
Zip lock bags were VERY useful.
Nightlight for bathroom
Bring dryer sheets
soft sided cooler to bring off the ship for excursions and beaches.
-Don't worry about getting to the disembarkation talk, as it will be repeated all evening on your stateroom television.
-Bring swimwear in your day bag. One of the best times for a less crowded swim is in the period of time between embarkation and the safety drill.
-Seek out and enjoy the secret deck 7 aft verandah
clothes pins to close curtains to keep that morning sun out of your room!
- Extension cords so you can have extra outlets!
- gift basket from the perfect gift - One that includes snacks, juice boxes, sand toys, sunscreen, champagne, beer, etc - so you don't have to pack all of that in your suitcase!
- COMFORTABLE WALKING SHOES!!!!
Beach bag.
Spray on sunscreen for the scalp if you have your hair braided.
order room service coffee the night before. It stays hot in the carafe and have yor coffee ready when you wake up each morning.
Another tip: pack what you think you will need...then take out 50%.
Air freshener for the potty. . .
Light up travel clock
baggies
Bonine cold medicines
cameras
sample bottle of dishwashing detergent and handiwipe for washing out
beach bag or something to lug stuff out to
castaway cay.
Those little laundry, individually packaged, detergent tablets.
Air freshener
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 going to buy!
If you're undecided about that beach towel, or t-shirt, or other souvenir... buy it. You'll be mad at yourself later if you don't!
apaya Enzyme chewable tablets, helps digest food in case you eat something that doesn't agree with you, THIS IS A MUST.
Correctol gentle laxative, for men or women, Nothing worse than have that bloated feeling while on a cruise.
Who Wants 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.
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.
To cut down on clothing, bring a nice pair of white slacks. They go with just about everything, and just change tops each night. Plus you only need one pair of nice white dress sandals to go with them.
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.
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.
Relax, enjoy and don't stress......remember this is a vacation.
I found a 'folder' to be helpful to keep papers in that you want to take home with you.
Underwater camera is fun too!
clothes pins
skin so soft insect repellent
aloe for sunburn
sweater for show
individual antibacterial hand wipes
night light
Order the 'All Hands on Deck' cheese platter every single night even if you aren't hungry. It is awesome!
Get a wake-up call everyday. It is Mickey Mouse calling!
Have your bathing suits with you when you board.
Roll or 2 of quarters
Little flash lights (more than and pass them out to your family). Also keep 1 in the bath room.
Bottles of H20 and you can refill them with the filtered water on deck.
Dish soap.
A Digital Camera is Great
be sure to have a waterproof watch.
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.
take an envelope full of $1 bills for room service -
phone cards for extra special people - the staff was
so pleased with them - bought a pack at Sam's.
order sandwiches the night before a day on land and put them in your soft-side cooler
-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/Wal-Mart. 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.
A good 'ol fashioned can of Lysol
Bring a couple of rolls of the "new" Dollar coins. They were very uncommon when we did this and the crew seemed to like the uniqueness.
Button hole extenders, On our first cruise DH didn't try on his shirt before we left and he hadn't worn it in quite awhile.
Don't forget to bring a deposit for rebooking your next cruise while onboard!!!
I ALWAYS travel with a small assortment of Plastic Zip straps.
Pre-Written address computer labels for post cards.
Skip the lunch buffet at least once, and eat at Tritons/Lumiere's
Bring an address book, and meet new people! Exchange emails addresses with people (especially tablemates, and you can stay in touch, swap pictures and stories!
Bring thank you cards for the staff. Coming from a cast member, it's the little things that keep the pixie dust in your heart alive!
Unless you can't live without soda 24/7 DON'T DO THE SODA MUG DEAL. You can get soda for free at every sit-down meal, I always got them at dinner, and even at the sit-down lunch at Tritons. You only need to pay for soda at bars and at poolside really. Besides, when you are swimming and in the sun, it's better to drink juice and water anyway!
Save everything, and make a scrapbook.
Go to at least one program/activity a day. The cruise staff is great, and you get to meet people other then the ones you see at meals.
Play, or at least attend Jackpot bingo the last night. It's a blast. WARNING WARNING WARNING BINGO IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE, but FUN FUN FUN!!
Fanny packs.
We give each kid (got 4) a 24 exposure disposable camera before the trip. Let them take a picture of whatever they want. But once they use it up they are done. They get better with each trip.
Plus they have their own memories.
