First Timer--Do I need a "park bag" for a cruise?

[deangeka]

Hi folks,

We've never cruised ever, and will be on the Dream in February for our first ever cruise. So excited!!! I'm used to expertly packing my park bag for DW, but can't seem to figure out if I really need a day bag for when we are just on the ship. For context, it's me, my husband and 7 year old son going. With the ships being so huge, we don't want to have to take time going back to the room for unnecessary trips, if possible. Unless of course, doing so isn't as big of a deal as I am thinking it might be? Any advice is so appreciated!

Also, we have booked the Dolphin Experience in Grand Cayman, I've done my research here, but if you have any random tips for that--feel free to chime in!

Thanks a bunch!

 

[soniam]

We use one for excursions. You might want one for the pool. I carry a really small purse that holds my phone and lip gloss.

 

[cedricandsophie]

The only things I take around the ship are my phone, room key, sunscreen, kindle and lip gloss. I wear a swim suit and cover up most of the day with flip flops. And a cup large enough to hold water or soda. And if you go to the cove for coffee be sure to get a punch card. After 5 drinks you get a free one. I usually keep my card with my room key. But we are pool people and don’t have small kids. So I get a chair at the pool and sit and read all day. Assuming your child goes to the kids club I’m not sure what else you would need. Is the dolphin experience the one where you actually swim with dolphins? It’s wonderfl. Just know they don’t allow you to take photos because they want to sell them to you. Crazy price but it’s hard to resist. If it’s the one where you just get to pet them, for me it wouldn’t be worth it.

 

[sadiecatie]

I just do a crossbody bag around the ship, and that’s because I want to have my cell and chapstick/lotion with me. Some people just do a lanyard with their key card and put their phone in their pocket (or I suppose not even have their phone? But there’s lots of info on activities and stuff in the app). You really don’t need more than that. It’s not hard to go back to your room if you want to grab something or need to change. I’m a parks commando, and cruising is a totally different experience.

 

[Aimeedyan]

That's what I love about a cruise - I don't need to carry a thing! Even with a diaper aged child, I stuck my phone in one pocket and my card in the other and that was IT. So freeing. The ship may seem huge but I don't think we were ever more than 5 minutes from our room - it was always so easy to skip over there to grab things if needed.

If we went to the pool, I did the same as I would at a hotel. I have a small waterproof bag that we shove sunglasses, sunscreen, phone, key into and leave on our chair with our shoes.

For dinner, I did what we do at any restaurant and brought our table activities for him (cars, drawing pad, pipe cleaners, etc). That bag just stayed hung up in our room and we grabbed it on the way to dinner.

Ports were different, of course, and my day bag depended on the port and activities.

 

[Weedy]

The day you board you will drop off your luggage with the porters and they will deliver it to your cabin. Cabins aren’t available till
2pm and luggage may not arrive till later.
It’s a good idea to pack a bag with bathing suits, sunscreen, RX and anything you need until your luggage arrives.

 

[Jsoenning]

Plus bags if you purchase items in the shop. They’ve gone “green” and despite purchasing $200-300 worth of merchandise will ask you if you want to purchase a bag. I don’t know why that irks me but it does. Feels like a “you serious Clark?” moment.

 

[kiford]

I never used to carry anything on the ship other than my room key in the lanyard but I now carry my phone in a small wristlet because it's essentially my camera and because of the Navigator app. My hat has a tab on the inside that allows me to put my clip-on-sunglasses in it if we've been out on deck in the sun and come back inside. Other than that, I carry nothing while on the ship.

 

[deangeka]

Thanks everyone!