Carnival Breeze 2022 – Essentials packing list

When we travel, there are some items that we make sure we take on each and every trip. I would like to share with you what are essentials are for this cruise.

First and foremost are the fans. Yes, more than one. The large black one is for the room while the other two are for outside use. Well, mostly outside use any way. I say that because when we were on the Carnival Vista in August/September, our embarkation was at terminal 2. It was our first time embarking from that terminal so we did not know what to expect. What we found was that it was very hot. We used the necklace fans a lot while we were standing in line. I thought it was probably cooler outside!!!!

We bring an over-the-door shoe hanger on each trip. This time, I purchased a new one that is slender and came in a a package of 2. We do not use the hangers that come with it. Instead, we use Command Strips. They have never failed us!

Our first aid kit has everything we could possibly need and then some. Better safe than sorry.

Do NOT forget to bring some antacids. It is definitely a necessity. Any brand will do. These were purchased at Dollar Tree but the container has since been refilled with whatever we have on hand at the time.

We also bring plenty of hand sanitizer, both liquid and wipes. I keep wipes in my purse, beach bag, and back pack because you never know when you will need them.

Let’s not forget our beverage cups. Hubby brings a Bubba Mug he has had for years and years. I bring my trusty Tervis tumbler that I found a Bed Bath and Beyond many years ago.

Typically, we bring two bottles of wine on board with us at embarkation. So, we bring plastic, reusable wine and champagne classes to use. A corkscrew is kept with the wine and glasses so we do not forget it like we have done before. We also bring metal straws with us since plastic straws are no longer available and I do not like the straws they are now using.

We also bring a travel power strip that stays in camera bag when not in use. It has been awesome to have.

Also in the camera bag is spare batteries.

Do not forget face masks. We bring disposable ones as well as reusable ones. I am fully aware that I’m bringing more than I will probably use.

A battery operated night light works well when your room gets dark. Even the balcony rooms tend to get dark at night.

Water shoes and rain ponchos come in handy as well. I purchased these water shoes on Amazon several years ago and the rain poncho was purchased at Dollar Tree.

So that is it for now. I know there are some things I have left off. Anything not included here will be in a packing blog.

Carnival Dream 2021 Precruise #2, 200-Day Countdown

We are now at our 200-day countdown. Normally I would be diligently making out our packing lists, to-do lists, and checking hotel rates daily. Although I have been checking hotel rates, I have not made any reservations as I know changes are coming. I just do not know when. So, we are basically in a holding pattern.

While in this holding pattern, I have discussed with my husband our options when the time comes. Depending on how the cruise is changed, we are considering changing to the Carnival Vista in March, 2022.

And so, we wait. I consider our options for other things to do in August.

COVID-19 Crushed our Carnival Cruise

A new year, a new cruise countdown. Jim and I were looking forward to our cruise on the Carnival Freedom I booked on November 15, 2019. We were branching out from the typical 5 or 7 night cruise and would be going on an 8-night cruise to Key West, Freeport, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau. This would be the second cruise that did not go to Cozumel. And although it seemed strange to not going there, we were looking forward to a much different itinerary.

Everything was going along like normal. I was looking at possible excursions but not booking anything. Just looking to get an idea on things we might want to do in the different ports would be going to. And I may have been doing some Amazon shopping as well. But for some reason, I was not shopping as much as I normally would.

February came around. Jim tested positive for the Flu and I had recovered from it. Ryan Newman had an horrific crash at the end of the Daytona 500 which he survived and has returned to racing. If you saw the crash, you know that he definitely had an angel riding with him during that time.

But there had been news reports about COVID-19, the Corona Virus. At a routine check-up with my doctor, he told me not to go on any cruises. I told him that we had one booked for August 29th. So, after much discussion, we decided to keep our cruise and see how things worked out.

Then cruises started getting cancelled by ALL cruise lines when the CDC established a no-sail rule. I was starting to get concerned about the fate of our cruise, but I decided that whatever was to happen would happen. I stopped shopping for the cruise and started concentrating on other areas of our life. Particularly my mother who resides in an assisted living facility. The facility immediately blocked all visitors from the facility. At least I knew she would be safe from the virus. Or would she.

On April 13, 2020, Carnival extended the cruise pause to June 27th. I felt relieved but not convinced that we would cruise. I was still not shopping for the cruise and my level of scoping possible excursions dropped drastically. But I did start looking at options for a cruise for next year, just in case! I picked out three cruises for August 2021 that I felt would be comparable to the cruise we had booked, printed out the options, and left the options on the refrigerator for Jim and I to look at and consider.

Option #1 is a cruise on the Carnival Dream leaving Galveston on August 28, 2021. It is an 8-night cruise with the same itinerary we already have booked. The pros, it is an itinerary we have not gone on. The cons, we were on this ship last year. We like the idea of going on a ship we have not been on but we will consider it as an option.

