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My husband and I are fixing to go on our first cruise in 22 days. Can I get some good packing tips from seasoned cruisers. I don't want to "over pack" but I want to make sure we have everything we need. Are there any specific items we should bring for our room. Anything we should leave at home that we think we might need but wont use at all.

 

Thanks =)

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Congrats on the 1st cruise!

 

First - you can find millions of threads on this topic with do's and don'ts and packing lists.

 

Second - lay out all of your clothes before you pack. Make outfits including socks, undies, jewelry, etc. That way you can make sure you have everything you need when you put it in the suitcase.

 

Last - unpack completely when you first get to your cabin. It will make your cabin feel larger, and make it feel less like a hotel room when you're not living out of a suitcase

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How exciting...I see you will be sailing on the Paradise and we were just on that boat 3 weeks ago and had a great time. Don't worry about beach towels, they provide them for you. There is only 1 elegant night which means your hubby will have to wear pants that night. All the other nights khaki shorts, etc is fine. My husband would wear khaki shorts to dinner and then we would see a show or something so he would just re-wear those shorts another night as well. That helps with the packing if you do things like that. We like to take Yeti cups with us so we can fill them up and keep them with us or have them in the room for later. I over packed on my shoes last time. There were really just 3 that I wore (flip flops for pool, tennis shoes for excursion and sandals for evening). Depending on the excursions that you are doing you may need bug spray (we did a Mayan ruins tour). Have a great time!

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I have another questions that I will just include here. Can I bring my flat iron? I was looking at the "prohibited" items and it says no but I cant imagine I couldn't have a tool that I use to fix my hair. It doesn't say anything about no curling iron so I would think the flat iron would be ok. I just don't want to take it and then they throw it away.

 

 

*never mind...I found another sections that said they were fine*

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I always take my flat iron; no problems!!

 

I always take a power strip ... only one outlet in the whole cabin.

 

I always take a highlighter - when I'm looking through the fun times the night before, I highlight anything I am interested in, and then when I go to look at what's going on the next day, I don't have to comb through the whole thing again.

 

We always bring cards; it's fun to hang out in the library or deck 5 along the wall people watching, and hanging out, playing cards, trivia, etc. :)

 

Have FUN!!! You will LOVE IT!

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Definitely take a powerstrip, not a gigantic one with surge protector...just a smaller one as most rooms only have ONE outlet on the desk area. That way you can charge camera batteries, phones, etc. all at the same time when you are in the room.

 

Take a sweater or jacket. It can get really cold at night in dining room and theatre, or out by pool for movies.

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Your must take items are ID, funds and prescription medication. These stay with you at all times. Anything else you can buy if you must.

 

I do take a variety of over the counter meds and a first aid kit. You never know when you need a band aide. Tylenol is crazy expensive on the ship.

Footwear is something that takes great deal of space. I know those cute sandals match your dress perfectly but the white ones you are wearing with the other dress will do just fine. For hubby one pair each of dress shoes, sandals, water shoes and he wears his Nike to board the ship.

If you are a sun/pool/beach person you will spend much of your time in swim wear. Two suits are a must. It takes forever for them to dry with all the humidity.

It is really OK to wear those capris two or even three times and switch those tops around to get multiple outfits. Sometimes I only wear an outfit for a few hours.

If you wear makeup--narrow it down to the bare essentials. You don't need 25 shades of eyeshadow.

I bring a power strip or multiplug. NO surge protector. There is only one plug in the stateroom.

Air freshener for the bathroom. There isn't a vent.

 

While you will get tons of advice on here you might want to read about prohibited items over on the Carnival site (FAQ). You might get answers to questions you didn't know you had.

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Definitely take a powerstrip, not a gigantic one with surge protector...just a smaller one as most rooms only have ONE outlet on the desk area. That way you can charge camera batteries, phones, etc. all at the same time when you are in the room.

