What do I bring for the 1st day on board?

[CACruiser2004]

I have heard that after boarding there is a period of time that you are without your luggage. Do they deliver it to the staterooms?

I was also wondering what to bring in my day bag for this period. Will we have time to get our luggage and change clothes for the beach/island themed deck party? I am trying to decide what to wear for the first day. With a 2 year old, I will already be carrying so much in the day bag. I don't want to bring along things that are not necessary.

I am also unsure about the weather. I had originally prepared for hot weather. With all of the hurricane action, I am thinking that I will need to be prepared for wind and rain.

Any suggestions???

 

[amymouse]

Pack anything you might need before 5:30 pm in your day bag. Luggage often doesn't get to your stateroom (yes, they do deliver it) until 5:30 or so. So, if your planning on swimming or changing clothes that afternoon, then pack those items in your daybag, too.

And, of course, you always want to pack your valuables (jewelry, documents, etc) and any medicines in your carry on, as well.

 

[crisi]

Keep in mind you'll be carrying it for likely several hours, so pack light. Next time I will put swimsuits ON the kids (carry mine though - kids can spend the day in their swimsuits). I wouldn't pack dinner clothes - the luggage arrived in plenty of time to change and if it hadn't, shorts on the first night would have been (perhaps borderline) acceptable. I wouldn't change for the sail away party.

I would have the DVD player, and the cameras (which is why we need to keep everything else LIGHT). Enough snacks for the kids to hold them from 10:00am to 12:15 when they finally board and can eat lunch. One book (but not the small lending library I toted around last time). My suit (although my kids are little, so its the Mickey pool - where I don't need my suit). Medications, if needed. Valuables. Plus travel documents, etc.

 

[tkd lisa]

I second packing light on the day bag. My DH was hollering about the load in the carry on! But isn't that what DH's are for?

Kids swim suit is a good thing, your check in necessities like docs and id, medicine, camera and valuables. If you think you'll visit the adult pool or hot tub during the early afternoon, include the adult suits. As far as what clothes to wear to the port, you don't say when your trip is, but I assume it's soon. I'd suggest lightweight clothing, because it's usually quite warm and humid. If the weather is really bad (windy/rainy) they can move the sailaway indoors to the atrium area.

And if your luggage isn't delivered in time to change for dinner, the navigators for the first night do say "casual attire". I wouldn't show up in a bathing suit and flip flops, but the outfit you wore to the port would probably be okay. I've always had all my luggage before the lifeboat drill, and we always have late dinner, so I never had a problem with that.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[amymouse]

Here's an idea if you're concerned that you're going to start feeling like a pack mule with so many things in your carry-on. With just the right child-size back-pack (with a princess on it, perhaps, hmmm) you CAN convince your child that carrying her own things is FUN. That would take a few things of your own back.

You WILL be lugging this stuff around quite awhile. But your stateroom will be ready about 1:30, so at least you won't have to carry it for the ENTIRE afternoon.

Crisi is also right, you don't need to pack your dinner clothes in your day bag. The latest my luggage has ever been is 5:30, and that's still enough time for a quick change for dinner, even the early seating.

I don't know what time of year you're cruising, but bringing a variety of clothing that you can layer is good any time of year. Florida weather can be fickle, so it's hard to not overpack when you're trying to have clothing for all temperatures. I bring sleeveless shirts that I can throw a short sleeve button up shirt (worn like a jacket) over if it cools off. That keeps me from the temptation of packing multiple outfits for each day (which I have been known to do, aaargh). I've cruised in December, April and May and this has worked for me everytime.

Crisi, I loved the visual I got when I read about the "lending library" you carried with you! We've all learned the hard way when we've packed too much, haven't we. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.

 

[PoohJen]

I will definitely have my kids wearing their swim suits (boys are easy anyway - those suits double as shorts). Am I naive to think that my plan of plopping my husband and all our carry-ons onto a pool lounge chair for the afternoon won't fly?

 

[ericamanda01]

Originally posted by tkd lisa
I second packing light on the day bag. My DH was hollering about the load in the carry on! But isn't that what DH's are for?

HERE HERE! My DH and I have a system. When we are at home I carry my purse, which he is allowed to put his junk in( ie. cell phone wallet and any other assorted stuff he doesn't want to carry) In exchange for carring everything else year round during any vacation that would require a bigger bag ( backpack) he has to carry everything in it. So when we go to WDW, all the parks as well as our first day on the ship he has to carry it.
But back to the question.

DH carries our suits, all meds and our cameras. If there is something that you just have to have then by all means bring it, but when you first get on the ship ,if it is your first cruise ,you really will forget about what you do have and what you don't.

