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I use packing cubes and I'm too cheap to pay for laundry service on the ship. I completely unpack when I get in my room on embarkation day, I put the luggage under the bed and the empty packing cubes on the floor in the closet. As I take clothes off, I put them in a cube and when that cube in full I zip it and put it in the suitcase. By the last day on the ship, the closet is empty except for that day's clothes and the clothes I'm wearing off the ship; my luggage has been being packed all week by the cubes. I keep is a cube left for any clean unused clean clothing which will go in my carryon luggage. I don't have to worrying about that night before disembarking rush to pack and get the luggage in the hall.
We do carry on luggage, so we are not paying for check on luggage any more (and not worrying about it being lost. Then we get our laundry done for free since we are in a balcony. Just came back from a 15 1/2 day trip. 🚢🚢
Good evening sunshine how are you doing today? This message is for first time cruisers such as myself. The topics in the video are straightforward and simple. I would like to add a few more pointers to the list. One is bring limited t shirts if you plan on buying them like me on port day. Secondly if you have to drive and spend the night the day before, then leave your dirty clothes in your car to save room. Lastly make sure to take inventory with her checklist that you need to buy. Trust me it is helpful and saves you money and headaches. Thanks again for reading my post.
When things go wonky, I just ask my Cabin Stew. My suit was a wrinkled mess. Off to the pool I went and when I returned it was pressed and waiting for me. Really? She was responsible for at least 40 rooms but got my suit ready for the Captains Formal that was still two days away! I made her cry when I disembarked. I tip when they work over the top. Sue me
Aha! Someone actually mentioning tipping :). Love to figure out what seems appropriate when on a “tips included” cruise, but no one seems to want to talk about it… Any clue how much staff see from the “included” tips? Rly appreciate Ilana’s point about bringing cash for random tips.
One thing we always pack is a light jacket or hoodie. When we embarked at Galveston one January the weather was balmy and we didn't need it. However, when we disembarked it was COLD and we were glad to have them. I saw one woman who was shivering in light clothing and no jacket and trying to keep warm, didn't work. One never knows when a cold front will come in, especially in Texas.
I noticed you showed the laundry deal from Norwegian. We cruise almost exclusively on Norwegian and this little hack really helps. The bags they give to fill are only thin paper and if you are like you want to fill it as full as possible. I always pack a small roll of packing tape. to reinforce the bag around the outside before stuffing .... around the top, middle and bottom and then twice from top to bottom and up the other side. Then roll your stuff tightly. you would be amazing at how much you can get into that bag if you do it that way!
What a great idea with tape! 😲I do roll my clothes. We usually get 1 free load with the club balcony. I do roll but have had the bag rip. Thank you for your great idea. I sent the 1 load off with hubbys clothes. We generally take 10 days or longer cruises, so we need 1 load of his things. 🤩🤩🤩🤩😍😍😍😍
We’re on the Norweigen Jade right now in the Caribbean and we just filled the laundry bag, something must have changed because the laundry bag that they gave us is a light but strong stretchable one that held a lot of clothing… We are in the Haven so i don’t know if we get better laundry bags?
@matthewd55 yes the ones in the Haven are different. The ones in the regular cabins are paper and rip really easily. We will be on The Jade in Feb! Hope you are having a great time.
On our last cruise, when we were done with our paperback books we went to the customer service area to ask if there was a library area we could leave them in and there wasn't on our ship but the staff was glad to have them!
Cruise-approved power strips are lifesavers. I bought mine for my first cruise back in November. I was able to safely keep all of my electronics charged. And I have since used my power strip at home and at work.
We bring the "over the door organizer" but never use it over the door. we always hang it in an open spot in the wall with magnetic hooks from the ceiling. It is great for hats, shoes, thongs (aka flip-flops or sandals), remote controls, etc.
I intentionally sought out tours and photos of the cabin class on the specific ship of my first cruise, looking for a clothesline. Saw one, left mine at home. (They are essential for land trips over four days as I pack for three!) I did use magnets on the mesh balcony chairs once, while sitting out there and babysitting them. Magnets were used like clothes pegs. One think I wish folks would leave at home is impatience, and -isms or hateful comments, and tobacco.
