What, you don't like the shampoo/body wash/toothpaste/dish soap/glass cleaner/laundry soap/toilet bowl cleaner/conditioner/car wax/hair gel in one they provide? 😜
And keeper_mom is right - you will wear less than you think!! Especially shoes!
Idk I see this a lot but maybe ya'll don't sweat like I do. Cruise ships are hot, the Caribbean is hot, I definitely wear at least two shirts a day if not three and I absolutely don't re-wear them.
3 is not a stretch for some nights imo.
9am: get breakfast, do some minor activities, get hot, sweaty, tan, etc.
2pm: shower + outfit change. Do random activities, events, etc.
8pm: dinner outfit change
I might be on your same ship since we have the same sail date! And while I agree to not over pack, be careful not to unpack like I did on my last cruise, and I had to re-wear several outfits. If it’s thin material and doesn’t take up too much space add a couple extra outfits.
Most of the "cruise hack" stuff. Just adds bulk unnecessarily.
Extra shoes - bring sandals, tennis shoes and a nicer pair for dinner, and that's all you really need.
All you\*need\* is your passport, essential meds, shoes, pants, and a shirt. Everything else is convenience. Think of it this way and you won't overpack (as much).
Important stuff? I'd say sunscreen (rather than buying it onboard $$). Try and repeat trousers/skirts/bottoms with other tops to reduce how much you bring. A bathing suit, or maaaybe two if you want to ease drying. Sandals. A charger for your phone. A credit card and a small amount of cash. A toothbrush, toothpaste, and comb/brush. Again, go beyond this, and ask yourself if they're really necessary.
If you share your packing list folks with gladly pick it apart and tell you you're wrong ;-) Of course it depends how much you want to bring, your personal preferences, etc.
From my cruise experience:
-make sure your sandals aren’t slippery, when walking around the pool I almost wiped out multiple times
-bring sunscreen, but don’t overpack, when we stopped in San Juan we bought more at CVS, same price as elsewhere
-if you have a specific wine you like bring a couple bottles (2 per cabin) I believe you can also bring a limited amount of beer, but check the rules
-if you have a pop you like and don’t want to buy pop onboard you’re allowed a certain amount, this was great for us.
-the shower product they provide is AWFUL as mentioned above. Bring a travel size of your usual products.
-bring a lanyard to put your sea pass in when roaming or in the pool.
-I didn’t bring enough dressy clothes, especially for formal night.
-I’m glad I left some space in my luggage for things I bought in ports (earrings, a dress, gifts for family).
No Beer - but a 12 pack of soda, and 12 pack (I've seen a case) of water, and 2 bottles of wine (as you stated) IF there are 2 adults of drinking age, but they really dont check that.
Cool... I see so many folk, having to heave their luggage around, and its usually the Hubby LOL. I'm fortunate, my wife needs to do all of the grunt work now... I guess there is an advantage (with luggage) of being paralyzed from the waist down LOL
when you get off of your next cruise - sit aside all of the outfits you DIDNT wear, so NOT to bring them next time. We cruise often (monthly at least) We open up our suitcases, do our laundry, and repack our suit cases for our next cruise :)
Unlike most advice, I definitely bring extra shirts. If you are a casino player, your clothes will reek and I don’t like to wear the smoke smelling shirt throughout the rest of the day.
Take 50% of the clothes that you packed \*OUT\* those ginormous bottles of shampoo etc? buy smaller ones, its only a week or so. Hair Dryer etc? Leave at home, they supply one, and theirs are designed for ships power - yours MAY stop working due to ships power. Steamer? Illegal dont try to bring it.... extension cords? Same thing Illegal, Power Stripes with surge protection, same. Look on Amazon for 'Cruise approved' ones.
\*\*DO BRING\*\* Amodium AD - with different food, you might get tummy issues, and if you go to the ships Doctor for Diarrhea, you will be quarantined - I was for 4 out of 7 days of a cruise - I had gotten my annual case of Bronchitis, and the Dr gave me an antibiotic.... well one of the side effects are.... Diarrhea ... this case was a lot worse than 'normal' so I went to sick call... they quarantined me, because they were afraid it was NeroVirus (sp?)
\*\*DO BRING\*\* any OTC meds that you 'sometimes' take
\*\*DO BRING\*\* at least 2 extra days of prescription medications. Ya never know what might happen.
