Three days counting and my family and I will be on yet another family cruise. My mom kind of wants to make this a tradition for the whole family. And when I say whole family, I mean we roll pretty deep. The first cruise, it was myself and my son, my parents, my older brother and his wife and five kids (yes, you read right ...FIVE KiDS) Plus two of my moms friends and their daughters. Fifteen people in all. This year we downsized to thirteen people ( instead of the two mother- daughter group from last time, I asked my BFF and her friend to come along.
So the trips coming up and I get super OCD when it comes to packing. Not to mention I redo everything like six times. But I did learn a lot from the last few cruises we have been on, (and with the help of other bloggers and Pinterest of course).
When you look at the typical packing list, you will not find these items on there. That is why I will explain just why you need these things in your suitcase (even though you had no idea )!
1) A water bottle.
I bought one for myself and one for my son. We got the drink package deal for free and that is awesome. But have you ever seen the size of the cups you get. They have you running back every three seconds for a beverage. So I think this will just make things a little easier. I got one This One from Target.
2) Post -It Notes
This one I learned before the last cruise and it worked wonders. Especially when you have so many people in so many rooms on such a HUGE ship. Let me paint the picture for you My son, my niece and I leave the room to head to the theatre to watch Pitch Perfect, and we know my other two nieces wanted to watch it but they are no where to be found. So, we leave a post it on their door to let them know where we are. They head to the rooms and see the note and BOOM, we are all laughing along with Rebel Wilson's horizontal running!!
3) First Aid Kit
While you never want to think about any injuries when going on vacation, somethings are bound to happen. And its not like you want to go to the cruise hospital every time something does. So just in case someone gets a little boo boo, you want to make sure you can go back to your room and quickly clean it up with out all the fuss. I like to be that mom that people just know they can rely on to grab an alcohol swab and band-aid really quick.
4) Power Strip
This was something I read before my first cruise with the family and I honestly don't know how people stay in a room without it. Each stateroom has only one outlet (two if you are lucky) and I don't know about the people you travel with, but I know that between phones, iPads and hair straightener (and I traveled with 2 other females so times that all by three), we needed a lot more than one outlet. Trust me, you DON'T want to forget this one.
5)Gift Card
No, their are no shopping malls on the boat, but you definitely want to bring along an old gift card. Why? Well all the electricity in the room goes off of one switch .
So the trips coming up and I get super OCD when it comes to packing. Not to mention I redo everything like six times. But I did learn a lot from the last few cruises we have been on, (and with the help of other bloggers and Pinterest of course).
When you look at the typical packing list, you will not find these items on there. That is why I will explain just why you need these things in your suitcase (even though you had no idea )!
1) A water bottle.
I bought one for myself and one for my son. We got the drink package deal for free and that is awesome. But have you ever seen the size of the cups you get. They have you running back every three seconds for a beverage. So I think this will just make things a little easier. I got one This One from Target.
2) Post -It Notes
This one I learned before the last cruise and it worked wonders. Especially when you have so many people in so many rooms on such a HUGE ship. Let me paint the picture for you My son, my niece and I leave the room to head to the theatre to watch Pitch Perfect, and we know my other two nieces wanted to watch it but they are no where to be found. So, we leave a post it on their door to let them know where we are. They head to the rooms and see the note and BOOM, we are all laughing along with Rebel Wilson's horizontal running!!
3) First Aid Kit
While you never want to think about any injuries when going on vacation, somethings are bound to happen. And its not like you want to go to the cruise hospital every time something does. So just in case someone gets a little boo boo, you want to make sure you can go back to your room and quickly clean it up with out all the fuss. I like to be that mom that people just know they can rely on to grab an alcohol swab and band-aid really quick.
4) Power Strip
This was something I read before my first cruise with the family and I honestly don't know how people stay in a room without it. Each stateroom has only one outlet (two if you are lucky) and I don't know about the people you travel with, but I know that between phones, iPads and hair straightener (and I traveled with 2 other females so times that all by three), we needed a lot more than one outlet. Trust me, you DON'T want to forget this one.
5)Gift Card
No, their are no shopping malls on the boat, but you definitely want to bring along an old gift card. Why? Well all the electricity in the room goes off of one switch .
The concept behind this is they want you to put your room key in to use the electricity, and when you leave, you take your room key and they save electricity. The only problem I had was I have a memory like Dory from "Finding Nemo.," so I would leave the room with no key. So the solution...Use an old gift card. Thats right! Any card works and when you leave just click off the light but leave your card. This also helps if you are trying to charge something while you are outside of the room.