I bought the over the door organizer-it was a waste of time and space for me. I have passed it on. One new item that I now bring is a pre-paid Conversion Visa card. Once I load the spending budget that I have given myself I can convert it to almost any currency. There is no foreign transaction fee to pay as it acts like a debit card. I was most recently in the Christmas Markets in Germany and used it throughout my trip. I needed to go through London on the way home and easily converted my Euros to Pounds. ❤ Lots of good reminders, thank you
Tip: We bring good quality, large, beach Sarongs, instead of beach towels on the islands. They are super light to carry and work just fine for drying off. You can wrap it around you over your bathing suit or carry it in your bag easily. I hand wash them and hang them to dry overnight.
We always bring a clothesline that we hang from the ceiling on magnetic hooks and tension it by pinning it to walls (with hooks). We also dry swimsuits by hanging them from the ceiling on hangers (using, you guessed it, magnetic hooks). The clothes line in the shower is too short and has low tension. The trick is to roll wet garments in pool towels before hanging them.
I always use the retractable clothes line in the shower to hang wet swimsuits. I wash them in the shower with me and hang them overnight. I also just started using an over the door organizer and love it. I find it great to keep those small items from getting lost and not take up additional drawer space. I bring a cruise approved power strip to make sure there are enough outlets by the bed for C-Pap machines.
Just got back from a 10 day cruise with the Ruby Princess. I watched a lot of your videos and have decided these are a few of my favorite things; magnet hooks, portable fan, waterproof fannie pack. Thank you for all the tips.
@@laraineweinberg2329i cannot remember seeing it on the Beyond i just left last month…i take my own retractable line and hook it to the heavy duty magnets…works great plus the clothes dried faster thank the shower🙂🙂🚢
I have cruised only 5 times. I’ve been on Norwegian, Carnival and Royal Caribbean. I will be in MSC for the first time in Feb 2024. I’ve always brought my circling iron and straightening hair iron. I never had an issue on any of my previous cruises. I just found out on the website, they don’t allow any items with open heat elements and they list hair irons. I am going to have to bring my blowdryer brush for the first time. So, just for future reference, if you need hair instruments, check with the individual cruise ship first.
We bring the magnetic hooks and we also use the retractable clothes line in the shower. The magnetic hooks and clips are such a great convenience!!! I like the mattress topper so I don’t feel the separation. I do not use the over the door organizer. I bring spiritual books and I also have books in my kindle.
I may bring a book from home. It gives me something to read ON THE PLANE. Another thing I might bring, though I would consider it optional, is a colouring book and crayons. Ditto for my travel journal. My travel journal is a great place for notes on things I have done on the cruise. And in the weeks, months and years after the cruise, I can go back to my journal, flip through the pages, and reflect on some of the things I've seen and done.
We always bring over the door organizer! It’s very helpful for sure. It eliminates clutters on counters and it does it’s job organizing all of our little knickknacks, a place for everything! It’s very convenient plus it doesn’t take a lot room in your luggage.
We were on Holland America and the had a Tux rental service, I loved it I could rent the tux and I did not need to pack it or return it the ship took care of everything.
While on a shore excursion in the Carribean, we got drenched in a sudden rainstorm. When we got back to the cabin, we used the clothesline to hang up our very damp clothes. It was quite handy!
We do use the over the door organizer and find it really useful for organizing all the small stuff, sandals, sunglasses, etc. The magnet hooks are great, too, for so many things.
I recently added the Over the Door Organizer and I have found that it really helps. I am the only one to use it and it is really good for accessibility for my items. The wife gains another drawer for her items. I learned after many cruises (99) to streamline and I travel with a backpack and small carry-on.
I personally don’t see a reason to haul a big purse around with me. I do pack a small crossbody to slip my phone, gum, chapstick in for the evening because I don’t always have pockets. I also use a collapsible clothes hamper for our dirty clothes. When it’s time to pack up I just throw it dirty clothes and all in our largest suitcase. The smaller case gets any remaining clean items.
Just a note, we always bring an over the door organizer for our shoes, therefore they are not on the floor. We always use the clothes line in the shower. I bring chips for swim suits etc. Love all your ideas. Have been using them for years.
