What to take on your first or next cruise.
A friend of mine is going on her first cruise and I offered to send her my list of items that I found essential when I went on my first cruise last year. She was a little shocked by my list, but I really think it is a helpful compilation of items that are needed when on a cruise. I, by no means, am an expert at cruising. As I mentioned, I only took my very first cruise not even a whole year ago, but I was very well prepared.
I spent months, reading blogs and Pinterest and researching what I needed so that I could be a prepared cruiser. I didn't want to look like a first-timer. I also didn't want to be caught off guard.
I spent years trying to convince my husband to take a cruise with me and finally after two decades, he relented! I wanted this cruise to be successful. Not having an essential item could make our first cruise a disaster in his eyes, so I made lists and checked them thrice!
I will give you my list, my reasons for the items on the list and the link for where to purchase the items. If you have any suggestions for things you think are essential to making a cruise a success, please feel free to add them to the comments.
Happy Cruising!
1. Toilet Paper- Of course, the cruise line will have toilet paper, but it won't be SOFT. It will be 1 ply. No one wants to use 1 ply toilet paper for a week. If your butt is as sensitive as mine is, you will be grateful that you have supplied your favorite brand. The wet and flushable kind is a great thing to have on hand too, in my opinion.
2. Poo-pourri. This is a relationship saver. You spray it into the water in the toilet BEFORE you go. It traps all the odor in the water and makes it seem like you pooped unicorn scented rainbows and roses. Get if for your everyday life. Not just the cruise. Trust me.
3. PowerStrip with USB ports- So there's like one outlet in most rooms on cruise ships. ONE. That's not enough for two people with multiple devices. This item is a must have.
4. Waterproof Pouches for your phones- We used these whenever we left our room. We kept our phone and our room key inside them and wore them around our necks. It was great to not have to worry about the phone getting wet. We were able to take underwater pictures too!
5. Insulated Thermos- or cup with lid- We used these to get ice drinks from the cafe area and take back to our room or carry off the ship with us. They kept drinks cold for hours and the drinks were free this way. If you like Crystal light or those other drink packets, you can bring those too and drink for free. I personally brought True lemon packets because I like lemon water. Some cruises, it is impossible to get lemons. They will bring you limes whenever you ask!
6. Speaking of drinking. If you are an alcohol connoisseur, you may want to bring your own drinks onto the ship to avoid paying the high prices onboard. If so, these two items will be helpful:
Concealable Flask Kits- These work great as long as you are careful not to twist them too hard. For extra protection, put them inside of a zip lock back and then conceal inside of your clothing. I used them and had no issue getting them onto our cruise.
We also used these Fake Sunscreen bottles and just put them in with my other toiletries.
7. Hanging toiletry bag- I loved this bag in particular because I was able to hang it on the bathroom door and have everything in reach. I packed it with a first aid kit (which did come in handy when my sister in law needed a band aid), Tylenol, Advil, Tums, Pepto-bismol, Cotton balls, Alcohol pads, a small lint roller, safety pins, little scissors, motion sickness patches, NeoSporin, real Sunscreen (yes, black people need this too!), Clorex wipes, hand sanitizer... This list can go on and on. Some things are better to have and not need than to need and not have in my opinion. No, you don't need the kitchen sink, but I think you can pack these things in a small and reasonable amount of space.
One thing that I forgot to pack, but highly recommend is some sort of bug repellent. These Bug Repellent Wrist Bands get good reviews. I used fractionated coconut oil for my skin and body and didn't get any insect bites at all. After the cruise, I read it is a natural repellent.
8. A Watch or small travel alarm clock if you have one. The reason for this is two-fold. The first is because you travel through time zones so often and so quickly that your phone can't keep up and neither can the ship's clocks. The 2nd is that there are certain times that you actually WILL want to be on time while you are on the ship. For instance, on the MSC Cruise Line, breakfast stopped at 10:30 and Lunch didn't start until 12. So during that time, only a continental breakfast was served. We needed to pay attention to the time so that we could eat before or after then if we wanted more than pastries and juice.
