Long Cruise - What did you forget?

[SwissMyst]

Some one gave the advice to just pack for two weeks, and then double or triple the things that might run out, and re-wear everything on a two week plan, instead of thinking about packing for your entire lenght of the trip .

 

It was the pre-planning to be away from home that really needed the check list. What surprised me on our long cruise was how many people wore their travel logo t-shirts during the day from all these different places they had been and this was a very exotically travelled group. (MV Discovery) It was a great ice breaker and a good way to feel okay wearing those souvenirs again.

 

Had I known this was the casual dress of the day, it would have made packing a lot easier than having "outfits" which was my big packing error. One gets a lot of misinformation looking at the ship brochures with all the stylish looking models looking so perfectly coiffed, groomed, dressed and thin. I was able to post my onboard ship photos for this particular company on another cruise critic forum and they look a lot more real than their brochure to show how casual, in fact casual was on this ship.

[bergjd]

Some one gave the advice to just pack for two weeks, and then double or triple the things that might run out, and re-wear everything on a two week plan, instead of thinking about packing for your entire lenght of the trip .

 

It was the pre-planning to be away from home that really needed the check list. What surprised me on our long cruise was how many people wore their travel logo t-shirts during the day from all these different places they had been and this was a very exotically travelled group. (MV Discovery) It was a great ice breaker and a good way to feel okay wearing those souvenirs again.

 

Had I known this was the casual dress of the day, it would have made packing a lot easier than having "outfits" which was my big packing error. One gets a lot of misinformation looking at the ship brochures with all the stylish looking models looking so perfectly coiffed, groomed, dressed and thin. I was able to post my onboard ship photos for this particular company on another cruise critic forum and they look a lot more real than their brochure to show how casual, in fact casual was on this ship.

 

I guess if you just packed your evening wear, you could just buy t-shirts at each port and have new clean clothes to wear everyday. Actually, we see a lot of people do that. My daughter once said that the next time she visits Hawaii she's not packing anything because you can buy anything you need at the ABC stores there. And at 5 shirts for $10 maybe she has the right idea.:)

[ANSalberg]

Speaking of Logo T-shirts; We always bring a few from where WE live as conversation starters. Denver Bronco's T-shirt - and one from Colorado University where we both went over 50 years ago -is fun!

One fun story; I saw T-shirts at "Marshalls" for $3 for Denver Nuggets and the color was a very pretty medium blue with large logo on the front and a player name on the back -so I got 2. My husband roared with laughter as the reason they were on sale was because this person was not well liked and had moved on to another team [ how was I to know; I don't follow sports teams!] My thought on the logo stuff is that if you need room in your suitcase and you've worn them as much as you'd planned -you can just pitch them before you pack to come home!

The other thing we do for long cruises out of Seattle is make a list of heavier liquids we need or potential disasters -and not pack them but buy them THERE. I'm thinking mouthwash, large tubes toothpast, shampoo you especuially like, It seems like when we GET to a strange store my mental list flies out of my brain quickly......I put a sticky note on the counter in the kitchen where we can BOTH jot down potential purchases FOR the port town/city. We ship some suitcases [longer cruises] and each have carry-ons for airport/hotel before and after the flight. I would NOT pack liquids or sticky liquids in larger containers; that just invites disaster.....buy it when you're ready to board.

On these cruises that are considerably longer -remember if you forget something you CAN'T replace easily because your first port is likely to be Kamchatka Russia or someplace that will NOT have the AMERICAN product you want; this isn't a cruise to St Thomas or Cabo San Lucas! Hope this helps!

Anne

[bergjd]

The sticky note is a good idea. However, I think we will probably need a large piece of paper, maybe even a tablet!

[bergjd]

Interesting website. I'll have to inspect it more later. I don't like to think about how hot it is going to be!! I don't do well in warm whether, and then I pay to go spend months near/on the equator!

[brnowl]

You are so right - i have been without the comfortable casuals before too! Thanks for the reminder, as we have a 3 week cruise booked for October!

