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25 Things you might not think to bring Cruise Packing List

 

Cruise 2012 079
Tendering away from the Carnival Spirit

Since I just came off my third cruise, I thought I would put together a little cruise packing list.  I was searching on the internet and I came across so many sites that tell you to pack things like bra and underwear – well duh, I don’t need help remembering to pack things like that!   So, this is not your normal cruise packing list, this list contains stuff you might not think to bring.  Please feel free to add anything else you can think of to the comments section of the post. 

1.      Walkie Talkies – since you won’t be using your cell phone on the cruise, these would have been invaluable to bring.  Notice I said ‘would have been.’ We were cruising with some friends and there were times that we wanted to get in touch with them, but we had to rely on pure luck to just “run into them.  

2.      Power Strip – there was only one outlet to plug two items into (and it wasn’t in the bathroom).

3.      Jeans – even if you are going someplace warm. We had a couple cold mornings and evenings on-board ship.

4.      Jacket and/or Long Sleeve Shirt – I almost didn’t pack a jacket and it was the best thing I brought on the trip.  Mornings were cold and so were the small boat rides on the ocean.

5.      Band-Aids – most people buy new shoes for a cruise and I got a blister on the first day.  Just grab a few from your medicine cabinet so you don’t have to buy them on ship or in port before you leave.

6.      Tums – you will be eating a completely different diet than what you are used to.  Just sayin.

7.      Stool softener – sounds gross, but again, you will be eating a completely different diet.  Out of the three girls that went on this last cruise, it took all of us almost 5 days to REALLY go (if you know what I mean).

8.      Bottle Opener – we were left on the beach with 36 beers that were not twist-offs.  We improvised and used a bottle of suntan lotion to get them open.  Don’t ask, not sure how Nathan did this!  Amazon sells Reef sandals with bottle openers attached (which is where the link above will take you).  Wish we had bought a pair for hubby!

9.      Small pair of scissors – I had to go down to the customer service desk two different times to cut new tags off my scarves.  It would have been more convenient to have my own little pair.

10.     Small collapsible cooler – Would have been great for sitting on the sundeck of the ship to carry ice and sodas (or whatever you sneak on the ship).  Just kidding, you’re not supposed to sneak anything on the ship ;)

11.     Icy Hot – My hubby got a back ache from one of the boat rides we took in the ocean.  It was a little choppy.  If you already have back issues, this is something you should consider bringing. 

12.     Little Packs of Tide to Go Laundry Detergent (in the travel section at Target) – my friends used this to wash small items like bathing suits and workout under-garments.  To have a small load washed on the ship and returned to you that day is $15. 

13.     Hat – Second best thing I brought on the trip.  When you go on excursions, bring it with you even if you don’t want to wear it right away.  Some tropical places get so hot that you may want to wear it later in the day.  Better to have it than not.

14.     Pair of Sweats or Yoga Pants to lounge around in – we would go up in the mornings to grab a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

15.     Leave-In Conditioner Cream to put in your hair after being in the ocean or pool water.  My friend Kim suggests Garnier Fructis.

16.     Small Mirror – I like to see what the back of my hair looks like before going out.  You may or may not need this.

17.     Motion sickness medicine – my husband brought this along even though I said I wouldn’t need it.  I did need it one day!  He said, “told ya so.”  Darn, hate when he’s right :)

18.     Beach Bag with zipper.  This ended up having a dual purpose.  We used it on the ship and at the beach, but it also came in handy when our luggage was over 50 pounds.  We took a few items out of our suitcases and put them in the zippered beach bag to stay under 50 pounds each (we were on a 9 day cruise, so our bags were a little heavy).  We flew Southwest so our bags flew free!

19.     Small flashlight – I’m so glad I brought this!  I used this when I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night because it was really dark in our room!

20.     Watch – Another great item to bring.  I would adjust the watch in each port so I knew when to be back to the ship.  You may have your cell phone, but it’s nice to have a back-up in case your phone dies.

21.     2 pair of sunglasses – you may be wondering why?  I lost my first pair and my friend Kim broke the only pair she brought.  They sell sunglasses on the ship for about $30.

22.     Spay Sun Tan/Sun Protection lotion – it’s just convenient.

23.     2 twelve packs of cola and rum runners.  Just kidding.... ;)

24.     Vacuum Pack and Seal Bags – we met a group of Aussie’s who were traveling for more than 3 weeks and they knew how to pack. They all had vacuum sealed bags that made packing a breeze.  I will definitely use these on my next trip!

25.    Your turn – what should be number 25???   

Linking up to Home Stories A to Z

Comments

Abby said…
A beer coozie and insulated drink cup! You might need that insulated cup for whatever you don't sneak on board ;)
Tam said…
Good one Abby! We never sneak stuff on board ;)
Amanda P said…
We have a over the door shoe holder that we bring. This past trip it wasn't really necesary(the bathroom area had all those shelves), but in the past we have been low on space and that has come in VERY handy. I am sure we will use it this time taking the little one with us.
I swear by my long sleeve coverup, because sometimes the sun just gets to be too much and you want covered.
Aloe if you burn easily. We were in the Caribbean once and it was near impossible to find (many of those islands the people are so used to it they don't need it).
We also have a small stapler that we carry for stapling the luggage tags on the bags before handing them over to the ship.
We also take post it notes so we can easily leave notes for each other or for the room steward.
Oh and when we have the little one with us and we are going to the ship pool we usually have our own beach towels. We have seen kids loose theirs a lot and at the cost of one of the ship ones we would rather take a cheap one.

I think that is it, sorry so long. Those are just things that work for us.

Oh and the leave in conditioner when applies before snorkeling will keep the mask strap from getting tangled in your hair.
Tam said…
Amanda..good tip on the long sleeve cover up! I ended up buying one on the beach. I also like the post it idea! Thanks!q
Anne said…
seasickness wrist bands!! They were my saviour on my last cruise - can't believe they work, but they do!

Thanks for popping by my blog. Have a great week!
Kim said…
Tammy this is hilarious!!! I about fell off my chair reading this. I think you and Amanda covered it ALL!!!
just found your lovely blog :) These may very helpfu on people's cruise!
great tips! and i hope you enjoyed your cruise!

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