What you wish you had packed but didn't

[Warm Breezes]

Over the years things have been added to our over-the-door once we found we had needed them on our vacations and didn't have them. These include:

Extra pair of sunglasses (I tend to lose a pair on most trips)

Extra pair of contacts (Tore one in Las Vegas) and/or back up glasses

Glasses Repair Kit (DH's prescription sunglasses broke)

Visine (DS had a cold move into his eyes)

Cortizone Cream (I broke out in a rash in an allergic reaction to the detergent they washed the sheets in on our Disney cruise)

Travel size Downy Wrinkle Releaser

3 Plug Strip with Night Light

Travel size packet of Tide

Travel size Room Deoderizer

Ear Plugs

DH's Shaver (he forgot it on our honeymoon...)

 

Somethings we had packed and were glad we had them when we needed them:

Travel size sewing kit with scissors/Extra Safety Pins/Double Sided Dress Tape (Dance Mom must haves :D)

Blister Block

Small roll of duct tape

Tylenol, Cold Medicine, Allergy Medicine, Tums, Immodium AD, Band Aids, Neosporin

Aloe, Bug Spray, Suntan Lotion

NCL Corkscrew/CCL Bottle Opener

Playing Cards

Nail Repair Kit

Batteries/Charging Cords

Sticky Notes

Highlighters

Edited March 24, 2015 by Warm Breezes

[Cinderellie]

Duct tape!

[moopig]

Small thermos so when I go up on deck in the morning I can bring back to room without spilling those coffee from those tiny cups all over traveling back to the room (I know, you can order a carafe of coffee from room service but I like the run up the stairs in the AM for coffee).

[midcanada]

A large zip-lock bag to use in the safe.....it's so much easier to just remove the bag and fish around for passports or whatever, rather than trying to find things in the dark recesses of the safe.

 

A small highlighter to mark interesting things on the daily schedules.

[tbmrt]

Isually get a regular pedi and gel mani. I love the fact that gel nails last so long, but they create havoc with my nails after removal.

 

Last year I was on the ship about an hour when someone stepped on my feet and scraped the polish on 3 nails badly. Looked awful all week! (Should have brought touch up polish.)

 

This year I'm going to rough it and just get a clear mani/pedi!

[Cinderellie]

Not me. Hot pink gel mani and hot pink pedi. I am ready for the Caribbean on Tuesday!

[Velvetwater]

Superglue (Shoe breakage on 2nd day)

 

Extra hangers

 

A large cup/mug as small cups are just not enough!

[lady_cruiser]

Every cruise I wish I packed fewer clothes and shoes but time after time I never do. I always over pack.

[cajl2c]

If you are in an inside cabin, bring a night light for the bathroom. We also took a collapsible hamper on our last cruise and now take one with us everywhere.

[Guest maddycat]

Superglue (Shoe breakage on 2nd day)

 

Extra hangers

 

A large cup/mug as small cups are just not enough!

 

Your cabin attendant will give you extra hangers. Just ask.

[NMLady]

Extra pair of reading glasses. Over-the-counter medicines. I now carry these items, but I had to scramble to find a pair of reading glasses at a port on one of our cruises (pharmacy) after having left mine somewhere on the ship on night one. I came down with a cold late at night on a cruise and had no cold meds with me. I suffered through the night, with all the shops closed and then spent a couple of hours after we docked trying to find a pharmacy in Dominica. Also had someone wake with a hangover (I know...shocking). Had my Grandson get into something he was allergic to on a cruise and break out in a rash. My daughter got a blister on her heel on a cruise, so now my bag has Advil, Tylenol, Benedryl cream and pills, oragel, band-aids, Dayquil/Nyquil gel caps, Pepto Bismol caplets, band-aids, neosporin, and anything else that I can find in travel sizes. I put them all in a zip-lock bag and toss them into a drawer on day one so that anyone in need of them can locate them easily.

 

Travel sizes of almost anything can be found at Minimus.biz

[marshhawk]

My must is a battery operated candle. I put it in the bathroom at night, by the mirror so it brightens the room, and I dont have to turn on the lights to get to the bathroom at night, Or have to turn the lights on in the bathroom either. I always take a battery operated fan also, and have yet to use it, this September may be different. (we usually cruise late fall or winter).