Straws.
Some hard candy (my favorite is butterscotch).
LOTS of extra batteries.
2 swimsuits for each person. You can wear one while drying the other
Treat your clothing with wash-in sunscreen. It's cheap (under $3 a washload) and doesn't effect color or feel of the cloth. Works in water (swimming) too. The product is called Sun Guard from Rit.
Collapsible hamper....we found this to be very convenient for putting our dirty clothes in and carrying to the laundry room.
Make sure you leave a set of clothes out for debarking....people have been known to pack EVERYTHING the night before and leave the ship in their jammies!!!
Bring your sense of humor.....
For those of you traveling with toddlers around the age of 2 who can not go into the pool (and yes they are pretty strict about the non potty trained children in the pool) Bring sand toys, and set up camp by the Goofy pool. There is a railing that separated the pool area from the deck area. Along the railing on deck side are tables and chairs. Using the table, chairs, and railing, create a barrier. Place your child in the middle with sand toys and bucket of water. You can sit around them in the chairs. My son was completely satisfied with this set up and would play for hours.
Save your old socks, underwear, swimsuits, etc and have them make a one way trip with you.
By tossing out old clothes you'll have LOTS of room for souvenirs et al when you pack to come home.
go to the bank before your trip and get $2 bills for tips for room service, etc.
pillowcases for the characters to sign
small scrapbook for autographs. I use a small scrapbook instead of an autograph book so that I can have the picture on one side and the autograph on the other. I can also add as many pages as I want.
your own hairdryer...the ones in the cabins are weak
bungee cord or rope if you have connecting rooms. You need something if/when you want to keep the connecting doors open
We like to take a mesh laundry bag (Wal-Mart) and hang it in the closet (loop over the hanger) and put dirty clothes in there, when we pack, all the dirty clothes are together in one suitcase. Unpacking, all the dirty things are ready to be sorted and washed while the clean items are put away
A cutting knife for your room
Crayons, books and plain paper for kids during the down time in the room --- have them make a "picture" scrapbook for when they get back home!
Post it and pens for the room...... great to leave notes for family who "Cross like ships in the night....." or even your cabin steward....
Flashlights that only work while you are holding down the button (
Walmart has them in cool colors) This solves the problem of the little angels falling asleep with the security flashlight on and going through a set of batteries every other night!
Large thick trash bags.. Put the dirty clothes in them when you get ready to go home.. gather up the top and hold tight.. have partner roll or smoosh from the other end to get the air out. The dirties take up much less room and no worry that they will infect your left over clean clothes or new t-shirts. I have not been able to find one of those airless travel bags that are large enough to handle all our laundry..... Also makes room for more stuff!!
Use label maker to tag everything that might leave the room........ Make and bring extra labels incase you forget something
If you do not want to get dressed up for your normal dinner seating -- there is always an alternative site available for a served meal in Parrot Cay, Lumiere's, or the Topsider's area (where the afternoon buffet is)."
watches/pagers - anything to tell time for when everyone has to meet up. Extremely useful in parks, but we also found it useful on ship if you could set alarm.
do not disembark early - that is for people who are rushing to catch a plane or other transportation.
if you have nothing to rush to, be the last ones off the ship! do not go to breakfast in the restaurant - go to the buffet, pick up a tray and fill it for everyone in your cabin. back at the cabin, take your time, have a nice shower, breakfast on the verandah in port - relax - the cruise is not over yet!
when you are ready, you can walk off the boat, no crowds, easily find your luggage and cruise through customs.
Bring an extra suitcase filled with bottles of water. You can buy less expensive bottled water at home and, as you drink the water, you are emptying the suitcase for souvenirs to bring home
we always bring (especially if you have a verandah) is a small pair of binoculars. It's great for looking a passing islands, dolphins, etc. Be sure that the kids keep the cord around their necks when they're using them so they don't drop them overboard.
BEFORE you leave on your cruise:
* Arrange to have your mail held
* Stop your newspaper delivery
On Castaway Cay, we came back from the adult beach to eat at Cookies. All around us people had tropical fruit on their plates. I went back to the buffet and looked and looked, but never found any! Figured they had run out. It turned out there was a fruit stand on the other side of Cookies, closer to the ship. By the time I found it after leaving lunch, I was already stuffed. Don't let it happen to you!