 

[mmouse37]

PoohJen....your plan of plopping hubby and carryons poolside will fly...probably not for the entire afternoon though....just remember that after boarding you will have lunch first....either in Parrot Cay or Topsiders.....spend some time at the pool....then you will want to hit your cabin in the afternoon to start unpacking and getting ready for the lifeboat drill....I find it much easier to unpack everything as soon as it gets to the cabin....that way I am set for the week.

If it is your first time onboard you guys will probably want to walk around the ship and familiarize yourself with everything....so an afternoon by the pool might be more like an hour or so the first day.

MJ

 

[CACruiser2004]

Thank you all for your advice. I am flying out on the 16th for our first cruise on the Magic (Eastern leaving on the 18th). My DH and I have put ourselves in a packing nightmare because we are in the process of moving across Los Angeles. So, we return from our vacation late on the 25th and the movers come on the 26th. We have to have our entire home packed up before we go on vacation.

I wanted to get organized for the trip in advance so that once the entire house is in boxes I don't say,"Now which box did I put my swimming suit in?..." By the time that we are all packed up, I will be so ready for this vacation. I will definately want to go back when I walk in the front door and see all of the boxes waiting for me at home.

We are leaving in less than a week now. I need to get busy...

 

[jeeper9]

Since there will be 5 of us, (3 small children) I was thinking my day bag would be a small suitcase on wheels. The kind of case that would be great for a weekend. How far off am I on this?

 

[missycj96]

My best recommendation is to wear your bathing suit (and pack a light weight change of clothes and undergarments). We got on early, had an early lunch at a not-crowded parrot cay and went up to great and really empty pools and completely enjoyed our day! Someone even asked us if we had our luggage delivered already (they were in pants) and I said that we hadn't even been to our cabin and we wore our suits - I think they were jealous. Have fun - Disney was our best cruise ever!!

 

[crisi]

There may be a size limit to carryons - similar to the airport. But you should be fine with wheeled luggage - though it may be difficult to manage. When you go to lunch there will be a lot of people in a relatively small space where there is room to stash luggage - but not endless amounts of it. You may find the wheeled suitcase difficult to manuver.

Although I'm thinking about doing the same next time, so I think it would work. And if you are bringing beverages aboard - which are heavy - its probably the only way to go.

 

[jeeper9]

I thought about this all evening and decided the children (9, 8, and 5) can carry their school backpacks with their swim suits (or wear them), snacks, a bottle of water, activity books, crayons/pencils, etc. I will take a large tapestry yarn bag I got at AC Moore's for $5 filled with DH and my suit, camera, medicine, and documents. I think this will work better than 1 wheeled carry on. Besides, that way each child can put their backpack under their seats on the plane and get things out as they wish instead of us getting the wheeled bag out everytime they want something.

I feel better with this plan. Thanks for your recommendations!

 

[thegales]

I will take a large tapestry yarn bag I got at AC Moore's for $5 filled with DH and my suit, camera, medicine, and documents.

That must be some large bag, or small DH!

 

[amymouse]

LOL! I'm glad to someone else's brain went there, too! Personally, I think DH should WALK just like the rest of us! (wink)

 

[jeeper9]

The bag has two carry straps, is 14 1/2 " deep ~ 19" wide, and expands to 6". It has the large zippered main compartment and a pretty good sized zippered compartment on the front where I will keep our documents. I plan on using this as our beach bag on CC also.

I think this will work.

 

[jeeper9]

I didn't understand your comments until I reread my message a few times. Now I got it! My husband isn't going into the bag just his bathing suit. He is 6"2" and 210 lbs. I sometimes wish I could stuff him in a bag!

Thanks for the humor ~ I need some laughs and to calm down.

 

[amymouse]

By George, I think she's got it!!

Thank you for letting us have a little laugh!

 

[chasbos]

This is a great post - we plan so long for our trips and having a stressful first day lugging too much stuff around just would not be any fun.

We have 4 girls and they like to bring everything with them when we go on holidays, which causes for a lot of luggage some trips. Going south sure helps to limit the clothing. And when you leave from Canada in the middle of winter - you have warm clothes on.

Last year we went to St. Maarten for a week and each of the girls were given a nice beach bag that zipped up and has side pockets. Now they get to decide what they want to bring with them - but it has to all fit in the bag! And they have to carry it themselves. It is very convenient and you are not stuck with one big bag for 6 people.

Of course when everyone drops there bag on Dad to go look at something or have a bathroom break he does look like a pack mule! But it is only for a few minutes!

 

[jova]

What about a backpack with wheels? After watching my daughter haul books back and forth to school last year in a backpack with wheels (she is too cool for that this year though!), I got the idea that it might work for DH and I to both have one for the cruise. You only have to pick it up when going up stairs, etc.. but most of the time you just roll it along. Do you think this would work? It is small enough for carryon size, and I was thinking it might even be good for excursions instead of carrying a large tote. Anybody try this?