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Newbie 7+ night cruise


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Hello All, 

Since I started cruising Ive only been on 4 night cruises, with mostly recently a 3-night cruise (never again if possible). That being said, I am going on an 8-night cruise in October (over Halloween) and I am not sure how to prepare. I have never had to prepare for this long of a vacation. I have no idea where to start for thinking of cruising. The last cruise, I managed to bring too many workout clothes and not enough like "everyday" clothing for on board, thankfully they are somewhat interchangeable. 

I know we (BF and I) will be dressing up for Halloween and I know we will need bathing suits and clothes for dinner but im kinda stumped on how much to bring of everything else. 

Anyones suggestions will help immensely! 

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33 minutes ago, FloridaCruiseGirl1210 said:

Hello All, 

Since I started cruising Ive only been on 4 night cruises, with mostly recently a 3-night cruise (never again if possible). That being said, I am going on an 8-night cruise in October (over Halloween) and I am not sure how to prepare. I have never had to prepare for this long of a vacation. I have no idea where to start for thinking of cruising. The last cruise, I managed to bring too many workout clothes and not enough like "everyday" clothing for on board, thankfully they are somewhat interchangeable. 

I know we (BF and I) will be dressing up for Halloween and I know we will need bathing suits and clothes for dinner but im kinda stumped on how much to bring of everything else. 

Anyones suggestions will help immensely! 

First off, you are going to love Adventure of the Seas. Next May will be our third time sailing her. Anyway, my best advice (that I will hopefully take myself one day) is that whatever you think you will need, TAKE LESS! For example, our last 7 day cruise I took about 10 tee shirts and used maybe half of that---most of the time was at a beach or pool so just wore a swim shirt and wore collared polos to dinner.  I'm a guy with a wife and 2 daughters and I pack more than any of them. My daughters (adults and small) travel more than us and have packing down to science. They can easily do an 8 day vacation with just a carry on and personal bag. They can't even remember the last time the checked a bag with an airline. I am so jealous and rationalize by saying that their clothes are way smaller than mine.

Take separates that you can mix and match, so wear each piece more than once. No one will notice or care and you can cut your outfits in half. I believe it was @Whizbank that talked about her Rothy shoes. Used them for both casual and dress so cut down on packing shoes--a big space saver there. I looked up Rothy and was sad to see they don't make men's shoes.

Hope I helped a little and happy sailing!

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7 minutes ago, Skid said:

First off, you are going to love Adventure of the Seas. Next May will be our third time sailing her. Anyway, my best advice (that I will hopefully take myself one day) is that whatever you think you will need, TAKE LESS! For example, our last 7 day cruise I took about 10 tee shirts and used maybe half of that---most of the time was at a beach or pool so just wore a swim shirt and wore collared polos to dinner.  I'm a guy with a wife and 2 daughters and I pack more than any of them. My daughters (adults and small) travel more than us and have packing down to science. They can easily do an 8 day vacation with just a carry on and personal bag. They can't even remember the last time the checked a bag with an airline. I am so jealous and rationalize by saying that their clothes are way smaller than mine.

Take separates that you can mix and match, so wear each piece more than once. No one will notice or care and you can cut your outfits in half. I believe it was @Whizbank that talked about her Rothy shoes. Used them for both casual and dress so cut down on packing shoes--a big space saver there. I looked up Rothy and was sad to see they don't make men's shoes.

Hope I helped a little and happy sailing!

Thank you! Yes, I used to travel a ton when I was a teen and had it down to a science but its been a while so i've lost my touch. Thankfully I believe that no woman needs more than 3 pairs of  shoes on a cruise (flip flops, heels and sneakers). We will be checking bags for our very short flight just don't know if we are going with 1 or 2. lol Thank you for the advice! 

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I've always packed light. Ex and Daughter never figured how to do a weekend with short of a steamer trunk. GF has it figured out. 2 swim suits, two shorts, 2 pants, 4 shirts, 2 light dresses. Mix and match will get it for a week. I often wear my formal clothes aboard so I don't get  them wrinkled. Change by the pool after windjammer lunch. Then carry to cabin when its available. I too pack similar to GF. twosies that can mix and match.... We are carry on for a week. 

 

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I find cruising harder to pack for then a land vacation. with so many different venues and different type of activities its harder....and I cannot bring myself to wear the same clothes twice when I am south on vacation..between any wrinkles and stains or sweating from the heat etc its  a tough call.

 

We are going on our longest cruise yet so it will be a challenge as well for us in Nov on our first 7 day cruise (plus 2 days before and1 day after travel days)

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10 minutes ago, monctonguy said:

I find cruising harder to pack for then a land vacation. with so many different venues and different type of activities its harder....and I cannot bring myself to wear the same clothes twice when I am south on vacation..between any wrinkles and stains or sweating from the heat etc its  a tough call.

 

We are going on our longest cruise yet so it will be a challenge as well for us in Nov on our first 7 day cruise (plus 2 days before and1 day after travel days)

It does gets  trickier also when you are sailing from or to different climates. 3 years ago we had a 12 night out of Bayonne NJ in March. That was tough to pack for! I hope to do a better job if/when we finally get to do an Alaska cruise.