[Cruisin Suzin]

Over the counter drugs are usually Country specific...for example, I cannot buy Bonine meclizine here in Canada, you cannot buy Cold FX in the USA (at least you never could) So I would bring as much of that stuff as I might need..same with Imodium that can happen any where..

[Pat.bz]

Once I was on a month-long B2B and stewart broke my pocket-sized 10x magnifying mirror. Not only were there none onboard it was difficult and expensive to replace onshore; now I travel with 2!

[whogo]

Years ago I started a list of absolutely everything I could possibly want to take with me on a cruise. Length of cruise, or destination---didn't matter. As I thought of it, on the list it went. Everything from heavy coat to lightest t-shirt, from electric triple tap to dog biscuits (yes, dog biscuits. never know when you'll meet up with a dog you need to make friends with. quickly :eek:) is on that list.

Now, I print the list out, mark what I want to bring on this cruise, and check it off as I pack it.

 

What do I forget? Not a -dam thing. :D

I do something similar with a spreadsheet, keeping track of what I take on each trip and what I actually use. I can also total the weight of all selected items to figure out how much I will be carrying.

 

I like to look around foreign department stores, grocery stores, and markets, but it is the last place I want to buy toiletries. I do not want to find that the foreign antiperspirant doesn't work, smells girly, and gives me a rash, or that the toothpaste is really pimple cream. I take all that stuff from home.

 

Now is the time to start planning for shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant usage. Next time you start a new container, print the start date on it with a Sharpie and see how long it lasts you. Travel sized toothpaste lasts me three weeks. Travel sized antiperspirant lasts me a month. Just barely. Leave yourself a cushion. Remember that you will need more shampoo with harder water and that you will bathe more often in hot climates or at the pool or beach.

[bergjd]

Now is the time to start planning for shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant usage. Next time you start a new container, print the start date on it with a Sharpie and see how long it lasts you. Travel sized toothpaste lasts me three weeks. Travel sized antiperspirant lasts me a month. Just barely. Leave yourself a cushion. Remember that you will need more shampoo with harder water and that you will bathe more often in hot climates or at the pool or beach.

I never would have thought about dating my toothpaste and deordorant. What a smart idea!! Thanks

[bergjd]

We were on a cruise that didn't have a passenger laundry and discovered that a Sham Wow towel works wonders in helping to get most of the water out of clothes prior to hanging.

 

Just lay the wet article on the Sham Wow and roll up and twist. A large towel does the same thing, but you can wring the SW out each time and keep reusing it, where a towel just gets wetter and wetter.

 

Works great on bathing suits when you are in and out of the pool or spa throughout the day.

[EviesCruisin]

Right, should have clarified. We liked having a separate, larger, sturdier clothesline that did not mean that laundry drying and showering could not take at the same time. Because the clothesline is braided and stretches you could hang small items like underwear, socks - plus t-shirts and cotton items take a lot longer to dry than bathing suits and things of that nature.

 

Every cabin on every ship has a clothesline on the shower/tub.

[SwissMyst]

I guess if you just packed your evening wear, you could just buy t-shirts at each port and have new clean clothes to wear everyday. ......

 

I think this is what this well-seasoned group of travellers did, because they all looked great dressing up every evening for dinner. So I know their suitcases were full of more formal items since we all face luggage limits these days.

 

And we sure saw a lot of reuse of the free tee-shirt we got in Penang from the tourist office. We would count at least 5 of them every morning at breakfast. And we also saw tee-shirts for Pitcarin Island and Tristan Da Cuhna so these people got around.

 

The best tee shirt was the one we bought on an early stop in Manila that were made especially for this MV Discovery trip listing all the port stops on the back and flags from all the countries we would be visiting on the 42 day Grand Voyage under a drawing of the ship on the front. Another one they also offered listed all the crew members on the ship since so many of them were from Manila.

[SwissMyst]

We were on a cruise that didn't have a passenger laundry and discovered that a Sham Wow towel works wonders in helping to get most of the water out of clothes prior to hanging.

.....

