Packing secrets

[pms4104]

8 hours ago, Scubadoc said:

 We are three weeks away from our cruise! Starting to think about packing. What unusual ideas do any of you have for things to bring?   What is easy to forget? And what do you pack that no one else thinks of? 

Since this is not specific to Princess ... I suggest that you search the first timers or Ask a Cruise Question areas of CC     

[skynight]

We use 2 suitcases plus each of us has a day pack, our carry on. We pack clothing in large size zip lock bags. Since we fly we mix items in from each other in the suitcases. This way if one suitcase gets lost at least each of us has some clothing. We have a just in case OTC medicine list. Rx medicines go in our day packs. We bring extra glasses. We purchase larger items at the local grocery store before boarding, we always arrive a few days early, bringing along tote bags for this purpose.

Edited December 30, 2019 by skynight

[CruiseVA]

We always bring these:

• clips for hanging clothes on back of balcony chairs to dry
• band aids
• cork screw
• zip lock, various sizes
• crystal lite, water bottle sizes
• small screwdriver
• travel size duct tape
• extra belt - had one break on way to Vatican City once, I used yellow Roma Polizia caution tape & untucked my shirt
• short extension cord to get multiple outlets
• various over the counter meds

[ggprincess2004]

Our travel meds have always included a Z Pac for each of us, now we also each take Tamiflu along as well. Also, our favorite throat lozenges just in case, Benadryl, antibiotic cream. 

 

Travel flashlight, playing cards, detergent pods and fabric softener sheet, Shout and/or Tide to go. Collapsible plastic hangers for wet bathing suits, and wet laundry, clothes pins with loops that wrap around towel racks, etc., beach towel clips, short (like 6") extension cords and outlet expanders, magnets with hooks, and binder clips, a small fan, corkscrew, extra zip lock bags, extra glasses (last prescription set of reading glasses and sunglasses), laminated color copies of current passports, notes and envelopes to write thank you notes to specific staff, pens and mechanical pencils....we have an entire checked bag that seems to be devoted to things other than clothing and shoes. I have never been accused of packing light, however, I do leave the kitchen sink in the kitchen. It is just too much trouble to get out the wrenches and free it up. lol. 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2019 by ggprincess2004
forgot something, lol.

[Bwana Tom]

8 hours ago, brisalta said:

I always bring my Leatherman.

 

I am surprised that gets past security.

Has to be pretty small. Knife blade can't be longer than I think 3 inches and no wider than 0.5 inch. I have a very small pocket knife that qualifies which I carry all the time.

Tom

[Bwana Tom]

10 hours ago, Scubadoc said:

 We are three weeks away from our cruise! Starting to think about packing. What unusual ideas do any of you have for things to bring?   What is easy to forget? And what do you pack that no one else thinks of? 

One thing the others seem to have missed is a small spray bottle of Wrinkle Relief. We always bring it to calm down the wrinkles in our clothes. It works great and is easy to use. Just spray a little on your shirt or dress then smooth the wrinkles out with your hand. The only problem is it is usually only sold in big jugs. We buy it at Walmart and transfer it into a small spray bottle which we also bought at Walmart (in the travel items section of their pharmacy).

Happy Trails,

Tom 

[CruiseVA]

I forgot about the wrinkle release, and, last cruise I picked up a car freshener for the bathroom. 😉

[daydreamer16]

OTC meds are now my #1 priority! On our transatlantic this past October my husband got the flu and the cost of Tylenol & generic cough medicine from the medical office was crazy! The cost of the Tamiflu was a lot too but that was an RX!  

[5:00_Somewhere]

Everyone else has already mentioned my most common suggestions, but I have a couple of additional thoughts to add.

 

First, reiterating what others have said:

 

1. medications, including anti-seasickness, anti-diarrheal, and the usual OTC pain relief med's

 

2. ziplock bags of various sizes.

 

3. 2-gallon ziplock bag for wet bathing suits

 

4. spare glasses, sun glasses and glasses repair kit

 

5. needle and thread (I usually just carry one of the kits you often get for free in hotel rooms)

 

6. I actually also bring a "Swiss Card" (got it as a promotional item some years ago)

 

7. small travel First Aid kit

 

8. wrinkle release spray, but I make it at home and here's the "recipe" - I usually scale it down and put it into a 3 oz spray bottle that I picked up in the section of CVS or Wallgreen that has the travel sized items.