9. Zip Lock Bags- I don't need to link these. Everyone knows what they are and where to get them, but you may not know why I put them on this list. For me, these came in handy for things such as storing my favorite cookies that they served on certain days and only at 10 pm. You can use them for sea shells, collecting sand, I'm sure you can use your imagination and come up with other reasons. You don't need many- just grab a few and stuff them somewhere in your bag. You'll use them, trust me!
10. Women: A Day bag or back pack. This is optional. If you are the type that needs to carry a purse, or needs to carry items with you, you should consider a day bag. This bag will be bigger than a purse. You will be able to fit the items that you purchase in it, your cup, your sunscreen, a towel, and any other items you feel you need.
Men: A Back Pack. Again. Totally optional. You can totally just wear cargo shorts with lots of pockets.
11. Sunglasses. Notice this is plural. You are probably going to leave a pair somewhere. Bring an extra pair or be prepared to purchase some.
12. A Hat
13. Swimwear- Probably multiple sets. You should also bring some clamps to hang your wet items securely to dry. These can also be used to secure your towel to the beach chair. It can get a little windy sometimes.
14. Water shoes- I liked this pair for Women because they were comfortable to walk in on the street and they dried really quickly. I wore them while white water rafting and jet skiing and didn't have to worry about losing my shoes. They are also available in Mens. I think they run true to size, so if you order them order your size. I ordered the 7, I'm normally a 6 to a 6.5. They were a little big.
15. A Selfie Stick- Because you don't want to hand your phone over to strangers to get those great shots, right?
16. Snacks- If you are a late night snacker or if you are bringing kids, you may want to bring those candies and snacks on board to save you from buying them from the gift shop. There are Lots of goodies on the ship though, you may not need any snacks.
17. Binoculars- These are great for looking at the islands as you pass by.
18. Tide Stain Remover stick and Downy Wrinkle Releaser- For those laundry mishaps. There aren't any irons in the rooms. Some cruise ships have ironing rooms. Some have a laundry service that you have to pay for. It's best to have the wrinkle releaser to help with those items that may get wrinkled.
19. A Wireless Speaker- , Beats Boombox, or Ipod Speaker if you have one. Listening to music is always good. Except when you have the volume way too loud and disturb your neighbors.
20. A pen, highlighter and notepad- These are good to have for writing notes to each other and highlighting items that you are interested in on the schedule of events.
21. This over the door organizer is good to clear up space since there isn't much in those rooms. Hang it on the bathroom door facing the room and put all the extra items inside.
22. A jacket, wrap or sweater- Just because you are cruising doesn't mean it won't ever get cool. Especially at night. It also rains sometimes. Just so you know...
23. A Laundry bag or pop up basket- If you are like me and like to keep your dirty laundry separate from your clean clothing, having a bag will come in handy. You can store it in the closet. At the end of the cruise, you can simply pack it away in your suitcase with the dirty clothes inside.
24. This is not an item to pack, but a tip. Every morning, take a picture of the Lunch and Dinner menu as soon as they are posted in the formal dining room, so that you can make your plan for the evening on whether you will dine in the formal dining room or eat somewhere else.
25. Lastly, you'll want to check with your cruise line for the schedule of events for the time that you are cruising. Most cruises will have at least one formal evening and some have themed nights, so you will want to pack accordingly. Mostly, you will be wearing shorts, swimwear, sundresses and comfortable clothing when going offboard and dining in the buffet and casual restaurants. You'll want to pack a few dressier outfits for formal nights and if you desire to dine at any upscale restaurants.
I hope you have found my extensive list useful! Like I said before, if you feel that I have forgotten to add something, please mention it in the comments!
They are also offering half price shakes all day on June 20th.
Colorado now has two 
Eating out for lunch everyday can get expensive, so you might consider