First time cruise!!?

Question

So Im going on my first cruise in a year haha i know i have tons of time but what types of things will i need.. like with clothing and other items i might need to bring. I need to know what to save up for. Thanks:)

Answer 1

I'm going on my first cruise next november. Luckily, I'm going with my boyfriends family and they're cruise addicts, so I've been going shopping with them for the past couple of weeks to get outfits. They told me to make sure I get clothes that don't wrinkle easily because the rooms and closets are small, so the clothes will be piled up on top of eachother. Also, bring some outfits that you can dress up/down. I'm bring a lot of sun dresses that I can wear with heels and nice hair/make up for when we go out to dinner, but i can wear sundresses with flip flops during the day on the boat. They also recommended bringing a light sweater because it can get a bit chilly on the boat at night. I'm going to Mexico on my cruise, so its going to be warm, even in November. Depending on where you are going, make sure the clothes are climate appropriate. I'm also bringing a swim suit because there's a couple pools and mostly just jeans/tshirts/capris to hang out at the bar and casino in. I'm doing an outing where I go on a river raft so I'm going to bring tennis shoes and an older outfit that I wont mind getting ruined for that. Also, check if you are going on a "freestyle cruise." If you are, the dinners aren't as dressy, so you'll be able to get away with jeans or shorts, a skirt, etc. Some non freestyle cruises have dinners that are extremely fancy (think homecoming/prom-type gown) or even non fancy dinners that still require slacks or a dress. Sometimes the cruise will have outfit recommendations in the FAQ part of the website. And keep in mind that if you are stopping in ports, you will probably want to do some shopping. I'm stopping at Roazan, Costa Maya, Miami, and a few other ports, and I know I'm going to have a lot more clothes when I come home, so don't over pack. Maybe even underpack so you have an excuse to go shopping and buy new outfits. Have fun!!

Answer 2

Ok I need to know where your going first. But if it's somthing warm bring:

Shorts

Capri's

Tank tops

tees

pj's

party clothes

bathing suit

shoes

make up

brush

tooth brush

" paste

Attractive dresses

Money

Cover up

Book

Cell phone

Camera

Note book

Pens

Sun glasses

pass port

curling iron

straightener

sun block

tanning lotion

sun hat

contacts

glasses

guide books

watch

license

proof of citizen ship

earings

necklace

hair ties

purse

back pack - for shore excursions

flip flops

airline tickets

formal dress

arm candy  

And a are you going by yourself ?

Answer 3

I went on my first cruise last March and posted information about our cruise, photos, my impressions and some tips at: http://www.squidoo.com/Mexico_Cruise

Answer 4

I copied and pasted what I thought you'd need from the address below. I added a few things in brackets

airline tickets or e-ticket confirmation

cruise documents

passports or proof of citizenship

wallet

[backpack and "water wallet"]

driver's license

credit cards

watch

cash

any essential medications

glasses, contacts, contact cleaner

sunglasses

reading sunglasses

guidebooks and other port of call information

maps

reading material

[2 formal dresses plus jewelry

formal shoes

something to put your hair up on formal night

flip flops

5 "business casual" outfits for dinner (capris or little dresses are always good)

t-shirts, tanktops, and shorts for daytime

swimsuit and cover-up

sun hat

sunscreen

toiletries like toothpaste, shampoo, etc

travel iron

curling iron

dollars for tips

disposable cameras and 1 waterproof camera]

Answer 5

It would help to know where you are cruising to, i.e., Caribbean/Bahamas, Alaska, Europe, and also how many days, i.e., 3 to 4 days, 7 days, 12 days.  BUT, here,s my standard list of thing to take:

I have been on about 20 cruises and here's what I suggest based on my experiences:

Always pack your passport and cruise documents in your carry on bag ONLY.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM, so take:

-swim wear (at least 2),

-shorts, tank tops and "T's"

-sandals, -beach shoes,

-your snorkel equipment if you have it,

-sun glasses and sun screen,

-lotions,

-a cap or big hat for the sun,

-If you are cruising to Alaska take a light jacket or hoodie,

-a book if you are a reader,

-your music player,

-sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym,

-good walking shoes,

-your camera, and spare batteries and charger

-other personal toiletries including tooth paste, mouth wash or lotions.

Your cabin will have towels and soap provided, including pool and beach towels, and a hair dryer. It will also have a generic hair shampoo so you do not need to bring that unless you like a specific brand.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports or resort casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, (like a bank employee), shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc. Don't over pack , take clothes that you can mix and match tops and bottoms and plan to wear each piece twice. If you are going to the Caribbean you will likely be in shorts and/or swim wear most of every day so evening clothes don't usually get much wear.

Your cruise will have a formal night or two when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. You will not be denied entry to the main dining room if you decide not to dress up, as long as you are at least sports casual. But most people do dress up. A gown or party dress for women and a suit or tux for men. Some people dress up both formal nights, some don't. We always take the formal stuff off after dinner and a photo or two and go back to casual stuff.

- Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage.

- Pack using the vacuum clothing bags (about $20 for 3 at Target) so that you can get more in your bag AND so that if the TSA at the airport opens your bag they can see what's inside without rummaging through your things.

-Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and your clothes that you sleep in.

- If you can take a six-pack of bottled water and soft drinks in your carry-on for your cabin. You will have to pay for both on the ship and its nice to have those handy in the cabin.

- If you are taking your cell phone, MP3 player or other item that needs to be plugged in take an extension cord as the plugs in the cabin are generally not in the best places and there are usually only one or two.

- Take a small bottle of hand sanitizer and/or hand-wipes. There are generally sanitizer dispensers at the entrances of restaurants, the buffets and dining room, but some times the are not there or not working. The sanitizer helps prevent the spread of the Norwalk Virus that sometimes occur on cruise ships.

-If you plan to get into the pools or hot tub as soon as you get on ship (they will be open), bring those clothes in your carry on bag; you other luggage may not get to your cabin until much later in the afternoon.

- Take a can of air freshener for your cabin bathroom. The bathrooms do not have exhaust fans.

- Take a few zip lock bags of various sizes; they always come in handy.

- Take some one dollar bills (also maybe a few $5's) for tipping the porters in the airport, at the pier (they do not work for the ship), and they will come in handy in port stops for buying small items in the markets and at vendor stands; especially bartering places.

Answer 6

check out this website, www.vacationstogo.com its the best site ive seen relating to cruising, it answers every question you can imagine, i hope you are as much informed as needed, bon voyage.