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We're sort of doing this for our upcoming cruise. We're planning on a two week trip, and we live about an hour or so from Denver International and will likely have an early flight out to Florida. We have a few options for transportation here. We are a family of five, so taking a roundtrip shuttle would be roughly $175 from Fort Collins to DIA and back. Or, we could get up at 3am and drive to Denver, and park our vehicle in one of the private parking facilities - cost around $140.00 for parking. The third option, which we will likely do, is that the Country Inn and Suites in Aurora has a park, stay, and fly package where we can get a night stay and 14 days of free parking, and a free roundtrip airport shuttle for about $130.00. Granted, this is not much cheaper than the remote parking option, but the advantage is that we can drive down the night before, get a decent night's sleep at the hotel, be able to sleep in a bit later being so close to the airport, the free breakfast at the hotel, and the included parking. The only downside to this option is that the hotel does not have a fenced/secured parking lot, but we already carry full coverage insurance should something happen to our vehicle. Upon arrival in Florida, we will likely rent a car at Orlando airport, run a few errands to get last minute cruise items, stay one night at a hotel in Port Canaveral/Cocoa Beach area, and either drop off the rental car that same evening and use hotel shuttle to port the following morning, or use the rental car to drop off the family at the cruise terminal in morning and then drop off rental car and use rental car shuttle back to terminal.

 

While in Florida after the cruise, we will likely stay with family to eliminate any further hotel stays (the only reason we would not stay here for one night before cruise is that we would be staying with my mother, and don't want to get the kids all excited to see grandma for one night and then leave again for a week - would rather the kids get to see grandma the full week after the cruise). Unfortunately, the kids want to go to Disney. We figured that between paying for 4 people's one day park tickets, parking (we will have a rental car), food, and any souvenirs from WDW, that one day alone will likely run about $500 or so. We had considered attending a timeshare presentation to get the discounted tickets, but don't know if our valuable vacation time is worth suffering through a high pressure timeshare sales pitch, knowing full well that we'll be telling the sales rep to go pack sand.

 

 

might want to bump the cost estimate of disney up a few hundred ;) adult tickets now are approx $100 each (for only one park!). parking was $20 last time we went there and lunch for two adults was approx $20.

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might want to bump the cost estimate of disney up a few hundred ;) adult tickets now are approx $100 each (for only one park!). parking was $20 last time we went there and lunch for two adults was approx $20.

 

 

I already knew that. For us, we would have to buy tickets for two adults and two kids. I think I originally used a $600 estimate for one day. We were only planning on going to Magic Kingdom. I grew up in Orlando and have been to all of the Disney parks and Downtown Disney many times. I generally won't give my hard earned money to that crooked organization, but am only doing it for the kids' sake.

 

 

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I also throw in an ace wrap (inside a packed shoe) - came in handy when I rolled my ankle. I also sew a long narrow pocket into my vests or jackets that goes between my shoulder blades. I use it for passports, extra money, documents, etc. The only way to access it is to take off the garment - so far no one has been that interested in undressing me :).

Edited by sanell
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My recommendation for people travelling with another person, is to crosspack! That is, put one complete outfit in your travelling companions checked bag, and they put one of their outfits in your bag. Packing cubes make this easy. That way, if one checked bag is lost or late, you have another outfit.

Also, don't forget your sense of humour, and patience.

Enjoy your vacation.

 

 

I can't endorse this idea enough. My husband and I always cross packed until our last vacation. And sure enough MY luggage was delayed!! :( Of course I did get a new swimsuit and flipflops out of it, but I would have rather had a change of clothes. Never again will I forget to do this.

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A lot of great tips in here

 

Agree on the zip lock bags - very handy and I always pack at least a few.

 

Even packing a few plastic disposable grocery bags is a good idea if you want to change out of wet bathing suits / dirty shoes when out and about on an excursion. That way you can throw them into your backpack without getting everything else wet/dirty.

 

Zap straps are also nice if you are leaving bags/luggage with a hotel etc after check out (if you are worried about staff possibly opening zippers on carry-ons and backpacks)

 

Band aids are always good to pack, mostly incase of blisters.

