Ultimate Packing List for the Newbies....

[PhotoGal07]

I do a couple things to help ease the packing. I have a couple small bags that I use for various things, when something gets used up, it gets replaced, but the bags themselves never get unpacked, this way I'm not constantly packing for a trip.

 

1) Small Travel First Aid Kit, I keep basics in here, bandaids, neosporin, moleskin, pedialyte, and travel sizes of basic meds (pain relief, tummy troubles, cold etc), and some tampons. Ship infirmary will have anything for true emergencies like burns and sprains. All the kit has to do is tide you over till it's convenient to find extra meds. It all fits in a small zip up cosmetic bag.

 

2) Larger Hanging Cosmetic Bag, I keep the extra travel stuff we need in here. Deck of cards, pen/thank you notes, extra tissues, nail clippers/cuticle scissors, small flashlight, extra AA batteries, sunscreen, bug spray, aloe, travel size wrinkle release, night light, small outlet extender (3 extra slots), and my husband's prescription swim goggles.

 

Then I have a packing checklist that I use and an excursion day checklist that I use:

 

 

I have a similar checklist for our beach bag that we use in the summer, and my diaper bag. Just laminate them attach them somewhere to the bag with a piece of ribbon or cord, and you're ready to go!

 

Things I don't bother with:

Iphone Speakers- throw your iphone in an empty water or wine glass and it will amplify the noise just fine.

Motion Sickness Meds- Ask at the pursers desk, they always have some onboard

Sewing Kit- Hotels and ships almost always have a needle and thread if you really need it.

Bungee Cord- Meh, not worth it to me

[nanacallie]

I noticed you mentioned rum runners. I've never used them. Any problems with them?

I appreciate the list!

[Ciyra]

I noticed you mentioned rum runners. I've never used them. Any problems with them?

I appreciate the list!

 

I have used them on two cruises. Last cruise we actually had 8 big ones between four of us. I have not had any problems, but have been extra careful to fill them all the way so there are minimal air bubbles and to pack them in checked bags in the middle, kind of hidden away which I imagine makes sure that it's not right on top no matter which side they x-ray. I try to keep in mind that I might not actually get to keep it if they catch me, for that reason I've never brought any of the large rum runners full of top shelf anything.

 

We've also used them to take drinks to sporting events or theme parks. They're pretty useful.

 

I will say this though. At the end of both cruises we still had alcohol left over. There's just something nice about grabbing a drink at a bar and not having to go back to your room to make it. Convenience wins for me every time. I don't know if I've actually saved money by bringing them or if I've just drank a little bit more in my stateroom. If anything the most amusing part about them is the moment when your bags arrive and you dig through every thing to see if you "got away with it."

[Ciyra]

http://shop.camelbak.com/groove-6l/d/1204_cl_1500

 

Totally forgot to share this... for people who like their water to be filtered, but don't want to haul a ton of bottled water with them.

 

I took my Camelbak Groove water bottle with me on my last cruise. It has a built in filter (like having a tiny brita water pitcher) so ship water tastes good no matter what. I don't think it would clean water to the point where you could drink water in Mexico or anything like that but it definitely improves the taste of every day tap water even in places where tap water is super yucky, like Las Vegas. Filters aren't too expensive and easy to change.

 

Also it doesn't leak and has a little loop on the cap so I can hang it from my backpack or purse with a carabiner.

[JimAOk1945]

This thread is very helpful. Thanks to all of you for posting your tips!

 

Happy Sailing! :D

[tmahoney]

This thread is very helpful. Thanks to all of you for posting your tips!

 

Happy Sailing! :D

 

Thanks for sharing your pictures. They are nice.

[RikkuCat]

We just took our first cruise in Oct. It was really helpful beforehand to read through the packing advice on this thread, so I wanted to weigh in on how it worked out for us.

 

Alarm clock and watch - This is the #1 most helpful advice that I read before our cruise, so thanks! :) I NEVER would have thought to pack an alarm clock, as I would have thought we'd have one in the room. I also never would have packed a watch, and I'm really glad we had one because I don't think I saw a single clock on our ship.

