BestAdvice I've Been Given

[luddite]

I bring a spouse.

Absolutely the best thing I ever brought on a cruise.

[NMLady]

The best advice I ever got was to go with a positive attitude and try to ignore the negatives. That has really made cruising enjoyable.

[oriolesfan22]

We always bring a can of air freshener for the bathroom!

 

 

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[JustinPlusLauren]

It's kinda funny, I didn't think duct tape would be useful....I put a colorful one on my suitcase to make it unique looking, but didn't bring the roll with me. As it turned out, I dropped one of my expensive bottles of Aveda hair care products on the bathroom floor, and it cracked down the side! So what did I do...peeled a piece of duct tape from my suitcase and patched up the bottle. One of those weird occasions that duct tape certainly came in handy - otherwise, I'd have to throw out my $30 bottle of hair product (and wouldn't be able to use it for the rest of the cruise!).

[Hailzmick]

Laundry detergent!!! This is a must for us. Generally we cruise for at least 9 nights at a time, so hand washing our undies, swimmers, etc in the sink or shower is a must- then on the balcony to dry by the afternoon.

 

Also putting a pink ribbon on our suitcases for when we have to identify them as we get off the ship is easier than wandering around looking for what we think are our bags.

[SuiteTraveler]

Best advice I ever got was to stay out of jewelry stores in various ports and only buy jewelry at home from a reputable jeweler.

[buggins0402]

Having recently come off Insignia after the fire, I have a couple suggestions.

 

People either had to leave their cabins fast or could not get back on the ship after the fire. Medications were an issue for many. Security entered cabins throughout the day and evening, prior to our flights to get needed meds, but they were sometimes difficult to find. So....keep your meds in one spot, know where they are and perhaps label a drawer with one of those sticky notes.

 

Also, keep your passport in your safe. Security entered every cabin and got all the safe contents. Things were slowed down because a few people had passports in pockets of clothes somewhere in cabin....

 

And, since we had to be flown home from St. Lucia, this was a case where those traveling with no passport would have had difficulties. Oceania requires them, even when not required by law - so no one appeared to have issues.

[cruiselover**]

My husband and I both keep our passports in the safe as buggins0402 suggests in the above post, but we take it a step further. We have a credit card, some cash, and a small flashlight with our passports in a one quart plastic bag. In the unlikely event of an emergency we can hopefully grab that little bag out of the safe and be on our way. I think I will add a couple days worth of prescription meds too.

 

As far as the best advice I have received from these boards - everything has been helpful. I continue to learn all the time from all members who have posted. I'm on here practically every day!

[pris993]

We started cruising long before the internet and when luggage allowances were very generous and less restrictive. Consequently, we use to pack everything but the kitchen sink... now days, we maybe still over weight depending on where we are going and for how long, but we definitely don't pack all the stuff we use to, do take a small flash light, wine opener and the usual items. I think it is good to figure out what you really need from experience.

[Fergus]

I always hear people talk about the shower curtains, but I, too, must be doing something right, because they don't cling to me!! :D

 

The most useful thing that I bring on a cruise is a small wristlet so I can carry my card key, chapstick, and reading glasses around the ship - absolutely essential!