Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a minimalist packer (even flight attendants compliment me) and have been on 2 cruises. No, you don't need to pack all the junk others claim you'll need. Most people way over pack.

The most useful tip I got before my first cruise was to pack a night light. If you have an interior cabin, it will be pitch black once the lights are turned off. A night light will be helpful for the middle of the night bathroom trip.

? Your phone has a flash light

You bring your phone into the bathroom? I've had a cell phone for over 20 years and have never done that!

You don’t bring your phone into the bathroom?!

I’ve been on many, many cruises and here are my tips:
Magnet hooks are great for hanging up hats, bags, clothes, etc. Cabins are small, so anything that saves space helps. Also, the shoe holder over the door is great for storing things like sunscreen, toiletries, shoes…anything really.
I agree with PPs that you only need a few pieces of clothing that you can mix and match. I used to pack tons of clothes and only wore half the stuff I packed. But, if it’s a tropical/warm weather cruise, take 2-3 swimsuits! I also pack swim shoes.
Also as PPs mentioned, don’t forget the meds. I take Dramamine, cold meds, Imodium, Tylenol/advil, etc…

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A pop-up hamper? Why can't you just ... shove your dirty clothes in a bag like you do on every other trip?

I actually always bring a popup hamper on any trip that last more than a couple days - even if we're just taking carry-in. It basically takes up no space and its to much bigger than the tiny plastic laundry bag you find in most hotels. I put it in the closet and every family member's dirty clothes gets thrown in. It keeps the room more organized. When we pack to go home we just dump it into a suitcase.

Same, but I bring a laundry bag.

Other random things that I bring that some might feel unnecessary are:

--Water bottles (like camelback, hydroflask type) to fill with soda or water so I don't have to use the small cups that DCL provides (it's all I've cruised lately)
--Metal straws b/c I hate the paper straws
--My favorite reusable iced coffee cup (could also just use a water bottle) b/c my absolute favorite part of my day is drinking an iced coffee, sitting on our verandah or on deck, while my kids are in the kids club. My cup keeps things cold longer and doesn't leak.
--Like others have mentioned: meds, especially some leftover zofran in case of stomach flu.
--A mesh beach bag just for carrying stuff for kids and me down to pool deck (water bottle, sunscreen, room key, phone, etc.)
--my kids' swim goggles b/c inevitably they'll want goggles, and I'm not paying a million dollars on the ship or in port for a pair

i second the strong magnet hooks.

how much you pack depends on your willingness to rewear clothes/outfits.

i took sneakers. didn't use.

did use the jacket as some places were chilly.

Good thread, OP! I'm going on my first cruise in a few months and I'm finding these responses helpful from people who've BTDT.

The one cruise thing I find useful is those metal hooks on strong magnets. The walls are all magnetized and this allows you to hang your purse, lanyards (those are helpful especially for kids to keep their keycard), etc, and a big magnet to stick the daily event schedule thing on the wall so it doesn’t get lost. Also a magnetized dry erase board for the door is helpful if you’re not getting the wifi package for everyone’s phone—you c a leave messages like “will be at ice cream place at 2.”

Definitely a cardigan as the dining room is freezing. Rethink your decision to not eat in dining room. The food is typically way better than the buffet deck. I usually do a pair of black pants, a couple nice shells and a cardigan. I can wear that every night to the dining hall. For the two dressy nights, a simple sundress or maxi dress with the same or different cardigan is fine. A pair of khakis and a couple button downs and polos for husband.

I do wear more on a cruise than a beach vacation because there is more indoor time. At a beach vacation I’m often wearing a swim suit and maybe cover up 90% of the time, eating on the beach or at the pool bar. On a cruise, I’ll probably go to a show, do a trivia game, maybe do an art or craft class, maybe go bowling, etc.

I always pack medicines. When you are sick or stomachaches the last thing you want to do is search for a pharmacy.
Also formal wear. You can’t eat in the dining room on formal night without frontal type clothes. Other than that pack light.

Anonymous wrote:Pack anything you might need from a grocery story or pharmacy. Cruises have some stuff but nothing like you find at a normal store. Dramamine sells out fast. Any kind of cold medicines that you normally buy, you need to bring. Do not count in Benadryl Zyrtec or Sudafed etc. and any meds ir sunscreen that you buy onboard is expensive. As for clothes, you do you. I overpack clothes but my last cruise my daughter got sick and I would have given my entire suitcase of clothing away to get her some mucinex or children’s Benadryl. No dice.

I haven't been on a cruise in years, but I learned a good lesson when I needed Nyquil and it was $17 for basically one dose. Now I pack a small medicine bag

Pack anything you might need from a grocery story or pharmacy. Cruises have some stuff but nothing like you find at a normal store. Dramamine sells out fast. Any kind of cold medicines that you normally buy, you need to bring. Do not count in Benadryl Zyrtec or Sudafed etc. and any meds ir sunscreen that you buy onboard is expensive. As for clothes, you do you. I overpack clothes but my last cruise my daughter got sick and I would have given my entire suitcase of clothing away to get her some mucinex or children’s Benadryl. No dice.

FWIW: Bathing suit, flip-flops, and a t-shirt is not enough for a cruise, but is for Key West.

OP - you sound like me! We're about to go on our first cruise too! Maybe we'll be together in the Eastern Caribbean in a couple weeks. I will look for a casually dressed DCUM type. I'm sure we'll recognize each other.

Anonymous wrote:We don’t bring any of that random stuff OP. I do pack enough clothes because I don’t want to do laundry on the boat.

I'm the opposite. We pack lightly on clothes (we reuse shorts and pants with multiple outfits and bring different shirts).

But we are a family that spreads out. We live in a big house and we're not used to small cramped quarters. We get a balcony cabin and it still feels ight and cramped for our family of four. So, I make sure to bring all the things that help conserve space as much as possible. the over-the-door shoe hanger is a lifesaver so that we can keep all of the stuff off the counters by putting them in the door hanger. Cloth bags and command hooks that we can attach to the walls to get stuff off the floors. A mini travel roll of duct tape because it is useful for plenty of emergency repairs (like the time the airline ripped one of our suitcases, the duct tape held it together until we got home and could discard it). Lots of "just in case" items. Despite what another PP said, I've rarely found the on-board gift shop to have many of the just-in-case or convenience type items. And definitely not the off-ship market places which are usually just tourist traps with lots of junk and tchotchkes.

The last time I missed a "just in case" item, we had to take significant time to ask around and walk like 20 minutes to find a drug store type place to buy it. Not the type of thing I want to waste my time on when on a cruise vacation.

Anonymous wrote:A pop-up hamper? Why can't you just ... shove your dirty clothes in a bag like you do on every other trip?

I actually always bring a popup hamper on any trip that last more than a couple days - even if we're just taking carry-in. It basically takes up no space and its to much bigger than the tiny plastic laundry bag you find in most hotels. I put it in the closet and every family member's dirty clothes gets thrown in. It keeps the room more organized. When we pack to go home we just dump it into a suitcase.

We don’t bring any of that random stuff OP. I do pack enough clothes because I don’t want to do laundry on the boat.

I think a hanging toiletry bag is useful because there's not a lot of counter space in the ship bathroom. I would bring 2 dressy outfits, but I do love formal night.

What's the other stuff people suggested to bring? I know a lot of people decorated their room door and put a dry erase board on it. That's not necessary at all.