 

Power strip - I decided not to pack one, because I didn't think we were packing many things that needed charging. Phones would be off, kindle batteries last forever with wifi turned off, and the only other thing we were packing that would need charging was my husband's PSP. Even with only one outlet, I figured we could unplug the alarm clock to charge the PSP. Ooops, forgot that the camera needs to be charged every couple of days, too! Also forgot that we'd need to charge both phones on the last night, and we'd probably want to set an alarm for that morning, too. We managed to get everything charged when we needed to, but I think I'll pack a small power strip next time, if for no other reason than to avoid having to reset the alarm clock all the time.

 

Hairdryer - I read a couple comments that said the hairdryers on cruise ships are not powerful enough, but decided to chance it. Ours was like an average hotel room hairdryer and was fine for me.

 

Fan/white noise machine - My husband likes a fan for white noise when sleeping, so I thought about packing a small fan, but decided that we'd use turn one of our phones on airplane mode and use the white noise app if we needed to. Didn't end up using it, as we just left our balcony door open a little and heard ocean sounds - much better, anyway!

 

Flashlight - We packed one because my husband was worried that the ship would lose power, but we never used it for finding our way around our cabin, nor would we have used a nightlight if we'd had one. I'm sure inner cabins are darker, but ours was never pitch-black, so we always had enough light to find our way to the bathroom at night if necessary.

 

Water bottle - We forgot to pack water bottles, they were that 'grab on the way out the door' item that ended up getting left on the counter. We wished we had them and we won't forget again, but we managed to stay well-hydrated without them.

 

Cases of water - Didn't pack these, either. The tap water on the ship tasted fine to me, though my husband thought it had a slightly funky taste, so we'll probably bring iced tea packets for him next time. Since we forgot water bottles, we had to buy bottled water on shore, but I don't remember it being that expensive. Unless I lived locally and was driving to the departure port, finding a place to buy a case of water and hauling it on board wouldn't be worth the hassle for me.

 

Over-the-door shoe organizer - This seemed like a great idea when I first read about it, but when it came time to pack, I realized that we weren't packing enough toiletries/small items to justify the space it would take up in our luggage. We had no trouble keeping our bathroom stuff in order without it - but we are light packers.

 

Cash - We thought we had plenty, but we'll probably bring twice as much next time so we don't need to waste time finding an ATM on shore. We ended up needing cash for more things than we expected.

 

Formal clothing - Whenever I read someone's complaints about formal clothing taking up too much space in their luggage, I end up with a silly mental picture of Marie Antoinette trying to cram her huge dresses into an overnight bag. :eek: To read some of the complaints, you'd think nobody has ever traveled to ANY event that requires formal attire - how do they pack when traveling to a wedding? I've never had trouble finding space for formal clothes in my luggage when necessary, and it wasn't any different for a cruise.

 

Enough sunscreen for a small army - Reading threads on these boards beforehand, I was worried that we'd use AT LEAST ten times more sunscreen on a cruise than we've ever used on a non-cruise vacation - and if we ran out, a bottle of sunscreen would cost roughly $100 in port and $200 on the ship...IF IT WAS EVEN AVAILABLE due to some unexpected sunscreen shortage THAT WE SHOULD ALL PLAN FOR IN ADVANCE! :D Kidding, folks! I ended up packing twice as much sunscreen as I thought we'd need, and we used less than half of it. Out of curiosity, I also checked the price of sunscreen both on the ship and on shore, and it was only a couple dollars more than I would expect to pay at home. Next time, I'll just pack what I think we'll need and buy more if necessary.

 

Separate bag for dirty laundry - Don't see the point. Dirty laundry goes in the empty suitcases, which go under the bed. I have never needed to separate dirty and clean laundry when repacking to go home after a trip, as I do not overpack.

 

Bungee cords, clothespins, highlighters, duct tape, and everything else under the sun - We didn't pack any of this stuff, and didn't miss it.

