Thread: Packing tips for a cruise

Hi guys, any packing tips to first-time cruisers? I found an article on what and how to pack for a cruise. Share your ideas about the preparation of luggage before departure. Are there any tips that I should know ?

General rule of thumb;

Pack half as much as you think you should pack and it'll be twice as much as you should have packed.

And the other rule of thumb;

Take twice as many pictures as you want to take and it'll be half as many as you should have taken.

Pete

Minus Underwear and Socks (never have too many) what Pete said is an A+ esp to the pictures. Always wish I took a photo of this and that. Bring a camera you can carry with you everywhere.

I (we) always over pack - not much for the formal nights, but here is a few things we bring...

Aspirin
Day / Night cold meds
Binoculars
Sun Protection
Bathing Suit
Sun Glasses
Few pairs of jeans, shorts, t-shirts, dress shirts, maybe a pair of dockers or dress slacks
Birth control measures (sorry if saying this offends anyone)
Camera and all needed accessories
Flip flops, shoes and comfy sneakers
Medications

Think you get the idea. Usually I make a list before packing, even if it is 5 minutes before and add to it as I think of things... Always over packed, never under with this method.

Enjoy your cruise.

Originally Posted by Cruise Planner

General rule of thumb;

Pack half as much as you think you should pack and it'll be twice as much as you should have packed.

And the other rule of thumb;

Take twice as many pictures as you want to take and it'll be half as many as you should have taken.

Pete

That made me think of Bilbo's speech in the Fellowship of the Ring

Originally Posted by Cruise Planner

General rule of thumb;

Pack half as much as you think you should pack and it'll be twice as much as you should have packed.

And the other rule of thumb;

Take twice as many pictures as you want to take and it'll be half as many as you should have taken.

Pete

Amended by me "Take four as many pictures as you want to take and it'll be a quarter as many as you should have taken." I took 1500 on our 10 day cruise and I missed a lot of things I wish I had photographed.

I hear that! Seems I now average almost 100 pictures a day - up from around 50 a day. Then I download them to my laptop or netbook so that I always have two copies just in case. Gotta love those digital cameras!

Pete

I put my checklist on the computer and then each cruise, I'll update as necessary. Sometimes there are changes because of the itinerary (eg. what clothes you pack for Alaska will be way different from clothes you pack for the Caribbean).

I do tend to take too many clothes, but I can't help it.

Here's how I organize my list:
1) items such as passport, driver's license, cruise docs, books and magazines, umbrella, itinerary (to put in suitcase with my cell phone number just in case and to give to neighbors and a few relatives). I'll put spaces for hubby's same items just in case he's spacey. Especially when it comes to sunglasses. A necessity on cruises.

2) clothing for both my daughter and me. I let hubby deal with his own.

3) accessories, such as sun hats, underwear. Again for the girl and me.

4) toiletries, including lots of sunscreen.

5) medicines. I tend to go through the medicine chest as well as prescriptions. Hubby will keep his mouth shut about this especially as he really needed the Sudafed on one cruise.

When selecting clothing for me, I'll take out much of my closet and put on couch. Then I'll put most back right away. Then start thinking about what I really really really want to take. Try on the items for formal nights to make sure they still fit. Then look back at what is still on the couch and start making hard choices. For our last cruise, I let the girl select her clothing with veto power if needed (she was 13).

It may surprise people, but for a two-week cruise, I brought along a total of three pairs of shoes. I wore the walking shoes and brought a dressy pair of sandals and a casual pair of sandals.

Pete / Neal - for the price of cards pictures cost nothing...I carry a few with me, an 8GB in camera and extra 8GB and 2 4GB (I am not that nuts - I carry the spares for G/F too). All my "raw files" sit on my 5+TB (Yes Terabyte) RAID 5 fileserver which I just ran a hard CAT cable too! It is useable LOL WIFI was too painful.

Patty... WOW, you sound super organized. Can I borrow you next week . My goal is home Wednesday after work (about 4) be packed by 6 to relax with a buddy coming over.

Originally Posted by Cruise Planner

I hear that! Seems I now average almost 100 pictures a day - up from around 50 a day. Then I download them to my laptop or netbook so that I always have two copies just in case. Gotta love those digital cameras!

Pete

Amen to that. Remember the days when we only had a few rolls of film and they had to last for a whole week? 10 pictures a day, max.

Originally Posted by sk8erguy1978

Pete / Neal - for the price of cards pictures cost nothing...I carry a few with me, an 8GB in camera and extra 8GB and 2 4GB (I am not that nuts - I carry the spares for G/F too). All my "raw files" sit on my 5+TB (Yes Terabyte) RAID 5 fileserver which I just ran a hard CAT cable too! It is useable LOL WIFI was too painful.

Patty... WOW, you sound super organized. Can I borrow you next week . My goal is home Wednesday after work (about 4) be packed by 6 to relax with a buddy coming over.

Five Terrabyte???? I thought my 3.5TB was plenty.

I too take the laptop with me. With a 250GB drive, it makes a handful of cards unnecessary. Besides, I have a backup if anything were to happen to the camera.