I have used the clothes line in the shower and I also bring the magnetic hooks to hang things up. I also bring a pop up hamper, put it in the closet. It just keeps things neat and really doesn't take up space in a suitcase as it retracts. Again, love the tips
We always use the ships clothesline. We also take magnets since seeing that tip on your video many months back. Also, my wife and I also love to read but since the pandemic ship libraries are awful. Instead we take paperback books and after reading we donate to the ships library, which also creates a little less to bring home.
Over door organizer was very helpful when I cruised with two small children. Would be useful if there are more than two adults in a cabin because counters and drawer space is so limited.
On the Disney cruises, they have a thing called Pixie dusting where people put presents in the pockets of the over the door shoe rack hung on the front of the cabin door.
Thank you for always being up to date and thorough when you present information. You’ve helped us prepare for every cruise we’ve taken! We look forward to seeing more.
Great video. I would slightly disagree when it comes to snacks. I noticed the high protein low calorie snacks we eat are either not found on the ship or is double the price of what we pay for at home. We always a pack a snack bag.
Another great ,informative video! Yes I knew about clothes line which is so great in helping with taking only half underwear etc. (wash out night before- dry in morning )I love the Downey spray idea & will pick this up before our cruise on Celebrity in May No one should cruise without binge watching your tips!! I have cruised several times but always learn something ( no over- door for us ) Hanging toiletry for jewellery & extras Never take a laundry basket but We do take a bag for worn clothing 💜💜💜🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Thank you so much for your videos. They've helped me prepare for my first cruise in February 2024 (Carnival Sunshine). 🤩 Everyone is different in what they find important or not. I hope you aren't offended by some people's ways of expressing that they preferred something other than what you recommended. Thank you for sharing your tips and those you've heard from. 😊
I always bring books with me. I go solo and love to read anywhere, any time. If the books are my own personal bought books and not from my city library, I will leave them and mention to cabin steward to pass on to anyone who reads. Beach towels from cabin are perfect size. When I do the beach excursions, I bring two along with me. Getting back on ship, there is always someone there at entry, with clean towels I can do an exchange with right away. The clothes line in shower stall is great for hanging my wet bathing suits on.
Over the door organizer comes in really handy! You can't get it to fit over the door but with magnets, you can put the magnets on the celling next to a wall and it works great! it holds all those little things that you don't just want scattered everywhere. You can even put your sandals, shoes or what ever works for you! We don't use a hanging toiletry bag. They are bulky and take up a lot of space. The organizer lays flat and our liquids go into zip locks in our checked in luggage. It makes it easier to get through the airport also. If you're going to bring books download them onto your I-pad or your reader! They take up less space and the weight of the book will get you at the airport!
The over the door organizer was awesome for us when we had young kids - to have diapers, wipes, and stuff 'readily available' next to the changing area. It worked well on the Disney cruise we were on....but now that our kids are older, I don't see us using it much.
I do use the retractable clothes line in the bathroom, but find the damp items take forever to dry. If I can get away with it, I peg items to the balcony chairs. Much better for drying.
I use the clothesline and I bring a few plastic hangers that have clips. The kind you get when buying pants or shorts. These come in handy when hanging up any hand laundry or extra for your closet. Especially useful on longer cruises.
I actually bring a travel laundry bag. Those paper laundry bags are awful! You didn’t mention bringing money for those that go to the casino, which is a personal choice of course.
When leaving from Miami, we like to get a six pack of interesting soda (ginger beer is a favorite) and some nice cookies at a local store so we can sit on our balcony when leaving the pier. I've tried using the clothes line in the shower but it really sags and things don't dry well.
Yes, I use the retractable clothes line in the bathroom… I rinse my board shorts (bathers) in the shower, then wring them out, and hang them up immediately so they begin to drip in the shower. A little while later (like 10-15 mins or when we get back later) I move them out to the main cabin where I use magnetic hooks on the wall NEAR THE AIR CON VENT to hang them up. The air con then helps dry them overnight
We use s all mesh over the shower organizer as that little shelf doesn’t hold much! We also used to bring a steamer, many years ago, but now we bring the Downey spray. Thank you for your videos. We always learn something new!