[Happy ks]

RikkuCat, the whole plugging in the alarm clock, resetting the time, etc...can easily be avoided. Just get a battery powered clock, less than $10. Plus, no power surges to change the time on your clock.

 

Some people even use their cell phones as alarm clocks, I have mine turned off, left in the safe and only use it for emergencies.

 

We keep a multiple outlet plug in our carry on, packed all the time, but don't often use it. The one we have has a surge protector.

[gymbomb]

RikkuCat, the whole plugging in the alarm clock, resetting the time, etc...can easily be avoided. Just get a battery powered clock, less than $10. Plus, no power surges to change the time on your clock.

 

Some people even use their cell phones as alarm clocks, I have mine turned off, left in the safe and only use it for emergencies.

 

We keep a multiple outlet plug in our carry on, packed all the time, but don't often use it. The one we have has a surge protector.

 

 

Yes, definitely get a battery powered travel alarm clock if you don't already have one! There are many options in the $5-15 range, but I really like the LLBean one which was closer to $25. In fact, I like it so much I use it at home (just as a clock -- use my phone as an alarm) in between trips.

[Sparkles87]

They had really nice travel alarm clocks in Ikea..... they were £2 not sure how much this is in dollars maybe about 4 or 5?!? They had them in tonnes of colours and were the size of a pad of post-its. They even told u the temperature. Fantastic buy!!

[RikkuCat]

The funny thing is that we have a travel alarm clock. I couldn't find it when we were packing, but I found it AFTER the cruise...in one of the pockets of our luggage. Right where it makes sense to store it, I guess. :D

 

When we couldn't find the travel alarm clock, we just grabbed our regular alarm clock (which is small). It runs just fine on a battery, too - but I guess we didn't have one in it at the time and didn't think of it. Kicking myself because that would have been MUCH easier!

[hladygirl]

geeeez... half the things on this list are totaly not needed.. really.. i so dont get the over the door shoe thing BTW.. do you use this at home too?? then why would you need it on a ship??? i would need a whole extra suit case to bring all that crap w me to never use! and really.. duct tape??? uhh grap a piece of tape from the front desk...

 

sry but i made my own list w only things you would actualy need/use.

 

the over the door shoe organizer is the best advice ever. my first cruise there was crap all over the cabin because there is no drawer space. the next cruise i brought this item and my cabin was always clutter free and i was able to find every liitle thing easily. made it easier for the housekeeper to keep the room clean and sanitized because they are not allowed to touch or move guests belongings to clean.

[KKB]

I took nearly everything suggested on our first cruise...have definitely pared down to what we truly need since then...

 

Have never needed the over the door organizer, as we have always found plenty of drawer space...but I know many love it.

 

Have never needed a power strip--even with all the electronic devices we carry, we charge one in AM/one in PM. No need to charge more than that.

 

Hair dryers, shampoo & water fine on ship. (ships have their own water purification system) Also--clothesline in shower.

 

Have never needed umbrella, ponchos, detergent (handwash in shower or sink with shampoo or body wash)

 

My dad got me a small hanging scale--it is a few inches by a few inches. Has saved us many $ in luggage overages!

 

Use the cell phone for night light/alarm clock (put on airplane mode so don't connect to your service & pay horrid rates)

 

I do take plenty of sunscreen, all the OTC/prescription meds I could need, a travel mug/green tea bags (to keep hydrated), small flashlight (essential in emergency in interior cabin), highlighers to highlight activities, pen/post it to leave notes (when cruising with others), small sewing kit (have used to sew on a button, dropped hem), lanyards, water boxes (to carry $, ID, credit cards at beach), EARPLUGS (I cannot sleep w/o them anymore...started due to DH's snoring..)

 

We do like a pop up hamper for the kids room--helps A LOT.

 

We do travel with duct tape now--we were literally checking in at an airport & noticed the corner of our suitcase splitting. Luckily the staff found some duct tape.

