TransAtlantic WB Fantasy Nov 3-16 2025 - PACKING LIST for 10 Sea Days

[Lesverts]

You can also pay to have your laundry done. I have done neither . . Although have washed a few things in the sink.

This will be my 3rd TransAtlantic. I love the length of the cruise - the sea days are relaxing but some people find them boring. So if you don’t enjoy people watching and getting your photo taken with the characters you may want to rethink all these sea days.

Southampton does have some perks as a departure point - lots of Titanic history and lots of options for finding a reasonable one way flight into London/Gatwick.

There also seems to be a small group of cruisers who do this every year. I could see doing this. Ship isn’t full.

I was speaking to more other lines. I have been on an all sea days DCL with almost 2 weeks of travel before and another 4 days after. The affordable laundry facilities were amazing to have. You can only realistically pack so many clothes. Royal does not have public facilities and it is 34.99 plus gratuity for a bag of laundry. I am going on a 17 night Indian Ocean passage and having to fork out nearly 50 dollars for a bag of laundry compared to like 7 bucks to do it yourself is going to suck.

I want the Barcelona departure especially so I can fly into Madrid and go to Toledo and Cordoba before the cruise.

I absolutely love sea days. Reading, relaxing, drinking far too many lattes and espressos and just enjoying the water go by is my favourite part of being on a cruise.

 

[Girl of the South]

Honestly had no clue that Disney Cruise Line self service laundry was unusual. Only ever cruised DCL with one Royal Caribbean and once on the Crystal Symphony. 17 nights would probably be my max? Had friends who did a 32 night journey on Princess - South America I think.

I love Deck 4 on the classic ships, particularly at night. Feels very 'vintage' to me. I read 6 books on my first TA. It was the "cold" crossing to Canada. This is NOT the TA I took but I love the postcard!

 

[Dug720]

One thing to be aware of if sending laundry out to be done is that it is ALL done on HOT so anything remotely delicate should not be sent out. Better to do it yourself in the self-serve laundry so you can set the temperature and cycle.

 

[Girl of the South]

Was looking at my bookings (most seem wide open) and noticed that the BBB Pirate Makeover is on Day #7 (Nov 9th), the day after the Madeira stop.

Will PACK something pirate-y. Walmart should be stocking their Halloween costumes soon - maybe I can find something light and small and Pirate-ish.

 

[MalvernPa]

Adding more of these ideas to my list, thanks! I think it’s better to be over prepared. Amazon’s not going to deliver to the middle of the Atlantic . . . Yet!

MalvernPA - it’s my 10th cruise too!!! Yay, us!

Not on WhatsApp, but thanks. There should be a bulletin board in Cove Cafe for such requests . . Including a book swap . . .

I started sailing on the Magic - there was a little Library with books and puzzles and quiet. It was nice.

Yay for 10! This cruise will be our first time sailing concierge too. Our first cruise was on the Magic in 2003. We have sailed on her 5 times, and is our favorite ship. Along with Wonder!

 

[SnowWhite2]

I remember when DCL even sold books! Maybe just a dozen popular current paperbacks . . . I really NEED to have something to read, even if it's not great. (And I really don't like reading on my old Kindle, but I'll probably bring it, in case we pull a Gilligan's Island).

I remember paperback books being sold in the shops also. There used to be books/magazines in the Cove Cafe. Not sure if they are there anymore after COVID. I guess I’ll find out next month on my trip to Hawaii.

 

[Girl of the South]

YES! It was a little trading library on a shelf in the Cove Cafe. They stopped it during Covid. I brought a bunch of books on my 2023 cruise, hoping to resurrect it and the Cove guy said if I left anything there, they would throw it away. Really a shame. All it needs is a little plastic bin (and I mean small) and a nice sign. I am doing the TA and it sure would have been nice to trade in a read book for a new one. Magazines too! I don't know who to contact about it though . . . the captain of the ship??? I ended up donating my books to the crew library. If anyone has any thoughts on who to ask about doing it on a trial basis, let me know!

(PS. I ended up leaving magazines on tables in Satellite Falls . . . am sure they made someone happy! There is NOTHING to read. They don't even publish USA Today or the International Herald Trib - or if they do, they are not in the Ports we stop at.)