 

Take a sweater or jacket. It can get really cold at night in dining room and theatre, or out by pool for movies.

 

 

You can have a power strip, however must be without the surge protector.

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Definitely take a powerstrip, not a gigantic one with surge protector...just a smaller one as most rooms only have ONE outlet on the desk area. That way you can charge camera batteries, phones, etc. all at the same time when you are in the room.

 

Take a sweater or jacket. It can get really cold at night in dining room and theatre, or out by pool for movies.

 

Yikes...I meant WITHOUT a surge protector. Guess I was typing too fast and didn't proof read.

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We always bring cards; it's fun to hang out in the library or deck 5 along the wall people watching, and hanging out, playing cards, trivia, etc. :)

 

Have FUN!!! You will LOVE IT!

 

Forget bringing your own cards - go to guest services and ask for a free pack of playing cards

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All hair appliances are allowed...I also bring my own hair dryer....works better then what is provided.

 

You really don't need anything special, just because you're on a ship. Pack as you would for any vacation to the climate in which you'll be.

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If you booked any private excursions bring any email correspondence you might have. It comes in handy when you can't find your tour guide and you need their phone number! Also, ditto on the power strip. Somehow I missed the "no surge protection" part and ours was confiscated.

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Don't over pack, epsecially shoes. They take up tons of space and you have to store them on the shelf in the closet or under the bed (unless you are happy with them cluttering under the desk or the floor and I am just a tad too OCD for that.:p

 

If you are doing snorkeling or some water based excursion, I recommend water shoes with toes covered, in addition to flip flops. Then you need tennis for the track or gym (I wear mine on). Then for women, one pair of black dress sandals for evening; for men one pair of shoes like a loafer that can dress up or down for nights.

 

I keep my packing simple and all based around black. A pair of black slacks with 4 tops for casual evenings and 2 dresses for elegant. Then 3 pairs of shorts, 6-8 t shirts for day (use yesterdays day shirt as gym shirt the next), and some yoga pants and a hoodie in case it is cool. 2 bathing suits and 1 cover up. Except for underclothes and a few nighties that covers it. This all easily fits in a 22' roller.

 

The only extras we take for the room are extension cord, a couple of command hooks, lanyards, fan and clothes pins for shower (they have retractable drying cord). When we first cruised we did the pop up hampers, shoe organizers, sticky notes, highlighter, bungee etc and they just took up so much room and just weren't that helpful. We find minimalist is best.

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I usually make a "mock" list of what I will be wearing based on our itinerary. For example: Day one (Sea day); swimsuit, coverup flip flops, dinner: capris (black) blouse. Day two (excursion): Jeans, sneakers, T-shirt Dinner: capris (black) different blouse etc... I can then physically see what I am bringing (yes, I am a visual person) and I can edit from there (either add/subtract). I always bring two swimsuits a pair of black slacks & capris (I can wear blouses with both) etc... So you can see what I am doing here. That way I do not forget anything because I can check it off my list. I agree with a small first aid kit with tylenol, pepto, band aids and sea sickness medication! I have never had to use it (and we have been in some rough seas) but the day I don't bring it is the day I need it! I have a special makeup bag (almost like a train case but soft sided) and I can get all my makeup as well as my face wash, perfume, lotions in it and a bag that hangs on the back of the door that is ALWAYS packed (for those weekend getaways) with toothbrushes, paste, deodorant, travel size hairspray and yes, my shampoo in travel bottles!) I always keep that one stocked and ready to go at a moments notice!

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Is it something new? Hairdryers are always in all types of cabins.

They might not be perfect, but they are there. In bathrooms or in drawers.

 

Many ships have them, many do not. Specifically, many Fantasy-class do not have hair dryers. You can get them from room steward or from guest services, if you need them.

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To avoid overpacking, after you think you are done, take half of what you packed out and you will still have too much. Remember that things can be worn multiple times, especially things to wear around the pool and at the beach.

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