 

My "in-room dryer" consists of rolling up items in a bath towel (or your Sham Wow type microfiber towel) and then walking up and down on top of the roll to squeeze out as much moisture as possible -- and trying to keep my balance at the same time. Do not attempt this when the ship is rolling in high seas. :eek:

[ariawoman]

I'm glad I read this thread! I'd have never thought to bring a small roll of duct tape on the cruise! Gotta add it to my list.

 

I also like the one posters idea of dating your products at home to see how long they actually last you, so you'll know if you're bringing enough or not. Awesome!

[SwissMyst]

[quote name='bergjd']Interesting website. I'll have to inspect it more later. I don't like to think about how hot it is going to be!! I don't do well in warm whether, and then I pay to go spend months near/on the equator![/QUOTE]


We did that too -- 42 days around the equator (Jan-March - Indian Ocean) and it was hot and did get us down and I think left us exposed to getting sick at about 30 days. The unplanned affliction for me was contact lens infection in my eyes. So if you wear them, those daily disposables might be a better choice for this kind of hot and humid weather. As beautiful as the Seychelles Islands are they lie so close to the equator it is just punishing hot all the time there.

We really welcomed it when the ship started heading away from the middle of the earth. We wanted to see and do everything, but the heat just sapped any energy to even just walk about. And when it was cooler in the evening, we were back on the ship and sailing away. Plus it made the sea days very punishing too unless you found a shady spot on deck.

But............... we would do it all again in a heart beat. It is just words now talking about it, but I also do remember how punishing it was day after day after day ...... prepare and plan accordingly. And how else does one see all the dazzling sights that hug the equator but go to the equator.

We had a little mishap during the King Neptune Ceremony when actually crossing the equator that may have done me in. We were given the time to gather at the stern of the ship to watch and then had to wait, and wait, and wait in the blazing hot sun (I know it was my choice to stay there) but I believe the ceremony had to wait until we were actually on the equator and the original timing announcement was off.

That was just shabby planning and should have been corrected because most of us were older passengers (who should have known better than to stay out in the noon day sun), but we were also passengers eager for this often once in a life time happening to cross the equator who would wait and wait and wait for this event, but we should have been given a more accurate time forecast. And we weren't going to give up our prime open deck viewing spots so talk about setting oneself up for trouble, we did it.

[bergjd]

[quote name='SwissMyst']We did that too -- 42 days around the equator (Jan-March - Indian Ocean) and it was hot and did get us down and I think left us exposed to getting sick at about 30 days. The unplanned affliction for me was contact lens infection in my eyes. So if you wear them, those daily disposables might be a better choice for this kind of hot and humid weather. As beautiful as the Seychelles Islands are they lie so close to the equator it is just punishing hot all the time there.

We really welcomed it when the ship started heading away from the middle of the earth. We wanted to see and do everything, but the heat just sapped any energy to even just walk about. And when it was cooler in the evening, we were back on the ship and sailing away. Plus it made the sea days very punishing too unless you found a shady spot on deck.

But............... we would do it all again in a heart beat. It is just words now talking about it, but I also do remember how punishing it was day after day after day ...... prepare and plan accordingly. And how else does one see all the dazzling sights that hug the equator but go to the equator.

We had a little mishap during the King Neptune Ceremony when actually crossing the equator that may have done me in. We were given the time to gather at the stern of the ship to watch and then had to wait, and wait, and wait in the blazing hot sun (I know it was my choice to stay there) but I believe the ceremony had to wait until we were actually on the equator and the original timing announcement was off.

That was just shabby planning and should have been corrected because most of us were older passengers (who should have known better than to stay out in the noon day sun), but we were also passengers eager for this often once in a life time happening to cross the equator who would wait and wait and wait for this event, but we should have been given a more accurate time forecast. And we weren't going to give up our prime open deck viewing spots so talk about setting oneself up for trouble, we did it.[/quote]

I appreciate you posting this. I was afraid it would be this bad and now I know for sure.:eek: Will this change my mind about doing this cruise? NO. I will just have to take a/c tours and enjoy either the pool or be inside. Forewarned is forearmed. Thanks.

