Must Bring Items!

[CoupleFromKY]

Why not your current cell phone?

 

 

I am a first timer but I think it is because if your current phone rings and you answer it you will pay about 5 dollars a minute. After the ship charges and wat your provider charges it will be high. I am bringing mine but will put in safe so there is no unexpected charges.. I guess you could switch it to Sprint ONly(or whoever you use) and it will constantly search for a signal since it will be roaming on the ship and then you could use the alarm with no worries about calls. Mike

 

Ps. There are a lot of posts here on CC about scary high cell phone charges

[MuffyKismet]

Somewhere on one of these forums is a LONG list of idea and tips for cruising. the very best tips are got that I now use everytime we cruise are:

 

the hanging plastic shoe holder: great for throwing your SS card, lotion, ID, hair ties, costume jewlery, all the crap that clogs up the very small dressing table in the rooms!

 

a cheap magnetic dry erase board: put it on the outside of your door, if you are traveling with others you just jot down where you are planning on going and when you'll stop back at the room, that way you can always catch up with each other easily. It is a life safer if you you have teenagers and older kids with you that insist on their independence but you still want to know where in the heck they are! LOL

 

small power strip cord: was able to plug in my hair straigtner, charger for cell phone and camera battery charger all in one! very conveinient!!

 

medium vinyl collapsable cooler: the steward kept it iced up at all times and EVERYTHING in it was nice and cold whenever we wanted it (beer, wine, soda, booze)

 

nice big thermal cups: my older kids refer to these as "personal Krunk cups" LOL, what ever you put in them they are sure to stay colder or warmer and last longer then the little cups they give you on the ship LOL

 

small water proof case on a rope: they sell these in the gift shop and liqour shop on the ship too! They are great, especially when you are going on a water excursion, just put your ID and SS card and CC and Cash in it , put it around your neck and you are all set! At home I have seen them at Walmarts and dive shops.

 

so those are a few of my favorite tips I have gotten over the years that I now never leave home without!!

[L2J]

I am a first timer but I think it is because if your current phone rings and you answer it you will pay about 5 dollars a minute.

 

Ps. There are a lot of posts here on CC about scary high cell phone charges

 

Who says you have to answer it? *shakes head*

 

PS - Your phone could ring all day long - as long as you don't answer it there won't be any charges.

 

back OT - don't forget the crockpot.

[Hawaii697]

Here is the list I provided to my group for our upcoming cruise:

 

THE ULTIMATE PACKING LIST

Don’t feel that you have to pack all listed. This is really a suggestion list.

Don’t Forget Most Important

PASSPORT

Drivers license, Cruise Documents

Cruise Documents, Travelers checks, credit cards, cash

(If you’d like, bring your Birth Certificate as Backup)

Your luggage will not arrive until a couple hours after you board the ship. Below is a suggestion of what to bring in your carryon.

þ

List

When You Arrive to Ship:

Bring on board – Carryon Suitcase containing:

Change of clothes

Toiletry bag

Swimsuit

General Packing

Ladies

Short Sleeve or Sleeveless sundresses (lots, highly recommend)

Shorts or skorts

Tank tops/T-shirts (lots)

Swimsuits (enough for 7 days)

Cover-ups

2 formal, semi formal or cocktail dresses

Accessories

Flipflops/Sandals/Watershoes

Sneakers/socks for long distance walking/hiking

Dress shoes

Shawl or sweater for dining room

Men

Shorts or shirks

Tank tops/T-shirts

Swimming Trunks

Flipflops/Sandals/Watershoes

Sneakers

2 suits or tuxedo

Dress shoes

Toiletries

Bar of Soap

Body Wash

Shampoo & Conditioner

Razor or Neet

Scrubby

Lotion and Vaseline

Baby Oil or baby oil lotion

Deodorant

Facial Moisturizer

Toothbrush & Toothpaste

Listerine / Scope

Dental floss

Shower cap

Hair dryer (Carnival provides blow dryers, however, they are not that strong)

