Let’s Go Cruising…

On By Suzanne@PictureRetirementIn travel

Malcolm and I set sail from the Port of Miami on Oceania, Vista yesterday afternoon. The ship will visit Honduras, Mexico, and Belise and was advertised as a ‘tropical retreat.’ Honestly, it could float around the Caribbean without docking anywhere and we would be perfectly happy. February has kicked our butts and we need some downtime. I didn’t bother with a ‘wrap-up’ post for February (sorry ladies who link) because it would have been all whiny and depressing. That’s just not us, so today we leave February in our wake…

Regent Seven Seas Navigator – Sailed March 2023

The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.

Sydney J. Harris

Cruising

We tend to cruise for three reasons, Transportation, Exploration, and Relaxation. This seven-day cruise falls into the relaxation category as we have no specific interest in exploring the ports of call. We have not booked any excursions and will devise a plan daily. Not having a plan is out of our comfort zone, but winging it might be interesting too. I would not recommend this approach for first-time cruisers and highly suggest that you study ports of call, review the ship’s offerings for excursions, compare prices for booking through other providers, and secure your plans well in advance.

We shared a lot about identifying your cruising ‘style’ and choosing the right cruise in this post, and we explained ‘repositioning’ cruises here. I will share details and photos from this cruise in a future post, but as I write this, I am in ‘packing mode’ and want to let you in on a few ‘housekeeping’ secrets that go along with becoming a good cruiser. Specifically, how we keep our stateroom organized!

Stateroom Organization

Let’s face it folks, cruise ship cabins are tiny. In fact, the average cabin is about 170 – 190 square feet in size. While most cruise lines have maximized storage space in even the smallest cabin, there is still never enough. I hate clutter and have devised a few solutions to keep us organized in our small space. Organization becomes much more important on longer cruises (over 10 days), but most of these suggestions will make sense for shorter cruises too.

  1. We use Magnetic Hooks (staterooms have metal walls and ceilings) to hang belts, bags, hats, and even PJs along the main entry wall or in the bathroom. The hooks are also handy for hanging a collapsable shoe rack, which frees up space in the closet. A heavy-duty hook for this task is easily found on Amazon for about $1 each. To keep the daily bulletins from cluttering the desk, I use one of the sturdy magnetic hooks to secure them in a stack against the wall.
  2. A multi-plug outlet extender is great for keeping all our devices charged. We travel with 1 and sometimes 2 laptops, 2 phones, and a camera, which all need a daily charge. Older cruise ships don’t typically have USB ports available in the stateroom and outlets are very limited, necessitating the extender. Be sure you purchase an extender and not a surge protector. Those will be confiscated at embarkation.
  3. Pack a few twist ties. I purchased a 165-foot spool for $6 at Christmastime (to secure decorations) and cut a few pieces in various lengths to use for controlling electrical cords and charging cables.
  4. We use 2-gallon zip lock baggies (instead of packing cubes) for packing tee shirts, undies, sweaters, gym clothes, etc., and we leave the items in the baggies when unpacking. I place the baggies in drawers for easy access and use the collapsable shoe rack to stack leftover items. (we only use this for cruises exceeding 10 days)
  5. A large trash bag is perfect for dirty clothes and can be kept out of sight at the bottom of the closet.
  6. Empty suitcases are easily stored under the bed.
Multi-purpose twist ties
Heavy Duty Magnetic Hooks
Outlet Extender

Stateroom attendants are very busy on embarkation day, so we make a point of meeting our attendant as early as possible and putting in a couple of immediate requests – 1) clear out the mini-fridge, 2) supply extra hangers. There are always lots of things in the fridge that we will not use, and it frees up space for water bottles, fruit, and snack items that we prefer. Without question, there are never enough hangers, and getting the closet organized is a high priority for me, so that request always comes first.

