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Best cruise hacks?


JacqueO
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Hey all!  Cruising on a March 8 and doing some amazon shopping today for things that are must bring items. Was curious as to what hacks you guys suggest - such as over door hangers, magnet hooks etc. traveling with my husband and 9 year old daughter 🙂. Thanks guys!  You e am been a wealth of info!

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1. Plastic luggage tags with the steel cables (Amazon) you stick your luggage tags in them, they are GREAT

2. Bungee cord for drying out your bathing suits on the balcony

3. At least two small packages of Tide laundry detergent

4. Magnetic hooks for hanging your formal wear (if you bring any)

5. Wait until the last night to buy things at the store, often they run a 50% off sale on a LOT of things

6. Look out for the waiters soon as you board, trying to offer you "deals" on the restaurants/Chef's table...we got a BOGO deal at Chef's table but I haggled for it and he called our room
7. Wrinkles? Hang them up in the bathroom whilst taking a hot shower, or buy a small bottle of wrinkle release

8. Don't forget to bring the two bottles of wine per cabin if you don't have the drink packages (carry them on board)

9. Bring snacks if you want (a can of pringles on our last cruise in the shop was $6.50)
10. Empty luggage after unpacking, one of you gently lift up the bed while someone else slides it under, it will all fit under there fine

Edited by johnjen
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Here's a few more.

Towel clips for your chairs

Febreze Fabric to go

Clorox whips

First Aid kit

Medications - cold/flu, pain relievers, sinus etc. better to have on hand then to purchase on board.

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Here are our big must haves:

1) Luggage tag holders. We use these https://amzn.to/37pgFE0 Luggage tags can get ripped, wet, or otherwise damaged and if that happens they can't deliver the luggage to your room. That happened to us once and we bought these the second we got home. 

2) Magnetic hooks. We find them very useful for a wide variety of things around the cabin. We currently use https://amzn.to/38rwwD7 with 80 pound pull strength. We started with a set of 22 pound strength and they weren't strong enough for a lot that we tried to use them for.

3) To go with the above, we got a hangable toiletry bag. https://amzn.to/2Ssktjn Easy access and we can keep it out of the way by hanging it up

4) Motion sickness, whatever works for you. Dramamine works best for me but knocks my husband out, and the less drowsy doesn't work for him. He uses the patches and Motion-Ease. Maybe bring each and see what personally works for you

 

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55 minutes ago, danny1951 said:

First time cruisers here and all these are so useful.  Keep them coming!

They have not stated the most important advice I have ever received on this forum, so I will pass it on now:

 

Pack half the stuff you think you will need and twice the cash.

 

Really, don’t worry about the hacks the first time out (even though they are good ideas for the most part). Just go with the flow and enjoy yourself. That’s the true advantage of cruising!

 

Bon Voyage.

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29 minutes ago, jakeil7 said:

They have not stated the most important advice I have ever received on this forum, so I will pass it on now:

 

Pack half the stuff you think you will need and twice the cash.

 

Really, don’t worry about the hacks the first time out (even though they are good ideas for the most part). Just go with the flow and enjoy yourself. That’s the true advantage of cruising!

 

Bon Voyage.

 

That's interesting advice, we've pretty much started doing the opposite. We take very little cash and tend to overpack, but every time we scale back what we pack we inevitably miss it and end up having to go out and buy things or pay for laundry or other services.

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3 minutes ago, awestover89 said:

 

That's interesting advice, we've pretty much started doing the opposite. We take very little cash and tend to overpack, but every time we scale back what we pack we inevitably miss it and end up having to go out and buy things or pay for laundry or other services.

Heh, that’s funny. I am always grumbling about having to haul all the 💩 I didn’t use back through the airports when I am on my way home 😁. As always, YMMV. 

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20 minutes ago, jakeil7 said:

Heh, that’s funny. I am always grumbling about having to haul all the 💩 I didn’t use back through the airports when I am on my way home 😁. As always, YMMV. 

Yeah, we've tried to pack less and less, it just doesn't seem to work for us. We took two suitcases for a 4 day weekend in Panama last month...

 

The cash point, though, it does depend on destination. Asia we definitely should have taken more cash than we thought, and we already thought we would need quite a bit more than normal. 

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In addition to all of the above, and not really for purchase on Amazon, I’m a fan of bringing a $1 bottle of liquid hand soap for the room.  Much easier than the bar soap, especially since you should be doing a lot of hand washing every time you go back to the room. 
 