6)Extra Cash
Its always a good idea to hit up the bank before you leave to get about $50 worth of $1's and $5's. From the minute you arrive to your port, people will be helping you take your luggage, getting you where you need to go, and its only right to tip them. And trust me, tipping goes a long way. Your luggage may arrive a little quicker, your drinks may be a little stronger and the smile on you room keeper will definitely be a lot bigger. Don't get me wrong , the cruise staff will usually go above and beyond to make you happy, but sometimes you make request that may seem a little out their! Like our last cruise, my son had a very unique request when it came to the towel animal at night. I whispered to the lady that its okay if she didn't do it. But low and behold, that night my son's face lit up when he got his double headed Brontosaurus with spikes!!
7) Lanyard
This one is a good one for everyone but especially if you are traveling with children. On a cruise, the room key is used for more than just getting into your room (and keeping the electricity on). You need the room key for all your onboard purchases and, more importantly, to get on and off the boat. So its super important to always have it on you and to keep it accessible. Here's a really cute nautical themed one on Etsy.
8) Over the Door Shoe Oragnizer
This one was another life (and space) saver. I was traveling with my nieces on a cruise and between the three of us we had about a million different bottles of lotion, hair spray, shower gel, etc. And space is super limited in the bathroom and in the room. So we were so happy that we had this organizer!! We kept everything in this thing to keep the counter clutter minimal. It saved us a lot of aggravation.
9)Highliters
I am not sure if all cruise lines have daily agendas but my last few cruises have been with Norwegian, so they have been freestyle. This basically means that every night, you will receive all the goings on for the next day. i liked to highlight everything that I wanted to get to do the night before and keep the schedule on me all day. I didn't always get to everything I highlighted, but at least I always knew what was going on that interested me.
10) A Small BackPack
This ones good for if you are getting off the boat for excursions. I keep this bag packed with on land essentials so that this way I don't have to repack a bag for each island. I usually keep a wallet, my sunglasses, a water bottle and some snacks. Depending on if you plan to go shopping or to the beach, you can add or take out a few items.
This list is not EVERYTHING but its a start. I also found searching Pinterest is a big help! Hope these small tips make cruising a little more smooth!!
Happy Cruising!!
6)Extra Cash
Its always a good idea to hit up the bank before you leave to get about $50 worth of $1's and $5's. From the minute you arrive to your port, people will be helping you take your luggage, getting you where you need to go, and its only right to tip them. And trust me, tipping goes a long way. Your luggage may arrive a little quicker, your drinks may be a little stronger and the smile on you room keeper will definitely be a lot bigger. Don't get me wrong , the cruise staff will usually go above and beyond to make you happy, but sometimes you make request that may seem a little out their! Like our last cruise, my son had a very unique request when it came to the towel animal at night. I whispered to the lady that its okay if she didn't do it. But low and behold, that night my son's face lit up when he got his double headed Brontosaurus with spikes!!
7) Lanyard
This one is a good one for everyone but especially if you are traveling with children. On a cruise, the room key is used for more than just getting into your room (and keeping the electricity on). You need the room key for all your onboard purchases and, more importantly, to get on and off the boat. So its super important to always have it on you and to keep it accessible. Here's a really cute nautical themed one on Etsy.
8) Over the Door Shoe Oragnizer
This one was another life (and space) saver. I was traveling with my nieces on a cruise and between the three of us we had about a million different bottles of lotion, hair spray, shower gel, etc. And space is super limited in the bathroom and in the room. So we were so happy that we had this organizer!! We kept everything in this thing to keep the counter clutter minimal. It saved us a lot of aggravation.
9)Highliters
I am not sure if all cruise lines have daily agendas but my last few cruises have been with Norwegian, so they have been freestyle. This basically means that every night, you will receive all the goings on for the next day. i liked to highlight everything that I wanted to get to do the night before and keep the schedule on me all day. I didn't always get to everything I highlighted, but at least I always knew what was going on that interested me.
10) A Small BackPack
This ones good for if you are getting off the boat for excursions. I keep this bag packed with on land essentials so that this way I don't have to repack a bag for each island. I usually keep a wallet, my sunglasses, a water bottle and some snacks. Depending on if you plan to go shopping or to the beach, you can add or take out a few items.
This list is not EVERYTHING but its a start. I also found searching Pinterest is a big help! Hope these small tips make cruising a little more smooth!!
Happy Cruising!!