Nice video, some of the things people think they need surprise me. We’ve always used the clothes line in the shower, it’s handy if you’ve been to the gym and showered in your kit to get the sweat away (even though I overpack with three sets of gear). We’ve been caught out on the travel iron front, it was confiscated… but we were delighted when we found out Norwegian would provide a coffee machine so we could boil water for a cup of tea! Magnetic hooks are the best thing ever! I don’t see the need for a collapsible clothes hamper, we just toss dirty items in the suitcase under the bed until it’s laundry bag time! I always have my iPad with Kindle on it, but as I read on the iPad all year long I love to have an actual paperback book or two to enjoy. I did smile that the image said you had a link for foldable coat hangers (who knew?) after insisting they weren’t necessary! Thanks again for a useful, fun watch - you’re our fave, alongside Ben & David.
Over door org yes for 4 people, no for 2. We use it for communial items, games, electronics, static guard/Wrinkle release, Meds-Advil/Tums, beach shoes, sunglasses, hair spray so all can have access. Otherwise 2 people plenty of storage.
We always carry small bills for holiday souvenirs like postcards, keyring, small items, Euros for some Caribbean islands, and dollars for Caribbean islands , as we don't want to be stuck with loads of local currency if some countries also use their own currency , it is okay being stuck with loose change , like between less than 1 to 3 dollars in local currency
I just got off a 12 night cruise and yes I did use the clothesline. It was the first time I had magnet hooks, tanks to you. I absolutely loved them. They are already in the suitcase for the next cruise.😅😅😅
Cruised on the Norweigen Star several years ago through the Panama Canal. Had a family suite. Asked for an iron and board and they brought it to our room.
I like that you have the option of purchasing the Carnival towels to take home. On a cruise a few years ago, they were priced very affordably, we bought a few as souvenirs and Christmas gifts and all the recipients loved them!
I have always brought clothespins on my cruises to hang wet bathing suits on the clothesline in the shower. Well, on my last Royal Caribbean cruise, the newer ships don't have these! At least you can also use them to hold down your towel on the lounger on a windy day.
Never brought over the door hanger. I have a hanging toiletry bag and use magnets for additional organization in the cabin. I’ve used the retractable clothesline only when our swimsuits are dripping. Once they stop dripping I clip them to a chair on our balcony and then move them to a magnetic hook inside the cabin to dry completely,
Also, if you like to gamble, you should bring cash. Many cruises, depending on the cruise line, loyalty, and casino status, will charge to take out cash, just like ATM machines charge a fee.
I enjoyed using the Elemis products on the Rotterdam... the toiletries on Celebrity are also very nice... Celebrity even has a "pillow bar" to choose from
I love having my elastic clothesline. The one in the tiny shower is not practical because we have to shower in there and there is not great air flow. The other thing we use constantly is the over the door organizer. I put everything in there, sunscreen, first aid, body lotion, hairspray, etc. This way everything is easy to find and not inside the bathroom. When one person is showering, the other person has access to items. As for hangers, when we have asked for extra hangers, we got about a dozen wire hangers. I would rather bring a few hangers as I hang up as much as possible.
I do not bring physical books on a cruise, it just gets too heavy, so I bring my kindle. what I do bring is crocheting. You just have to make sure that the blade on the scissors is less 3 inches. Thank you for another informative video.
If you're traveling Caribbean. It's nice to bring a dry bag for your items. You don't want to get wet. It also doubles as a washing bag, throw it in there with some water and a little detergent, and you can wash out your bathing suit et cetera
I love your cruise planner. I'm giving it a "dry" run when we go away at Christmas time, however not on a cruise and a lot of the pages are working well. Living in Australia you don't need to pack a lot, however, you need laundry facilities.
