Ditchdoc

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

So with the actual subject line in mind

-Magnetic hooks

-Bands for towels on beach chars (we like them better than the clips)

-Luggage tag holders

-Mini battery operated night lights

-A European USB charger to free up one of the few outlets

-Collapsible silicone buckets for the kids on the beach

 

Ah....the mini, battery operated night light. I found some that were magnetic AND motion sensing. They were great to stick on the wall outside the bathroom. Especially for people of a certain age that have to get up a couple of times at night.

Magnetic hooks....

About magnetic hooks....

They are extremely powerful. If two connect to each other, it about takes a vice and a pair of pliers to separate them. They can snap together extremely fast and if a bit of skin is between them, they can tear the skin.

With that safety message, buy small plastic, screw top containers and keep one magnet in each. With care to always keep the magnets away from each other, these stick to the metal walls of your cabin and make a great place to hang all kinds of things like hats, day packs, jackets and so on.

We traditionally eat about 5pm at home or away.

Food does not digest as well laying in bed.

Of course if you are dancing till 2am, I guess it does not matter.

Typical for us to ask for the Cruise Compass and a couple of extra towels every day. We are generally pleased with the response.

Last cruise was a B2B for two weeks and by the end of the cruise I think we had 7  towel animals lined up.

Our cabin attendant received a nice tip.

The luggage tag holders are a great addition to your 'cruise stuff'.

I keep large travel document wallet that lives in my home safe.  The wallet is made of nylon, has larger, credit card type pockets and a zippered compartment that folds and snaps closed. This same document wallet is kept handy while traveling and in the ships safe once on board.

Inside I keep:

• Passports
• Vaccine cards
• SCUBA certification cards
• Paper copy of travel documents including airline tickets, paper copy of Set Sail Pass, copies of hotel reservations, info on destinations and so on. Papers are folded in thirds and slipped into the credit card type pockets.
• There is room to keep the luggage tag holders in between trips.

There are lots of styles and designs. Just search Amazon for 'travel wallets' to see availability.

This very similar to what I carry:

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Travel-Passport-Wallet-Organizer/dp/B01C7UO2N6/ref=sr_1_30?crid=1X81DC7R6KY5N&keywords=travel+wallet&qid=1706545817&sprefix=travell+walle%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-30

Packing cubes, a high quality roller bag, and a shoulder bag you can hang on the handle of the roller bag allows one person to handle enough stuff for a couple of weeks. More with laundry facilities along the way. Airline costs and weight limits not included.

17 hours ago, happy cruisers 2 said:

 

I thought it was FL to CA in April and CA to FL in November.  No?

I realize it depends on which ships are involved and where they're repositioning from and to.

Please forgive my ignorance on this.  I do appreciate your help.

Its been 10 years since we did the canal. Itineraries change. I am not sure about the schedule of current sailings. It seems there are fewer Panama Canal trips currently. But.....if you find one in November, its a good time of year and if San Diego is a choice, I would take it. Its a great place to spend a few days on its own.

We did it in November, ending up in San Diego for Thanksgiving. Weather was perfect.

10 hours ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Honest question, do you think anyone at some point will actually buy this thing? I mean for real? 

Well, if they will spend 80k for a week in the ultimate family suite, another 100k is not too big of a stretch.

I have a news feed I scan through daily. Every day there is some headline that sounds so dramatic but if you read the article, its pretty ho-hum. Take it for what it is. Its just click bait and what the internet has evolved into.

Ah ... the age old question ... can I drink a thousand dollars worth of booze in a week?

Yeah ... maybe ...

Or will you just be so hung over trying to get your monies worth the trip is not that much fun?

The only way I would get my monies worth is if I focused on specialty drinks the entire cruise. This includes coffees, fresh squeezed juices, many bottles of water, bloody Mary for breakfast, drinks by the pool in the afternoon, wine  or Scotch at dinner, a drink at the evening show and probably a night cap.

Then I think, what could I put in my home bar for a thousand bucks?

Many Diamond member's that already get 4 or 5 drinks a day, it is probably not going to be worth it.

Nah .... maybe ....

You gotta decide for yourself.

Nice clothes ... wear sparingly and rehang ... wear 2 or three times.

Small clothes .... the laundry bag in your room ... pack it as full as you can get it with undies, Ts, shorts, socks ... free for D+ ... usually a 'special' at least once a week .... a full bag for a fixed amount ... maybe 20-25 bucks.

Well ... that is a boatload of questions.

Will you get lost? Probably. Even though the ship is huge, its still a confined space and you can not go but so far in any direction. There are signs every where. There is an acrylic model of the ship on every level near the elevators that show where you are and where all the major venues on the ship are. I think everyone gets 'lost'. Most common is looking for your cabin. It can be easy to to go to the wrong side of the ship. On some decks, the hall or passageway runs the entire length of the ship with cabin doors on both sides. It is kind of a long walk from one end of the ship to the other, especially if you are looking for your room on the wrong side. However, again, there are signs in the 'foyer' of each deck with the room numbers much like any hotel.  Rest assured that after a day or two, you will be pretty comfortable navigating the ship. When you first board, you will be amazed .... and clueless. Board as early as you can and use the 4 or 5 hours before the ship sets sail to familiarized yourself with where your cabin is, where the main dining room is, the pools and so on. Get a bite to eat and just wander around. You will figure out the basic layout and enjoy all the things offered from the auditorium to central park and everything in-between.

