must have /helpful things to bring on a HAL cruise

[Typhoon1]

Your passport is first and foremost.

 

Then, just bring yourself and have an enjoyable time.

[serendipity1499]

trying to compile a small list of must haves/nice to have things on our upcoming cruise:

 

items like

power converter

power strip

lint brush

clothes pins

 

add to the list things that you needed (and maybe didn't bring on your first cruise)

 

I've got a 2 pg list of things we take on our cruises only because we do the long ones & need these things..

 

If you have a power strip, don't believe you will need a converter..At all the desks there are two outlets...One is the 220 & the other is 110/120.. We take a power strip & plug it in to the 110 outlet & have never needed a converter..

Small supplies are always packed in two 5 clear pocket bags which are 10" wide & 27" long.. Both hang on the two hooks on the bathroom door..On the outside of each pocket I tape the contents.. One is just for OTC meds, cold meds, band aids, foot care products, etc. & the other bag has incidentals such as sewing kit, tide packets/ bleach pen, hearing aid batteries, hand sanitizers, thermal wraps, eye glass repair kit etc..Also take a small stapler/ pens/ pencils/scotch tape/duct tape/cord/thank you notes for stewards/ highlighters/couple of rubber bands/large post it notes to leave a note for our Steward & DH..Collapsible mesh laundry basket (dollar store) Also take two small plastic bags..One is for our ships charge slips & the other is for our purchases list & receipts needed to clear customs..Next time will take a small hole puncher to put things I'm saving into my notebook which has our itinerary, insurance, & tours in it..You name it, I would bet I've packed it..

 

Sorry, I am a newbie, but I thought that ships converted the generated DC to AC already. Are you converting from DC to AC, or do you have to convert it back from AC to DC?

 

Or are you looking to change the voltage from 120 to 240 or the other way around?

 

There is one 110/120 outlet..We take a power strip with 5 extra outlets to plug into that outlet..You really don't need a converter..

 

Are clothes hangers (relatively) plentiful aboard?

Yes they are plentiful & you can ask your Steward for more if needed.. However, HAL's clothes hangers are wooden & take up a great deal of room..I usually put them in our suitcases for storage or put them on an out of the way shelf..I pack the very thin velvet covered hangars in the outside pockets of our luggage along with dry cleaner wire hangars..The wire hangars we leave behind when we disembark..We don't have to fly, so no worries about weight restrictions..

Anything which does not wrinkle I pack in zip lock big bags (Amazon has them) which go right into drawers or shelves..

http://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Double-Zipper-Large-5-Count/dp/B003U6A3C6/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_2

I pack with tissue & use that to line drawers & shelves..

Cheers...:)Betty

[Skipper's Mom]

Gallon zip lock bags just in case those toilets don't work.

 

HA, HA, HA:p:p:p

[Essiesmom]

Each of the three HAL cabins I have had, three different ships, have had two 'double' outlets at the desk.

The triple tap I use is available many places...mine came from WalMart.

I also carry a European two pin plug adapter so that I can use the 220 outlet....Everything I carry is dual voltage. EM

[cjm66]

Each of the three HAL cabins I have had, three different ships, have had two 'double' outlets at the desk.

 

 

 

The triple tap I use is available many places...mine came from WalMart.

I also carry a European two pin plug adapter so that I can use the 220 outlet....Everything I carry is dual voltage. EM

 

Hi Essiesmom - We will need 220 voltage to recharge the scooter. Looks like the 220 plug is a two pronged "round" type from your photograph - and thanks for that. We have adaptors to convert "2 round" to the three triangle style used in Australia so we can plug in our various chargers. Still not sure of we are allowed to bring our own power board with us so we can charge more than one at a ime.

[Essiesmom]

Hi Essiesmom - We will need 220 voltage to recharge the scooter. Looks like the 220 plug is a two pronged "round" type from your photograph - and thanks for that. We have adaptors to convert "2 round" to the three triangle style used in Australia so we can plug in our various chargers. Still not sure of we are allowed to bring our own power board with us so we can charge more than one at a ime.

 

I'm sure you have items like this available downunder...Some, like the Belkin on pictured earlier, have USB ports, too. Something like this, and another plug adapter would make the second 220 outlet usable for recharging several items at once. EM

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3433590

[surfsidemary]

HA' date=' HA, HA:p:p:p[/quote']

 

I use gallon ziploc bags to put away "stuff" from each port as we move along.

