Cruise Notes

This is the process of how I plan a cruise and cruise through my plan.

This page is not made for you, basically it’s my cruise notes, for me…

If this isn’t your thing, move on, it’s mine.

This is how I do it and I write these pages for myself. As a matter of fact, this whole site is for me. I make it to help me keep track of all the things I am do, what I want to do, and what I’m planning to do.

I’ve learned to be a Lightweight Traveler. I’ve even written articles on it as a professional author! I’ve travelled twice to Japan for two weeks carrying two daypacks. Over the years, I’ve learned that we are saddled by our stuff. But through traveling lightweight, I’ve learned to be free from the comforts of stuff that owns me.

A cruise ship is different.

This is a fantasy, a dream, outside of my daily norm… I’m living on a gigantic boat, I don’t want to be free of my things, I don’t want to do without to focus on the moment, I want to create and live in the moment. 

We do not remember days, we remember moments…

I want my moments of adventure to be a little over the top. I want props, extraordinaire. I want nothing more than to fantasize a little. String lights for ambiance, a pirate flag for attitude, a nice compact speaker for the mood and a trunk of cool and magical moment shit to make my trip memorable. Tres cool but not awkward or embarrassing.

   

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From the moment I leave my house to go on a cruise, I want to be free from weight, especially on my shoulders. No heavy backpack or daypack, no more. No full travel carry on, just a few items that make movement from home to the destination comfortable. Maybe a light monk bag that I can just stuff things into or a lightweight stuff pack.

I will be using a light aluminum roller trunk. Built for volume and ease of moving maximum check in weight. I’m going to move in to a cabin on the ship and I have things I need. Slippers, a smoking jacket, a nice vase for flowers (plastic - for effect) Yup, that’s where I’m going with this.

I’m going to be kicking back and enjoying myself and I want to escape to the high seas! I’m living on a ship! I don’t get to do that often and when I do? Movie Star, Rock Star, Lifestyles of the Rich and (in) Famous status. Yes, it’s who I am on a cruise, load up the profile, execute. I get to be me and I’m free. I’m cool like that and here I’m detailing my pack list to get to where I want to go.

So the trunk is where it all begins. It must be stylish, maximum linear for check in compliance, wheeled, easy to push, pull, stow and live out of.

My trunk is in the bag so to speak so moving on…

Going on a cruise takes coordination of travel. You can do it yourself or purchase through a travel agent. We use a travel agent. She is extremely helpful with making sure we have the right flights at the right times. Ground transportation to and from the airport to ship are taken care of. I just schedule a ride from my home to the departure airport and back home on the day of the trip.

Our travel agent knows what table to reserve for our nightly dinner plans. She knows the details so we don’t have to learn by mistake. Already she has proved her worth on our last cruise…

Now comes the fun part, the actual trip pack list, that’s what I’m doing now, months before I board the ship. Once the day arrives, I’m chill, everything is ready, it’s time to go.

I think the best way for me to do this is by detailing each aspect of what I am addressing that is traveling with me. I’ll also break it down into Day of Travel and Cruise.

Day of Travel

Weigh the attributes of a monk bag, lightweight backpack or a small train case.

On my person: Passport & Immunization Records

Wallet
Phone (Cruise App loaded)

Small Bills ($$$)

In My Carry On Bag

Travel Pillow

Sleeping Mask

Face Mask (protection from sick people in crowded areas)

Small bottle of hand sanitizer.

Headphones

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Below are my Trip Notes and Pack List from the last cruise that generated the impetus to upgrade my adventure.

Quantum of the Seas 3 Night Ensenada

Random Trip Notes: waiting to fly home, dreaming of another cruise. We have a week long one in the fall scheduled. There were things I would have liked to have.

Anyway…

This was my first cruise and it pegged the fun meter.

Now I know what to expect.

NO MORE FULL TRIP LOADED UP BACKPACK! 

