Cruisin Christi Posted February 21, 2011 #326 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Very good list above poster, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea rabbit Posted February 22, 2011 #327 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Just came back from 9 day Bermuda/Caribbean trip- here's my tips! We used the shoe rack for the first time- LOVED IT! With 2 women (DD and I) in the same bathroom there were too many items for the storage areas. This allowed us to put shower items away and pull out just what we needed each time- kept the shower clear! The small sink area was clear too! I'm sure our cabin attendant was happy! Even had room for suntan lotion and hair stuff! Be sure to get one that is only 4 sections wide so it fits across the small door. Only 1 compartment was blocked by the door handle- and that could house small items easily. We also used a ShamWow a few times to help swim suits dry- it helped for sure, but the suits were still a bit damp. It would be a big plus if the deck chairs were damp in the morning (ours were not as we had great weather! :)) My travel mug was great for in-room coffee. The cups that come with room service are tiny so I could fill the mug and enjoy 2 cups worth out on the balcony! Kept it piping hot too! Extra wire hangers allowed us to hang most of our clothes since there was very little drawer space. We left them there. I would do that again. I bought the "boca clips" that people have talked about here (at Bed, Bath and Beyond). They were great too! Better than plain clothes pins- although they would be an easy substitute. The clips were large enough and strong enough to hold a beach towel on the metal parts of a beach/deck chair in very windy conditions! Ours never came off. Hi All what is a ShamWow? I am English and wondering if this is what we would call a chamois leather? Also what are these Boca Clips? Can I get them online? Thanks for the help. Loving the info from all you veteran cruisers. My first in July. Very excited x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polomom Posted February 22, 2011 #328 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Hi All what is a ShamWow? I am English and wondering if this is what we would call a chamois leather? Also what are these Boca Clips? Can I get them online? Thanks for the help. Loving the info from all you veteran cruisers. My first in July. Very excited x A sham-wow is like a chamois- I think it is a synthetic version. Soaks up lots of water from spills or wet clothing (roll the wet suit up in it and squeeze or step on it to get the moisture out!) Boca Clips are large plastic clothespin type clips. They have a very large clip area that will fit around the metal frame of a deck chair. You can securely hold a beach towel or swim suit without fear of it blowing away. Both are available online I am sure. I would not pay for a whole box of sham-wows... try to buy just 1 large one somewhere. (they last forever and can be machine washed) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailin'fun Posted February 23, 2011 #329 Share Posted February 23, 2011 :D PACKING LIST Purse/Back Pack: Travel Pack - Originals see below. Keep with you! Small bills for Porter gratuity at pier ($2 per bag in NYC) $2 bills for special “little” tips Pens, notepad, deck of cards Carry On Bag: (Keep with u at all times) Travel Pak - Photocopies see below. Toiletries – see below Bathing Suits, cover-ups, flip-flops/water shoes, hat or sun visor, Sunglasses, eyeglasses/contact lenses & solution (pack the case too!) Dinner appropriate change of clothing, jewelry Pajamas, slippers Camera, film, storage cards, batteries, recharging cords, underwater camera iPod/MP3 & accessories, hand held games & accessories Lightweight jacket or wind breaker, rain gear, umbrella TRAVEL PAK: (personal document kit) ORIGINALS - Make two photocopied sets. First set kept in Ziploc in your Carry-on-Bag. Second set kept at home with someone): Cruise Documents Forms of identification: Passport(s), Visa, Birth Certificate & Drivers License Health Cards/Forms, Prescriptions Travel Itinerary, Airline Tickets, Hotel Confirmations, Shore Excursion Confirmations, Travel Insurance/Baggage Loss Documents, Picture of all Luggage, Travelers Checks & receipts, Credit Card & Numbers Packing List TOILETRIES Prescription Medicines First Aid Kit: Tylenol, Advil, Sea bands, sea sickness pills, Benadryl, throat lozenges, Antacids, Imodium, Waterproof Band-Aids, Butterfly Closures, Antiseptic Cream, Antibiotic Ointment, Moleskin. Toothbrush, toothpaste & dental floss, mouthwash, Shampoo & conditioner, Comb/brush, hair styling products, hair accessories Soap, Moisturizers, Deodorant, Sun screen, sunburn aids, Small insect repellent wipes, Make-Up, Cologne & perfume, Q-tips; cotton balls, baby powder, nail polish & remover wipes. Clothes Pins, Plastic cable ties, duct tape, Clorox clean up wipes. “CHECKED LUGGAGE ITEMS” Razor, blades & hair removal products Nail file; nail clippers; tweezers; small scissors Beach bag, travel mugs