Must Haves, Packing Tips

[pinkmoontribe]

I am also a fan of the over the door shoe organizer. So much so, that we use it for all of our traveling. When we remodeled our bedroom, adding a walk in closet for me, DH hung a recycled towel bar on the wall so I could hang it in the closet when we were between trips to restock as needed. When we are leaving on a trip, I just take it off the wall, fold it up fully stocked, and slip it into a rolling back pack with my curling iron and DH's razor. When we get to our destination, we just take it out, unfold it, hang it up and we are all set to go. It holds the follwowing for us:

• OTC medications. Tums, Benedryl, Cortizon Cream, Tylenol, Tylenol Cold, Motrin, Bonine, Imodium AD. Make sure to take some allergy medication, Both DH and I have had allergic reactions on different ships and we don't normally have any (DH only 2x in his life).
  
• First Aid Kit. Band Aids, Neosporin, Ace Wrap, Blister Block.
  
• Room deodorizer (I use the small can from BBW).
  
• Travel size Lysol, chlorox wipes and hand sanitizer.
  
• Travel size Tide, Travel size Downy Wrinkle Releaser, safety pins, a couple clothes clips and small sewing kit.
  
• Hole Punch and Lanyards/Key Chain for S&S Cards.
  
• Small Stapler for luggage tags and extra zip ties.
  
• Glasses/Contact Solutions (Travel Size), Extra Contacts, Glasses Repair Kit.
  
• Sticky Notes, Hi Liter, and pen.
  
• Toiletries in Travel Sizes.
  
• Toothbrush, Paste, Dental Floss, Mouth Wash in Travel Sizes.
  
• Hair Brush, Bobby Pins, Pony Tails, and Clips.
  
• Make Up.
  
• 3 plug adapter with night light and a small flash light.
  
• Playing Cards.
  
• Suntan Lotion, Aloe, and Bug Spray in travel sizes.
  
• Manicure Set, Nail Polish, and Polish Remover Wipes.
  

We find it to be convenient, organized, and very easy to set up and keep stocked...IMHO one of the best traveling ideas we got off of CC. I also take mesh laundry bags for dirty cloths and mesh back packs for the beach...they hold 2 towels rolled plus room for a few extras, light weight and take no room to pack.

 

Can you post a picture of the mesh back packs you use?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Warm Breezes]

Can you post a picture of the mesh back packs you use?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

I'll try tonight. I got them at Walmart a few years ago for like $5.

[Warm Breezes]

Can you post a picture of the mesh back packs you use?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Looks kind of like this one from Walmart for $8.88. They are light weight and take hardly no room in the suit case. Plus they are nice for the beach because they don't collect all the sand from the towels. It goes out the mesh.

[NCTribeFan]

I just booked my 19th cruise (already had November cruise booked but the price for this was just too good to pass up).

 

I pack lighter and lighter every time.

 

These "must pack" lists are nuts, imho. Really, you won't need the vast majority of things on the lists. And you don't really want to fill your suitcase with all that stuff, especially if you're paying luggage fees to fly to port.

 

Pack like you would for any other vacation! Take your necessities. You don't want to have to buy that stuff in the ship's shop. But also realize that you can find grocery and drug stores in the ports, should you have forgotten something.

 

You don't need a hole punch. The casino folks will punch your card. Or a stapler. Either put your tags on before you leave the house or if you're staying at a hotel pre-cruise, ask at the desk to borrow a stapler or tape dispenser.

 

Many lines will confiscate a power strip. I'm guessing there's a reason that cabins have ONE plug in them. You know - power drains, electrical fires and those nice sorts of things!

 

I pack a lot of my clothes in 2 gal plastic bags. Smoosh the air out when packing. Use the bags then to contain dirty clothes as you wear them. When you're ready to pack up to leave, just re-smoosh the air out. I separate the colors from whites so when I get home, all I have to do is dump the appropriate bags into the washer.

 

I do like the looks of the mesh backpack., though!

 

I packed for 15 nights (14 night cruise plus 1 pre-cruise night) with one large suitcase, a medium rolling duffle and a carryon bag. I dressed for dinner every night. I didn't do laundry and even came home with a couple of unworm items of clothes. My toiletries/meds/makeup/hair products takes up a good chunk of space so I keep trying to remove things I keep carrying around and not using.

 

I had sailed several times before I discovered these boards. I learned so many useful things. And I kept reading about all this stuff I should be packing. So I did! And I didn't use a single item that I was told I just had to pack! :p

 

The point is - you cannot pack for every contingency! So don't even try.

[Warm Breezes]

I just booked my 19th cruise (already had November cruise booked but the price for this was just too good to pass up).

 

I pack lighter and lighter every time.

 

These "must pack" lists are nuts, imho. Really, you won't need the vast majority of things on the lists. And you don't really want to fill your suitcase with all that stuff, especially if you're paying luggage fees to fly to port.

 

Pack like you would for any other vacation! Take your necessities. You don't want to have to buy that stuff in the ship's shop. But also realize that you can find grocery and drug stores in the ports, should you have forgotten something.

 

You don't need a hole punch. The casino folks will punch your card. Or a stapler. Either put your tags on before you leave the house or if you're staying at a hotel pre-cruise, ask at the desk to borrow a stapler or tape dispenser.

 

Many lines will confiscate a power strip. I'm guessing there's a reason that cabins have ONE plug in them. You know - power drains, electrical fires and those nice sorts of things!

 

I pack a lot of my clothes in 2 gal plastic bags. Smoosh the air out when packing. Use the bags then to contain dirty clothes as you wear them. When you're ready to pack up to leave, just re-smoosh the air out. I separate the colors from whites so when I get home, all I have to do is dump the appropriate bags into the washer.

 

I do like the looks of the mesh backpack., though!

 

I packed for 15 nights (14 night cruise plus 1 pre-cruise night) with one large suitcase, a medium rolling duffle and a carryon bag. I dressed for dinner every night. I didn't do laundry and even came home with a couple of unworm items of clothes. My toiletries/meds/makeup/hair products takes up a good chunk of space so I keep trying to remove things I keep carrying around and not using.

 

I had sailed several times before I discovered these boards. I learned so many useful things. And I kept reading about all this stuff I should be packing. So I did! And I didn't use a single item that I was told I just had to pack! :p

 

The point is - you cannot pack for every contingency! So don't even try.

 

FYI I do pack like this for every vacation. My over the door is always packed in a rolling back pack for my land vacations and we all love it. I can guarantee I have used every item that I have in my over the door during one trip or another. Most of the stuff got added when I needed/wanted it on some trip and found I didn't have it. Do I need them all everytime....no. But it is so convenient to have it there, organized, and ready and since it all fits in a rolling back pack for land travel or the bottom of my checked suit case for air travel (when I fly I normally get one checked bag free for each person). I personally would rather have the convenience of having what I need on hand rather than finding I needed/wanted it and didn't have it. As for my hole punch it is small and handy and I don't have to wait in line anywhere when I can just do it myself with my 50 cent hole punch. With the paper luggage tags, I don't put them on before we fly so it is handy to have my little stapler with me so I can attach them in our hotel room before leaving for the ship. Convenience for me (I'd rather have it than run around trying to buy it)....maybe not for you, but to each his own....My must haves are not "nuts" to me, sometimes they are a life saver.