What do you wish you would've brought with you on your cruise?

[Bigskygirl88]

Don't forget the laundry detergent. Everyone suggests quarters and a laundry bag, but no detergent. It's way cheaper at Target, etc. than the ship, I'm sure.

[downsized]

A small projection alarm clock! Wake up and see the time on the ceiling; the alarm clock is helpful for early morning shore excursions.

 

That's not a bad idea. However, I found that Radio Shack has a clock that announces the time, simply by hitting a large button. About $10.

I don't even have to open my eyes to tell the time, I just hit the button!

 

Actually, though, I don't take it along...if I brought everything, the airline fees for extra baggage would bankrupt me.....or at least seriously cut into my beer budget!

[3tellas3]

Haven't read thru all the posts and this may be repetitive but the best things I brought were 3 or 4 giant clips that I picked up at the dollar store. They are long and typically what you might use to clip a lot of papers together. We used them to clip bathing suits onto the decks chairs on our balcony to air dry. The most used item of the week by far.

 

And of course the over the door shoe bag for the bathroom proved to be invaluable. Though ours was smaller and not a shoe bag exactly, it had clear pouches for all your bathroom needs and kept us organized.

 

We didn't bring a clock but instead used the wake up call for any days we wanted to be up. Other than that we had room service breakfast each morning and they ring you about 10 minutes before arriving.

[grammasan]

collect the larger plastic bags when buying blankets, sheets, table cloths -- instead of throwing them away, store them in the suitcases ready 2 go

 

smaller sizes r good 4 underwear, scaves, sox, etc. - all categories go in a separate bag - shorts, tee shirts,

 

EVERYTHING in my suitcase comes in a clear plastc bag

when i arrive i hang the hanging clothes already on hangers, and put all the plastc bags on the shelves near the closet - everything is always sorted & easy 2 find even if stacked 3 or 4 bags high - little stuff goes into the over the door seethru shoebag

 

dirty clothes go into another see thru bag on closet floor

 

pack a few strong magnets - all cabin walls r metal - this is great for all the paperwork & easy to find patter & invitations on the wall

 

i also bring a case of water in a duffel bag - all dirty laundry or souvenirs go in it returning home

 

also i ROLL all pants as ONE - the roll prevents any creases or wrinkling - all shirts, blouses, dresses on indidual thin metal hangers covered with drycleaner plastic - they never wrinkle that way

[Rande1661]

Thanks for all the great ideas, how about a small sewing kit and eye glass repair kit.

[SALCRUISER]

ziplocs are a must. order room service before you go or grab stuff at the buffet lines to take off the ship for a quick snack when in port. we also take a collapsible cooler on wheels to store stuff in, the stewards will usually fill it with ice if you ask. we keep it in the shower or bathroom. Ours folds, but usually we carry it on board full of soda and h20:) and we can take it off in port with everything we need from room service, buffet, h20, and ect. it's also a great place for souvieners or laundry (I pack my dry cleaning in gallon size ziplocs) at the end of the cruise, it can be a carry on or checked at the airport.

 

also a black sharpie marker. we leave notes on the mirrors with the sharpie, so we know where and what our plans are if we get seperated or the kids (16 & 18) are looking for us. we usually post a message on the mirror before we leave the room, if anyone"s plans change, we update the mirror message. it washes off with just a wet washcloth or a wet wipe if you pack those.

 

have fun.

 

 

Can you bring food off the ship in the med?

[Dallas_Doggie_Mom]

1. I found I needed insect repellent in some of the ports - Costa Maya and Santo Tomas de Castilla especially! Also, bring anti-itch cream for the bugs that get by the repellent.

 

2. I had to buy a bar of soap in port. NCL has liquid soap in the shower, which is ok if you like liquid soap AND don't mind smelling like a pine tree! I prefer a scent-free bar of soap, personally.

 

3. Wire hangers. They come in handy for extra clothes, and you don't have to worry about bringing them home.

 

4. An extension cord with multiple plug-ins was great since there was only one 110 outlet in the room - and it was across the room from the bed. We could plug in my husband's CPAP, the digital battery charger, and the laptop at the same time.

 

5. A thermal mug. I felt dehydrated the entire time we were on the cruise. This time I'm bringing a big thermal mug and keeping iced tea on-hand.