What We Pack

  1. Clothing appropriate for the ship/climate/length of cruise – our core wardrobe consists of gym/lounge clothes and excursion clothes. Depending on the ship’s dress code, Malcolm will pack a jacket and at least 2 pairs of nice pants, and I will pack one nice dress, 2 slacks, and a few blouses to alternate at dinner. Sticking with a few basic solid colors eliminates the need for multiple pairs of shoes and makes it easy to mix and match pieces. We typically allocate 8 to 10 outfits per week, (a mix of excursion outfits and loungeware/gym clothes) plus dinner clothes.
  2. All of the above-mentioned items for organization – magnetic hooks, shoe rack, (for long cruises) multi-plug outlet extender, a trash bag, and small Zip Lock Baggies (for keeping things like money and phones dry while on excursions)
  3. A canvas bag to use both on and off the ship. Good for carrying cameras, hats, sunscreen, sunglasses, towels, and items purchased at ports of call.
  4. Toiletries
  5. Extra pair of Eyeglasses (Malcolm is notorious for breaking frames and losing screws)
  6. Disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer
  7. Sunscreen, bug repellent
  8. Medications and First Aide items, Stomach medications, Cold medications, Bynadrill, Eye drops, motion sickness pills
  9. Camera, additional lenses, tabletop tripod, laptop, phones
  10. Passports, photo IDs, and Cruise documents
  11. Luggage Scale for weighing suitcases (when flights are included in our travel plans)

What It Looks Like Organized and Ready to Pack

This all fits into a medium-sized suitcase. Notice the zip-lock baggies? Those contain underwear, 2 quick-dry tees, 2 quick-dry Columbia capris, 2 swimsuits, 2 coverups, and a couple of lightweight sweaters. Everything is neatly rolled and can be dropped into a drawer as packaged.

Why Use Packing Cubes When an Inexpensive Ziplock Baggie Will Do?

Because we have laundry services aboard the ship, I could easily make do with less, but since we are driving to the port and there are no luggage restrictions, I splurged with a few extra items.

We each carried a shoulder bag onto the ship containing camera equipment, a laptop, cruise documents, and medications.

Follow our Instagram page for updates from our floating adventure…. https://www.instagram.com/picture_retirement/

Bon Voyage

53 thoughts on “Let’s Go Cruising…”

  1. Hi Suzanne – great tips and I loved the video at the end. I hope the cruise proves to be a great time of relaxing and unwinding after all the stress you’ve been under. I’ll look forward to your post when you return with all your photos. Bon Voyage!

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  3. You’re super-organised, we can all learn something from this. Efficient packing is a necessity for every trip, after all. I hope you enjoy the cruise and find all the relaxation you need 🙂

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  4. Hi Sarah, we are off to a good start. Today is a sea day (en route to Cozumel) and I am still in bed, drinking coffee while Malcolm is scouting around the ship. I expect nothing but relaxation today. Well, maybe a game of Pickleball… and a rousing game of cards later on.

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  7. I’m hoping that this comment finds its way to you as you’re goofing off on what sounds like a lovely vacation. I like your tips, especially the idea of taking small Zip Lock Baggies with you.

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  8. Those are some great tips for travelling in general, I think! I used to be a fan of packing and compression cubes but on my last trip I did not use any. Got more into my carry-on by just rolling the clothes tightly…which resulted in being more items lost when my carry-on got stolen, but I digress 🤷‍♀️ 😉. The cubes (or ziplocks) are great for organization though! I hope your March is much better than your February, Suzanne!

    Deb

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  11. How lovely, I am sure you will have a very relaxing time. Thank you for all the tips you shared here. Brian and I are doing a repositioning cruise from Barbados to Southampton with P&O Arvia. We have sailed with Arvia last year and really enjoyed it. Like you we want to have a very relaxing time.
    Enjoy your trip 😀

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  12. theretiredalchemist

    We have taken several cruises, pre-Covid. I wish I had your packing advice back then! I don’t understand the packing cubes hype either.

    We did a cruise with the same stops as you are doing (different cruise line). When we disembarked in Roatan, Honduras, we just grabbed a local cab and went to Half Moon Bay for the day. I would recommend it if you stop there. They had lawn chairs under the trees overlooking the bay and you could order a bucket of beers to keep you cool. Enjoy your trip!

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  13. Wishing you a relaxing and stress free cruise! We had a rough January and the timing of our February cruise was perfect. Your tips are great! I wish I had thought about the zip-lock bags for keeping my clothes organized.