 

Clothing: we STILL overpack & we are taking much less these days. 2 or 3 pair of shorts is plenty--I just toss them on for the morning; swimsuit for afternoon then dinner ware in the evening. I do like 2 swimsuits--not a fan of stepping into a damp suit. Evenings I have a dressy pant in each black & chocolate brown; wear them twice--covers 4 days. Then you just have 2 formal nights (DH doesn't even bring a jacket anymore; just shirt & tie), and casual first night.

 

Gee, just 16 days until we depart, so all this is sure rolling around in my brain!!

Edited December 11, 2012 by KKB

[bestofXs]

Totally agree with you KKB! The more you cruise, the more refined your packing list gets. I put my packing list on Word and just change items for weather and off-shore excursions.

 

I also don't like putting on a wet bathing suit, so I always bring two.

Edited December 11, 2012 by bestofXs

[fleckle]

geeeez... half the things on this list are totaly not needed.. really.. i so dont get the over the door shoe thing

 

I took nearly everything suggested on our first cruise...have definitely pared down to what we truly need since then...

Same here. There is no such thing as an Ultimate Packing List.

 

What is important to one person is useless to another.

 

We discovered that we have no use for most of the things on such lists. Each cruise, we also pare down and take less and less.

 

For example, I used to pack a luggage scale before discovering that so many people have them that you can always borrow one from a staff member or another passenger. Our stateroom attendant often has one. On some ships they have them at the front desk. It is something that I use for only a few seconds, so not worth packing.

 

The first time I saw the suggestion for the over-the-door shoe holder years ago, it looked like a good idea so I went out and bought one. Quickly realized that we didn't need it and it only took up space in the suitcase. We never brought it again.

But I still like to glance through these lists. Most are a rehash of what others have posted before, but every now and then something new pops up.

For the newbies, remember that most people go on their first cruise without ever seeing any such list, and they do just fine. :)

[pannm]

I am a new to cruising, but NOT new to traveling. Obviously, everyone's travel packing list is different- my husband and I do not drink, so the Orig. list having shot glasses and such don't apply to us...

 

BUT, that is not really the point. I think that a list like this is great. Even though these people 'over pack' or 'pack differrently' than I would, it still offers a great 'base start'. And, I just copied and pasted their list and got rid of the items that we wouldn't take and wrote in a few of our own.

 

The fact that people who cruise many, many, many times a year comment negatively on this OP's list is kind of worthless to us new cruisers- because it doesn't really add anything for us who are 'new to cruising'...

 

Instead of saying blanket statements like "this list stinks, I'd never pack certain things on it" Why don't you add items that you usually pack and you've found helpful? Or items on the orig. list that you don't feel are neccessary. At least, then, you are trying to be helpful instead of not giving ANY information. SEVERAL posters have added to the list, or stated what works for them and I really like to read those- when I come accross a post with one or two sentance 'this is crap' posts, I just get frustrated because they offer nothing.

 

This board is supposed to be helping us figure out what to pack. Obviously, there are things that aren't NEEDED for everyone- but it would be helpful to know of those just in case they are things we wouldn't think of.

 

Other posters have said "you can find these mass lists everywhere..." Well,this is a cruise board- and I appreciate everyone adding their 2 cents of what is helpful, because it may help more people enjoy their cruise.

Edited December 17, 2012 by pannm

[bestofXs]

Well Said pannm. This posting is for "new cruisers" trying to figure out what to bring on their 1st cruise. If more experienced cruisers would leave positive notes on what they pack or if they disagree with a certain item being on the list, perhaps they could explain why they don't bring that item.

 

MY SUGGESTION

 

For shore excursions I always bring tops and or shorts that has seen better days, so if they get ripped or really dirty, I'm not concerned. I have several waiting for my next cruise that I accidentally splotched with bleach! :eek: We all have white socks that aren't white anymore or items with well stretched elastic. I then discreetly dispose of them. :o End results are: less dirty laundry when I get home and I have more space for souvenirs! :D :D

[BlondeCruiser24]

Thank you so much for this! I have been searching for a perfect packing list and this one is great. I just printed it off. Thanks for sharing!