I’m done with that. I am on vacation. This SHALL NOT (so let it be written, so let it be done) be uncomfortable. It’s fun going minimalist yet I want to be comfortable. The room is my den, a place of relaxation. I need a few things FOR THE TRIP that I won’t do at home. For fun. Up the style game, the clothes, the decor.

Pre paying for soft drinks is not important, so no soda or beverage packages. I didn’t even finish the bottle of wine I brought. I paid for about one drink per day so its not important to purchase a drink package at all.

 

I felt like I needed more cabin loungewear. I imagine a beautiful smoking jacket, leather slippers and maybe some silk pajamas. I need to find a lightweight Sports Jacket for formal attire, dining and travel. I’m going to think about it, lounge wear for about the ship at night.

Get M some silk pajamas too!

I brought the Nikon L35 AF and it was fun being a tourist, but I’m a photographer too, I know better. I’ll bring my DSLR and an extra lens, a nice zoom and a super wide or the fisheye. I don’t know, that’s one to think about but I do know my camera is going with me. If I bring the F6, film is not a big deal. You carry it on your person and check it around the x-ray machines. No film in camera during travel to and from. 

Having compatible traveling companions is a lot of fun. Just M and I would be a way different type of trip. 

The monk sling bag was easy for a bunch of small carry on or off ship stuff. You can stuff it away going home. 

I didn’t have a corkscrew so that was a hassle, I now have a good cheap corkscrew, I used my folding cup and that was nice but now I’ll get a two piece plastic wine glass

The binoculars were used quite a bit, worthy of bringing. The string lights and pirate flag were perfect. I think a nice fold up Basquiat and a Klimt and the room art game is almost won. 

List

Lightweight corkscrew

Silk pajamas

Smoking jacket

Leather slippers

Check in roller trunk

Art posters

Plastic two piece wine glass

Research: Behind the Scene Tour

✔️ riigidusa.com - smoking jacket or a long jacket, or even a robe - leather slippers - ✔️corkscrew - art prints or a poster…

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Below is my actual pack list that was quite successful. This is what generated the interest in improving the quality of further cruising 

I am a lightweight traveler however a cruise vacation is sort of a fantasy for me. Where as on a trip, I tend to avoid hanging out in a hotel room, on a cruise ship, the room becomes part of my adventure, even a bit of role play, a fantasy. 

So my thought go beyond the minimalist pack list. 

I bought an aluminum roller trunk and in that, my new upgraded pack list will reside.

The above article was generated from the combination of lugging a backpack which was an hassle and the desire to improve my ship fantasy game. High speed casual travel, easy, have everything. Deck out in decadence, I’m on vacation, time to live a little fantasy.

We have a Bahama Disney Cruise scheduled for this fall. A family member is getting married but this is just an added dimension of the ship going idea…

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Pack List for 3 Night Quantum of the Seas Ensenada

This is my complete pack list, nothing less, nothing more.

Highlighted indicates things I did not use but were still important to the trip

Adam: Pack List

✔️LS T-shirt + shorts

✔️Sunglasses

✔️Bose Speaker

✔️Passports: Top pocket of my backpack

✔️Monk bag

✔️Pajamas

✔️Tabi socks - REMOVE from pack list

✔️Small binoculars (sea viewing)

✔️Folding Cup

✔️Padded inflatable seat cushion

✔️Camera: L35AF + (2 rolls Portra 160 in a zip lock)

North Face Backpack

✔️Flat water bottle 

✔️Dopp Bag (Medicine + sea sickness)

✔️Hat (black Tsuttenkai)

✔️Buff

✔️LS shirts x 2

✔️Underwear x 2 +*1

✔️Socks x 2 (wool)

✔️Pants x 2 (action - light dry)

✔️Dress Attire (Sports Jacket - white shirt - tie - khaki pants) 

✔️Wind Jacket

✔️Hybrid Shorts / Surf trunks

✔️iPhone charge cord

✔️Extra battery

Ambiance 

✔️String lights + small roll tape

✔️Candle  - REMOVE from pack list

✔️Pirate Flag

*at the request of Iris