I just made our packing list. Anyone want to take a look?

[ELECIA]

Yes! I did forget the highlighter. Adding that. Thanks!

 

And, didn't know that about the clotheslines. Is this true on all cruiselines/cabins? Are they in the shower? That's great to know!

 

You know now that you mention it I am not sure about the clothes lines. I am so used to being on the Carnival boards that I forget about the other lines. So, I am unsure if they are on all ships, I think it has been on all of our Carnival and I believe it was on our NCL as well. If they have them, they are located in the bathroom.

[maryln]

What's the tiny stapler for?

I staple receipts together.....things like that. A few more items I've remembered for the list...a travel size Oxi Clean Spray-A-Way comes in handy. It's so small it fits in my clutch at dinner, too. I found it at Target in the laundry detergent aisle. I get small packs of baby wipes and keep them in the back pack or whatever bag I take on an excursion or to the beach. Scotch tape, post-it notes, nail polish remover....I'll keep thinking!

[citcatt1]

There's only one thing I can think of that you forgot.....the kitchen sink!:) :)

[sunrise&set]

I am also a planning fanatic, it drives my family crazy until we're on the trip and they are so thankful I didn't forget a thing and have planned a lot of details (excursions) so we're not all trying to plan things at the last minute. I am still a bit old fashioned and keep it all in a notebook and still have old lists that I can refer to! I saved your list so I can do it on the computer this time - keeps the list better organized and easier to read - thanks!!!!

 

One thing I've gone over board (pun intended) this time around is buying warm weather clothes for my 1 year old! Thankfully everything should still fit this summer!

[J. Cassian]

Nancy, the list is super. My wife and I like to take a lot of items on trips. Suitcases are easy for us to roll and having more of what we like makes us have a better trip, but everyone is so different about these items — many people enjoy traveling light.

 

We are going to Alaska in June and will have eight in our family group. We did a short 3-day cruise recently on RCL out of Port Canaveral with the same group in December. When we disembarked at the end of the cruise, some of us got to the luggage carousel and tried to get everyone’s luggage, we knew the special tags we had on our bags, but did not know the tags the other family members had. For the Alaska cruise we are all going to have the same luggage IDs so that anyone of the group can easily spot everyone’s bags. I think I will use a picture of one family's dog. The children should like it.

 

We have children with us and we will also bring some kind of stick-on pictures for our cabin doors so they can easily spot any one of the cabins we will have — and the door pictures will also help at least one adult in the group too!

 

We always take a large roll of paper towels wherever we go.

 

Some people take a clear plastic or mesh hanging shoe holder just for keeping things handy in the cabin, but we are not going to take one of those, but many cruising pros find them very helpful. My wife insists that very little is left "out" in the cabin or bathroom --- we take a lot, but it is all stored neatly away in the cabin.

 

You have a great list, I have saved it to our Alaska directory, thank you very much.

[mjmalino]

What I do when we travel, instead of the stapler, I put receipts in a baggie, which I also happen to have.

[calenita]

So you are on the brink 'huh? Your packing list is the MOST extensive I have seen. I make lists which I give to my kids - 5 t-shirts, 5 underwear, 3 shorts etc which they love. I make lists for myself but not that detailed like yours. DH packs the morning we leave - just throws things in his bag. Unfortunately the poor man thinks he is still 20-something and backpacking through Europe with one bag. He does not realize he is now the leader of the expedition with five family members and you can't carrry everything in a carry-on! :)

One trick which works really well is I keep all of our travel documents, car rental or hotel reservations, etc in one clear plastic large envelope (I bought it with scrapbooking supplies). I just haul it all out and it is all there. I've already started putting stuff in it for our next trip.

[maryln]

A battery operated travel alarm clock is another item I always take.

[mommiejaxx]

Hi on the brink (Nancy)

I noticed we are from around the same area.(from your signature) I was wondering if you took your children on your cruise in 2005? We will be taking our first cruise in April with 3 children ages 17 months, 11 and almost 13. I am a little curious how it will be cruising with a little one and see lots of mixed feelings about it. Thanks!

[OnTheBrink]

Hi! Yes, John was 8 months and Emma was 4 on the last cruise. They both had a blast! It was a little hard with John because he was at the crawling stage, but it wasn't a very crawling-friendly place. But, he got lots of wonderful positive attention from fellow passengers and the crew and loved just hanging out. Emma spent very little time in the children's area alone, but we went to a few things together. They are both super excited about the next one!