with lids, candy & gum Snorkel Equip. Large & small Ziploc bags Clothes pins, Small laundry detergent, collapsible mesh hamper, sewing kit Binoculars, pocket-sized solar calculator, Flash light/night light, small alarm clock, power strip/extension cord Addresses & stamps, post-its; highlighters, envelope for receipts Garment Bag (Use tissue paper in between delicates to reduce creasing) Suitcase( Half of Matching Sets) Suitcase (Other Half - Matching Sets) I just cut and pasted your suggestions to make a copy. Wonderful! Thanks ever so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailin'fun Posted February 23, 2011 #330 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Too cute! I may make a 'flat daddy' of my hubby to take, too. My kids are 19, 16, and 14 so they'll either be TOTALLY embarrassed or really get into it! Thanks for the tip! Loved the video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueyesdm Posted February 25, 2011 #331 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Can you purchase boca clips in the stores or only online? I'm not sure I've ever seen these in the store before.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherjoe5 Posted February 25, 2011 #332 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Can you purchase boca clips in the stores or only online?I'm not sure I've ever seen these in the store before.... you can get them at bed bath and beyond........... cheryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donolyn Posted March 15, 2011 #333 Share Posted March 15, 2011 Hi, our second cruise this Sunday on NCL Jewel (second time on same ship), how can I sneak my alcohol onto ship in Rum Runners? I don't remember from my last trip if we had to go through metal detectors and have our "carry on" bags scanned at the port before we boarded our ship. We are NOT flying, we are driving to the port, so if anyone has traveled on Norwegian recently, can you tell me if you had to put your bags through an xray machine before boarding ship. thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johug Posted March 15, 2011 #334 Share Posted March 15, 2011 We went to our local bank an get several "pads" of $1.00 bills. These are 100 $1.00 bills that are bound ( glued )together along the top edge like a note pad. When you want to tip, you just tear them out like a piece of paper from a pad and hand them out. We get them at Zions Bank in Utah. They charge an extra $3.00 for them but it is worth it. They are numbered in order so you can keep track of how much you have tipped and how much you have left. I believe you can get them online, but they are way more expensive. Check with your local banks for availability Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin Christi Posted March 15, 2011 #335 Share Posted March 15, 2011 We went to our local bank an get several "pads" of $1.00 bills. These are 100 $1.00 bills that are bound ( glued )together along the top edge like a note pad. When you want to tip, you just tear them out like a piece of paper from a pad and hand them out. We get them at Zions Bank in Utah. They charge an extra $3.00 for them but it is worth it. They are numbered in order so you can keep track of how much you have tipped and how much you have left. I believe you can get them online, but they are way more expensive. Check with your local banks for availability That is just awesome. Do I just ask the bank if they have 'pads' of ones? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star09 Posted March 16, 2011 #336 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I am going to steal your awesome idea. Love it!!! Me Too!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itzhappyme Posted May 1, 2011 #337 Share Posted May 1, 2011 Some of these ideas are great. Think we will need a door sign for easy recognition. DS wants it to say "Captain Awesome (and his mum)" ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayleesmeme Posted May 11, 2011 #338 Share Posted May 11, 2011 (edited) I love the idea for the chocolates with the tips , and especially the thank you note attached. Last year, I lost my voice right before we sailed. I forgot cough drops. The ship had some thank goodness, but they were a bit pricey. So I will have some , just in case next cruise. We took the plastic shoe holder that hung over the door. It was heaven sent. It held all the small things so I didnt have to dig for them. I just opened the door. Edited May 11, 2011 by kayleesmeme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lassie21 Posted June 20, 2011 #339 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Flameless, battery operated candles - they add a nice, romantic glow to both room and balcony ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLvacation Posted July 8, 2011 #340 Share Posted July 8, 2011 Everyone says duct tape. Use for tapoing things, marking luggage, repairing anything, and as a lint roller. Duct Tape is definitely a all around good thing to bring :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nean29 Posted July 