If you are a repeat cruiser on
DCL, and are invited to the captains cocktail party , then be sure to show up early. We showed up on time and did not have a comfortable place to sit down
"return address labels" to our packing list. That way you don't spend 15 minutes filling out your luggage tags on the last day of the cruise! Stick on a sticker and your stateroom number and you're done!
We actually checked our soda and water in w/ our luggage at the terminal. They took it and said it was fine as long as it's packed in a bag that can close shut
If you bring alot of clothes that need to be hung in the closet bring extra hangers
When does Boarding Begin??? Usually around noon - maybe a little earlier or later
When does Checkin Begin???
I think the port opens at 10:30 and check in starts the same time
How do you handle bringing on Garment Bags? Should we "check" them or carry on? We've always checked ours with the airline and it goes right to our room with the rest of the luggage
What do you do after you check in, but before you board? Most people opt to stand in line and wait to board so they get on early. There are seats near TV's playing Disney cartoons if you don't want to wait in line. You can also go out on a deck and see the ship.
I saw mention of Parrot Cay being open "as you're boarding" for lunch. Is the Topsiders also open? Is it simply a choice of formal/less formal eating that first day? At that time is it still important to wear pants for lunch?--or is it lenient in the diningroom just this particular day? !!!! (Certainly would not want to dress up the first day, if it wasn't necessary!) The same menu is done in both - buffet style. They will try and fill up Parrot Cay first and then Topsiders, but you can go right up - they have never stopped us. I believe they serve lunch until at least 2pm. After that hot dogs, etc. from Plutos is available.
- Bring wire hangers to hang your clothes (The wooden one take up a lot of room if you have a lot of hanging clothes and 4 persons in your cabin)
- Pack your clothes that you don't want to iron on hangers and in dry cleaning bags for your suitbag - you won't have nearly as many wrinkles (your drycleaner will give you extra bags if you ask for them)
- If you have a veranda, bring about 15' of closeline and closepins. there are places high up near the ceiling to tie off the closeline to hang wet items - especially useful after Castaway Key so you wont need to pack wet items (our dried by the time we got back to Port Canaveral)
- Windex wipes to clean your glass on your veranda - the salt spray accumulates and obstructs the view (the 1/4" glass is clear)
- Pack your small item clothes (underwear, socks, kids clothes, etc.) in ziplock bags, much easier to stay organized especially with a full stateroom
- Plug-in Glade/Wizard oil based deoderizer for the bathroom - used mine in the shaver plug on the hair dryer and everyone commented how our head smelled like "apple pie and cinnamon"
- Treat several t-shirts (your sun clothes) with RIT Sunguard - prevents a bad sunburn (our kids didn't even tan through their shirts)
- Take a large hand bag for excursions
- Bring a small memo pad to plan your day - what activities at what times (makes it easier if you have to plan between multiple Navigators - we had 3 kids in different age brackets, plus the adult Navigators to contend with)
- Bring an envelop to keep your Navigators in and organized
- If you're doing Disney excursions sign up online before your cruise (avoid the ressie rush)
- Bring your own movie / show candy (we love Skittles) and brought a gallon bag full of individual serving bags. We had lots of inquiries about where to get those Skittles from our theatre neighbors!
- Hit the pool as soon as you get your Palo & Spa ressies done (wear your swimsuit under your boarding clothes) - Our kids loved being the FIRST in the Mickey pool and slide. We ate at Topsiders Buffet after the swim.
- Bring dishsoap - we washed lots of items in the sink and hung to dry (especially for food stains). We also used it to wash snorkel gear in the bathtub
- They quit serving drinks at the eating establishments (except at the bar on the Family Beach) on Castaway Cay when they stop serving food (when the food outlets close at 2:00 P.M.) Make sure you have enough liquids to last the rest of the day unless you want to visit the bars
- You won't have to rent floats if you are willing to wait until around Noon on CC - by then enough are discarded laying around and floating "free" in the lagoon for your use (we rented one early, then had so many extra drift by... could not locate the owners so we used them)
- Snorkel early (snorkel first thing) at CC - the bottom gets stirred up bad and visibility becomes very limited
- All 10 of the Disney's snorkel vests we tried leaked badly through the valve - you may want to consider bringing your own if you need to rely on these for bouyancy (Note you must wear one in the CC snorkeling area)
- No floats in the snorkel area (I think a very bad policy) would help prevent the bottom from getting so torn up
- Order anything you want off the menu's, your servers will be happy to mix and match menu items, even combining veggies from one entree, with main course from others. You can also get multiples (more than one appetizer, main course, dessert, etc. so you can sample more things) - Bring an appetite!
