What not to forget?

[karenannD]

I will be packing this weekend for our June 8 Magic cruise. What items do you veterans say is a must to pack. Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[prymsu]

1. disposable water cameras. on the ship and other places they are much more expensive. on our first cruise I paid $26 for one on the ship, and found out that you can get them at kmart or walmart for about 8 dollars.

2. sunscreen. ditto above.

3. Also an over the door shoe organizer to hang over the bathroom door really helps you keep things organized and neat, and easy to locate small items.

have fun. i still have a ways to go before I cruise again.

 

[Cruise]

I would echo the above. Take anything that is of small size that you *might* need... they don't take much room and may save you a lot of money.

Examples - a couple of pair of cheap sunglasses - in case you lose one. Different medicines - pain killer, upset stomach remedies, etc. This stuff will be expensive on the ship and if you need it, you won't want to wait till a port to get it.

I'd also take along some kind of flat folding bag that can be packed on the way there, used at the ports for a beach bag, then used as a carry on when you find that all your purchases won't fit back in your luggage.

Have fun!
Julie

 

[TnRobin]

I would like to emphasize one item previously mentioned

Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen

The Carribean sun will burn you a lot faster than that American Sun

 

[TootyJane]

Originally posted by karenannD
I will be packing this weekend for our June 8 Magic cruise. What items do you veterans say is a must to pack. Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks!

Biggest thing I wish I had (and it's been suggested before) was an extension cord. I always take my own hairdryer since the ones provided in hotels, etc. are usually useless. The last time we cruised I was able to use the outlet in the bathroom. This time, however, we noticed it was marked "For Shavers Only" and I wasn't able to use it. My husband found an outlet by the bed so I had to sttrreeettchhh over to the mirror.

I packed baggies. They came in handy for various things.

We were in the 2-bedroom suite so the over-the-door shoe organizer really wasn't a necessity for us. There is a lot of drawer space/counter space. I think in the staterooms this would be nice though.

I can't think of anything else, but if I do I'll post my thoughts.

Lisa

 

[westjones]

A small night light for the bathroom and zip lock bags for packing swimsuits and water shoes when the cruise ends (we found many other uses for them also).

I love the shoe organizer idea for the bathroom, there is almost no room by the sink in the bathroom and it would be nice to have a place to put stuff.

My favorite thing that I did buy on the ship was a 'necklace' type holder for my KTTW (room key). I am taking it with me again.

DJ

 

[mmouse37]

Definitely the extension cord (there are also outlets on the dresser and behind the TV). Also, a small illuminated clock. there are none in the cabins.

I also bring Whisk laundry tablets if I get inclined to do a wash. Ziplock bags, collapsible cooler. I also always bring plastic clothes pins. They come in handy when hanging up west suits in the bathroom.

MJ

 

[Debbie H]

We even pack a small fan and extension cord. We sleep with a fan at home and it does cut down if there is any noise out in the hall if you are trying to sleep.

 

[disney6]

We found very helpful a highlighter in different colors (one for each child) so we didn't miss anything they REALLY wanted to go to.

 

[Debbie H]

Oh, more things that you must NOT forget to take!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. CRUISE DOCUMENTS
2. PHOTO ID (LICENSE)
3. BIRTH CERTIFICATES FOR EVERYONE
OR PASSPORTS

and yes, I am yelling that!!!! Do not forget them!!!!!

Debbie

 

[tlt]

More sunscreen than you think you will need, over the door shoe organizer, and one of those mesh laundry bags...we hung it on one of the hangers mounted in the room and put all our dirty clothes in it as the week went by...just squashed it into the suitcase at the end of the week. Also, small alarm clock...one with a built in noise maker if you have one...HoMEDICS makes a good one (Walmart, or Bed, Bath and Beyond)...our room was very loud and it really helped us sleep at night.

 

[jdm]

Without a doubt the over the door shoe holder was the best thing we brought. I knew DH thought it was ridiculous when he saw me packing that (although he said nothing) and I can't believe how handy it was. With two kids it held everything from hair doo-ees to sunscreen to our walkie talkie's (which we never used on the ship). Every single pouch was full.

Also, the clock. I'm one to wake up in the night and want to know what time it was. It was very handy.

I wouldn't go on another cruise without bringing these two items.

Jenn

 

[joellen2]

I definitely agree with the laundry tablets. I like Tide w/ Bleach better than Wisk w/ Bleach. I took the Wisk ones on our cruise last month, and Wisk didn't get all of the stains out. If you are going to do laundry, then ake lots of quarters in case the change machine is empty. I also took a stain stick and dryer sheets (also helpful to put in drawers and luggage to keep clothes smelling fresh.)

A few other things I think are helpful are:

Aloe (very expensive on ship)
hand sanitizer
air freshener (I forgot, but wish I had taken)
fanny pack
$2 bills for tipping
Post It Notes to leave messages for family, stateroom host, etc.
lip balm
extra hangers (not enough in the closets)

Hope this helps. Have a wonderful trip.

 

[PiperG]

Yes, bring quarters. I had to trot down to guest services as the change machine in the laundry room was empty. FYI, the dryers require several cycles to thoroughly dry everything, hence the need for the quarters!

 

[karenannD]

All of the ideas of things to pack are wonderful. Keep them coming!

A big thanks to all of you!

 

[Mjasp]

A BIG don't forget is the over door shoe holder, I got a few chuckles from my DH when I packed it, but he repeatedly said on the trip, what a great idea this is, so glad you brought it. Yes, I did rub it in.

Also, something I didn't bring that I wish I did were highlighters. When you read the navigator at night you can highlight all the things you would like to try and do, and then the next day you can see at a glance the times and see if you still want to do them.

 

[westjones]

I decided to make a check list. I love this thread and it is going to be very helpful to have a list like this when packing. Here is what I have so far:

-Over the door shoe hanger
-Highlighters in different colors (for kids and adults)
-disposable water camera
-sunscreen
-extra (cheap) sunglasses in case you lose them
-extra folding bag that can be used as a beach bag and then to carry off extras items you
-purchased.
-extension cord
-baggies or ziplock bags
-night light
-small illuminated clock
-laundry tablets, dryer sheets and lots of quarters for laundry
-collapsible cooler
-plastic clothes pins
-small fan
-cruise documents
-picture IDs
-birth certificates for everyone or passports
-mesh laundry bag

 

[karenannD]

Thank you so much for putting it all in a list. This will make packing much easier.

Karen Jack Jamie

 

[tlt]

Also take plenty of $1 bills...the locals that sell things (a lot of nice things at good deals) say they don't have change and you may end up paying $10 for something you could have talked down to $6-7 if you had the right amount of change. We bought lots of neat jewelry and those nice bathing suit wraps on the beaches we went to.

 

[ruvidu]

I will be packing a small pair of binoculars, personal CD player with earphones and CDs, a small note pad to take notes for future reference and trip reports, and a small can of Lysol. We usually pack a collapsable duffle bag about 2 feet long that we can use to pack our souvineirs in.
One other thing we will be taking this year are personal business cards we make. This will have our disboard ID, our email address and our home address to share with new friends we meet.
Hope these ideas help.
Russ and Vivian