 

Wrinkle Release Spray

1 cup water (bottled or distilled recommended if your tap water has a lot of chlorine or a high mineral content, just to be on the safe side)
1 tsp. liquid fabric softener (I recommend unscented, so you don't smell like fabric softener)
1 tsp. rubbing alcohol (optional, helps the spray evaporate quicker)

 

In addition, I always bring or use:

 

1. at the suggestion of several good folks here on CC, I place drycleaning bags between my shirts when I pack to help reduce wrinkling, and it helps to a surprising degree

 

2. also at the cuggestion of folks on CC, I always bring a couple bottles of Clorox brand spray hand sanitizer, which works against Noro Virus (where alcohol-based does not)  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DDZNSDK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

3. travel sized shoe horn (amazing how many people forget one)

 

4. extra cables for connecting/charging devices with various connection types: USB A to USB C, Micro USB, "Lightening Connector" (Apple)

 

4. multi-plug/surge protector for additional electrical outlets (I've used this one successfully for many years) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017HF3XO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

and/or

 

5. a Type F European electrical outlet adapter (picture below), as there are typically as many of these outlets in a Princess cabin as US standard outlets (we have these for European travel, so it's a simple item to slip in a suitcase). 

 

I also have to say I agree with the suggestion of using 2 suitcases and packing both party's clothes in each in case one gets lost. We don't do that, but we should.  😉

 

Hope that's helpful. Happy cruising.

 

[Essiesmom]

4. multi-plug/surge protector for additional electrical outlets (I've used this one successfully for many years) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017HF3XO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

You surge protected device is a banned item.  surge protectors are not needed onboard ships, and are dangerous.  EM

[MamaFej]

We are light packers (one carry-on suitcase and a backpack each). To save room in our liquids bag, we do the following for wrinkle-release spray.

 

We pack a small (30 ml) spray bottle. At our destination, we roll up a dryer sheet, insert it into the bottle and fill the bottle with water from the sink or a bottle. Instant wrinkle-release spray at a bargain. I got this idea from someone here on CC a couple of years ago. 

 

Another way to save liquid and weight is to bring detergent sheets, rather than pods. These are great for doing small loads in the sink or Scrubba Bag as well, as they are tearable and work very well. 

 

We are also cross-packers, and bring many of the items listed above. 

[MamaFej]

We go the backpack only route for short trips, too. We've done multiple 4-6 week overseas trips with a backpack and carry-on each. Last spring, after we were done with cold and cool weather in Iceland and Ireland, we did ship home our heavy snow pants, boots, and a few souvenirs. That gave us room for more gifts in the very hot Med, plus we didn't have to compress everything as much for the rest of the trip. 

 

We have a couple of 10+ weeks coming up in the next 16 months. Both involve serious climate changes. Our light packing skills may be put to the test.I'm considering still flying light, and buying full-sized toiletries at our first destination. 

[Jonibme]

12 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

I am surprised that gets past security.

We just put our multi-tools in our checked luggage... no issues then ... but yes I can tell you first hand that they will take it from you at security if you forget and put it in your carry-on and the TSA Screener is awake enough to catch it!

[suzyed]

2 hours ago, 5:00_Somewhere said:

Everyone else has already mentioned my most common suggestions, but I have a couple of additional thoughts to add.

 

First, reiterating what others have said:

 

1. medications, including anti-seasickness, anti-diarrheal, and the usual OTC pain relief med's

 

2. ziplock bags of various sizes.

 

3. 2-gallon ziplock bag for wet bathing suits

 

4. spare glasses, sun glasses and glasses repair kit

 

5. needle and thread (I usually just carry one of the kits you often get for free in hotel rooms)

 

6. I actually also bring a "Swiss Card" (got it as a promotional item some years ago)

 

7. small travel First Aid kit

 

8. wrinkle release spray, but I make it at home and here's the "recipe" - I usually scale it down and put it into a 3 oz spray bottle that I picked up in the section of CVS or Wallgreen that has the travel sized items.

 

Wrinkle Release Spray

1 cup water (bottled or distilled recommended if your tap water has a lot of chlorine or a high mineral content, just to be on the safe side)
1 tsp. liquid fabric softener (I recommend unscented, so you don't smell like fabric softener)
1 tsp. rubbing alcohol (optional, helps the spray evaporate quicker)

 

In addition, I always bring or use:

 

1. at the suggestion of several good folks here on CC, I place drycleaning bags between my shirts when I pack to help reduce wrinkling, and it helps to a surprising degree

 

2. also at the cuggestion of folks on CC, I always bring a couple bottles of Clorox brand spray hand sanitizer, which works against Noro Virus (where alcohol-based does not)  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DDZNSDK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

3. travel sized shoe horn (amazing how many people forget one)

 

4. extra cables for connecting/charging devices with various connection types: USB A to USB C, Micro USB, "Lightening Connector" (Apple)

 

4. multi-plug/surge protector for additional electrical outlets (I've used this one successfully for many years) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017HF3XO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

and/or

 

5. a Type F European electrical outlet adapter (picture below), as there are typically as many of these outlets in a Princess cabin as US standard outlets (we have these for European travel, so it's a simple item to slip in a suitcase). 