[Doug&Suzy-Q]

This is wonderful, thank you.............I have added scotch tape/lint brush.

I had a lint brush that never worked after one time....since then I use scotch tape for DH on his dark suit.............love it..............no matter how I take care of his suit never coming near Misty, our extremely hairy kitty.....it happens.............so............I always do the tape.......

also maybe sticky notes...........for the room steward........

they don't take up much room........

[bluehorizonlover123]

Hey I have a list too. And believe it or not I photocopy it and use it over and over again. Have used it on the past 10 cruises. You don't really don't need a clothes line as they have one attached in the shower. How about a nightlight. We always bring one of those. And a really big envelope to keep pictures you buy and stuff seperate. Also a highlighter to mark things you want to do in the planner. I also bring a hole puncher to punch a hole in the room key and wear it around my neck on a thin string. I bring a scissors (small one), duct tape, masking tape to tape up notes to other family members. Actually your list is shorter than mine. I also write down which clothes I packed and wore after I get home, so I don't over pack on the next trip.

 

If you didn't want to bring laundry detergent with, you could purchase it onboard for about a dollar. Will save some packing space. You might want to bring quarters if you think you are really going to do laundry onboard.

 

You won't need febreeze and air freshner. If it smells how about just lighting a match. That gets any smells to leave. And matches don't take up much room at all.

[CabinForFour]

One thing I take that you might consider: a large photo mailer. It's a cardboard mailing envelope (Wal-mart, Target, etc.) that I use to pack daily shipboard news fliers and/or souvenir photos bought from the ship's photographer. It packs neatly in the bottom of a suitcase but keeps everything from being torn up (or thrown away) before we get home. For an extra measure of safety, I put my address on it so that it has a better chance of being returned to me if misplaced.

 

Another thing, consider taking at least one pair of long-sleeved PJs for the kids. Sometimes the rooms get pretty cool at night, especially if yours kick off their covers like mine do.

 

Someone mentioned bringing a teddy bear for the Teddy Bear picnic on NCL. Certainly, that's fine, but I just wanted to mention that our DD's group had their faces painted like teddy bears for the teddy bear picnic and wore cute little ears made from brown construction paper. I didn't see any of the children who actually brought their teddy bears. I can only assume that this is the case for every NCL teddy bear picnic. It was super cute, and she had a great time. So, it's fine to bring the child's bear, but don't bother packing it for the party if that's the only reason you're packing it. :)

[Livabeth]

Great ideas ... thank you all.

[MrsPete]

Wow. You could cut out a good 25% of that stuff and still "pack heavy"! Seriously, you're going to drag along quite a bit of stuff that'll never be used. It'll be in the way in the cabin, and you'll have to pack it up again on the last night. Even with two kids, this is too much stuff.

 

You don't need much stuff on a cruise. My family of four took a four-night cruise with one suitcase. Then we took a one-week cruise with a small suitcase each plus one extra suitcase -- we did some laundry, but there wasn't a single thing we wish we'd brought! Everything you need is on the ship, and when you go ashore, less is more!

[OnTheBrink]

Mrs Pete - What do you recommend we NOT take?

 

And, I'll tell you, it's my nature to Be Prepared! I don't mind a bit of inconvenience if it puts my mind at ease.

 

My husband, on the other hand, would toss a toothbrush and an extra pair of boxers in a backback and call it good!

[MrsPete]

Mrs Pete - What do you recommend we NOT take?

 

And, I'll tell you, it's my nature to Be Prepared! I don't mind a bit of inconvenience if it puts my mind at ease.

 

My husband, on the other hand, would toss a toothbrush and an extra pair of boxers in a backback and call it good!

