Unthought of...things to pack!

[snookymom]

Do you think they ever clean those cabin ice buckets and tongs? I only use the ice to cool bottles, never in the drinks.

We always rinse the ice off unless we get the ice ourselves & see where it came from. My husband used to travel frequently with his boss who loved to urinate in the ice machines.:eek:

[kwregg]

My husband used to travel frequently with his boss who loved to urinate in the ice machines.:eek:

 

OMG - that is so disgusting. Why would an adult do something like that - I can see maybe a kid pulling a prank, but that's a little far even for a kid. Yuck!:eek:

[I'm on holiday]

Do you think they ever clean those cabin ice buckets and tongs? I only use the ice to cool bottles, never in the drinks.

 

My thought exactly. We always wash them with hot soapy water to get rid of the ick factor. And, we pack a soft side cooler to hold additional ice, and a couple of thermal drinking cups as well.

 

We always rinse the ice off unless we get the ice ourselves & see where it came from. My husband used to travel frequently with his boss who loved to urinate in the ice machines.:eek:

 

OMG! :eek: I'm almost afraid to ask what this guy is the "boss" of.

 

Have to say the over the door thingy is great for our DD and her friend to use in their cabin. Teen girls have so much stuff!

[dsaurus]

We always take Nalgene or sports bottles with us. You can fill them up to bring your beverages anywhere on the ship without worrying about spilling them, or with your for excursions. They came in expecially handy once on an excursion in the Dominican Republic that included an hour long bus ride where the air conditioning wasn't working particularly well on the bus. We were so thankful we had the ice water with us.

[seagoer55]

I have a small medicine kit that stays packed & in my suitcase at all times.. As soon as I come home I replace any items I may have used from it.. saved us time & money on more than one trip...

[phinn]

I love the post it note idea. I bring a Chip Clip to hold my towel onto the chair poolside. Don't forget extra batteries for your camera. Thought I had new ones in my camera and they died the second day. So glad I had packed extrra! I like to bring a sleep mask in case that early morning sunrise peeks through the curtains or if I nap during the day (okay so I'm not young anymore). One thing I won't forget next time is room spray for the bathroom!

[East Bay Skiers]

We always rinse the ice off unless we get the ice ourselves & see where it came from. My husband used to travel frequently with his boss who loved to urinate in the ice machines.:eek:

 

 

OMG... This is the grossest thing I've ever heard! Never in my wildest dreams would I think there was somebody capable of doing that!

[amybeth4]

We always rinse the ice off unless we get the ice ourselves & see where it came from. My husband used to travel frequently with his boss who loved to urinate in the ice machines.:eek:

 

That is one of the most dirtbag things I've ever heard of. I wish I knew this guy.

 

I would never take the time to rinse off ice because I can't imagine there's another human being on this planet that would do that.

 

(And if I HAVE had ice with some...stuff in it, it hasn't killed me now so what the heck.)

[snookymom]

That is one of the most dirtbag things I've ever heard of. I wish I knew this guy.

 

I would never take the time to rinse off ice because I can't imagine there's another human being on this planet that would do that.

 

(And if I HAVE had ice with some...stuff in it, it hasn't killed me now so what the heck.)

He was very obnoxious. The last time we saw him was about 5yrs ago & he had quit drinking & was very proper. My husband used to be so embarassed to be out with him.

[Hobiecat01]

One of the handiest things DW brings is an over the door clothes hanger. We bought one for less that $4 somewhere that is plastic. I pack it in one of my shoes. We simply hook it over the door and viola! another place to hang a few clothes. Now she carries several and hangs them inside and outside the closet door. It's a great place to hang the clothes to be worn that night as you are getting ready.

-------------------

Sea ya!

Ron and Lee

Canton, Ga

RCCL Platinum Member

"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom,

in water there is bacteria." – Ben Franklin

Previous Cruises

Carnival Mardis Gras - 3 Day Bahamas - April 1982

Carnival Destiny - 7 Days Western Carib. - April 1998

Princess Grand Princess - 7 Days Eastern Carib. - April 1999

Princess Sea Princess - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2000

Princess Grand Princess - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2001

RCCL Navigator of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2003

RCCL Mariner of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - April 2005

RCCL Freedom of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - 6/18 - 6/25/2006

RCCL Liberty of the Seas - 7 Days Eastern Carib. - 7/19 - 7/26/08

Planned Cruises

Something in 2009 - just have not decided yet

RCCL Oasis of the Seas - April 17, 2010

The BIG One - Southeast Asia 14 day - 2011

[amybeth4]

He was very obnoxious. The last time we saw him was about 5yrs ago & he had quit drinking & was very proper. My husband used to be so embarassed to be out with him.