- When you see the Shutter's staff, drag (ask them) nicely over to photograph your kids / you, etc. rather that wait from them to ask - you will have a lot more pictures to choose from later.
- At Shuttlers, stack the pictures you are considering purchasing together each day so you don't have to search all the displays repeatedly. Shutters staff will keep the stacks together.
- Don't show up just-in-time for movies - the Buena Vista Theatre is small and if your party is large, you may not be able to sit together. Same goes for the Walt Disney Theatre - find your seats early (at least 5 minutes before the show) so you will be more successful finding good seating and as a courtesy to others.
- Bring several large-mouth plastic bottles (that will fit into your collapsible cooler) for excursions, or for keeping drinks & water in your stateroom beverage cooler. We kept them full of ice/water from the drink station and made our own ice tea, lemonade, Tang, and Crystal Lite (all sugar free). You can also fill these easily with Ice, water, etc. from the drink station on Deck 9.
- Lemonade is no longer FREE with room service
- Buy a couple of "dry boxes" from eBay or a dive shop. We spent $1.25 each on ours, and kept our KTTY cards, credit cards, cash (change too) and receipts safe and dry even on snorkeling and diving excursions. You could keep your smokes dry if you are a smoker... Disney sells these for about $7, but you can also get them from Ron Jon's in Cocoa Beach before your cruise or from other sources.
We brought but did not need:
- Change & Laundry soap for washing / drying onboard (did not want to sacrifice time / activities for this chore while on vacation
- 2-Way Radios (didn't use them once)
- KTTY holders (from Walmart, Passporter, etc.) The dry boxes used (see above) worked fine and were not nearly as obnoxious
- Clothing steamer (between the dry cleaning bags for our hang-up clothes and the Downy wrinkle release spray we were fine)
- Extension cord - our laptop, battery charger, and hair dryer could all plug into the two outlets at the desk and the one behind the TV
- Books (never had time to read, except in the car on the way down and back). The other times we were too busy socializing and participating in other activities.
- Binoculars
- Sweaters on a summer cruise - all the dining rooms were comfortable to warm
. Don't bring on so many carry-ons when boarding. We took a bag EACH because we were thinking "what if". They were very much in the way and not-so-fun to carry around until our rooms opened up at 1:15PM. Turns out we should have checked EVERYTHING and just ate, toured the ship, then went to our room
They are going to take a family picture as soon as you walk on board - if you are each carrying 2 bags or toting a wheelie bag, you are going to look like a family of packhorses. We did.
You don't have to buy the photo package the first few days - wait to see if there will be enough (or any) pictures you want to purchase. If you have young kids and they participate in the activities, there will probably be a lot. If you have older kids, or it is just you and spouse, you may waste your money. Find your pictures each day and group them - they may move them but they won't throw them away. The special posed pictures (with characters, captain or in front of backdrops) aren't part of the package. You buy them separately
We did Key West on our own. You can see a lot by• walking around, depending on how hot it is. We ended up buying a daily pass for the Bone Island Shuttle ($7 each for all day riding). Not as many stops as the Trolley, but more cost efficient and you get to see more of Key West if you ride the entire circuit. We bought our tickets at the same booth as they sell the trolley tickets near the Key West Aquarium
Juice for room•
suction hooks for hanging up wet swimsuits,
pasting a picture on the cabin door so• that DD10 can quickly see our cabin and not get lost,
ordering sandwiches• from room-service and putting them in Ziplok bags for excursions.........
Bring some adhesive/suction hooks to• stick to shower tiles & mirrors. With 4 people we quickly ran out of places to hang our many bathing suits where they were outta the way!
My hubby• got a refillable beer mug on our August 16th cruise. They have the mugs right when you board or by the pool. I'm not sure how much he paid for it but he thoroughly enjoyed it! Very easy to refill at the bars by the pool, etc.
The last night of your cruise you pack everything up except what• you will need in the morning (clothes and grooming supplies) Your luggage needs to be outside of your door by 11pm with the character tags on it that they will give you on that last day (BTW, big tip....take address lables with your name/address on them and then all you'll have to do is fill in stateroom number and your number of bags--i.e. 1 out of 3, 2 out of 3)
In the morning pack up all the rest in a carry on and take it to breakfast. As you disembark the ship you'll be directed to the luggage holding room where it will all be categorized based on who was on your character tag (Donald, Mickey, Daisy, etc)
reservations at Palo•
This is why you want to be first in line. You make these reservations when you board. After they announce your family, you'll want to turn right past the elevators and go into the clubs, the first club is where they take Palo ressies.
