My husband and I are taking an Alaskan cruise!
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We’ll be celebrating our milestone anniversary in May and we’re both excited about the trip!
Booked last minute, we got a pretty good deal on the cruise. We have a balcony room, with seating for two and a small table for coffee/tea or tiny snacks.
Along with promises of maybe seeing whales and sea lions, the Princess Cruise website also teases of champagne breakfasts served on our little balcony.
So we’ll see about that.
Additionally, we’ve watched an endless array of YouTube videos.
Picking up tips and cruise must haves from seasoned cruisers (this is the maiden voyage for both of us), we’re preparing for adventures galore. And trying to anticipate pitfalls.
Three Must Have Items and One Would Be Nice
Here are three cruise must-haves more than a few experts have recommended bringing aboard. Plus one would be nice to have.
I’m ordering all of these in advance and will follow up, on our return, to report just how must have-y these items turned out to be.
Cruise Must Have One: WEATHER RESISTANT BAG TAGS
When I heard this first cruise must haves, I dismissed it.
My luggage already has a fun bag tag.
Dig a little further into your cruise info and you’ll find a paper tag you must print out at home (or I believe they’ll do it for you at the dock, but again, I’m a newbie). It needs to be folded and attached to the handle of your luggage.
Veteran cruisers who have tried stapling their tags together say these reusable holders are much better. One reason given, if it gets damp at all, the ink won’t run.
This four pack of WEATHER RESISTANT BAG TAGS is inexpensive, so in my cart it goes.
Cruise Must Have Two: EXTRA PLACES TO PLUG IN
From what we hear, even the most luxurious staterooms lack adequate outlets for today’s travelers.
Many of the YouTubers recommend bringing your own power adapters, power strips, plug multipliers, whatever you want to call them.
However, this recommendation comes with a warning! The devices must be NON surge-proof and CORDLESS. It has something to do with fire safety. You run the risk of having yours confiscated if it doesn’t comply, or so they say.
I’m ordering the two pack shown above.
Not only will it turn one outlet into four, it’ll also accommodate two each of both kinds of USB (A and C) connections. And the maker claim it is compliant with cruise line rules.
Cruise Must Have Three: BINOCULARS
These aren’t the binoculars I have, but aren’t they smart looking?
There’s even an attachment so you can take zoomed in pictures through your cellphone.
I don’t know if the binocular recommendation is solely for those going on Alaskan cruises, like us. We’re told they come in handy for better viewing of glaciers and wildlife.
Warm weather cruisers might also like to see a ways away, I’m guessing. Wildlife comes in many forms.
To order these binoculars, or to review the specs, you can click here.
Cruise Would Be Nice: SHIP MEDALLION HOLDING ACCESSORY
It’s all new to me, but something that’s new to everyone in the past few years are electronic medallions.
The medallions on Princess (and probably the other big carriers, as well) do a magnitude of things. Such as they unlock your stateroom door, allow you to order food and drinks, even keep up with your shipmate(s).
Thing with the Princess Medallions, they’re small and slippery. Reportedly (if online forums are to be believed) similar in form to the Apple AirTag, but slightly smaller.
I found this silicone wristband that is designed to hold a Princess Medallion.
Branded accessories are available to purchase onboard that are sure to fit. And there’s a lot of shade thrown around the forums, wondering why people pay thousands of dollars to take cruises then try to save a couple bucks buying products such as this one. Or these…
To them I say, you be you.
I’d like to keep up with my medallion from the get go so this is a cruise must have for moi.
Bon voyage, y’all!
