must have /helpful things to bring on a HAL cruise

[NoobCruise]

I used to always take a fan or an air purifier with me for white noise while I sleep. The constant hum drowns out any variable noises like doors slamming, people in the corridors talking and laughing etc. They're big, bulky, and take up suitcase space as well as table space in the cabin. I recently found an AP for my ipad called white noise that has completely replaced lugging my air purifier around. You can select different sounds on it and adjust the volume. I can actually make it louder then my air purifier if I want. It works great. I've even retired my air purifier at home and only use this Ap now. You can also get it for iphone and other smart phones like android and blackberry.

 

I won't travel anywhere without it now.

 

http://www.tmsoft.com/iphone-whitenoise.html

[Harris Jeffer]

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)

 

a small ice cooler is helpfull.....the tiny ice buckets are always melted just when you need ice!

[Boytjie]

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?

 

Places like Target and I am sure Home Depot have them, even perhaps CVS or Wallgreens.

[mamaofami]

We bring those tap lights too.

 

I shouldn't be reading this thread as we are almost about to close our suitcases and nothing else can go in there. The carry on is empty, but will be filled the morning of. Whatever we don't have, we'll do without.

[jaguarstyper]

Don't forget your BBQ grill for the verandah. :D

Brings back memories of that long thread sometime ago which went over the top with crazy suggestions. Don't remember where it was but it was hilarious!:D Maybe someone will remember or find it.

 

That is the thread I was thinking of when I posted this. Funny, funny stuff. Things are too serious around here sometime. LOL

[tip]

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

 

"The One Who Must Be Obeyed" aka my wife of 39 years!

[serendipity1499]

Places like Target and I am sure Home Depot have them, even perhaps CVS or Wallgreens.

 

Thanks Peter..

[moondoggie]

I never leave home without them. Have had a small folding pair of Nikons for about thirty years--even take them to the symphony and stage shows to see stuff 'up close'. Extremely useful to see other ships at sea, sunsets when it is cloudy, and entering/exiting ports. VERY neat at Cirque du Soleil shows to see what is happening above our heads in terms of 'how they do' some of the special effects.

 

We also bring a small Brookstone fan that runs on D cell batteries OR current. It has a 60 minute timer that is great for falling asleep. It provides some white noise which is helpful when falling asleep.

 

I bring thank you notes for special crew members--these are prized because they share them with their supervisors as proof of their outstanding service.

 

But the binoculars--as important as my Tervis tumbler!

[jcrandle]

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

 

Europeans would not call them "face cloths", as they consider that they are used for the OTHER end!

 

But like you, I take wash cloths to Europe.

[blueweimer]

We read a lot of posts like this last year prior to taking our cruise to Alaska. Below I will post what was useful and what wasn't. Keep in mind we were in a deluxe suite, and I'm not sure all the amenities are the same as other rooms.

 

The things we liked:

1. A cheap pop up hamper. This was great. I otherwise throw our dirty clothes in plastic bags. This was neater and easier.

2. Lots of $1 bills: for tipping

 

The things we didn't need to bring:

1. Q tips/cotton puffs: those were in our room

2. Power strips: there were plenty in our room

[JamesEM]

We bring along a pad of Post-It-Notes for leaving messages.

[Cindy]

Over the years we have built up a collection of things we cruise with, and those items are stored in one of our suitcases so I never have to go hunting.:) I bring one of the Belkin 3-outlet strips with the USB ports along with a very short (6") extension cord, because sometimes the outlets are recessed and it's impossible to plug things in without one.

I bought this before our last cruise, and it worked wonderfully to keep all the charging cords organized for 2 iPhones, 2 Kindles, and an iPad!:rolleyes:

Other things I always take on a cruise...ZipLoc bags in a variety of sizes, large sticky notes, a small fan, copies of our passports, a travel alarm clock, a small flashlight (plus a flashlight app on my phone), a small cross-body purse for daytime (holds camera and key card), snorkel gear (minus fins if we're flying), and an OTC medication/first aid kit.

It's a wonder I have room for clothes!:eek::rolleyes:

[innlady1]

Cindy, that's a handy-dandy gadget! Where did you buy it?

[Cindy]

Cindy, that's a handy-dandy gadget! Where did you buy it?

 

I got it from Amazon...if you click on the picture you should connect directly to the item. The thing I like best about this is it keeps everything together and organized. I can't stand clutter, and this helps me keep things under control!:D

[innlady1]

I got it from Amazon...if you click on the picture you should connect directly to the item. The thing I like best about this is it keeps everything together and organized. I can't stand clutter, and this helps me keep things under control!:D

 

Thanks! I hate clutter too...but somehow, it seems to find me...can I hire you to "declutter" our house :confused: ;)

 

Luckily, I can keep it under control on a cruise...LOL!

