Im going on a cruise and...?

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TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

I have been on about 20 cruises and here's what I suggest based on my experiences:

Always pack your passport and cruise documents in your carry on bag ONLY.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM, so take:
-swim wear (at least 2),
-shorts, tank tops and "T's"
-sandals,
-beach shoes,
-your snorkel equipment if you have it,
-sun glasses and sun screen,
-lotions,
-a cap or big hat for the sun,
-a book if you are a reader,
-your music player,
-sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym,
-good walking shoes,
-your camera, and
-other personal toiletries including tooth paste, mouth wash or lotions.

Your cabin will have towels and soap provided, including pool and beach towels, and a hair dryer. It will also have a generic hair shampoo so you do not need to bring that unless you like a specific brand.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports or resort casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, (like a bank employee), shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc. Don't over pack , take clothes that you can mix and match tops and bottoms and plan to wear each piece twice. If you are going to the Caribbean you will likely be in shorts and/or swim wear most of every day so evening clothes don't usually get much wear.

Your cruise will have a formal night or two when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the shipâ€™s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. You will not be denied entry to the main dining room if you decide not to dress up, as long as you are at least sports casual. But most people do dress up. A gown or party dress for women and a suit or tux for men. Some people dress up both formal nights, some don't. We always take the formal stuff off after dinner and a photo or two and go back to casual stuff.

- Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage.

- Pack using the vacuum clothing bags (about $20 for 3 at Target) so that you can get more in your bag AND so that if the TSA at the airport opens your bag they can see what's inside without rummaging through your things.

-Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and your clothes that you sleep in.

- If you can take a six-pack of bottled water and soft drinks in your carry-on for your cabin. You will have to pay for both on the ship and its nice to have those handy in the cabin.

- If you are taking your cell phone, MP3 player or other item that needs to be plugged in take an extension cord as the plugs in the cabin are generally not in the best places and there are usually only one or two.

- Take a small bottle of hand sanitizer and/or hand-wipes. There are generally sanitizer dispensers at the entrances of restaurants, the buffets and dining room, but some times the are not there or not working. The sanitizer helps prevent the spread of the Norwalk Virus that sometimes occur on cruise ships.

-If you plan to get into the pools or hot tub as soon as you get on ship (they will be open), bring those clothes in your carry on bag; you other luggage may not get to your cabin until much later in the afternoon.

- Take a can of air freshener for your cabin bathroom. The bathrooms do not have exhaust fans.

- Take a few zip lock bags of various sizes; they always come in handy.

- Take some one dollar bills (also maybe a few $5's) for tipping the porters in the airport, at the pier (they do not work for the ship), and they will come in handy in port stops for buying small items in the markets and at vendor stands; especially bartering places.

krisviola1

I've been on 5 cruises since I was twelve-years-old, and this is what I've found to be most useful on a cruise. I'm sure you've packed all of your toiletries already, but make sure to bring extra shampoo and soap. Most cruises will provide small toiletries in the room ie a small razor or package shampoo but it's not like a hotel room where they'll give you extras. I would bring more than one swim suit only because the swimming pools are filled with salt water instead of chlorine water and the smell of salt water gets pretty funky after a while if you wear the same swim suit again. I would bring my own iron. Cruise ships have irons and all that available, but not for free and if you want to iron everyday it could be a hassle to have to leave the room and go down the hallway every time. Another thing you'll want to bring is a camera. Especially if you're going to a lot of exotic places, even a disposable camera would work just fine. Sundresses are a plus because they're easy to throw on and you can put them over your bathing suits whenever. Be sure to bring a lot of sunscrean because in the middle of the ocean, the sun gets so hot its almost unbarable especially because its reflected off of the ocean. A passport is a must if you plan on getting off of the ship at any point in time because of national security. Other than that, I would just bring plenty of cash to buy souvineers and whatnot on shore. I hope you have a great trip and that this was helpful! If you have any questions feel free to email me.

Dee Meyer

Pack for the weather! Also, pack what you want and then take 1/3 of it back out. You rarely use everything you brought and its a lot of extra weight for nothing.

Time travler

If you are going to Alaska, then you will need pants and maybe a sweater, plus sturdy shoes and a jacket too. If you are going to the Caribbean or to Mexico, then just bring summer clothes with several pairs of sandals, swim wear, t shirts and shorts. Of course you need dressy clothes if you plan on eating in the dinning room. If you are eating in the buffet only, then leave the fancy clothes at home. You should have gotten a booklet from your cruise company explaining about what to wear. If not, ask the cruise company for one. It has lots of tips on cruising in it.

kaatiee

it depends on where your cruise is. carribean or some place warm im guessing? pack many swimsuits (so you have variation of course) and lots and lots of sunscreen! you might want to throw in a tanning oil too, you can catch some really good rays when you are surrounded by miles and miles of water. although, some of my friends said that when they went on cruises, they rarely layed out. when you go on the cruise, bring many cute outfits! there is a teen club (i dont know how old you are but there are activities to suit all ages) and definitly hit that up the first night! you may meet some cute boys that you can chill with for the rest of the time! there are so many things to do on a cruise so you will never get bored! make sure you plan a curfew with your parents because you'll want to stay out late, and if you do, bring a couple sweatshirts and jeans. the ocean breeze at night can get somewhat chilly. its exactly like staying on the ocean, so whatever you would pack to the beach pack on the boat. you are a lucky person! im kind of jealous :) have fun and i hope i helped you!

p.s. many cell phones do not work on cruises, but i would bring yours just in case so you can store many numbers ;) also a camera!

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