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28 minutes ago, Skid said:

It does gets  trickier also when you are sailing from or to different climates. 3 years ago we had a 12 night out of Bayonne NJ in March. That was tough to pack for! I hope to do a better job if/when we finally get to do an Alaska cruise.

I agree. Our last cruise was to New England/Canada so with a pretty temperate climate the whole cruise, wasn't hard to pack and wear something a second day if needed. If we decide to cruise to a warmer climate like the Caribbean, all bets are off. I'll need multiple changes of shirts each day.

And I think my wife learned her lesson about packing shoes. 8 pair last cruise. We forgot to check luggage weight before we left and of course, hers was over weight. Decided to buy a bag at the Southwest counter for half the price of the over weight fee. I packed 3 pairs of shoes and a pair of sandals. Almost every pair I own. ?

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Our first cruise was an 8-night Caribbean sailing and we had a few days pre-cruise and two days post-cruise to pack for as well. So in our case we ended up packing 10 days of stuff and utilizing the laundry service's $35 "stuff the bag" option about mid-way through the cruise. Even with that, we almost ran out of clothing, and we each had "only" one smaller-sized carry-on and one checked bag (and compared to other people's luggage that I saw, our checked bags were on the smaller side). Maybe we overpacked by a little, but not much.

And @FloridaCruiseGirl1210, if you think figuring out the packing for an 8-night is difficult, imagine working that out for a 14-night cruise with a 3- to 5-day extended stay in the destination port! That's the challenge my family is already thinking about for next August, especially since we'll be dealing with varying climates and will have to pack layers. It's actually got me thinking about packing cubes for the first time in my life!

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3 minutes ago, FManke said:

Say it ain't so, Joe! ?

I think vacations will make you consider buying and bringing things that you will never use when not on vacation.

Example, 2006 Disney World. I wore for the first and only time a fanny pack. It makes me feel better to refer to it as a waist or hip pack. But let's be honest. It's a fanny pack.

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I hear you! I'm currently in the process of packing for Alaska and with the different temps and weather expected I'm so afraid I'm going to way way overpack ( kinda am overpacking already). I did overpack on our last cruise to the Caribbean. Here's my plan... 1. Pick a main color and work around that. This trip is going to be over July 4th so I'm working around Navy/White with red accessories.  That isn't to say I'm not bringing any other color because  2. Start with your most comfortable things to wear.  This will be what you will want to throw on anyway and you will wish you had these things if you leave them behind. For me it's my black leggings, denim shirt and baggy/cozy sweater. I didn't take my denim shirt last time and I got a sunburn and wanted my soft shirt so badly to protect my skin afterwards. 3, I second (third?) packing cubes. Amazon has them, Ikea has some too. We use all the cubes we have and even then wish we had more. 

This time I'm really struggling with shoes. I know my light brown flats and sandals will go with everything but it's so hard to leave behind my cutest red shoes!! I'm also packing for my whole family so thats a struggle too. I have 2 boys and a husband so it's mostly tees and pants but it's still a logistics mess. The more they pack, the less room I have! (flying prior so have to pay for luggage to the port city)

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1 hour ago, JLMoran said:

And @FloridaCruiseGirl1210, if you think figuring out the packing for an 8-night is difficult, imagine working that out for a 14-night cruise with a 3- to 5-day extended stay in the destination port! That's the challenge my family is already thinking about for next August, especially since we'll be dealing with varying climates and will have to pack layers. It's actually got me thinking about packing cubes for the first time in my life!

haha I love my packing cubes! I also have packing folders for my BF's dress clothes and some of my dresses (they DEF helped us). The sweating is what will probably do me in. I'm the girl who has to order an Iced Coffee in the middle of winter (in the North) because otherwise I will be drenched in sweat haha. If you want the brands just let me know and I will see if I can dig them out from storage

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I have brought way too many clothes on each and every cruise so far...I pare down each time and yet I still go home with things unworn. 

I'm hoping it will be easier this time (in 19 days) since it is our first time cruising in the summer...and it's summer here...well...I'm in Indiana, so really it's Fall here already...after Spring ended last week.  But you know...

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5 minutes ago, FloridaCruiseGirl1210 said:

Outside of packing is there any other things I should mentally prepare myself for in regards to enjoy the cruise. 

I have learned that things don't always go as planned, so being flexible is important.  On my first cruise years ago the muster was conducted during my dinner hour, so it was a mess trying to eat in the Main Dining Room.  I wasn't prepared for that.  Hasn't happened since.  We have had weather issues and an occasional missed port.  Nothing you can do about that.  Just always be on the look for an alternative.  If getting a particular seat for a show is important, go early.  But then you might miss something else, so my best advice is to learn what you actually enjoy (not necessarily what is popular).  When you want quiet, there is always a quiet spot somewhere on every ship.  When you want energy from a crowd, there are plenty of venues for that.  If you hate cigarette smoke, stay out of the casino and avoid the smoking area on the pool deck (larger ships) or deck 5 (smaller ships).  The hardest thing for me was avoiding arguments with my son (we're both stubborn).  So dealing with any family members is something to think about.  Finally, don't worry about gaining a few pounds, you are on vacation....