[Cindy]

Thanks! I hate clutter too...but somehow, it seems to find me...can I hire you to "declutter" our house :confused: ;)

 

Luckily, I can keep it under control on a cruise...LOL!

 

Ha! I retired just over a week ago, and I've started the long-overdue project of cleaning out every closet in my house. It's shocking how much "stuff" we have:rolleyes:, and even more astounding is how much of it we don't need or use.:( I really need to do a better job of not just shoving things in a closet to get them out of sight.:o

[NMLady]

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. Mary

 

My husband uses a CPAP so when we were on the Amsterdam for the 14 night Alaska cruise we took a surge protected power strip and an extension cord. Both were fine with our cabin steward. What kind of power strip did you have that wasn't approved?

We brought our own simply because sometimes the ship runs out of power strips, and we couldn't afford to be without one.

[innlady1]

Ha! I retired just over a week ago, and I've started the long-overdue project of cleaning out every closet in my house. It's shocking how much "stuff" we have:rolleyes:, and even more astounding is how much of it we don't need or use.:( I really need to do a better job of not just shoving things in a closet to get them out of sight.:o

 

Oh my, you and I must be twins! When we finally sell our inn, that's exactly what I'm going to do. Winter when we're on the mainland I seem to run out of time.

[Robkat]

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?

 

 

As was posted previously, these tap lights are available lots of places. Got ours at Wal-Mart in the hardware section; package of 4 for $2.99! Not only are they great because they don't require plugging in, but also they don't give off huge amount of light ... certainly sufficient for using the bathroom at night, but not so much that it completely burns out your retinas in the middle of the night like those bathroom lights do!

 

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, we don't ever go anywhere without our Clorox Bleach pen (for whites) and our Tide to Go pen (for everything else).

 

Still thinking of stuff!:rolleyes:

[serendipity1499]

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?

 

 

As was posted previously, these tap lights are available lots of places. Got ours at Wal-Mart in the hardware section; package of 4 for $2.99! Not only are they great because they don't require plugging in, but also they don't give off huge amount of light ... certainly sufficient for using the bathroom at night, but not so much that it completely burns out your retinas in the middle of the night like those bathroom lights do!

 

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, we don't ever go anywhere without our Clorox Bleach pen (for whites) and our Tide to Go pen (for everything else).

 

Still thinking of stuff!:rolleyes:

 

Thanks..they look stronger than the ones I buy for our small candle holders..Will look them up at Walmart.

Oh yes, Also take a Clorox Bleach pen & a Tide pen plus the little packets of Tide liquid for hand washing in the sink & clothes pins..Have used them many times on our various cruises..

Cheers...Betty

[Viesczy]

Flashlight. It would have come in very handy the time the power was out and I had to manuver in the dark. It does come in handy when I have to get up in the middle of the night. Just enough light to see, without truly waking me up.

 

^quoted for truth! Even one of those ultra-bright LED ones are worth their weight in platinum. Especially after what happened to the Concordia.

 

Hmmm, thinking on that a set of 2 way radios too in event of emergency like the Concordia too.

 

Derek

[Juliamay]

While I have never been on a cruise, one thing that is on my to-pack list is a little tube of E3000 multi-purpose glue. I am always reaching for it at home to fix things. This could save a broken jewelry item, a broken shoe heel, just this morning I glued a loose eyeshadow back into it's compact.

 

I also always travel with wet-wipes. (Must be leftover from my days of babies & toddlers.) To wash your hands before eating when facilities aren't available, to wipe a table. I make sure they are universally "gentle" so they can be used for faces, etc but still could wipe other surfaces.

 

HTH!

 

Julia in Woodinville, WA

[Olive1950]

1. A couple 9-LED flashlights

 

2. Rubberized shelf liner to prevent things from sliding

 

3. Germ-X wipes

 

4. Duct tape

[cjm66]

One item I never leave behind is my homemade mending kit, which I also use at home for running repairs. It is contained in an old spectacles case - a large hard sided case with a strong clasp and padded lid - relic of the days of uber sized eye wear. It takes needles, pins, an unpicker, spare buttons, safety pins, a small screwdriver for mending spectacles, several small cotton reels and a pair of scissors (less than 3 inches in blade length) and the padded lid takes pins and needles. I pack it in cabin baggage as it always gets picked up by the scanner in carry on and I get stopped and baggage searched to check the length of the scissor blades.

 

Colleen

[Watson's aunt]

One thing very important if you wear glasses a 2nd pair. I don't know how many times a lens has falling out of my glasses and sometimes lost.

 

Mary