[michele5166]

Great suggestions! It is really helpful looking at a variety of packing lists to make sure I didn't miss something :) Overpacking is a problem of mine, but it gives me more peace of mind while traveling- I think everyone is different and finds what works best for them.

 

And for new cruiser's my best advice would be to not to go too crazy worrying about packing. The real essentials for me were swimsuits and cover-up dresses during the day, and dressy dresses at night. I ended up packing lots of shorts and shirt outfits and didn't need them. And the ship will have items that you may forget (for a premium) but it isn't the end of the world if you end up forgetting something. Happy cruising :)

[hankmary]

I wholeheartedly agree with Pannm that there are really no “Wrong” or “Dumb” things to bring. It is all in the comfort level of the traveler and having a few extra things along now and then allows you to share with a new friend in need. Who needs more negativity in the world? After 70 cruises and lots of travel overseas we have a very extensive “Load List”. Before a trip we do 2 things. We pull up our “boiler plate” message, change the necessary details and notify about 30 people around our home or in our family of our travel plans. They watch the house and if something happens They fix it or they know how to reach us. Second we pull up our Load List and customize it for the cruise, flight, whatever. We compare notes on what we need to bring. We then print this customized list and check off each item as it is actually loaded, not when we are “thinking” about loading but when it really hits the suitcase. The list also includes lots of things to do around the house. Turn off the main water supply to avoid flooding from broken toilet pipes, put vinegar down the drains, mail pickup, and library close out, etc. Sounds like a lot but only takes minutes thanks to the PC. We carry this list with us and reverse it when leaving our cabin, amazing what may get lost in such a tiny room. One sad commentary, we were on the Queen Mary II with a seasoned traveler who had made 10 recent crossings. She had become friends with the maitre d' and asked him why guests were appearing on the formal evening without ties or even jackets? He confided they had decided they could no longer afford the confrontations which often resulted when they asked a guest to conform to what had always been “the proper attire.” Guests would loudly get in the face of staff and pretty much tell them to mind their own business, they had paid for the trip and would dress as they pleased. More of the ships are dumbing down things for the more relaxed travelers who love “my time dinning”, see no need to “dress up” or arrive on time for a seating, take off their ball caps, etc. Add the experiment in unlimited alcohol packages and the bloom is off the rose for what many of us remember as elegant cruising. We leave Saturday for a back to back and we are looking forward to the cruise. No tux or gown this time. You adapt to your environment. Final note we always list the phone number of a friend who is not traveling on our luggage tags. If the bag is found by some good Samaritan they call the number and get our friend and not our answering machine. Our friend will tell them how to get the bag to us.

Edited January 3, 2013 by hankmary

[SMerritt]

Put your itinerary in the front pocket of each bag - I also add cell numbers

[hankmary]

I wholeheartedly agree with Pannm that there are really no “Wrong” or “Dumb” things to bring. It is all in the comfort level of the traveler and having a few extra things along now and then allows you to share with a new friend in need. Who needs more negativity in the world? After 70 cruises and lots of travel overseas we have a very extensive “Load List”. Before a trip we do 2 things. We pull up our “boiler plate” message, change the necessary details and notify about 30 people around our home or in our family of our travel plans. They watch the house and if something happens They fix it or they know how to reach us. Second we pull up our Load List and customize it for the cruise, flight, whatever. We compare notes on what we need to bring. We then print this customized list and check off each item as it is actually loaded, not when we are “thinking” about loading but when it really hits the suitcase. The list also includes lots of things to do around the house. Turn off the main water supply to avoid flooding from broken toilet pipes, put vinegar down the drains, mail pickup, and library close out, etc. Sounds like a lot but only takes minutes thanks to the PC. We carry this list with us and reverse it when leaving our cabin, amazing what may get lost in such a tiny room. One sad commentary, we were on the Queen Mary II with a seasoned traveler who had made 10 recent crossings. She had become friends with the maitre d' and asked him why guests were appearing on the formal evening without ties or even jackets? He confided they had decided they could no longer afford the confrontations which often resulted when they asked a guest to conform to what had always been “the proper attire.” Guests would loudly get in the face of staff and pretty much tell them to mind their own business, they had paid for the trip and would dress as they pleased. More of the ships are dumbing down things for the more relaxed travelers who love “my time dinning”, see no need to “dress up” or arrive on time for a seating, take off their ball caps, etc. Add the experiment in unlimited alcohol packages and the bloom is off the rose for what many of us remember as elegant cruising. We leave Saturday for a back to back and we are looking forward to the cruise. No tux or gown this time. You adapt to your environment. Final note we always list the phone number of a friend who is not traveling on our luggage tags. If the bag is found by some good Samaritan they call the number and get our friend and not our answering machine. Our friend will tell them how to get the bag to us.