Curling Iron

Comb/Brush

Hair Accessories (Scrunches, hairclips)

Q-Tips

Nail file

Nail clippers (hang nails)

Nail polish remover

Nail polish (s)

Clear polish

Perfume / Cologne

Advil, Tylenol, Excedrin, Benedryl

Bonine, Dramamine II, Ginger or patch (seasickness medications)

Any prescriptions needed

Cough drops

Eye drops

Alcohol swabs

Safety pins

Peppermints

Ear plugs

Chapstick(s)

Sun-block

Suntan lotion

Aloe Vera Gel (great product)

Cabin Items:

Hi-liter Pen - to be used for the daily Carnival Capers

Post-it Notes -to post notes on fellow cabin mates doors – (Destiny To Provide)

Bright “Duck” tape (trust me, a few of us have used in the past)

Small alarm clock (no clocks in the cabin)

Wine/champagne & corkscrew

Sodas

Bottled water

Bungee cord (hold open balcony door)

Power strip (not many outlets in cabin)

Big thermal drinking cup to fill up with ice tea, punch, coffee, etc.

Insulated Mug (to hold your all you can eat ice cream)

Speakers for your portable CD player

[

Miscellaneous

Hats / Visors

Sunglasses

Travelers Checks - $50 and $100 denominations

Backpack/purse/carryall/beach bag

Credit Card(s) (please contact your credit card company before you travel to the islands. Most companies see a change in spending pattern and sometimes your credit card will be declined)

Cash to spend

Lots of $1 and $2 bills (tipping)

Cell phone (check your local provider before you leave)

Camera

Film or memory cards

Video camera and extra video cartridges

Batteries

Underwater camera

Shout packets

Detergent Tabs

Dryer Sheets

Clothes Pins (hang wet suits)

Downey Wrinkle Releaser

Small spray bottle for water to cool off

Don’t forget to save room for those souvenirs

(or bring an extra suitcase or travel bag)

Last but not least, a good book (or several)

Short Version

What do I bring you ask???

Ladies

Ladies, we love our clothes and shoes, so go for it. We never have too many clothes. Don’t feel that you may over pack. You never know if you’ll spill something on your clothes, a button pops off, or rips. Now that I’ve justified the over packing J see my suggestions below:

o Sundresses

o Cover-ups

o Shorts/Tank Tops

o Lots of Swimwear

o 2 semi-formal or formal dresses

o Don’t forget those accessories

o An evening wrap; gets a little chilly in the dining room.

o Comfortable shoes or sandals; you may want to bring sneakers but it will be pretty hot for them.

o Ladies, you may want to bring two toiletry bags. One large (for the week) and one small to carry-on and beach excursions!

 

Men

 

Fellas, you’re pretty much on your own, even though some of you can be as bad as us ladies!!! Anyway, checkout the suggestions.

o Shorts/Short Sleeve Shirts or T-shirts

o Couple of pairs of khaki pants for dinner

o Sandals/Sneakers – again very hot weather

o Swim Trunks

o A suit or two with a shirt change or Rent A Tux for formal night

o Dress Shoes

Everybody

¨ Lots of $1 and $2 bills for tipping at airport, ship, and taxis.

 

¨ Pack an overnight bag to carry on ship with a change of clothes and/or bathing suit; also add toiletries and other essentials. Sometimes your luggage will not arrive to your room until late evening.

 

¨ Lot of film and batteries; its expensive on the ship and off!

 

¨ Sunblock or Suntan lotion; again another expensive item.

 

¨ Buy bottled water at a local store near pier.

 

¨ Bar of Soap

 

¨ A blow dryer. Carnival provides one but they are not that strong.

 

¨ Travel alarm clock. No clocks in the rooms. They do have an automatic wake up call system through the phone.

 

¨ An extension cord (the strip kind).

 

¨ Sweatshirt for hanging out on the deck at night; it gets kind of windy.

 

¨ An underwater camera

 

¨ Water shoes; some beaches may be a little rocky or reefy.