 

It may sound a little weird to say, but the alcohol DOES lessen the blow for me...A LITTLE. Sounds like this guy had a bit of a problem and I'm glad he's at least cleaned up his act a bit. :) (Still dirtbaggy though...when I get drunk I tell everyone I love them. I don't pee on ice cubes, lol.)

[sweetbreadri]

OH!!!! Great on the idea on the panty's in the zip lock. I will be cruising for the first time next week.

[margord]

I love the pop-up hamper.

[tipsy]

for sunburn get Aloe Vera Gel w/ lidoacine, works the best of all ever tried...

 

for Bingo players on Princess cruises, bring a marker/pen etc, they dont use the fold back cards anymore and charge 1.50 for a marker.

 

address labels (w/ ship & cabin #)to put inside camera case/Ipod case etc in case gets lost & honest person turns it in & also to share with new friends might meet.

 

Downy Wrinkle Free spray, there is nothing like it to get the wrinkles out of any clothes you have.

 

Insulated drink cups so can fill them at buffet w/ water/ice tea etc to carry around with you all day. alot cheaper than buying drinks.

 

lanyard to put ship card/ charge card etc in so can hang around neck & not in pockets.

 

waterproof type wallet for beach tours, got DH's on Ebay for $10 and it's great.

 

insect repellant wipes, easier than carrying a spray can in luggage.

 

go to a copy store and have laminated copies made of passports, use them when leaving ship and keep original in cabin safe. this way if lost, have no prob. and they are easier to carry around.

 

and remember, can wear things more than once, esp.shorts/pants etc. no-one is going to remember what you wore 2 nights ago or days ago. with the airline wt limits & luggage fees, want to keep the packing to a limit. We packed way too much and came home with as much clean clothes as dirty this time..

 

enjoy your cruises.

[gvi]

Here are a couple things I keep ready to go for ANY trip:

 

nail clippers - (only need them when I don't have them. . .)

lip balm with sunblock

light sticks - (we have little boys so I hang one over the toilet each night I'm sure you can figure out why. . .)

dixie cups - (cleaner and less likely to break than what is in the cabin!)

poster putty - (easy to clean up after the decorations come down or if I need to post a note or something.)

air freshener for the bathroom - (2 little and 1 big boy makes it required! All moms smell like flowers all the time, of course!)

 

For cruises I take a carabiner clip for each boy to hang their seapass on their pant belt loops - the lanyards come off too easily!

 

We also travel with the over door shoe thing - 4 people with lots of stuff, the med kit of first aid and over the counter stuff, and a travel clock that stays lit all night.

 

All the "extras" I take end up packed in ziplock bags in the shoes. The over the door thing folds up on the bottom of one suitcase. now if I could just figure out how to keep the kids from needing so many clothes. . .if I don't feed them they make less mess, but they complain so much! :p

[East Bay Skiers]

One of the handiest things DW brings is an over the door clothes hanger. We bought one for less that $4 somewhere that is plastic. I pack it in one of my shoes. We simply hook it over the door and viola! another place to hang a few clothes. Now she carries several and hangs them inside and outside the closet door. It's a great place to hang the clothes to be worn that night as you are getting ready.

 

What a great tip! I have several of those things laying around. I'm going to check if one fits inside my shoes, or DH's, and bring a couple of of them on my next cruise.

 

Thanks so much for this tip! It's amazing the things I've learned since I started reading CC.

[NittanyLioness]

Great ideas! Here are a few more we've found helpful on our past cruises:

 

1. Ipod/Docking Station: It's great to play your own tunes (softly and with total respect for those in adjacent cabins!) Listening to Calypso/Steel Drum music when we do the "unpacking" chore has become a family tradition!!! Over the years, we've adapted/customized the lyrics to "Day-O"!!!