 

And we always pack an empty bottle of water. Good for filling up after airport screening, or taking with you on excursions, etc

Edited by marjosagb
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I have a few that aren't on this list yet:

 

1. Sham-wows - great for drying off after a dip in the water but lets you keep your towel from getting soaking wet. We also roll our bathing suits in them after we rinse them out - they dry very quickly this way.

 

2. Contact lens cases - when I get a new case the old one goes in the travel drawer. They are great for a few pills or small pairs of earrings. Also handy for keeping your toiletries under control if you are trying to fly with only carry-ons - I put hair styling products and facial lotions in them - the wells are usually large enough to hold several days' supply.

 

3. "use it one more time" - when I have a toothbrush or disposable razor that is just about ready to throw out I toss it in the travel drawer. Then I can use those for trips and toss them at the end.

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Hi All,

 

Some great tips here which I will certainly look to take with me on my November cruise!

 

As some people are suggesting ways of saving money I am using a website to track the price of various cruises - CruisePriceTracker,com

 

I will be leaving Fort Lauderdale 29th/30th November and I am waiting for the best deal to come through before booking anything up!

 

Hope this helps others get a good deal too!

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We use dollar store baby powder for sand removal. It's amazing how many feet a travel size will clean.

 

Not all cabin doors/walls are metal.

Baby powder is amazingly good for sand removal.

 

Instead of magnets, bring the putty stuff that teachers use to attach posters to classroom walls. It works on any type of door, even if the door has a "wormtale" indentation or other cut-in design.

My tip: once you print out luggage tags, take them to Staples and have them laminated... They include a rubber tie on that won't rip or come off.. Cost me less than 2.00 and it's so nice to feel confident all your luggage will make it to the proper room !

Maybe a bit off topic, but I got a wonderful home laminator for Christmas (name brand Swingline Inspire), and I have found so many reasons to use it already! I saw something similar at the office supply (when I was buying more laminating sheets). You can buy copy-paper sized laminating sheets, or smaller things just the right size for luggage tags, etc. You can have a whole set-up for $50, and with care you should be able to laminate for the rest of your life, without making a trip to the store . . . and the laminating quality seems thicker than things I've had done in copy stores in the past. I highly recommend this product!
I try to keep makeup to a mininimum and pack it well to avoid bulk in my bags. I usually just bring a plastic round pot and put foundation in there. Therefore , no heavy bottles and of course its very light in my bags , depending on which bag I use!!
Last summer I went to the Clinique counter, only to find that they were OUT of my rather unique foundation make-up (special for people with Roseacea). They gave me a tiny round screw-top container with a big, fat squirt of make-up -- probably enough for two weeks for a light user like me -- and it occurred to me later that this would be perfect for travel . . . so I kept it, even after I'd purchased a full-sized bottle later. I can always squirt in more. In fact, I think I'm going to wait 'til I'm making a fairly large purchase (don't want to look cheap) and I'm going to ask them for a second container with just a touch of two-shades darker, which will be good once I have some tan.

We have been able to stay in hotels that provide free parking to cruise passengers if you stay at least one night.Just ask the desk.
This is a great tip, BUT sometimes the lines for the to-the-port shuttles are long. Here's our method for handling that issue:

 

My husband drives us to the port, puts me out with all the luggage and the kids. I deal with luggage tags, porters, and kids . . . while he returns the car to the hotel (and hopefully parks it under a street light so it'll be safer). While families with luggage can't fit onto the next shuttle, they can almost always take one empty-handed person right away. He's always been able to catch up to me in line before the kids and I reach the front. Fast and efficient.

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Any tips on parking? I heard there maybe cheaper parking in the immediate area?

 

Sent from my LGMS769 using Tapatalk

 

Hi Karen, we use Park'n Go - if you pre-pay it's $53.87 for the week. Our driver was very nice last time, he had worked on the Oasis and Allure in construction and told us some interesting stories.

 

Hope this helps.

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Wow..what a list!

 

We have been travelling, and cruising successfully for 35 years without most of the items on that list. And we expect to do another 20 years or so without them either.