Also, a pad of Post-It notes always comes in handy for Leaving messages for the room steward, and sticking a few to your door to make it easier to spot when you’re walking down the hall. 
 

Love the snacks idea.  I need to remember that for my next cruise. 
 

Finally, don’t forget about your 2 bottles of wine and 12 17-oz bottles of water/soda/etc.  May be easier to buy on the way to the port, but that stuff too requires planning!
 

 

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5 hours ago, jakeil7 said:

Pack half the stuff you think you will need and twice the cash.

 

Really, don’t worry about the hacks the first time out (even though they are good ideas for the most part). Just go with the flow and enjoy yourself. That’s the true advantage of cruising!

 

Bon Voyage.

This was the best advice I received on our 2nd cruise  (2009) Since then I have taken 2x maybe 3x the amount of cash I thought I would need. But I am still an over-packer from H3LL. I always say never again and then it sneaks up on me and I have over packed again lol 

 

I am getting ready to pack for our next cruise... Wish me luck!! lol
I haven't even pulled out the luggage yet and I already feel its too much. 

Edited by LilBlackDress
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*Rum Runners

*Extra shoe to reserve a lounger by the pool

JK

here are a few:

Glow in the dark travel alarm clock for dark inside room

Leave TV on to the bow camera for inside room (tv acts like a window)

Over the door shoe organizer to keep cabin uncluttered

Breakfast in MDR to miss the buffet crowd

 

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 30 years we never needed the over the door shoe holder.  On the Anthem we couldn't fill the drawers or cabinets. DW said we didn't pack enough.  The medication is a given we take that stuff on any trip.  I did purchase and do bring the hook magnets now that none of the cruise lines seem to have a clothes  line in the shower on newer ships. Those amazon Luggage tags are great for the printed luggage tags they avoid having to use cellophane tape .We use our phone for an alarm or get a wake up call. We didn't use our tablets once on a 9 day cruise. Our phones sufficed so that is one thing we will leave at home next time.  However, TV is limited so you may want your larger electronic devices to stream movies if you have the surf and stream plan.

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1 hour ago, Ilovesailaway said:

*Rum Runners

*Extra shoe to reserve a lounger by the pool

JK

here are a few:

Glow in the dark travel alarm clock for dark inside room

Leave TV on to the bow camera for inside room (tv acts like a window)

Over the door shoe organizer to keep cabin uncluttered

Breakfast in MDR to miss the buffet crowd

 

Love my Rum Runner's, we never cruise without them.

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Lots of good ideas.  It depends too on what you are going to do.

 

We saw the holders for towels on chairs, bought them and have since only used them once.  Last cruise did not bring.  They work great, but we realized we do not stay out long and more items, as an example, to bring that you may not really use. 

 

Wishing you a great cruise and if you forget something, go get a drink and watch the ships wake. 

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We pack a small coffee holder (Like the ones you get from starbucks or McD)  so when the DH makes his morning coffee run his hands do not get too hot carrying the individual coffees back to the cabin.  Put it in the bottom of the suitcase and takes up little room.

Good Husband.

 

We pack a small lysol air freshener for the bathroom.  (say no more).

 

We make a small first aid kit.  band aids, neosporin, gauze, and some OTC meds, tylenol, motrin, pepto bismol pills  ect..

 

I take the same list I used to pack for the vacation as I use to pack to come home.  I know the cabins are small, but it is a good safe reminder to grab everything.

 

Safe travels.

 

 

 

 

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Battery powered night light for the bathroom - those book reading lights work great for this

large binder clips to keep the drapes closed so you aren't woken up by sunlight coming through that inevitable crack between them.

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18 minutes ago, jalves said:


 

large binder clips to keep the drapes closed so you aren't woken up by sunlight coming through that inevitable crack between them.


 

if you don’t want to pack these, a pants hanger works great 

 

 

 

we bring mini shower puffs to lather up the provided gel soap

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If you have a lot of devices, a USB tower (I have one like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NCMRRW7). The cabins do not have many outlets, and we have phones, watches, a camera, a tablet, and portable battery packs that all charge with USB. 
 

We bring reusable straws and water bottles and a small bottle of dish detergent. 

 

Another idea for a nightlight is the LED tea light candles. You can often find them at the dollar store. 

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