[searoses]

A needle,book of matches and triple antibiotic cream....my daughter stepped on a black sea urchin while we were on a land vacation on stj....dad had to "operate" like she was a little kid agsin....used gin to flush it out...

[Working 2 cruise again]

Our first cruise I over packed as I used several different list, I was so afraid I wouldn't have something I needed. One of the things I packed was Duct Tape, DH took it out and said we won't need it. Well I slipped it back in. Good thing too, because our luggage got busted as it was brought on the ship. No problems with it before, but then all of a sudden it comes to us all torn up. I laughed as DH said he should of left the duct tape in there. I pulled it back out of my bag and we taped the luggage back together. It was easy to find at the end of the cruise though in the luggage pick up. So now I always take duct tape when we travel!

[heatherandfred]

I always seem to forget a thin fleece jacket. I freeze easily. ;(

[SeaMystique]

A hydration pack for shore excursions. This looks like a slim backpack. Zipped inside is a heavy-duty, food-grade plastic bag that seals tight. One end of the bag connects to a clear plastic tube that emerges from the backpack and drapes over the wearer's shoulder (can secure it with a clip). You pack the inner bag full of cold water and ice cubes, and you have 2, 2.5, even 3 liters of water you can drink any time. Simply bite the flexible end of the tube, and drink through it as you would from a straw.

When I saw Princess selling tiny half-liter bottles of momentarily chilled water as we left the ship on our Panama cruise, I saw red. I loved our cruise, but forcing pax to buy water in hot climates was completely devoid of class .

With a hydration pack, you have as much water as you can carry, and it stays cold in there. $40 or so at any outdoor store. You can be sure I'll be taking one next time.

By the way, we had no need of night lights, over the door shoe holders, or duct tape on our cruise. I was glad we'd brought the highlighters, post-its, and magnets, though. I brought a map of Central America that I magneted to the wall so we could follow our ship's progress in detail. Fun!

[SeaMystique]

I'd like to add that because you are carrying the water on your back, your hands are free and the weight is quite bearable (and I'm 5'4" and 120 lbs). Also, many hydration packs have additional zippered pockets for holding your rain jacket, camera, impulsive purchases, etc., etc.

[crystalspin]

Clothes pins. Actually I had them both of my last two cruises and will have them again next week. Clothing dries much faster if not flopped double over the line in the shower.

 

The full supply of (small container) ointments and lozenges -- do you know you can get cough suppressant as a lozenge? I think I bought Mucinex brand. It seems expensive when you buy it but nothing like the liquid cough syrup if you have to buy it on the ship because it didn't fit in your 3-1-1 zippy bag! And they will last forever (until needed).

 

Command strips to hang a map and/or calendar over the framed picture or on a mirrored wall. Even though they are "easy release" I wouldn't put them on wallpaper or even painted surface -- damage can be expensive!

 

A three plug power strip so I can charge more than one thing at once overnight. I always unplug when not in room, and I have not had one seized. Get one WITHOUT a surge protector, I believe those are the ones they don't want you to have.

[Guest maddycat]

A hydration pack for shore excursions. This looks like a slim backpack. Zipped inside is a heavy-duty, food-grade plastic bag that seals tight. One end of the bag connects to a clear plastic tube that emerges from the backpack and drapes over the wearer's shoulder (can secure it with a clip). You pack the inner bag full of cold water and ice cubes, and you have 2, 2.5, even 3 liters of water you can drink any time. Simply bite the flexible end of the tube, and drink through it as you would from a straw.

When I saw Princess selling tiny half-liter bottles of momentarily chilled water as we left the ship on our Panama cruise, I saw red. I loved our cruise, but forcing pax to buy water in hot climates was completely devoid of class .

With a hydration pack, you have as much water as you can carry, and it stays cold in there. $40 or so at any outdoor store. You can be sure I'll be taking one next time.

By the way, we had no need of night lights, over the door shoe holders, or duct tape on our cruise. I was glad we'd brought the highlighters, post-its, and magnets, though. I brought a map of Central America that I magneted to the wall so we could follow our ship's progress in detail. Fun!

 

We always use a night light. Even in a balcony cabin, I want a light so I can see my way to the bathroom for any middle of the night trips. We have used duct tape twice over the years. Once to repair a broken handle on a suitcase. Another time we used it to repair a broken handle on a cardboard liquor box.