 

¨ A roll of loud colorful tape to put on your luggage for disembarkation. Makes it easier to find your luggage.

 

¨ A backpack for the days excursions.

 

¨ No need to pack bathrobes, Carnival provides them free for the 7-day trip.

 

¨ A collapsible cooler. Usable in your room to keep wine and beer cold or you never know if you want to hangout at the beach all day and want to do a picnic.

 

¨ Bubble wrap for liquor coming back, because some of use are trying to restock our bar.

 

¨ Business cards because you never know who you might meet.

 

¨ And last but not least bring a great attitude. This cruise is what you make it. Don’t let someone else ruin it for you. Relax, relax, relax and have a great time

[Hawaii697]

Apologies for the formatting of my previous post. When I cut and pasted, it look alot different.

[CoupleFromKY]

Sorry Livstojump I Was answering why to bring an old phone for an alarm clock. Noone has to pick up a phone. Shakes Head Back, I guess? Mike

[L2J]

Sorry Livstojump I Was answering why to bring an old phone for an alarm clock. Noone has to pick up a phone. Shakes Head Back, I guess? What a childish response. Are we in kindergarten? Mike

 

No Mike, far from it actually thanks.

[Leo Jay]

Thanks for the response, but unless I'm missing something, I'm still not clear why someone wouldn't just use their current phone for the alarm clock and just not answer any incoming calls they don't want to pay for. Unless it's a lack of willpower thing, which is cool.

[Donna - dsw]

Only thing I would add is to have your meds in your carry on.

[L2J]

I'm still not clear why someone wouldn't just use their current phone for the alarm clock and just not answer any incoming calls

 

lack of willpower thing,

 

Exaclty what I was saying.

 

If it is, probably not wise to have a phone in the first place IMO. Have a "security guard" where I work and she's yapping on her phone from the time she get's to work until the time she leaves. I'd hate to see that bill.:rolleyes:

[travmagic]

I thought the "old cell phone" advice was very good. I have, on many trips, used my cell phone as an alarm clock. Which, of course, drains the battery to keep it on over night. By bringing a spare from home with no service should work well. It takes up less room than an alarm clock.

[L2J]

I thought the "old cell phone" advice was very good. I have, on many trips, used my cell phone as an alarm clock. Which, of course, drains the battery to keep it on over night. By bringing a spare from home with no service should work well. It takes up less room than an alarm clock.

 

The battery on your spare doesn't drain? :p I plug mine in at night ;)

[travmagic]

The battery on your spare doesn't drain? :p I plug mine in at night ;)

I would just keep it plugged in overnight and then turn it off during the day. Should work just fine.:p ;)

[mother of twins]

Thanks for the response, but unless I'm missing something, I'm still not clear why someone wouldn't just use their current phone for the alarm clock and just not answer any incoming calls they don't want to pay for. Unless it's a lack of willpower thing, which is cool.

All of you beware...I called my cell phone company about what the rates would be if i had my phone on the ship...I was told that I would be charged a high rated for calls that went to my voice mail>>>>yes< then if i checked them i would be charges again

we decided to leave ours in the car at the port>>>

[athena73]

My two cents for what it is worth...I have an insulated water bottle carrier that holds a larger bottle. I can bring a bottle of water with my on excursions but it leaves my hands free for browsing in the shops.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

All I know is I way overpacked for my first cruise and won't do that again. Everyone is saying take half of what you think you need or pack then unpack and only put back in half of what you need. SOOOOO TRUE. I took everything but the kitchen sink and didn't use hardly any of it. The one thing I found to be the most useful was a little id holder that hung around my neck. It held my drivers license and ship card which I needed everywhere I went. There I am in all my pictures wearing it lol:p .

 

I wore my swimming suit (packed 3 of them) and wore all 3. Didn't use nearly as many clothes as I expected cuz I was always in a swimsuit (tankini top with shorts) on all the excursions.

