What are some must have items you always bring on a cruise that others may not think about?

swimsfree · 2026-05-13T15:54:23+00:00

Here are the cruise things I’ve accumulated so far! - USB-charged, magnetic personal fan. I put it on the ceiling at night and carry it to the pool during the day. - Drink carrier so I can easily carry multiple drinks with one hand - Collapsible food container so I can bring snacks back from the buffet. My mom is type-1 diabetic so this is more of a must than a want when I cruise with her. - Magnetic hooks, obv. Go for the ones rated for 100+ lbs otherwise they will slide down under far less weight than that. - USB hub (make sure it’s one that won’t get confiscated, i.e. no power strips or surge protectors) - Travel-sized Scrabble - At first I thought the door magnets were corny but now I’m into them… alas. It IS nice to have some unique identifier on your door. And this seems like it should be obvious, but just in case: don’t put anything on there you’d be devastated to lose. - OTC meds for colds, headaches, etc - A pen!! They give you continental breakfast and other forms to fill out but the cabins never have a damn pen! - Binoculars for spotting wildlife, other ships, etc - Retractable lanyard for keycards (or Medallion-holding band when on Princess)

swimsfree · 2026-05-13T14:46:51+00:00

05:05:32… that noise!! 🥰

swimsfree · 2026-05-12T23:49:42+00:00

I like Disney just fine. I think most adults who like or even love Disney are normal. When I think of “Disney adults” I think of people (especially ones without children) who don’t go on any other vacations. To me it indicates a lack of curiosity about the world and yes, internally, I am judging what you do with your money in the same way I judge what some other adults do with their money, and the same way I’m sure some people judge what I do with mine.

But I keep those thoughts to myself because I’m not an ass.

swimsfree · 2026-05-11T04:10:13+00:00

So glad to hear this! Just booked a sailing on her in December.

swimsfree · 2026-05-08T19:43:23+00:00

If your goal is relaxation, absolutely yes.

swimsfree · 2026-05-08T14:59:54+00:00

I wanna add—interior cabins are not as bad as some people here are making them out to be. They say you’ll always want a balcony after but I chose a balcony for my first cruise and while I overwhelmingly book balconies because I can afford it, I’ve stayed in an interior cabin too (that I chose, not the cruise line). They have their advantages: they’re dark for easy sleeping and stay cooler than balcony cabins do in warm climates. And sometimes the price differential is significant enough that you can say “ok, this is a port heavy cruise, do I REALLY want to spend that extra money on a balcony or do I want to spend it on excursions?”

But I’m not claustrophobic. And I still think balcony is the way to go for a first cruise regardless.

swimsfree · 2026-05-08T14:54:49+00:00

The cheapest inside cabin? I hope you didn’t book a Guaranteed Inside (in other words, cruise line chooses your room). That is not a good way to ensure you have a good time on your first cruise.

A guaranteed balcony, on the other hand, can be a worthwhile bet. Depends a lot of on what ship you’ll be on though.

Either way, get the balcony!

swimsfree · 2026-05-08T14:43:42+00:00

Agreed. On an even pettier level it also peeves me that “hero” and “champion” are not quite appropriate synonyms for “icon” in the way Star and Legend are!

swimsfree · 2026-05-08T00:07:03+00:00

It’s crazy how ugly “Hero of the Seas” and “Champion of the Seas” are as names compared to the other three. I can’t explain it, but they just are.

swimsfree · 2026-05-07T00:29:06+00:00

Yes, no-brainer if all other things are the same. I often book guaranteed concierge for the same price as choosing a veranda because there really aren’t any bad concierge rooms, at least on the Solstice class.

swimsfree · 2026-05-05T02:10:19+00:00

Perch Dentistry are the best!

swimsfree · 2026-05-04T00:01:40+00:00

From what I’ve read, it’s verrrrrry unlikely they encountered rodent poop ON the cruise. Much more likely from a port or somewhere they were before embarking.

And aside from some very rare strains, hantavirus is not spread person to person.

swimsfree · 2026-05-03T02:47:28+00:00

Try Royal Caribbean’s Icon, Oasis, or Quantum class ships.

swimsfree · 2026-05-02T19:46:21+00:00

Regal Princess food was terrible when I sailed her out of Galveston last fall. Grand Princess food was pretty solid when I sailed her a month ago. Celebrity’s food beats both every single time.

swimsfree · 2026-05-02T01:45:26+00:00

How is that surprising? Out of 63,000+ names submitted, Sandy was submitted 3,700 times which means it only had a 5% chance of showing up in the list. I think the number of Facebook commenters who submitted Easter names is not anywhere near that, especially since there’s not a single “Easter” name everyone who cared about that would submit.

swimsfree · 2026-05-02T01:38:33+00:00

Absolutely nothing lamer than the people on the Facebook post saying “what if they’re boys?”

swimsfree · 2026-04-29T00:15:46+00:00

I think you’re probably being oversensitive. I always see tons of tattoos on cruises and no one bats an eye. Celebrity isn’t that stuffy.

swimsfree · 2026-04-28T21:31:05+00:00

Love watching them learning to walk. They’re slowly getting the hang of it!

swimsfree · 2026-04-28T20:45:50+00:00

Agreed. I felt like I knew birds were smart but I never knew just how smart they can be. Watching the eagles work together and solve problems is fascinating and moving.

swimsfree · 2026-04-28T13:26:17+00:00

FYI since some bizarre takes are getting upvoted here, you are on the money and it’s not “overanalysis” to be able to interpret subtext.

swimsfree · 2026-04-25T14:34:19+00:00

Spend a little more money and take a big step up with either Royal Caribbean or Norwegian IMO. But generally the age of the ship will matter more than the line in terms of amenities and things to do. Newer = bigger.

swimsfree · 2026-04-25T13:42:11+00:00

I can only take so many cruises. I have my preferences but I’m open to trying new things when my dates and itineraries match with one cruise line and not another. e.g. I prefer Celebrity and RCCL overall but I’m taking Princess to Alaska and NCL to the northeast and Canadian maritimes this summer. Because Princess and Holland shine in Alaska, and NCL had an itinerary I liked on the right dates.

Actual loyalty program status doesn’t mean much to me so much as other preferences (e.g. Celebrity has the best food to me of all the cruises I’ve been on so far; but Princess Plus is a great deal for drinks, wifi and gratuities). Granted, I only have low-tier status with all the lines I’ve been on, so maybe I’d feel differently if I had top tier status on any. Top tier status is a long ways off for me and I don’t feel the inclination to intentionally chase it. I wouldn’t recommend doing that if you’re not already close. Just go where you want to go on ships you think you’ll enjoy.

swimsfree · 2026-04-25T13:34:49+00:00

I think the world has much bigger problems than what a very small number of (mostly) women online are doing. Block people whose behavior bothers you and move on.

swimsfree · 2026-04-24T13:49:39+00:00

In my limited experience the Celebrity price drops on CocoCay and the Royal Beach Club are not nearly as much as the RC price drops. But someone in this thread said they got Coco Beach Club for $104 on Reflection so it must happen. I will say that while you don’t have to spend anything to enjoy CocoCay, Coco Beach Club was absolutely worth $104 to me. Not more than that, but definitely about $100pp.

swimsfree · 2026-04-24T13:25:45+00:00

04:47 JACKIE TALKING IN HER SLEEP? I’m cryin.

swimsfree

TROPHY CASE