Option #2 is a cruise on the Carnival Radiance leaving Galveston on August 20, 2021. It is a 9-night cruise going to Key West, Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau with four sea days!. The pros, it will be a ship we have not been on and has recently been thru a dry-dock. The cons, I’m not sure there are any. This cruise option is definitely high on our list!

Option #3 is also on the Carnival radiance leaving Galveston on August 6, 2021. It is also a 9-night cruise but will be going to Grand Cayman, Mahogany Bay, Belize, Costa Maya, and Cozumel with three sea days. The pros are the same as option #2. The cons, we have already been to all of the cruise ports with the exception of one, Costa Maya. Although we have no objections to going to ports we have already visited, we are really looking forward to something new and different for us.

Jim and I would periodically look at the cruise options but didn’t give it much thought. That is until around June 19th. Rumors had started making their way onto the group cruise page. I started looking at stateroom options for all 3 cruises so I could have an idea of what we might want. Since the cruise I booked for this year is in an interior with walkway view, I thought it would see what is available for the same category stateroom as well as balcony staterooms. Once Jim got home from work. I told him he had to make his decision then. No waiting. Once he told me his choice, we discussed staterooms. We could have the same category or we could go with our preferred choice of a balcony on Lido.

So Jim decided on Option 2!!! In looking at the stateroom options, I noticed that there were “L-shaped” balcony staterooms available on deck 7. I put one on hold knowing that it would expire in a couple of days. I started holding my breath until the pause extension was officially announced on Monday June 22nd. I immediately called my PVP and left a message on his voice mail and I also sent him an email asking him to call me ASAP as I already knew what I wanted to do.

Much to my surprise, he contacted me by email within a couple of hours and said he would call me shortly. And he did!!! We were able to transfer our booking to the Carnival Radiance leaving Galveston on August 20, 2021. We are booked in the L-shaped balcony I want. The money we paid for the original cruise transferred to our new booking, obviously without penalty, and we received a nice on-board credit.

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Now we are back to a very long cruise countdown. And I’m okay with that!!! I have once again started looking at excursions but I’m going to wait until closer to the cruise to start my shopping. Well, I might book one excursion in a couple of weeks. I guess we will just have to wait and see!!!

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Carnival Dream 2019 – Precruise #6: Daytime attire.

We are down to 7 weeks precruise!!! I have a very specific way to selecting my clothing for a cruise. This includes writing down every day and dividing it by day and evening. I do this in hopes of not over-packing, but I still do. So this blog post will concentrate on what I will be wearing during the day beginning with the first sea day.

On the first sea day, which is sometimes referred to the first full cruise day, I know my hubby and I will be going to the Sea Day Brunch so I will definitely be dressed casually knowing that after brunch, I will be running to our stateroom to change in to my swimsuit so I can soak up some sun. Today I will be wearing a white t-shirt with VACATION across the front. It is a v-neck with a criss-cross design, some pinkish shorts, a rose-gold with pink and crystals necklace and earring set and flip flops. The shirt was in a Stitch Fix box from last year, the shorts are a recent purchase from Steinmart, the jewelry is from Amazon, and the flip flops are from DSW I made last year.

On our second full cruise day, we will be docking in Cozumel. We have been there so many times and we know exactly what we want to do. Today I will be wearing a pink t-shirt that says FIESTA THEN SIESTA, some denim shorts, flamingo earrings and necklace, and black blingy flip flops. The shirt was purchased last year from Old Navy, denim shorts were in a Stitch Fix box from last year, flamingo earrings are from BaubleBar, flamingo necklace is from Charming Charlie, and flip flops were purchased years ago from Academy.

The third full cruise day will find us in Progreso. This will be our fifth time here (I think). The only thing we are planning on doing is shopping around the pier then returning to the ship to explore and take pictures. And also to spend time in the sun and on the water slides. Today I will be wearing a green t-shirt, floral patterned shorts, a palm leaf necklace with gold earrings, and the blingy black flip flops. The shirts and shorts were purchased from Old Navy, the necklace and earrings are from Charming Charlie.

On our last day on the ship, a sea day, I will be wearing a navy shirt with criss cross v-neck, navy shorts with white anchors, a white beaded necklace with white earrings, and white flip flops. The shirt is from Amazon, the shorts are from Steinmart, the necklace was in a Stitch Fix box last year, and the earrings are from Charming Charlie.

As for my husband, he will be wearing a selection of shirts I have chosen for the daytime and shorts. I do not know where the shirts or shorts are from.

There is a good chance this could change as I am currently looking at options on Amazon!!! I guess I was giving myself false hope of having finished my Amazon shopping!