[ANSalberg]

[quote name='SwissMyst']I think this is what this well-seasoned group of travellers did, because they all looked great dressing up every evening for dinner. So I know their suitcases were full of more formal items since we all face luggage limits these days.

And we sure saw a lot of reuse of the free tee-shirt we got in Penang from the tourist office. We would count at least 5 of them every morning at breakfast. And we also saw tee-shirts for Pitcarin Island and Tristan Da Cuhna so these people got around.

Another Asian purchase that's great fun are silk things from Asia. They do very nicely over slacks in the dining room on a "formal" night where nothing really special is going on -or on Halloween etc - I HIGHLY recommend Stanley Mkt in Hong Kong or any of the street markts in Kowloon [ the boat docks in Kowloon] also the "Jade Mkt" -AND there are several fun shopping areas JUST outside the terminal including WONDERFUL [ but expensive] things from China. My silk jack was purchased [ if I remember] in Vietnam and was under $15 with beautiful embroidery ;)

[surfsidemary]

I have been "assuming" that after another coastal South Carolina summer, the September Grand Voyage would not be too much of a shock. My body is accustomed to a heat index of 120 or so.

What not to forget: Cotton, cotton, cotton. And hats. Never wore a hat in my life until I retired to the South! They really do make a difference.
Mary Ellen

[bergjd]

[quote name='surfsidemary']I have been "assuming" that after another coastal South Carolina summer, the September Grand Voyage would not be too much of a shock. My body is accustomed to a heat index of 120 or so.

What not to forget: Cotton, cotton, cotton. And hats. Never wore a hat in my life until I retired to the South! They really do make a difference.
Mary Ellen[/quote]
Cotton is great for hot weather. Now if I was just a 4 star cruiser, someone would iron it all for me for free, but alas, only 3 stars.:(

[SwissMyst]

I also found lightweight 100% puckered or ribbed cotton knits to work well in the extreme heat too, since they did not stick to the skin and allowed little pathways for ventilation and best of all did not wrinkle. If there is even 1-5% spandex in the cotton, it felt like wearing a rubber bag.

Carrying a collapsible hand fan was also a great help just to move some of the heavy air around. Sunscreen creams for me seem to hold the heat in, so I would use a sun screen powder at least on my face. Pick the lightest weight sun screen you can find.

If you have an in room refrigerator, you can get those water absorbing crystal head/neck bands which help. Or even if you don't ,they work just by getting soaked ahead of time. And one couple always carried a spray mister water bottle and gave themselves a few shots from time to time, and the rest of us who were happy to get down wind from them.

And many women carry umbrellas in this part of the world and those helped a lot particularly when on a group tour for the bus window if you got the sunny side and when standing around waiting and not be able to be in the shade.

We had one day in Madagascar visiting a trail of baobob trees that ended being littered with collapsed bodies from the Exploritas group that sailed with us -- just heat, so it was nothing really serious but very difficult and scary when big people are on the ground in the middle of nowhere. Water, water, water -drink lots of it. Always.

And that means also carrying those little "Funnelettes" if you are a woman because you never know when or where you will need to respond to nature after drinking all that water in this part of the world.

Skirts are far cooler and easier to wear than pants or shorts when faced with the heat and the more primative bathroom choices in less developed parts of the world. There is a funny shirt/shorts combo called the Macabi skirt that lets you hook it up into a pair of loose pants, but it also drops and becomes a skirt too. Lots of nice deep pockets - but it is nylon fabric. It actually looks better in person than it does on their website.

And again, be sure to add linen also to the 100% cotton for these climates. And a lightweight wrap you can carry when you go into the blasting A/C places for comfort.

The heat at the equator feels like it is a lot more intense feeling because it is more directly coming down at you, instead of at an angle. It just feels fierce even when the temperature might be similar. Don't know if this is actual physics or just psychological. It seemed like it was a lot easier to burn closer to the equator even if you had a bit of a tan already. In the Indian Ocean I can see why Mauritius and Reunion are more popular than the exceptionally beautiful but almost directly equatorial Seychelles, simply because of where they are on the globe.