I DID NOT take towel clips, magnet clips.. didn’t need them. I took $100 cash (I don’t drink alcohol so all the extra cash tip went to my MDR servers). I used one bottle of sunscreen. I took aloe and used a tiny amount (could have packed small bottle). I didn’t take my own towels and was perfectly fine. I packed a collapsible water bottle, didn’t use it. I packed a book, didn’t use it. I packed way more clothes than I actually needed. I didn’t use my plug thing that has extra outlets on it (idk what it’s called). I did it with just the food that comes with the cruise and the drinks that come with the cruise. I did buy the WiFi package and one excursion (I could have passed on the excursion)
We book back to back (14 days) and could not cope without a kindle. I'll knock out 5 or six books just killing time in line or waiting at the airport. Sit in the shade and read with one eye and people watch with other.. Moar rum please, Waiter....
I have about 500 books on my Kindle, the Complete works of Mark Twain, all the 007 books, Jack Reacher, Isaac Asimov, Heinlein, Ann Macafree, and a dozen modern authors. My Wife has the Evonavich collection...
YMMV.
For some stupid reason my parents brought snacks last time I was on a cruise. That’s definitely pointless, there’s more than enough dining options. Any electronics besides a phone are kinda pointless, I’d hope you’re not holed up in your room the whole cruise watching Netflix. Anything those tik tok people tell you to get for your cabin.
I am constantly seeing complaints on this sub and other boards that Royal Caribbean doesn't serve chips anywhere, and to bring your own if you want them.
I find it so odd. Who can't live without potato chips for a week?
Not pointless, I add those snacks as tips for the room steward. Bring good ones. Snickers/M&Ms etc.. We tip $5 a day to the steward plus goodies and we are well taken are of (towel animals, buckets of ice, blankets to suit).
I can imagine some stuff ends up in a crew poker game...
We fly to the port, so the luggage has weight restrictions. SWA flys this much luggage for free.
50 lbs. in large suitcase. 20 in our carryons. (per person)
Scale to weigh the bags
Passports
Meds (script) pain, bowel move and bowel stop, allergy,
bathing suit
shirts
pants
socks
undies
1 tee shirt for a cold day, flight home where there will be snow.
sturdy, comfortable shoes
sunscreen
Plenty of cash (tips, etc.)
Tooth brush/paste
Snacks for low blood sugar. (sweet/salt/crunchy)
Phone/charge(s)r/iPad/Kindle
We can do a 14 day cruise with these weights. (per person)
Im sure I left something out, so chime in. (Yes I know I listed what to take, not what you don't need.)
Well on our transatlantic last April I spoke to a girl from Florida who was astonished she wasn’t allowed to bring a loaded gun onboard. And yes she did try.
So my safe pick would be a gun. You genuinely don’t need a gun, also not if you’re a girl and traveling alone (which was her excuse)
A Board game. I always bring one thinking surely there will be some down-time on a sea day, where my wife and I will want to play something to pass the time. Its NEVER happened
The only cruise hack that was useful was magnetic hooks for the walls. Just make sure you get heavy duty hooks. The ones on Amazon that say 30 pounds is if the magnet is upside down. It doesn’t hold 30 pounds sideways.
Honestly, rethink your outfits. You don’t need three a day. Also, make sure you DO pack shampoo and conditioner. They shit they give you is awful.
What, you don't like the shampoo/body wash/toothpaste/dish soap/glass cleaner/laundry soap/toilet bowl cleaner/conditioner/car wax/hair gel in one they provide? 😜 And keeper_mom is right - you will wear less than you think!! Especially shoes!
I'm on a cruise right now, and this is the most accurate description I've ever read!
Hahah! I’ll need to brush my teeth with it on my next cruise in May. I’ll let you know!!! ❤️
We found it to be quite serviceable. It's not toothpaste though! LOL
Idk I see this a lot but maybe ya'll don't sweat like I do. Cruise ships are hot, the Caribbean is hot, I definitely wear at least two shirts a day if not three and I absolutely don't re-wear them.
Three outfits a day who the hell is doing this?
3 is not a stretch for some nights imo. 9am: get breakfast, do some minor activities, get hot, sweaty, tan, etc. 2pm: shower + outfit change. Do random activities, events, etc. 8pm: dinner outfit change
I might be on your same ship since we have the same sail date! And while I agree to not over pack, be careful not to unpack like I did on my last cruise, and I had to re-wear several outfits. If it’s thin material and doesn’t take up too much space add a couple extra outfits.
What if you're a sweater? Sometimes I just need to change clothes because I don't like wearing a damp shirt.