 

[Flossbolna]

YES! It was a little trading library on a shelf in the Cove Cafe. They stopped it during Covid. I brought a bunch of books on my 2023 cruise, hoping to resurrect it and the Cove guy said if I left anything there, they would throw it away. Really a shame. All it needs is a little plastic bin (and I mean small) and a nice sign. I am doing the TA and it sure would have been nice to trade in a read book for a new one. Magazines too! I don't know who to contact about it though . . . the captain of the ship??? I ended up donating my books to the crew library. If anyone has any thoughts on who to ask about doing it on a trial basis, let me know!

(PS. I ended up leaving magazines on tables in Satellite Falls . . . am sure they made someone happy! There is NOTHING to read. They don't even publish USA Today or the International Herald Trib - or if they do, they are not in the Ports we stop at.)

My Facebook group had someone who set up a trading library on their fish extender, so passenger organized. I have no idea how well it worked though…

 

[oferiniowa]

Anyone else on this cruise? I am actually starting to pile things up in a corner . . . I love sea days and am quite happy to have TEN of them. My only issue is not being able to buy things I forgot. I took the same cruise in 2024 and came down with a cold (yes, it was a cold, not Covid). I had brought some cough drops but ran out . . and there was NOTHING sold in the little shop for a cold. In fact, the options of 'sundry' things to buy has been easily cut in half. (I have photos from a pre Covid cruise) The only place to get cough drops was the Infirmary and it involved a visit to the Doctor. Thankfully a crew member at Guest Services offered to go get some for me from the Infirmary without a visit ($5). If you have any cold/flu/Covid symptoms, they want you to see the doctor. Seemed overkill for cough drops (not medicine).

Not sure about stores (pharmacy/grocery) in any of the ports so am going to try and bring some 'what ifs' . . so far, this list includes the following. If anyone has any other ideas, please post here. Thanks!

Cough Drops!
Cough syrup
Dramamine
Thermometer
Bandaids
Pulse Oxymeter
Moleskin
Clothes pins (just 2, might come in handy!)
OTC meds (Mucinex, Tums, Pedialyte packs, Ibuprofen, tummy pills)
Tiny sewing kit
Pens, journal, sketch book
Tiny travel sized Duck tape
Stuff to read (real books, Kindle)
Extra earbuds and charging cables.
Spare Airtag battery
Chicken bouillon cubes - I did order chicken soup from Room Service, it's really good stuff but one time it wasn't very warm. This way I can use hot water from the Pool Deck - it really does help with a cold, might be psychosomatic?
Sunscreen (not sure I'll need it)
Tea Towel (I use this as sort of a table cloth for in room dining)
Map of the Atlantic Ocean (just for fun, National Geographic) and magnets to hang it up
Scented Room Spray
Glasses Repair Kit
Safety pins
Cardboard (just a small piece - sometimes there are creaks and you can quell them by putting some cardboard in the crack - usually where the wall meets the ceiling)

None of this takes up a ton of room.

I was on the 2024 cruise with you. My wife came down with a cold while onboard too. We stocked up on medications when we stopped at ports (Vigo, Lisbon, and Ponta Delgada). Cough drops were the #1 thing she needed. We did pack a small pharmacy of OTC medication when we went last year, but not nearly enough cough suppressant.

We're considering the WBTA in 2026. We had so much fun last year.

Jim (Room Availability Officer)

 

[Girl of the South]

I must have come down with the cold AFTER the port stops? Took a tour at Punta Delgado but even then didn’t look for cough drops!

I checked my old photos for the “sundry” items in 2022. No cough drops but they did have Mucinex which would have helped. Heck, even TicTacs would have helped!

Will bring a LOT this time. And yes, I have a little “First Aid” type kit that I’ll bring. This TA sailing was cheaper than the one we took. Not very exciting ports.

The only problem with WB is LOSING all those hours. I prefer gaining them!

I loved the impromptu Halloween - even though not HOTHS, so many passengers brought great costumes.

I love all the sea days.

Buying lots of Ricola in advance. What is your wife’s favorite cough suppressant? I am bringing some Robitussin too . . .