What to Pack for Cruise? What NOT to Pack?| Mariner of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

Comprehensive Guide to Mariner of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)

What To Pack For Your Cruise Trip?


Carry-On Bag

On the first day of cruise, your checked bags might not reach your stateroom before you arrive. So you might want to pack a small carry-on bag with your travel documents, a set of clothes, swimsuit or workout attire, and any medications. In this way, you can start using the facilities without your checked bags. :)

But this probably applies to people who check in really early. We reached our rooms at about 4+pm after our lunch, and found our bags outside of our rooms.

Note: Staterooms will be ready for occupancy at approx 1:00pm. Luggage delivery commences from 1:00pm to 9:00pm.

Clothing

There are many activities to do on-board, so roughly know what you want to do and bring the appropriate clothing.

Swim Suit / Sport Wear / “Skater Pants”: If you are going to swim, play sports or hit the gym, it’s best you bring 2 sets of swim suit and/sports wear. This way, you can wear a new set while you air dry the wet or sweaty set. Unless you are planning to swim or exercise only once. If you want to rock climb, bring shorts/pants and socks. If you want to skate, bring a pair of long jeans or pants and socks. Otherwise you will be refused entry.

Casual clothes to be wet: If you are planning to walk everywhere with only your swim suit, then ignore this point. If not, prepare 1-2 sets of clothes to get wet.

Casual clothes: For wear around the cruise and/or day trips when you disembark at the various port of call.

Sweaters/Jackets/Scarf: If you are scared of the cold on the windy deck or the chill during the ice skating show, you might want to consider bringing something to keep you warm.

Formal Night: There’s at least one formal night for each cruise trip. Depending on whether you choose to attend the formal dinner, you need to bring a set of formal clothes. It’s nice to see people dressing up! Though the idea of formal differs from people to people. There’s no strict enforcement, just don’t come in slippers and shorts. Still don’t know what to wear? A rule of thumb: Wear what you will to a wedding dinner.

Shoes: Sports shoes, slippers, comfortable footwear, heels, up to you!

Pack 1 - travel.joogo.sg

Walkie Talkies

If you are travelling in a big group or foresee separating from your travel companions, walkie talkies will be extremely useful in communications. Sure, you can try contacting the other party with your mobile, but the signal might be weak and roaming charges do apply.

So the best way to communicate with one another on-board is with walkie talkies! NOT HAM Radios, they’re prohibited on the cruise. ;)

Lanyard

You have to carry your SeaPass Card everywhere you go — because it’s like your identity card / room key / credit card all in one. So instead of having to keep taking the card in and out of your pockets/bags, it’s best to hang it around your neck with a lanyard. Also, my card was spoiled because it was affected by other cards in my bag.

Water or Water Bottles

Carry On Bag

If you want to carry small bottles of water in your carry on bag while checking in, you may do so. They didn’t confiscate ours, but sometimes they might. So bring at your own risk.

Luggage

Do note that there’s no complimentary drinking water in your room. The mini fridge is stocked with Evian bottles and soda drinks — all with a price tag. Just to give you a rough idea, their Evian water package is priced at US$47 for 12 1L bottles. They have other beverage packages such as the fountain soda. You can view this PDF for the prices of the different packages.

 But if you don’t want to pay, you can
  • Boil water with the electric kettle in the room.
  • Get your water in public dining areas. You can bring empty water bottles to refill water at the public dining areas. Mid-sized bottles are best. However, we are not supposed to fill the water bottles directly from the water containers. Instead we should fill the cups and pour them into the bottles. There are signs at the water station telling passengers not to do so for sanitary reasons. But there were many people who ignored the sign and went ahead to fill the water directly into the bottles.
  • Order room service. But they come in cups, so the quantity is not great, unless you order many cups at one go.

Also, we didn’t know any better and brought 2 1.5L bottles of mineral water with us. But that turned out to be good for us. Sometimes we forgot to refill our bottles or tired of the occasional long queues just to get some water. These bottles became our emergency pack.

 


What NOT to Pack For Your Cruise Trip?


Pack - travel.joogo.sg

Heat Generating Items / Certain Electrical Appliances

When we left alight from the cruise on our last day, we walked past a table full of “confiscated” items waiting to be claimed. These items were not allowed on board and thus kept aside until the passengers arrived back in Singapore. That’s more compassionate than the items being thrown away in airports. We saw items such as hair-dryer, electric kettle and iron! *Gasp*

Other items prohibited will be electrical extension cords, candles, incense, coffee makers, steamers, hotplates, heating pads, Hookahs & water hookah pipes, flammable liquids and explosives. Basically any item that may create a fire hazard.

Exceptions?

Curling irons, hair straighteners, matches and normal lighters (but not “torch lighters” or those that look like guns).

Alternative?

The room has a hair-dryer and electric kettle, so you wouldn’t need to bring your own anyway.

And if you need ironing service for your formal wear, there is full laundry services on board at a cost. Or you can consider the following options:

  • Iron and pack your formal clothes in a garment bag and placed them as carefully as possible into the luggage.
  • Pack a Wrinkle Releaser spray with you.

Alcohol

You want to party in your cabin with lots of booze, but don’t want to pay for the overpriced drinks onboard. So you decide to BYO. But your alcoholic beverages will be seized on the embarkation day and not be returned.

Exceptions?

If you have to buy, alcoholic beverages purchased in ports-of-call or from shops onboard will be stored by the ship and delivered to you on the last day of the sailing.

Dangerous Objects

  • Firearms & Ammunition, including realistic replicas.
  • Sharp Objects, including all knives and scissors. (Note: Personal grooming items such as safety razors are allowed. Scissors with blade length less than 4 inches are allowed.)
  • Illegal Drugs & Substances,
  • Dangerous Chemicals, including bleach and paint.
  • Baseball Bats, Hockey Sticks, Cricket Bats, Bows & Arrows, Skateboards & Surfboards, Martial Arts Gear, Self-Defense Gear, including handcuffs, pepper spray, night sticks.

For the list of prohibited items, alcohol and smoking policy, you can visit Royal Caribbean FAQ.


Your Luggage


A few final notes.

Be sure to leave some empty space in your luggage, in case you buy things at the ports of call.

After you have finished packing, print the luggage tag in the Guest Ticket Booklet. This tag is personalised with stateroom number. Print a tag for every piece of luggage you have and write your name on it. Print extra for back up. Fold the luggage tag and staple or tape it to your luggage. This will ensure a faster and smoother check in of luggage. More information and tips about the check in process in my next post!  :)

Mariner of The Seas (Check In) 4 - travel.joogo.sg

If you have any alcohol or prohibited items in your luggage, plan to collect the luggage from Security on Deck 1, midship after 5:30pm. (Do check your cruise compass – boarding day edition for more info.)

Not sure if you should pack a certain item not listed above? Leave a comment and I’ll try to get back to you! ;)


Bookmark this page >> Comprehensive Guide to Mariner of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) as I update it with links of useful tips and navigation around the cruise.

Travelled in December 2015  | Trip is fully paid by us and in no way sponsored.



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