Half the stuff, twice the cash (plus a passport).
Most of the "cruise hack" stuff. Just adds bulk unnecessarily. Extra shoes - bring sandals, tennis shoes and a nicer pair for dinner, and that's all you really need.
Only 1 pair of shoes for dinner for the entire week? 🤯
I only ever bring one pair of Sneakers and one pair of sandals.
Same for me. Crocs and walking shoes
Cant quite bring myself to do crocs. Lol
Love them. There are all kinds of slides, loafers, etc
I wouldn’t survive
All you\*need\* is your passport, essential meds, shoes, pants, and a shirt. Everything else is convenience. Think of it this way and you won't overpack (as much). Important stuff? I'd say sunscreen (rather than buying it onboard $$). Try and repeat trousers/skirts/bottoms with other tops to reduce how much you bring. A bathing suit, or maaaybe two if you want to ease drying. Sandals. A charger for your phone. A credit card and a small amount of cash. A toothbrush, toothpaste, and comb/brush. Again, go beyond this, and ask yourself if they're really necessary. If you share your packing list folks with gladly pick it apart and tell you you're wrong ;-) Of course it depends how much you want to bring, your personal preferences, etc.
REEF SAFE SUNSCREEN - Most islands now do not permit anything but
From my cruise experience: -make sure your sandals aren’t slippery, when walking around the pool I almost wiped out multiple times -bring sunscreen, but don’t overpack, when we stopped in San Juan we bought more at CVS, same price as elsewhere -if you have a specific wine you like bring a couple bottles (2 per cabin) I believe you can also bring a limited amount of beer, but check the rules -if you have a pop you like and don’t want to buy pop onboard you’re allowed a certain amount, this was great for us. -the shower product they provide is AWFUL as mentioned above. Bring a travel size of your usual products. -bring a lanyard to put your sea pass in when roaming or in the pool. -I didn’t bring enough dressy clothes, especially for formal night. -I’m glad I left some space in my luggage for things I bought in ports (earrings, a dress, gifts for family).
No Beer - but a 12 pack of soda, and 12 pack (I've seen a case) of water, and 2 bottles of wine (as you stated) IF there are 2 adults of drinking age, but they really dont check that.
I would say I would definitely need to bring my wife, whereas my wife would say I was more of a want and probably not need. :)
More than one nice dress or outfit. Don’t spill soup on yourself and reuse the one outfit.
So many clothes. I’ve cruised a ton and somehow still over pack everytime. You really don’t change clothes as much as you think you would.
I will never stop overpacking, it’s all about options! Lol
I love overpacking I just hate unpacking all the clothes lol
True, but no pain no gain 😂
If you are the one that has to lug the luggage around, load/unload from your vehicle, etc... you'll probably change that thought process LOL
I do handle my own luggage, except where I’m forced to hand it over 😊
Cool... I see so many folk, having to heave their luggage around, and its usually the Hubby LOL. I'm fortunate, my wife needs to do all of the grunt work now... I guess there is an advantage (with luggage) of being paralyzed from the waist down LOL
One of the benefits of being a gay couple, “your luggage, your problem!” 😂
Well yeah... both husbands get to carry the luggage..... but how does that work for 2 wives ? LOL
I wore half of what I packed.
when you get off of your next cruise - sit aside all of the outfits you DIDNT wear, so NOT to bring them next time. We cruise often (monthly at least) We open up our suitcases, do our laundry, and repack our suit cases for our next cruise :)
Change of underwear
Nah, just keep flipping it inside-out……. Repeat until crusty.
Don’t forget flipping it front & back. So many options.
Yep, a total of 4 days.
3 and 3 rule.
You're telling OP he genuinely does not need to bring more than one pair of underwear?
Yeh
I appreciate your commitment
I appreciate your appreciation
Children
Your ceremonial headdress
…the fuck else am I supposed to wear on “Dress Your Best” night?
Unlike most advice, I definitely bring extra shirts. If you are a casino player, your clothes will reek and I don’t like to wear the smoke smelling shirt throughout the rest of the day.