Lines ... yes, sometimes there will be lines. Mostly at the elevator during busy times or major activities like dinner time or just before shows start and when they end. There are always stairs that are less used and help to burn off some of those deserts you will have. Be patient. Any crowded areas are usually short term and disperse pretty quickly.

CoCo Cay ... its a large area with lots of nooks and crannies. The water park is an additional cost and I do not care for them that much. My view from out side is they are not very crowded. I would offer the same advise for most every big activity's, scope out the venue early in person or with a map so you know where you are going. Get there early, stake out your spot and enjoy.

I think 'Hairspray' is the main theater show. I would definitely catch the Aqua show on the back of the ship as well as the ice skating show. It can vary but be aware some shows may require a reservation. Make them on line early if you can or make it part of your to do list when you first board.

Is 7 days enough time .... well ... you can do a lot. With a bit of planning, you can pretty much do it all. Is it enough time? Very rarely do I leave the ship without wishing  we were spending another week on board.

Don't stress over anything. Enjoy. It will be and experience you will remember. Keep in mind that every crew member will help you with any questions along the way.

6 hours ago, Minuet888 said:

What is a sail pass?

Sorry if that's a dumb question but I'm new to this.

Basically ... your ticket to get on board ... your ticket to ride that contains your basic cruise info like ship, date and so on as well as a bar code that gets scanned when you are going through the boarding process. It is either mailed to you (old school), sent to you as an electronic document in e-mail that you can either print at home or display on your electronic device (phone) or via the RC app. Across the top of the document is printed "Set Sail Pass". At some point in the boarding process you receive a "Sea Pass" card (typically in a pocket beside your cabin door). This card is all you will need to get off and on the ship during the cruise, open your cabin door and It is often tied to a credit card and can be used to purchase anything on board during the cruise.

So ... Set Sail Pass is your ticket to get onboard and the Sea Pass is your key to everything once you are onboard.

With dense packing accomplished with cubes, rolling undies etc....you can pack more in a single bag. Is it heavier? Well...yes. 

So the next step is a good quality roller bag you can pull behind you. Add A medium size carry on with sturdy shoulder strap you can carry or loop over the handle of the roller bag and you can manage one or even two weeks of travel stuff by yourself.

Where this comes in really handy is when you disembark. You get to leave the ship first with no waiting. You can take all your bags With you and generally walk thought customs stateside straight to your transportation.

If you had 3 or 4 bags, per person, this is generally not possible. It is a long process to put your bags outside the room, wait for your departure time, go to your assembly point, file off, find your bags in customs, get a porter or cart.....

Being compact with good luggage choices has benefits. Cubes help.

Next question ...

Any hid or found a duck yet on Icon

Think I found the answer after searching a bit.

Here are two renderings, the exterior looking in the large port where you can see The Pearl inside, and The Pearl on the promenade where you can see the large port behind.

As large as the "port" is, the lower portion may very well be doors onto the running track and the primary embark/debark to the vessel.

It is just a very distinguishing feature on the exterior of the ship and I was just trying to figure out its place in the overall scheme.

Looking a photos of IoS exterior, on the port side is a large rectangular "port" midships starting on about deck 5 and extend up past decks 6, 7 and 8 it appears. On the starboard side is is similar "port' but perhaps only 2 decks high.

Port side I think it aligns with 'The Pearl' and I am assuming these are ocean views from the promenade but I am not sure.

In some night time photos, this same rectangle appears to be lighted.

Anyone want comment.

Use em. They are flexible in so many ways. Organize your stuff any way that makes sense to you. Clothing type, by day, by activity, by snacks, by toiletries, by individual. They come in any size, multiple colors for further sorting.

I like to think ahead how I will probably store my stuff in the cabin. Grab a cube, drop it in a drawer, put it on a shelf, done. I use one color, spouse uses another.

Separate one night pre cruise bag, no problem. Separate bag for small electronics like phones, ear buds, USB cables, night light, charger....no problem.

If you like to be organized, its a no brainer.

Its been interesting watching Icons development and arrival in the US for service. I am somewhat envious of those cruising on her soon and will continue to follow theIr cruising experience.

For a long list of reasons, we will not cruise on Icon until November after Thanksgiving. I look forward to a more settled environment and holiday decorations. 

Solarium during sea days. Usually aft corner looking at the ocean.

I like it !!!!

Well...for first time cruisers....it is probably fun and exciting. After you have sat thru it several dozen times..... Not so much.

Jimmy Buffet....nuff said.

Simple things ... bring your wine and cork screw with you. Open the bottle in your room and pour. Carry your glass to dinner if you like. The only down side is when your glass is empty.