• you put socks/undies in one ziplock bag, tshirts in another and then roll it to get the air out or compress it somehow? That seem so much more sanitary if your luggage has to be searched too. Somehow the thought of and airline employee pawing through my undies is not too appealing. (yes I do understand that searching baggage is very important and have not issues with them searching mine-just wondering where his/her hands have been ) That's what we did on our cruise in August, my DW is glad she did this as well b/c our suitcases were opened and searched at the airports, all our undies were in plastic bags, as were our socks. I think my DW use the large zip lock bags as well. They also came in handy for wet clothes on our trip home.
•
.
apl is the seating to get if u would like to be in the fancy rest. for formal night..
•
You can call• up to a week before you sail and find out which movies are showing during your cruise. Call 1-888-325-2500, choose the "reservations" option, then ask what movies will be showing.
•
• Packing:
Essentials
(Packed in carry-on bag)
Passport or Certified Birth Certificate
Extra copy of above
Cruise Documents
Air Tickets
List of credit cards/tel numbers
(in case of loss or theft)
Credit Cards
Wireless Telephone
Eyeglasses
Sunglasses
Medicines and prescriptions
(in original containers)
Cash (Small bills, especially)
Travelers Checks (if desired)
Telephone Number of Cruise Agent
(toll-free and direct)
Important Telephone Numbers
E-mail Addresses
Telephone Credit Card
Jewelry/Valuables
(as few as possible)
Sun Screen
Headache medication
Motion medication
Medication for stomach disorders
Light first aid supplies
Set of casual clothing/underwear
Swim suit
Miscellaneous
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Shampoo (your brand in small plastic
bottle)
Deodorant
Body Powder
Hair Brush/Comb
Skin Lotion
Makeup Case/Bag
Umbrella
Small duffel bag or backpack
Light Sewing Kit
Flash Light (small)
Optional
Short extension cord with multi-plug
(for various uses)
Business Cards (who knows?)
Pen/Highlighter
Hair dryer
Batteries
Portable reading light
Alarm Clock
Plug-in Night Light
Beach bag
Water Bottle
Snorkeling Gear
Other sports gear
Binoculars
GPS (for the super-techies!)
Portable iron or steamer
Book(s) for recreational reading
Guide books for ports of call
Radio communications devices
Photographic
Camera
Lenses (if necessary)
Lens hoods
Outdoor film (ASA 100 or lower)
Indoor film (ASA 400 or higher)
Panoramic Camera (disposable)
Underwater Camera (disposable)
Flash Attachments
Filters (if necessary)
Extra Batteries
---------------------
Digital Camera
Disks/Memory Modules
Cables (depends on camera)
Laptop for image storage/display (?)
Extra Batteries
Clothing
(Based on 7-night Caribbean Cruise)
One-Two sets of formal clothing
One set of informal clothing
(Coat/tie or suit for men...)
Additional ties/shirts for men
Casual clothing for casual nights in
dining room
Comfortable shorts/slacks for daytime
wear, depending on season/temp
Swim suit (2-3 if planning extensive
water-related activities)
Cover-up for travel from pool/beach
(remember, ships are air-conditioned)
T-shirts (plan to buy a few of these)
Gym clothes for running/workouts
Light Sweater (for air conditioning)
Hat (could also be purchased)
Underwear as desired
Robe (optional)
Shoes
Shoes appropriate for formal wear
Nice casual shoes for ship wear
Sneakers/Running Shoes for ship/shore
Beach footwear (sandals/flip-flops)
Water Shoes (Optional)
Luggage (per person)
One Medium-Large Suitcase w/ tag
One Carry-on Bag (meets aircraft
requirements)
One folding bag for laundry, purchases
and extra room for homeward trip.
(Can double as backpack/beach bag)
Baggage Strap (for hard-side luggage
to preclude opening during handling)
! Must admit, going through withdrawals! I mean seriously, it's been 2 nights since I've chatted 
- after 3 nights in a row on chat, that's creating some serious shakes 
!! 
But we did wait 2 hours to see her and get her autograph (along with those cutie-patootie boys of her's, Jaime and Bobby).....sigh. 