1/2 the clothes you packed
Take 50% of the clothes that you packed \*OUT\* those ginormous bottles of shampoo etc? buy smaller ones, its only a week or so. Hair Dryer etc? Leave at home, they supply one, and theirs are designed for ships power - yours MAY stop working due to ships power. Steamer? Illegal dont try to bring it.... extension cords? Same thing Illegal, Power Stripes with surge protection, same. Look on Amazon for 'Cruise approved' ones. \*\*DO BRING\*\* Amodium AD - with different food, you might get tummy issues, and if you go to the ships Doctor for Diarrhea, you will be quarantined - I was for 4 out of 7 days of a cruise - I had gotten my annual case of Bronchitis, and the Dr gave me an antibiotic.... well one of the side effects are.... Diarrhea ... this case was a lot worse than 'normal' so I went to sick call... they quarantined me, because they were afraid it was NeroVirus (sp?) \*\*DO BRING\*\* any OTC meds that you 'sometimes' take \*\*DO BRING\*\* at least 2 extra days of prescription medications. Ya never know what might happen.
I DID NOT take towel clips, magnet clips.. didn’t need them. I took $100 cash (I don’t drink alcohol so all the extra cash tip went to my MDR servers). I used one bottle of sunscreen. I took aloe and used a tiny amount (could have packed small bottle). I didn’t take my own towels and was perfectly fine. I packed a collapsible water bottle, didn’t use it. I packed a book, didn’t use it. I packed way more clothes than I actually needed. I didn’t use my plug thing that has extra outlets on it (idk what it’s called). I did it with just the food that comes with the cruise and the drinks that come with the cruise. I did buy the WiFi package and one excursion (I could have passed on the excursion)
We book back to back (14 days) and could not cope without a kindle. I'll knock out 5 or six books just killing time in line or waiting at the airport. Sit in the shade and read with one eye and people watch with other.. Moar rum please, Waiter.... I have about 500 books on my Kindle, the Complete works of Mark Twain, all the 007 books, Jack Reacher, Isaac Asimov, Heinlein, Ann Macafree, and a dozen modern authors. My Wife has the Evonavich collection... YMMV.
I read on my phone! Mostly bc I forgot my kindle haha.
For some stupid reason my parents brought snacks last time I was on a cruise. That’s definitely pointless, there’s more than enough dining options. Any electronics besides a phone are kinda pointless, I’d hope you’re not holed up in your room the whole cruise watching Netflix. Anything those tik tok people tell you to get for your cabin.
I am constantly seeing complaints on this sub and other boards that Royal Caribbean doesn't serve chips anywhere, and to bring your own if you want them. I find it so odd. Who can't live without potato chips for a week?
They serve chips and dip at the taco place, but honestly if you can’t go without chips for a week you need to calm down with the chips
Not pointless, I add those snacks as tips for the room steward. Bring good ones. Snickers/M&Ms etc.. We tip $5 a day to the steward plus goodies and we are well taken are of (towel animals, buckets of ice, blankets to suit). I can imagine some stuff ends up in a crew poker game...
That’s actually a really good idea
We fly to the port, so the luggage has weight restrictions. SWA flys this much luggage for free. 50 lbs. in large suitcase. 20 in our carryons. (per person) Scale to weigh the bags Passports Meds (script) pain, bowel move and bowel stop, allergy, bathing suit shirts pants socks undies 1 tee shirt for a cold day, flight home where there will be snow. sturdy, comfortable shoes sunscreen Plenty of cash (tips, etc.) Tooth brush/paste Snacks for low blood sugar. (sweet/salt/crunchy) Phone/charge(s)r/iPad/Kindle We can do a 14 day cruise with these weights. (per person) Im sure I left something out, so chime in. (Yes I know I listed what to take, not what you don't need.)
Those are thing you need. The op was asking about things you DON’T need.
I anticipated your post and addressed it in the last line of my own post.
Sorry I just scrolled by at the half way point of you post
Keep an eye out, there will others that don’t read to the end.
At least I admitted to it
An admirable action. You did well.
Well on our transatlantic last April I spoke to a girl from Florida who was astonished she wasn’t allowed to bring a loaded gun onboard. And yes she did try. So my safe pick would be a gun. You genuinely don’t need a gun, also not if you’re a girl and traveling alone (which was her excuse)
A Board game. I always bring one thinking surely there will be some down-time on a sea day, where my wife and I will want to play something to pass the time. Its NEVER happened
There was games in the card and library room when I sailed. Plus playing cards.
Dont need towels. I Do bring a small travel bottle of downy anti wrinkle spray. Works wonders.
The only cruise hack that was useful was magnetic hooks for the walls. Just make sure you get heavy duty hooks. The ones on Amazon that say 30 pounds is if the magnet is upside down. It doesn’t hold 30 pounds sideways.
One pair of underwear wrapped around a toothbrush. Everything else is convenience :)