[Essiesmom]

Also found a dual voltage one at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003I3LSJ8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=AH08B8Y17EA1N

[andeesue]

I bring a curly plastic bracelet style keychain that I put my room key/card on. The Front Desk will put a hole in the card. Many wear theirs on a lanyard, but this is easier for me for running around the ship when I don't want to carry a purse or have pockets.

[babywewe]

There are great suggestions on this board!

 

I travel with this ll bean toiletry kit and it hangs. http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/73883?feat=2936-GN2

Target sells something like it.

 

Have a first aid kit. Medication is expensive so raid you cabinet. Allergy meds, Benadryl , motrin or like med, cold med band aids, nail file, cotton, q tips, ..etc

 

Bug spray for tropical places. In Mexico I got bit up so bad. On top of it I had no benadryl for the swollen bites!

 

I like to have a cheap water bottle on board to fill up with water. I can also brew my own ice tea, or I can fill it up with morning juice and sip all day. I also bring the powdered drink mix.

[SwissMyst]

....

 

Have a first aid kit. Medication is expensive so raid you cabinet. Allergy meds, Benadryl , motrin or like med, cold med band aids, nail file, cotton, q tips, ..etc

....

 

Pepto-Bismol tablets always go along on every trip too - Peace Corp study found these better than antibiotics for the occasional traveller tummy bugs. Lomotil is also a must for back-up too.

[NMLady]

gallon zip lock bags just in case those toilets don't work.

 

yuck! :(

[innlady1]

There are great suggestions on this board!

 

I travel with this ll bean toiletry kit and it hangs. http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/73883?feat=2936-GN2

Target sells something like it.

 

Have a first aid kit. Medication is expensive so raid you cabinet. Allergy meds, Benadryl , motrin or like med, cold med band aids, nail file, cotton, q tips, ..etc

 

Bug spray for tropical places. In Mexico I got bit up so bad. On top of it I had no benadryl for the swollen bites!

 

I like to have a cheap water bottle on board to fill up with water. I can also brew my own ice tea, or I can fill it up with morning juice and sip all day. I also bring the powdered drink mix.

 

DH has one exactly like that from L. L. Bean....in red as well!

[sapper1]

We have one like this, but without the large rim at the bottom. Doesn't take up a lot of room, and is almost flush with the outlet.

 

 

We have two of those. One for the bath and one for the main cabin. They work very well. You can also use the light on the makeup mirror if you turn it so it does not face the bed.

[Robkat]

Instead of using a plug-in night light in the bathroom, we bring a tap light, which uses 2 AA batteries. It does the job and we don't have to worry about it fitting in the outlet.

 

We bring 2 small digital clocks, as there are none in the cabin. One is for the main cabin and one is for in the bathroom. DH & I like to know, when we get up to use the bathroom in the night, how much longer we've got before it's time to get up!

 

We bring 2 of the Glade air fresheners ... the non plug-in ones. One makes the cabin smell so nice and fresh, and the other ... well it makes other places smell nice and fresh too!

 

As everyone has said, always bring a small stash of OTC meds in case of colds, headaches, upset tummies, etc. The prices in the onboard shops are atrocious and who wants to spend time in port searching such things out. Oh, and if you're somewhere with bright sunny weather, don't forget some extra suntan lotion ... also woefully overpriced onboard.

 

Since neither one of us likes to wear a watch while we're either onboard or out in a port, I always bring a small cheapie watch that I hang on my backpack.

[kazu]

One crazy thing I will add to the list - if you are going to Europe and doing either a pre cruise or a post cruise stay - and like a face cloth - pack one.

 

I normally take one that we can use safely behind for other people.

 

Sounds silly, but if you use a face cloth (or wash cloth) they are not typical in a lot of European hotels - so I always throw one in the bag for those cruises

[Watson's aunt]

Amsterdam only has one plug in cabin and on in bathroom. I bought a power strip. When I was unpacking I asked steward if this was on he said no so I walked down to front deassk and asked for one.

 

I don't bring night lights. I always just leave the bathroom light on. I have a inside room. Even in when I go on a trip I always leave the bathroom light on. I do not mind lights being on

 

 

Mary

[northernphoenix]

I have a small portable fan that travels with me. I find that this is a habit that I must carry with me, I use a larger one at home, and this can lull me to sleep in no time,

Marilyn

[pdmlynek]

I think what the poster meant was something like this. More to provide a couple of extra outlets - also sometimes the outlet may be in a spot where some camera chargers, etc. won't fit very well.

