Extras to take to make life on board perfect?

[Ukulele girl]

I have only cruised with Cunard recently but have treid to think of all those useful little things to help make the cruise perfect. My current list beyond clothes, books toiletries etc includes: binoculars, a basket to carry all those nits and pieces around in during the day, 2 different coloured highlighter pens to identify activities for my husband and I each day, ginger biscuits/chews to help with sickness, mints, indegestion tablets.

 

Last year I was given a lot of flowers at a party 2 days before my cruise so I took them and a vase on board and they were great to enjoy in the cabin.

 

Does anyone have any other essentials they could suggest I should take?

[Jo and Rob]

I have only cruised with Cunard recently but have treid to think of all those useful little things to help make the cruise perfect. My current list beyond clothes, books toiletries etc includes: binoculars, a basket to carry all those nits and pieces around in during the day, 2 different coloured highlighter pens to identify activities for my husband and I each day, ginger biscuits/chews to help with sickness, mints, indegestion tablets.

 

Last year I was given a lot of flowers at a party 2 days before my cruise so I took them and a vase on board and they were great to enjoy in the cabin.

 

Does anyone have any other essentials they could suggest I should take?

 

Post its for messages to the steward.

Four bar plug for charging all the electronics.

External hard drive to store video and pictures whilst on board.

Box of wine for the fridge.

Own shampoo and conditioner.

Children's hangers.

Home produced port information sheets with info and key language phrases for different countries.

[Host Sharon]

Cheap plastic coat hangers (you can then leave them behind if no room on repacking).

Plastic wallet for receipts

Fleece blanket (so I can still sit out on cooler days)

Insulated travel mug (great for filling in buffet and carrying out on deck)

Thank you cards (for waiters / steward etc)

[Scorpio41]

I pack my trousers, shirts on the hangers and just lift out of the case onto the rail. Take trouser gripe hangers.

 

I haven't but have been told to take a magnet for holding the Horizon paper to the wall.

 

Box of wine for the fridge. (the fridge is only the keeper we will be the drinkers)

 

Four socket extension lead. The sockets can be too low to the work surface so you cannot fit the usb plugs into the sockets to charge, and charge more than one thing at once.

 

USB stick for loading any picture from the laptop to take to the photo shop saves hunting through your memory card for a few photo's to print. Ideal if you wish to give other cruisers a copy.

 

I take some notelets and envelops for emergency cards.

 

I can't think of anything else for now. :)

[moragk]

Ukelele - how heavy are your nits??? :D

[winniesbestm8]

Never thought of a four bar extension!! Or a post it note!!

 

We take extra hangers particularly for the children and a box of wine of course!!

 

We take a travel washing line to hang the swimming costumes etc on the balcony and in the bathroom (I know there is a small line in the shower - but not enough for 4 of us)

[tartanexile81]

We've cruised for several years now and in that time added many of the things you've already mentioned to make our cruise even more perfect:

• 4-socket extension;
  
• stretchy travel washing line;
  
• trouser on hangers, and plastic hangers we can leave behind;
  
• wine for pre-dinner drinks - we take bubbly;
  
• thank you cards for our steward and waiters;
  
• blu-tak for leaving notes - don't think anybody has mentioned it;
  
• memory stick with copies of important docs and to keep copies of photos.
  

For our next cruise, we're adding giant clothes pegs to hold the towels on the lounger, available from Lakeland! We saw this on our last cruise.

 

However even without all those things, I'm sure we'd still be addicted to cruising.

 

BUT we also love the idea of magnets to display the current copy of the Horizon and the cruise overview on the wall so thank you for passing on the idea Scorpio41

[cruiseluvva]

Fresh orange juice for breakfast on the balcony - I can't bear the P&O juice. A couple of large cartons lasts a couple of weeks, then we buy more ashore.

A collapsible laundry bag.

A small parasol with bungee cord for attaching to the chairs on the balcony if cruising to sunny climes.

[Tangoqueen]

We've cruised for several years now and in that time added many of the things you've already mentioned to make our cruise even more perfect:

• 4-socket extension;
  
• stretchy travel washing line;
  
• trouser on hangers, and plastic hangers we can leave behind;
  
• wine for pre-dinner drinks - we take bubbly;
  
• thank you cards for our steward and waiters;
  
• blu-tak for leaving notes - don't think anybody has mentioned it;
  
• memory stick with copies of important docs and to keep copies of photos.
  

For our next cruise, we're adding giant clothes pegs to hold the towels on the lounger, available from Lakeland! We saw this on our last cruise.

 

However even without all those things, I'm sure we'd still be addicted to cruising.

 

BUT we also love the idea of magnets to display the current copy of the Horizon and the cruise overview on the wall so thank you for passing on the idea Scorpio41

 

 

Ha ha, as soon as we got home from our cruise in April I rushed off to Lakeland to buy four giant pegs as was so impressed with ones we saw on board. Just came back from a land holiday in sorrento and was gutted that it wasn't windy enough to use my pegs after insisting on packing them!

[tartanexile81]

Ha ha, as soon as we got home from our cruise in April I rushed off to Lakeland to buy four giant pegs as was so impressed with ones we saw on board. Just came back from a land holiday in sorrento and was gutted that it wasn't windy enough to use my pegs after insisting on packing them!

 

Great minds think alike .. etc!! You could always use them to keep the curtains closed in the morning :D. Looking forward to trying them out soon but unlikely on our next cruise - to Norway.

[LibraLass41]

• A pint of fresh milk purchased on outskirts of Southampton before boarding for decent tea and coffee in cabin and not using those horrible uht longlife pots
  
• replenish at first port or call or 4 or so days later.
   
  
• Plastic bag to take home goodies - pillow chocs and cabin biscuits :o)
   
  
• 2PK BOLD TABLETS for emergency visit to launderette (buit-in conditioner, don't use liqui-tabs incase burst)
   
  
• purchase hanging rail per person from Argos to sort cruise clothes before packing
   
  
• make a list of all the things you need to pack inc all suggestions in this thread and save on your computer as 'cruise packing list' and print off before each cruise;)
  

[Ukulele girl]

Thanks everyone for this great list.

 

I remembered I took a free standing air freshener for our cabin last year and it meant it always smelt nice when we went back there. I also took a spray air freshener for the bathroom for those 'smelly' moments.

 

Other ideas are a torch, sewing kit, safety pins, paper clips and perhaps this year a photograph of my first grandchild Lilly (currently 8 weeks).

 

I think this thread could run and run!

[Host Sharon]

Check this out too for great packing tips.

 

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1651447#

[capasamari]

I always take one of those round rings with lots of pegs attached for drying swimwear/underwear. Easy to hang in the shower and easier to remove to use the shower than if the garments are on the fixed washing line.

 

Carol x