 

Did my big pitch on being positive but then put in the downer about the Queen Mary II. Sorry for that, should have left it off. My point was the lowering of the dress code may mean less packing but still no excuse of being negative. My time ran out to edit the original post.

[AllAmericanAmy]

we all know to be careful when traveling to foreign countries and drink only bottled water, not using ice in your drink unless you are CERTAIN the water source is safe, eating only fruit you peel and none washed in tap water, etc... (NOTE: I am NOT speaking of the food etc onboard your ship - but rather excursions in Belize, Mexico, wherever).

 

 

A tip I heard about before we traveled overseas to spend 3 weeks in Iquitos, Peru was:

 

Have everyone take a Pepto Bismol tablet each morning. I had been told it will act as a preventative for (sorry!) Traveler's Diarrhea. It is even sited on Mayo Clinic's website:

 

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/travelers-diarrhea/DS00318/DSECTION=prevention

 

It allowed us to be a little more carefree in our dining choices while in Peru or on mainland excursions in foreign ports. It DID work for us - the one morning one of my kids forgot his pill, he was sad the next day:(

[kcherrix123]

WOW!!! These lists are great and funny! :D We usually start packing within a day or two of our trip, but we are very seasoned travelers having to travel often and at short notice for work, we almost never check bags on an airplane unless we absolutely have to because of the extra fee's and weight. I was able to gleen a few things I wouldn't have thought of though (like a power strip). I didn't have time to read the whole thread (sorry), but one thing we do, if it hasn't already been mentioned, is we pack a small portable clothes steamer. We pack everything in small space bags and suck the air out with the reverse vacuum hose, that way clothes take up very, very little room. If things come our wrinkled we "press" them with the steamer. Of course, we don't pack formal wear in the bags and I don't own anything linen (yuck). We are planning on a 12-cruise in two weeks on the Jewel and I think we'll both get away with just 1 carry-on each and our personal bags (he has a backpack for camera and laptop and I have a small shoulder bag for iPad, iPhone, travel wallet and documents).

[Nanatravel]

WOW!!! These lists are great and funny! :D We usually start packing within a day or two of our trip, but we are very seasoned travelers having to travel often and at short notice for work, we almost never check bags on an airplane unless we absolutely have to because of the extra fee's and weight. I was able to gleen a few things I wouldn't have thought of though (like a power strip). I didn't have time to read the whole thread (sorry), but one thing we do, if it hasn't already been mentioned, is we pack a small portable clothes steamer. We pack everything in small space bags and suck the air out with the reverse vacuum hose, that way clothes take up very, very little room. If things come our wrinkled we "press" them with the steamer. Of course, we don't pack formal wear in the bags and I don't own anything linen (yuck). We are planning on a 12-cruise in two weeks on the Jewel and I think we'll both get away with just 1 carry-on each and our personal bags (he has a backpack for camera and laptop and I have a small shoulder bag for iPad, iPhone, travel wallet and documents).

 

Wow, you both are very good Packers. Of course, NCL is casual and started the current trend of alternate dining and casual wear every evening. Different cruise lines mean different requirements. Most men on Celebrity or HAL for instance would feel out of place without at least a sport jacket on Formal night. Plus, not all cruise ships have self service laundry.