 

 

What you have there is not something that simply provides a couple of more outlets. This is actually a travel-size miniture surge protector. It is designed to protect your electronic device from electrical spikes.

[RMLincoln]

I bring a tote bag to carry with me on the ship; it holds my water bottle, book, camera (small), visor, journal etc. If we get a tote from HAL, that's good too and DH will use it for his portable DVD player for his study courses that he likes to catch up on when cruising.

 

I bring a small black evening purse (mine is about 4X6X1) with a shoulder cord to bring to the MDR; carries my camera, room card (which I take off the neck lanyard for evenings) and one or two small items; the shoulder strap allows me to sling it over the dining room chair so it's not sliding off my lap during dinner.

 

Definitely an outlet triple tap; and a very small fan but last time I got a real fan and power strip from the cabin steward.

 

Finally got a decent travel clock, one with a temperature readout.

 

Dryer sheets in case I need to do a wash - they supply the laundry soap on HAL. m--

[SwissMyst]

....

Sounds silly, but if you use a face cloth (or wash cloth) they are not typical in a lot of European hotels - so I always throw one in the bag for those cruises

 

Hooray for wash cloths.

 

I always carry one or two myself because I like a nice lightweight one that rinses easily. Often hotel or ships ones are so soft and heavy, it takes forever to rinse out the soap. And yes, Euro hotels and elsewhere often don't even have good ones, let alone bad ones.

 

My sister is always on the look out in bargain stores for the cheapest, sleaziest wash cloths she can find because she knows I love them. I learned I need to bring them in colors because if they are white, they often get picked up by the stewards in their towel pickups. Usually they are 100% cotton but recently have used a micro-fiber one that works really well for travel too.

 

I also make sure I keep it separate and away too as well as bring a little bit of laundry soap and clorox to keep them fresh. I always carry a wet wash cloth in a little plastic zip lock bag in my purse too. Good for getting food stains out as well as a handy wipe for sticky hands.

[serendipity1499]

I've found a safer way to carry my sea pass:

At Office supply stores you can get a Little clip on Lanyard about 1/2 inch in diameter..Many nurses & staff in our Hospital use these..When traveling, we keep the reel attached to our pocket (with the sea pass inside the pocket) so no one sees our names, or what ship we are on..It's especially important to us when we are in Port..The lanyard pulls out to approx. 36 inches when we have our passes scanned or use it to open our cabin door..IMO it's safer that way..

 

At STAPLES they are called retractable badge holders..

 

http://www.staples.com/office/suppli...s_10051_SEARCH

 

At OFFICE DEPOT they are called ID Card reels: These you have to put a ring on them to attach your sea pass card....

 

http://www.officedepot.com/textSearc...eels&x=37&y=13

Fancy ones made out of sea glass are at boojee beads..They cost about $10.99 & are so pretty..I have several of them & bought them for my Granddaughters who go on Carnival once a year..They make good Christmas stocking gifts..

http://www.boojeebeads.com/badge-reels/blooming-roses-badge-reel.html

Betty

P.S. Wish I could copy & paste one of them here, but it won't work..

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[Boytjie]

Instead of using a plug-in night light in the bathroom, we bring a tap light, which uses 2 AA batteries. It does the job and we don't have to worry about it fitting in the outlet.

 

Same here, I throw one of these in my luggage:

 

[Boytjie]

P.S. Wish I could copy & paste one of them here, but it won't work..

 

Right click on the image you want and select 'Copy Image Location' then select the 'Insert Image' button in your post (yellow square with mountain tops) and paste the image link in the box (Control + V or right click and select paste). Voila!

 

[serendipity1499]

Same here, I throw one of these in my luggage:

 

 

 

Where can I find these? If I go to a hardware store & ask for Tap Lights, will they know what I'm talking about..Are they like the single little lights that we put in some candle holders when the grand kids are here?

 

Right click on the image you want and select 'Copy Image Location' then select the 'Insert Image' button in your post (yellow square with mountain tops) and paste the image link in the box (Control + V or right click and select paste). Voila!

 

 

THANKS A BUNCH...Knew I could count on you to help me out..I copied your post to word & will refer to it the next time..Tried a copy & paste, but that didn't work..

Cheers..Betty