What would I NOT take? I'd bring pool shoes OR flip flops -- not both. I'd skip the ponchos and umbrellas; if it's raining while we're on the ship, I'd be inside; if it's raining ashore, I'd be wearing a swimsuit/cover up anyway (it DID pour rain on us in Jamaica -- we had were fine and actually had a great time, and, yes, we had two daughters in tow!). I'd use the blow dryer in the cabin -- it was fine for us, even for long hair. I've never had a bug bite on a cruise. TWO cell phone chargers? Baby oil, cotton balls, nail file, vitamins, cough drops -- I'd leave all those little things, which add up to a bunch of space; no one would miss them for one week. I'd bring bandaids with Neosporin already in them, which would alleviate the need for the other first-aid items. The ship has hand sanitizer everywhere, and we don't eat while ashore. I'd bring either the waist bag OR day pack OR the beach bag -- not all. Wipes are useful with small children, but there are Kleenex in the cabin, and I could tuck a few of those into my bag before going ashore. I'd bring one 4G memory card; I'm a photography teacher, and even I've never managed to fill one. Flashlights and colored pillowcases? Why? Binoculars would be five minutes' entertainment. The cabin has note pads and pens. Clothesline AND over-the-door-organizer AND a shoe holder AND laundry bags AND magnetic hooks AND suction hooks AND a hamper? We had about 4 electrical outlets by the des/dresser in our last cabin; no need for the power strip. The TV clock station is a perfect nightlight. I'd read the guidebooks ahead of time and bring only xeroxes of the portions we'd be using.

 

I would add a couple disposable waterproof cameras because I wouldn't take my good cameras to the beach, nor would I want to have to "mind them" during our water fun.

 

I'm prepared -- I pack carefully, and I rarely ever go anywhere without something I need, but I also don't overpack. We share a cabin with our two daughters, and having stuff all over the place is stressful. Packing and unpacking stuff, taking care of it during the cruise, then repacking it on the last night is stressful.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Livabeth]

On thing we took on our last family trip was liquid soap for the bathroom so that we didn't have to use the little bars of soap. Works great ... especially with getting the kids to wash their hands properly.

[OnTheBrink]

Thanks MrsPete! Let's see...

 

 

pool shoes OR flip flops

This is a list for 4 of us. Some like pool shoes (or crocs), some like flip flops. We'd not each have both, though.

 

I'd skip the ponchos and umbrellas

Definitely taking these! We do Disney on a regular (at least monthly) basis and this is something we always have in our backpacks.

 

I'd use the blow dryer in the cabin -- it was fine for us, even for long hair.

You are right. I meant to remove that one. I don't even use one at home, so I certainly won't on the cruise! It was just copied from someone else's list.

 

I've never had a bug bite on a cruise.

My daughter gets bit EVERYWHERE and has horrid reactions! It's worth it to take the little marker size thing!

 

TWO cell phone chargers?

It says one for the car and one regular. One for the car since we have a 4 hour drive each way. One wall charger for the hotel and cruise. We know we won't use the phone ON the cruise, but we will use it before and after.

 

Baby oil, cotton balls, nail file,

These are daily use items for me! I use baby oil and cotton balls to remove my eye makeup. I use a nail file each evening.

 

vitamins, cough drops -- I'd leave all those little things, which add up to a bunch of space; no one would miss them for one week. I'd bring bandaids with Neosporin already in them, which would alleviate the need for the other first-aid items.

 

We keep a travel medicine cabinet packed with all these little things in it. It's in a plastic shoebox type thing (maybe a bit smaller than a shoebox). We have travel or mini versions or most thing. The box fits perfectly in our suitcase and then just sits up on a shelf in the hotel or cruise. It stays organized, is easy to see through, and has everything we need.

 

The ship has hand sanitizer everywhere, and we don't eat while ashore.

We keep the little ones in our backpack.

 

I'd bring either the waist bag OR day pack OR the beach bag -- not all.

The list says "waist bag/day pack" - which means one or the other to me.

The day pack is for money, passports, etc.

The beach bag is for towels, extra clothes, snorkel stuff, sunscreen, etc.

 

Wipes are useful with small children, but there are Kleenex in the cabin, and I could tuck a few of those into my bag before going ashore.

With a 3 year old boy who doesn't wipe himself well, wet wipes are a MUST! :)

 

I'd bring one 4G memory card; I'm a photography teacher, and even I've never managed to fill one.

I know that the card I have now isn't enough for the trip. And the extra one I have is the same size. Since they are tiny, I'd rather take two than buy a new larger one.

 

Flashlights and colored pillowcases? Why?

Both are just small, fun, easy to pack things for my kids. They like having their own pillowcases - just for fun. Flashlights are fun for all kinds of things! We're talking about the pen size ones.