 

2. Thin, soft-sided koozies/huggies if you are a beer or canned soda drinker! Minimal space/weight, but so nice to keep your beverage cold! An added benefit: As my DH and I are Penn State Alum/avid college football fans, our "PSU" koozies have been "conversation starters" and we have met many great people...both PSU lovers and haters...because of them! (Just remember to choose your koozie well!!! :D)

 

3. A flat "car magnet" placed on the outside of your cabin door will allow you and yours to quickly identify your cabin on your long trek down the hallway, whether it be a "small one placed inconspicuously on one corner" or, like us, a "large one placed smack-dab underneath the peep-hole" (PSU Lion Head Logo! :p)

 

4. An over the door "hook"....Helps with robes, jackets, sweaters. Lightweight and small, you can find them at Dollar Stores.

 

5. Safety pins. (Sometimes better than Duct Tape!!!):p

 

6. One of those "School Locker" Dry Erase boards for the inside of your cabin door...My DH, our teen, and our tween all have different interests. Each of us fill out "I am now here:_____" so all family members know exactly where everyone else is.

 

Hope this helps!

[shelby_36]

Two things not mentioned that I have found to be helpful.

 

 

2. Address labels. The kind you get that you peal off. These are good on the last days when you have to fill out the luggage tags for your bags for coming home. Saves time and lots of writing.

 

Wow- thats a great idea. I'm always the one filling out those stupid little tags. I will definately do that. We had a "Home Show" a few years ago with lots of drawings to join. Older ladies were doing this instead f writing on them- I thought it was a good idea then. THANKS> We've been on 4 cruises now and I've read this thread twice and now with my packing list along side of me. I added your idea to it.!

[patnolen]

I have to agree with the beware warners that alot of these things can add up for the first time cruiser. But, if you cruise alot, some of these suggestions are great. Not all necessary, but it's good advice to weed through. we cruise a few times a year so I bought the fold up hamper and it fits in the side pocket of my luggage where it stays between cruises. I use the daily reminder type of medication cases to carry a few of the things we may need, not bottles for each. But, get what you need from the suggestions, remember they are suggestions.

[J & G]

Got room for one more?:D

 

 

Absolutely! I have plenty of miscellany for us and several more! Need duct tape?

 

I see you have cruised on Rhapsody....one of our favorites! :)

[gxchan]

Absolutely! I have plenty of miscellany for us and several more! Need duct tape?

 

I see you have cruised on Rhapsody....one of our favorites! :)

 

Cool, you bring the duct tape, otc meds and other assorted stuff, I'll buy wine at dinner!:D I swear, my toiletries bag weighs 5 pounds on its own!

 

I loved the size, layout and style of Rhapsody. LOL, the first time I boarded Explorer I thought, OMG, I'm in Las Vegas! But I got used to it and by the third cruise I didn't even notice it anymore. When I boarded Rhapsody I just kept saying how pretty it is but really it is elegant. The cabin layout with the seating area next to the balcony was especially nice.

[J & G]

Cool, you bring the duct tape, otc meds and other assorted stuff, I'll buy wine at dinner!:D I swear, my toiletries bag weighs 5 pounds on its own!

 

I loved the size, layout and style of Rhapsody. LOL, the first time I boarded Explorer I thought, OMG, I'm in Las Vegas! But I got used to it and by the third cruise I didn't even notice it anymore. When I boarded Rhapsody I just kept saying how pretty it is but really it is elegant. The cabin layout with the seating area next to the balcony was especially nice.

 

Let's see...duct tape and "stuff" in trade for wine with dinner.....I think I am coming out WAY ahead on that deal! ;)

 

I agree that the Voyager class ships are VERY different from Rhapsody! I, too, much prefer the sofa or love seat to be next to the balcony.....much more fitting for the way we use our cabin. We love Rhapsody....booked her for September to Alaska, but had to cancel. Now, thinking about rebooking......

[Coralc]

Truly...I never thought we would need duct tape until we had to BUY it for suitcase repair at the cruise port before sailing. And since it is there we just leave it in the toiletries bag. The toiletries bag USED to be our carry-on....it has since expanded in to a small suitcase all of it's own. Since we can no longer carry on those items. :D

[cruisinmom1]

Still take the nausea med- may need it for a bad meal.

[brown_eyed_poet]

I would say to make sure to purchase an extra battery for your digital camera so that you always have a spare without having to find somewhere to recharge. Also stick a couple of thosebig padded bandaids into your purse for blisters.