 

Besides, we pack light-sometimes with just carry on. We would need an extra bag for all that stuff.

Edited by iancal
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  • 2 weeks later...

What a terrific thread! Especially since I'm about to take my VERY FIRST cruise in June. I'm wondering if it is allowed to take some food from the buffet (or dinner) to my cabin for later? I know there is 24-hour room service but... when one is hungry, who wants to wait for room service? And, in the middle of the night, I don't really want to bother, just for a snack. Princess did tell me that they have refrigerators in their cabins. Also.. it would be nice to be able to pack a lunch or snack for myself when out and about away from the ship.

 

Suggestion: I have used "Fresh Drop" and "Pure Drop" when I visit my son and daughter-in-law, so I don't leave "stinkiness" in their bathroom. It is a tiny bottle of liquid. You put a couple of drops in the toilet beforehand, then a couple more drops in after-flush. It is AMAZING! NO smell. No kidding. The "Fresh Drop," which I prefer, is only sold at Walmart, I believe. It's found hanging on strips on the front the shelves, usually in the toilet paper area, or elsewhere nearby. I found the "Pure Drops" at Target, or grocery stores.

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It is against local laws to take unprepackaged food ashore. There are loads of discussions here on CC about that topic.

 

Another hint: If you putting valuables in the safe, place them in a large ziploc bag. You won't have to dig around the safe for an earring or leave your travel docs in the safe.

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We're sort of doing this for our upcoming cruise. We're planning on a two week trip, and we live about an hour or so from Denver International and will likely have an early flight out to Florida. We have a few options for transportation here. We are a family of five, so taking a roundtrip shuttle would be roughly $175 from Fort Collins to DIA and back. Or, we could get up at 3am and drive to Denver, and park our vehicle in one of the private parking facilities - cost around $140.00 for parking. The third option, which we will likely do, is that the Country Inn and Suites in Aurora has a park, stay, and fly package where we can get a night stay and 14 days of free parking, and a free roundtrip airport shuttle for about $130.00. Granted, this is not much cheaper than the remote parking option, but the advantage is that we can drive down the night before, get a decent night's sleep at the hotel, be able to sleep in a bit later being so close to the airport, the free breakfast at the hotel, and the included parking. The only downside to this option is that the hotel does not have a fenced/secured parking lot, but we already carry full coverage insurance should something happen to our vehicle. Upon arrival in Florida, we will likely rent a car at Orlando airport, run a few errands to get last minute cruise items, stay one night at a hotel in Port Canaveral/Cocoa Beach area, and either drop off the rental car that same evening and use hotel shuttle to port the following morning, or use the rental car to drop off the family at the cruise terminal in morning and then drop off rental car and use rental car shuttle back to terminal.

 

While in Florida after the cruise, we will likely stay with family to eliminate any further hotel stays (the only reason we would not stay here for one night before cruise is that we would be staying with my mother, and don't want to get the kids all excited to see grandma for one night and then leave again for a week - would rather the kids get to see grandma the full week after the cruise). Unfortunately, the kids want to go to Disney. We figured that between paying for 4 people's one day park tickets, parking (we will have a rental car), food, and any souvenirs from WDW, that one day alone will likely run about $500 or so. We had considered attending a timeshare presentation to get the discounted tickets, but don't know if our valuable vacation time is worth suffering through a high pressure timeshare sales pitch, knowing full well that we'll be telling the sales rep to go pack sand.

 

We live near Vail (about 2hrs from DIA) and always stay in Denver the day before we fly out. It saves time, money and there is always the possibility we get a storm and the Vail pass will close leaving us stuck in the valley :mad: We have stayed at a couple of park & fly hotels but now we only stay at the Clarion in Aurora. They have free parking (longer than the usual 7 days most have), a free shuttle and it is pretty cheap. There is a Denny's right across the street too :p Basic hotel but does the job for the one night.

 

As for Disney tickets - how old are the kids? There is a program that has kids take a very fun class and then they get discounted ticket prices (YES program). The timeshare presentation will just eat away at your park/fun time.

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