I do bring 2 towels. If I lose them that is okay. Lol. They go in the permanent Carribean suitcase. Lol. Snorkel, fins, water shoes etc are in there already. Towels fit so, they arent taking up room in our clothing luggage. 😉 I dont worry about my hair much, and I can live without a make-up mirror lol. It never occured to me to bring a make-up mirror or a blow dryer. I always bring more clothes than needed but, I plan for spills lol. Also I bring at least 2 hoodies, a bathrobe, slippers, pjs, etc. Lucky for me, the hubby needs 5 pairs of pants, 5 shorts, 1 slacks, 5 t-shirt and 3 collared button down shirts. He packs really light so, I have 1/2 of his suitcase. We generally bring 3 large, and 2 carry-on bags. The carry-on bags have cruise items, the 3 large are clothes. 2 for me, most of 1 for him hahaha. We are careful to keep them under 50 lbs. We never bring snacks. More snacks than we can eat onboard! I do wear my cameos if there is a dressy night or my aqua marine set. I only bring earring otherwise. I cant wear costume jewelry. I turn green and swell up. It's good jewerly or none. I bring a little, but it mostly stays in the safe. You recommend an adoreable jewerly bag! I bought it, and I love it. ❤ So I guess I will pack more than most for our Feb cruise in the Carribean??? 😂😂😂😂
I once brought an over the door organizer but found it to be messy looking and really not so useful. I like to stash my stuff in those small cabins so it doesn’t look cluttered. Just my opinion. I know people love them!
When we go on vacation, we take a trash bag for dirty clothes, and then put dirty clothes bag in one of the suitcases when time to come home. Also transfer any unused (clean) clothes to the other suitcase, obviously.
Royal has tried to charge us 80 bucks for two towels more than once. When we never checked one out. So when we book with them we bring our own because getting this problem fixed was not easy.
I would NEVER take one of my own books on holiday as I can read them at home. Always nice to browse the ships library for something different. If there is no library, it's no problem either.
Hi there! Thank you for another fabulous video! We always bring the over the door organizer - it helps with clutter because we never use the drawers and I do not like anything on counter tops....too messy. I always bring a book (as I am not big on the e-reader) and I leave it in the library when finished. There are always lots of books there.
My very first cruise ever I brought two beach towels, like 5ft in length. Cruise line furnished 6ft Everytime you turned around. One comment on this. If a shore day DO NOT deposit the used towel on shore! Granted, if on a cruise owned island or retreat your fine. "Used towels here" in nowhere land, don't! That wonderful towel will cost you twice what the line paid for it.
Yes! Interesting! Good mix!🎖🎖🎖 Yes - we use the retractable clothesline in the shower for ‘undies’, & small bits. Re: formal = bring ‘formal’ attire - or it is not a true Formal Night. Cash is important - make sure you have some (especially when technology fails - certainly when that happens ‘on shore’ & your Credit Card is useless - & often because it helps you get a ‘better price’)! Most importantly- just remember to ‘enjoy’ the moment = however it is that makes you happy! Life is too short to be caught up in ‘nonsense’!😎😎😎
Hey there! So we have a formal night in Royal Caribbean for Christmas coming up. My kids and hubby have dress shirts (do we bring ties?) dress pants and I have a nice dress- but not tux/sparkly dress. Will we still be allowed into the dining room? Really don’t want to have pay for suits for one night.
We cruise RCL- I bring a hair straightener. It irons clothes well. Toiletries on RCL are like dish soap. Between the rough sheets and soap my skin itches till it hurts. From one room to another the hairdryer goes from bad to worse on the same ship. I pack a bright patterned but thin towel to find my chair. I also don’t want a $25 mistake if they don’t properly credit my towel return. Pop up hampers come on every trip. Lay everything out- pack half. . After I consider cash for my trip home, Whatever cash I have left over I pay down my bill. Odyssey of the Seas has NO clothes line. It’s ridiculous. If you like chocolate bars, bring fun size bars. Bring quart size ziplock bags. October 2023 Odyssey ran out of soft pillows. When my neighbor needed a mattress topper they were told they had none. How does this happen? I do not rely on my camera’s memory card. I bring my laptop to download my photos. Just a few differences of opinion that work for two old folks.
Mind reader! I’m like having anxiety for packing for leaving for Texas on the 15th for a week before we take off for the maiden voyage of Carnival Jubilee. So we’re packing for two weeks. 😂
Hello! Since you mentioned you are cruising Carnival, they don't provide conditioner. You may already know this, but I thought I would mention it just in case. Happy cruising!
Another great video. Your channel is wonderful! I odn't know when I will ever go on a cruise again, but your videos are so helpful. I have brought an over the door organzier on my last crusie 2019, and it was so helpful!!!