 

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38 minutes ago, FloridaCruiseGirl1210 said:

Outside of packing is there any other things I should mentally prepare myself for in regards to enjoy the cruise. 

Being a late October cruise, there will almost certainly be a lot fewer kids than you may have seen before in more peak times. But that doesn't mean people won't be dressing up -- just look at some of the live blogs from last October, there are a few from members who sailed over Halloween and there was quite the costume parade going on their sailings! You'll definitely be in good company!

I looked up your sailing, that's a really nice itinerary you have going! Just three sea days and five port days. I guess if I was going to give a heads-up on anything it would be to be ready for feeling a bit worn out after that many port days in a row, at least if you're doing an excursion at each and not simply relaxing on the beach. Probably not as bad with Labadee as your first port, that's a nice relaxing day even if you have a couple of activities planned. But if you are planning a busy five port days, you'll be happy for the two sea days at the end! ?

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1 minute ago, JLMoran said:

Being a late October cruise, there will almost certainly be a lot fewer kids than you may have seen before in more peak times. But that doesn't mean people won't be dressing up -- just look at some of the live blogs from last October, there are a few from members who sailed over Halloween and there was quite the costume parade going on their sailings! You'll definitely be in good company!

I looked up your sailing, that's a really nice itinerary you have going! Just three sea days and five port days. I guess if I was going to give a heads-up on anything it would be to be ready for feeling a bit worn out after that many port days in a row, at least if you're doing an excursion at each and not simply relaxing on the beach. Probably not as bad with Labadee as your first port, that's a nice relaxing day even if you have a couple of activities planned. But if you are planning a busy five port days, you'll be happy for the two sea days at the end! ?

Thanks Joe! 

Yes I'm excited. My BF and I aren't big "Beach" people so we may not spend a ton of time on Labadee... I will be getting a Labadoozie since I missed my drink in coco cay last year. 

I've never been to any of those ports so im pretty stoked. Thankfully being an Orlando resident I'm use to long busy days at the theme parks so hopefully they will compare! 

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When we were at Labadee, there were two types of gift shops.  One had "fixed prices" on each item (an enclosed store), although you weren't prohibited from striking a deal, such as when buying multiple items.  Some of the places don't have anything marked, and you need to be prepared to bargain.  The first price quoted is never the best, e.g. $25 for something worth $10-15.

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3 minutes ago, FloridaCruiseGirl1210 said:

My BF and I aren't big "Beach" people so we may not spend a ton of time on Labadee

I'll just note with Labadee that my wife and girls all loved the zip line (I was too chicken to try it), and I had a lot of fun doing the Alpine slide a bunch of times in the morning, testing how fast I could go without thinking I'd fly off the rails if I didn't pull on the brake at least a little bit. Definitely something to try once if you're of the mind for it. And Labadee has the new zip line where you go down "superman style". So a few nice non-beach activities to do there in the morning while you enjoy the ship to yourselves in the afternoon.

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18 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

I'll just note with Labadee that my wife and girls all loved the zip line (I was too chicken to try it), and I had a lot of fun doing the Alpine slide a bunch of times in the morning, testing how fast I could go without thinking I'd fly off the rails if I didn't pull on the brake at least a little bit. Definitely something to try once if you're of the mind for it. And Labadee has the new zip line where you go down "superman style". So a few nice non-beach activities to do there in the morning while you enjoy the ship to yourselves in the afternoon.

Yes we have seen the options for the zipline my BF and I are big adventure junkies (We went skydiving last year for his bday... his second time my first). We are stuck between doing the one on Labadee or the worlds steepest one in St. Maarten

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8 hours ago, FManke said:

I think vacations will make you consider buying and bringing things that you will never use when not on vacation.

Example, 2006 Disney World. I wore for the first and only time a fanny pack. It makes me feel better to refer to it as a waist or hip pack. But let's be honest. It's a fanny pack.

We spend a couple of days in South Beach before our cruise and was SHOCKED to see numerous young/hip people wearing fanny packs!  Apparently they are making some ort of comeback.  Guess its true what they say about all things come back in style if you wait long enough!

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2 minutes ago, FoxboroCruiser said:

We spend a couple of days in South Beach before our cruise and was SHOCKED to see numerous young/hip people wearing fanny packs!  Apparently they are making some ort of comeback.  Guess its true what they say about all things come back in style if you wait long enough!

I've heard that everything 90s is back and that every 30ish years things make a comeback... I mean I'm not mad about it. lol

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4 hours ago, FloridaCruiseGirl1210 said:

I've heard that everything 90s is back and that every 30ish years things make a comeback... I mean I'm not mad about it. lol

Hm, so I’ve got 5, maybe 7 years before bellbottoms are all the rage again? ::shudder::

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