 

Binoculars would be five minutes' entertainment.

Has that really been your experience? My 7 year old daughter uses them every day for quite a while each day! She is quite the nature lover and adores her binoculars. She wants to pack her telescope to look at the stars, but I told her that wouldn't work!

 

Clothesline AND over-the-door-organizer AND a shoe holder AND laundry bags AND magnetic hooks AND suction hooks AND a hamper?

I think I might have forgot to mention that we are in two different cabins - daughter and I in one, son and husband in the other. So we'll split this stuff.

I have been told that the clothesline isn't necessary, though. But some say it's essential. Hard to tell!

 

We had about 4 electrical outlets by the des/dresser in our last cabin; no need for the power strip.

This seems to be another thing that people debate about. Power strip or none - that is the question! (Along with the clothesline, I guess!)

 

I'd read the guidebooks ahead of time and bring only xeroxes of the portions we'd be using.

Oh yes, we have done that. I should have specified.

 

I would add a couple disposable waterproof cameras because I wouldn't take my good cameras to the beach, nor would I want to have to "mind them" during our water fun.

Definitely! I think the Easter Bunny will leave that in the kids' baskets since we leave the day after Easter.

 

I'm prepared -- I pack carefully, and I rarely ever go anywhere without something I need, but I also don't overpack. We share a cabin with our two daughters, and having stuff all over the place is stressful. Packing and unpacking stuff, taking care of it during the cruise, then repacking it on the last night is stressful.

We travel and pack and unpack quite a lot, but never feel stressed about it. In fact, I only feel stressed if I don't feel prepared in my way. Packing in an organized way - one that makes sense for your family - helps as well. Sounds like you found a method that works well for you all!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks!

 

On thing we took on our last family trip was liquid soap for the bathroom so that we didn't have to use the little bars of soap. Works great ... especially with getting the kids to wash their hands properly.

That is brilliant! My son seems to drop the soap all over if it's the bar soap. I'll all liquid soap to the list! I bet in the boys' cabin, they can use one liquid soap head to toe!

[jscdagourmet]

I'm age 62, no children, so do not have the extra items to take she does, however, it's very apparent she's a well-organized mother who's prepared for everything and has experienced the need in the past for all of the items she mentions and taking care of her family is of the utmost...which it should be! Since we only unpack once and it's more stressful to have forgotten something than to take up a teeny amt. of space with it, why not? Methinks traveling with children puts an entirely different complexion on things...good job, Nancy!

Jane;)

[MrsPete]

I think it's Rick Steves who says, "There are two types of travelers: those who pack light and those who wish they had."

 

I hope it works for you -- my family never brings anything like all this, nor do we miss it. And, yes, I also have two children. I've found that the less we pack, the more fun we have.

[OnTheBrink]

I have received LOTS of emails from people asking for a copy of the packing list. Many of you have written back saying it's helpful. I'm so glad that so many of you are finding it helpful! It helps to make my neurosis a little more acceptable! :)

[browneyes274]

I have received LOTS of emails from people asking for a copy of the packing list. Many of you have written back saying it's helpful. I'm so glad that so many of you are finding it helpful! It helps to make my neurosis a little more acceptable! :)

 

OH I love you packing list! I took it converted it to word, moved things around into an order that worked for my brain. I'd much rather over pack a little and be ready for anything than spend 2 weeks saying "SHOOT I knew I should have packed that!" :eek:

We are looking at 16 days (8 sea days) with a 4 yr old (who has never cruised) so there are things on your list I never would have thought of!!

 

THANK YOU for sharing with us all!!! :D

[browneyes274]

I might be blind, or you might not need it... I added a Lint Brush. We have dogs so fur/hair seems to pop up on EVERYTHING!

[ilovewdw]

I have received LOTS of emails from people asking for a copy of the packing list. Many of you have written back saying it's helpful. I'm so glad that so many of you are finding it helpful! It helps to make my neurosis a little more acceptable! :)

 

I am a mother of two (DS is 6, DD is 2 1/2) and I can REALLY relate to this list! I ALWAYS overpack, it's just something I cannot control! I'd love a copy of the list, if you don't mind. How do I go about emailing you? :confused: I don't see that as an option anywhere.