 

I also have to say I agree with the suggestion of using 2 suitcases and packing both party's clothes in each in case one gets lost. We don't do that, but we should.  😉

 

Hope that's helpful. Happy cruising.

 

Love all your suggestions...we use many of them as well!  The best is the Type F European outlet adapter since there is at least one of those outlets under the bed which is what my DH uses for his CPAP machine....no extension cords to trip on since it's contained.
Also we pack all our hanging clothes on the thin white hangers (like from the cleaners), since they are lightweight.  That way when we get in our cabin, we just take them from the suitcases and hang!  Easy peasy!

 

[Scubadoc]

 Wow thank you all for such great answers. I'm ready to start packing. We just got our medallions in the mail today which is a little earlier than I expected for a January 16 cruise. So excited!

 

I will add a few of my own thoughts on things to park that you might tend to forget:

 

Binoculars-  I forgot them once and was so sad. I love using them as we come in and leave port. 

Water shoes-a lot of beaches where we snorkel have rocks.

 Bug spray 

 A good pair of Bluetooth headphones  to listen to music while I'm relaxing by the pool 

 Selfie stick 

 A couple of small ponchos in case we get caught in a tropical shower on an excursion

 

 Happy new year everyone!

 

 

[Jnsplace1]

Airborne

Binoculars (itinerary dependent) 

[jondfk]

We bring a small (3" x 3" by 3/8") dimmable LED nightlight.  It can be very disorienting to wake up in a strange room (be it shipboard or hotel the night before) and have to navigate in the dark.

 

Here's one option:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074C8HCF7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

An invaluable packing tip I learned traveling for business for 30+ years - ROLL don't fold clothes.  Things fit better and you'll avoid suitcase wrinkles by so doing.  

 

Two others:  If you are still pulling luggage with less than 4 wheels, you're working too hard.  And finally, it's worth paying for quality luggage, there's nothing worse than having a cheap bag break at the first airport of a long trip, this is one product where you do genuinely get what you pay for. 

[CruiseVA]

1 hour ago, jondfk said:

Two others:  If you are still pulling luggage with less than 4 wheels, you're working too hard.  And finally, it's worth paying for quality luggage, there's nothing worse than having a cheap bag break at the first airport of a long trip, this is one product where you do genuinely get what you pay for. 

Plus on good quality luggage, not so much on the "less than 4 wheels", rollaboards with 2 wheels are easy,  you walk & pull them behind you.  Just let your 4 wheelers go on a big hill when you need 2 hands. 

I also roll somethings, and, use cubes for as much as possible.

[suzyed]

3 hours ago, Jnsplace1 said:

Airborne

Binoculars (itinerary dependent) 

Definitely Airborne Gummies....before, during and after the plane/cruise!

 

[clo]

23 hours ago, Coffeeluvr05 said:

Pouch of over the counter meds for cold, flu, nausea, band-aids, etc. (better to have if you need it since those are limited and expensive on board.)

We call that our "what if" bag and we carry it on all trips not just cruise.

[lenquixote66]

23 hours ago, Scubadoc said:

 We are three weeks away from our cruise! Starting to think about packing. What unusual ideas do any of you have for things to bring?   What is easy to forget? And what do you pack that no one else thinks of? 

Hand held portable battery operated fan.

[crystalspin]

To repeat EM: DO NOT BRING anything that is surge protected -- they are a fire hazard with the type of electricity on ships.

 

I bring some of the things others have said. One thing I didn't see above, that it turns out we can barely live without, is dresser trays or something to use as them on the nightstands. These are from Magellan's and unsnap to pack flat.

[flob]

So this is a bit unusual...I take scissors, packing tape, and a folder. It seems that the air blows directly onto the bed and I don’t like it hitting me directly. I create a “vent” directing the air elsewhere into the room. 
 

I also bring a small can of air freshener. You can usually find a travel size. 
 

Lastly, a night light that is motion activated. You know, for those late night “trips. “

 

[MissP22]

26 minutes ago, flob said:

So this is a bit unusual...I take scissors, packing tape, and a folder. It seems that the air blows directly onto the bed and I don’t like it hitting me directly. I create a “vent” directing the air elsewhere into the room. 

I know what you mean.

If you sleep directly under the vent it does get cold by early morning. 

[kochleffel]

On 12/30/2019 at 11:44 AM, Ombud said:

Glasses repair kit. 

 

I broke my glasses (the frames, I mean) in a village on Mallorca. I bought a tube of Superglue in a supermarket for a temporary repair - not perfect, but I could wear them. If you ever need Superglue in Spain, it's called Superglue there.