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  14. Suzanne, Have a wonderful and relaxing cruise. This post couldn’t be better timed. Right next to my laptop is a draft packing list for a river cruise and extended stay in Europe. I’m trying to figure out how to pack for three weeks total. I’ve read quite a few packing tip blogs lately and no one has mentioned magnetic hooks or multi-plug outlets for the cruise boat. Thanks so much for these great ideas! About how many hooks do you use? I’m following you now on Instagram and hope your trip is stress-free. Tracey

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    1. Hi Tracey, I brought 6 magnet hooks with me and used 4. Hats, bags, belts-ready to grab and go. Malcolm uses 1 for ‘lightly worn’ clothes. I haven’t been on a River cruise, but assume those ships must be made of metal also. We have to pack for a month in July, so I imagine that will present a challenge. I didn’t need the outlet because this ship has usb ports built into the outlets. They finally caught up with the rimes. Older ships are still outdated. Have fun.

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  15. Some great tips – especially re the metal hooks and the solution for keeping the daily bulletins together. I’m looking forward to following your travels on Instagram.

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  16. I haven’t thought of zip ties but that’s an excellent idea. We’ve only take one cruise and my one tip is avoid the cafeteria as much as possible. Have fun – I get you have a good time!

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    1. Jan, I agree. We prefer the dining room to the buffet, and so far we have been impressed with the cleanliness of it all. We are not allowed to serve ourselves at any of the food stations, which is great. Some folks can be really disgusting.

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  17. Those are great cruising tip! I hadn’t thought of the magnetic hooks for extra storage before. I also pack a clip tie (like the kind you put on a bag of chips) when I travel, because I like to sleep in darkness and often I’ve found that the curtains of older hotels don’t close all the way. I look forward to reading about the rest of your trip!

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  20. Hi Suzanne,

    I had to smile at the size of staterooms on cruise ships (I’ve never taken a cruise, so had no idea about them), because it sounds like they are about twice the size as the interior of our home on wheels, in which we live 24/7 year round. I guess whenever I go on a cruise, I’ll have plenty of space! 🙂

    Of your ports of call, Belize was our favorite. But, we only traveled those countries overland. I hope, if you stop in Placencia, that it’s still the relaxed barefoot town we encountered in 2006.

    Happy cruising!

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  21. Suzanne,
    We’ve taken three cruises in the past and could have used all of your advice. I’ve copied your narrative and saved it for our next one. Magnetic hooks are genius! I loved the video (and perhaps a touch of a Southern accent). Enjoy the sun, the Pickleball, and an occasional martini. Can’t wait to read more. Joe

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  22. Hi Suzanne, I am sorry to hear how February ‘kicked your butts.’ Definitely a challenging time for you. I am enjoying the photos you share on Instagram. Many great tips here and I have bookmarked your post and emailed a copy to my husband for when we may plan a cruise in the future. We are newbies on this subject. I extra love your ziploc bag suggestions. The concept of ‘outlet extender’ is new to me. Also, clearing out the mini-fridge. I greatly appreciate you sharing your wise words, once again. Fun to hear your ‘real voice.’ I look forward to seeing and hearing about your cruise adventure. 💕 Erica (Suzanne – you may get this comment twice again?? – the other one didn’t seem to take – and when I click on it, only my gravatar shows up??)(no worries – minor)

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  23. Suzanne, I hope your cruise will be supremely relaxing and restorative! Just floating around the Caribbean sounds pretty delightful. 🙂 I enjoyed reading about how you prepare for a cruise. You are so wonderfully organized, and your tips are great!

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  25. Suzanne, These are excellent tips. I’ve been using zip lock bags and twist ties for my travels for a long, long time. In fact I always carry a few extras with me. I hope March is much better for you and Malcolm. I’d love to explore Belize. Have a wonderful cruise!

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  27. Thanks for the tips. We leave next month on a 17 night repositioning cruise from Sydney Australia to Hawaii and then fly back ( we live just an hour south of Sydney. We have cruised a number of time before Covid but this is our first trip overseas since BC. I’m looking forward to beaches, snorkelling and river swimming in New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa and Hawaii plus a few relaxing days at sea. We have a 20 kg limit on the flight home so have to pack very carefully. At least the weather should be warm to very warm so clothes can be light.

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