13, 2011 #341 Share Posted July 13, 2011 See you are from Marion, OH. DH was born in Marysville. I'm from Richwood. We were both born at Marion Hospital in 1947, long before it was known as Marion General Hospital.:D I take hard candies as well as chocolate bars -- but we get the biggest smiles from the chocolate candy since the crew knows it's hard to transport it from home to ship. I watch out for Hershey's special kisses prior to a cruise, i.e., Hershey's produces mint flavored chips around St. Pat's day, cherry flavored chips around Valentine's Day, etc. Kit Kat bars seem to be the favorite of crew on all the ship's we sailed over the past few years. Dianne I made up little "goodie" bags with some candy and a phone card/other goodies along with a thank you charm and handed them out to staff that were helpful but usually don't get tipped i.e. guest services, etc. This was in addition to any tip. I also made up a gift bag with goodies for our room steward and gave it to them on the first day as a pre-thank you for their hard work. Made sure they knew that it wasn't replacing their tip just an added thank you. I must say that we got really really good service for the whole cruise along with appreciation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLvacation Posted July 13, 2011 #342 Share Posted July 13, 2011 if you plan on doing any snorkeling ... bring cheerio's ... another guess showed us this trick .. you don't really need to bring them because they have them on the cruise .. just remember to bring them if you go snorkeling ... zip lock baggies and a little cheerio's will make you very popular with the fish :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habenero Posted July 14, 2011 #343 Share Posted July 14, 2011 After noticing that the majority of my cabin stewards came from areas that have a very spicy diet, I started giving some of my own chile blend (Habenero is 1/3rd by weight) to them. It brings a touch of home to them, as the ship board food is often bland by comparison! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
How'sBartCruisin'? Posted August 5, 2011 #344 Share Posted August 5, 2011 I bought a Donald Duck, in a sailor suit, t-shirt with the sentence, "I'm on a Boat," above Donald. It gets a lot of looks during pre-boarding check-in and as I walk around the boat that first day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habenero Posted August 8, 2011 #345 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Another thing I like to bring is something small and odd enough that when photographed at a port of call, my friends can agree that I must have been there! On land vacations or while on board the ship, one of the little green men does a nice job. But in order to be seen in public with my wife, I have to resort to something considerably smaller and less conspicuous. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhcpchika1 Posted August 17, 2011 #346 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Thanks for all of the tips and tricks! I copied and pasted a ton into an email; now I am going to go weed through them all and see what is pertinent for our family! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deladela Posted September 21, 2011 #347 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I read this thread before my first cruise(a lot has been added since then)and was SOOO glad I did. Our first cruise was DH and I AND our 2 teens in one cabin...the over the door shoe holder was amazing! Our cruises since have been the two of us, but I still wouldn't want to be without it. If I left everything else from these lists home, I would still bring the shoe holder. Next would be the power strip...ipods, cell phones, handheld games, hair dryer, curling iron/straightener, etc....the extra outlets come in handy! The highlighters, post-its, clothes pins are also handy...the rest I could do with or without, but these are the ones I think make my vacation more relaxing without too much added luggage space.:) Just my 2 cents! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gail & Marty sailing away Posted September 22, 2011 #348 Share Posted September 22, 2011 A sign for your cabin door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesgrs Posted September 27, 2011 #349 Share Posted September 27, 2011 omg! such a long interesting thread I have learned alot and have taken notes! ;) can't wait til Nov 6!!!!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razldazlberi Posted October 6, 2011 #350 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Before our last cruise I bought a money folding origami book. I would give animal tips to our steward and other kind wait staff. Our steward was so impressed with the little dollar animals. I gave him the book and bought another for our next cruise. Our last cruise we stopped off at a clinic and donated medical supplies that I had been collecting, Band-aids, toothbrushes,aspirin,Tylenol etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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