[fllady61]

We went on our first 7 day cruise last fall. We each took an outfit a day. did not wear half of it. We had certain things we wore, so we did laundry half way through the cruise. We had 4 suitcases, Garment bag, medical bag, and laptop bag. NOT this time. Meds will be carried on. Garment bag is axed, as we did not dress up last time, wll just put the items in the regular suitcase and hang them when we get on board. If they are rolled, they won't wrinkle so much anyway.

 

DON"T take beach towels. They have them on board. Shampoo, soap, all on board.

 

Fanny pack for shore usage, othrwise, a laynert aroung neck. Took too much jewlery last time too. did not wear most of it. This time, my tanizanite, and that is it other than my everyday earrings.

 

A MUST a sweater for dining room and shows. gets cold in those places.

[mother of twins]

I agree next trip I'm packing lots of swim wear, formal night, one casual night, khaki shorts, black shorts and tops to mix and match...I way over packed also. Didn't help that we had our own snorkel stuff for four people. I did take the laptop to download pics...

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

I reallllly overpacked. I mean I brought 1 suitcase full of stuff that everyone said you HAD to have including a shoe rack/organizer for over the door - didn't need, clorox wipes, bug repellant, lots of jewelry, bunjee cords, you name it, I took it. I even went as far as buying 2 cheap pillows from Walmart and putting them in one of those vaccuum bags that shrinks them way down cuz I was afraid the beds would be horrible. They sat in our closet and we left them behind for our room steward. We each had a suitcase plus carryon, 1 extra suitcase for all the above junk, plus a big beach bag that I used as a purse with everything but the kitchen sink in it. Next time, 1 suitcase per person. No more than that. We'll make due with what we got.

[fllady61]

Another thing, We are down to two expandable bags and a smaller bag. Pack them colasped, and add to them and expand them. We now have a complete set of CARNIVAL luggage. had to buy a bag on my first cruise, and 2 on my second cruise, and one on my last cruise. Don't need anymore. Unless carnival comes up with a garment bag to add to it. Actually, DD will have on bag, me another one, and DH will have the smaller of the 3 bags as he has less clothes to take. None of which will go full, but may come home full. Oh well. Just don't want to have to buy a suitcase to come home with this time. The back pack will be used for final morning dirty clothes from the night before and sleeping garments.

[Leo Jay]

All of you beware...I called my cell phone company about what the rates would be if i had my phone on the ship...I was told that I would be charged a high rated for calls that went to my voice mail>>>>yes

 

That's bizarre. Unanswered calls will go to your voicemail whether your phone is on or not, so I don't even get what they mean by that. Anyway, I'm glad I have a sane cell provider. :)

[fllady61]

Mother of twins, what cell phone company do you have?

[CScottRun]

This isn't a necessity but I will say it makes me enjoy the cruise more...

 

I always bring speakers for my Ipod (or any mp3 or music player) so I can listen in the room. After visiting a port I like to go back to the room, put on some music and lay down, maybe even take a nap. I'm always in a great mood when I wake up for Dinner later that night.

[fllady61]

I never though of that one, but all of us have different music taste, so that would not work with us. I do have my MP3 as does my DD for when we want to listen to music. I listen to music when I can not get to sleep.

[pennme]

Here are a couple that I take / slash agree with.

1. Preprinted mailing labels for postcards. I did this in Hell since I had approximately 20 people that I was sending to, it was a huge help. I got a lot of "Cool's" from other people.

2. My wife and I have two credit cards. She caries one, and I carry the other one. If one of us looses our wallet / purse, and have to cancel the card, we aren't out of luck.

3. Call the credit card company so they know that you will be out of the country.

4. I bring WD40, to fix the little squeaks, like the doors to the cabinets.

5. I make Business cards. It makes it easier for when you exchange addresses. I also have a FTP server with pictures from the cruise. I put the FTP site on this card as well so that others can down load pictures I took.

6. Since I bring my laptop, I would not be complete without a GPS so that I can see how fast we are going. Yes, I am a geek.