The next blog, precruise #8 will have our evening attire which includes what I will be wearing for dinner and what I may or may not change into after dinner. That all depends on our plans!!!

Carnival Dream 2019 – Precruise #5… The sunny side of cruising!

We are down to 8 weeks until our ship sets sail! Time is really flying by!!!!

Working from home, there is very little time for me to spend in the sun. Often when I am outside, the heat and humidity does not play nice with my COPD. But that’s okay. One thing I truly enjoy about cruising is spending time in the sun and breathing in the warm salt air. I rarely have to use my rescue inhaler on a cruise unless I’m in an elevator with people who apply their perfume rather heavily. My mother was guilty of that on our Carnival Vista cruise. I survived by using the stairs which we typically do most of the time any way.

Part of being in the sun means using sunscreen. While I prefer the lower number SPF, my hubby like the higher number. I will be using Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch lotion sunscreen with an SPF of 15 and also Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration with an SPF of 30. I love the Hawaiian Tropic line of sunscreen products. I particularly love the lotion and the spray sunscreens. So easy to apply and goes on smoothly. Jim will be using NO-AD with an SPF of 60 and Coppertone Sport with an SPF of 100. When we have finished soaking of the sun for the day, we will be using Banana Boat Aloe After Sun lotion. I have been using this for several years. I love the way it feels on my skin and is not greasy like some can be.

Jim and I will be taking 3 swimsuits. I will also be taking 3 swimsuit cover-ups while Jim will be wearing t-shirts over his.

Of course, there are other necessities one should have while relaxing in the sun. You will need your camera or cell phone to take pictures of things going on around you. We have a water proof cases we purchased in the Cherry On Top while we were on the Carnival Vista. We will be using them again on this cruise!!! Make sure you have a Watching the water can be mesmerizing. We also make sure we have our Boca Clips so our beach towels will stay in place. We also have battery operated fans with us to keep the air flowing nicely. Don’t forget your flip flops or water shoes. The deck gets hot and your feet will not like it!!!! Protect the top of your head with a hat. I like to bring a book to read while I’m lounging on deck. I’m old school in that area and will be bring a paperback book on this cruise. This cruise I will be reading The Summer Sail by Wendy Francis. O will have my Tervis cup with me so I can stay hydrated while Jim will be using his bubba mug!! We take these with us on every cruise!!!

If we decide to go to The Melia Golf and Beach Resort for the day when we are in Cozumel, I will be using this beach bag to carry our stuff in. It should hold all of our things in it easily. If we go there, I’m sure we will be spending a majority of our time at the swim-up bar or the beach bar. It will just depend on where our favorite bartender is!

For now, this is all I can think of that we will be using while we are in the sun. There is a possibility that I might be bringing our own beach towels. I just have not decided for sure at this point.

If you have any suggestions on things I can add to the list of my haves while being in the sun, please let me know. I’m always looking for suggestions and to try other products.

Carnival Dream 2019 – Precruise #3: Our travel binder is ready to go!!!

I have always been afraid of losing my cruise documents. After reading some posts on a popular cruise site that has reviews and other information for every possible cruise line, I realized that there is a better way to keep our documents together. And what I have found works for me, is to use a binder.

I typically use a 1 1/2 to 2 inch binder, page protectors, dividers to separate the items I will be putting in the binder, and a pencil pouch that has 3 holes. I For this cruise, I am using a binder with a zipper closure. It also has a zippered pocket on the front. The inside front cover has two pockets with a Velcro closure on the top and open underneath, and the back cover has one pocket. So it definitely has plenty of storage.

I picked up this pencil pouch at Walmart one day. There are two zippered pockets on the front and one on the back. I use this to put cash in that we will be using for tips and to keep receipts. I might even use it this year to keep some pens in!!!

I purchased the dividers at Office Depot. They are wider than the sheet protectors as they extend beyond them which makes it easy to get from one section to another. The dividers are labeled according to when I will be using/needing them. Typically the sections are for hotel reservations, parking reservations, and stuff like that. But this year, I have adding one for driving directions. Although we have been to Galveston many times, with all the construction on I-45, we might try an alternate route this time. With this in mind, this years cruise dividers are: driving directions, hotel reservation confirmation, cruise parking reservation confirmation, luggage tags, boarding pass, reservation and excursion confirmations, booking summary, and information about our travel insurance and the cruise line legal information.

Since I love to scrapbook our cruises, I will have empty sheet protectors at the back of the binder to keep any daily newsletters and also for any photos we purchase.

So now that are countdown is at 10 weeks, I’m sure the time will fly by.

Please come back for the next installment which will be what I have purchased from Amazon for this cruise.

Carnival Dream 2019 – PreCruise #1

We are 15 weeks or 105 days away from our cruise on the Carnival Dream. And to think is started out as a secret from my husband and told him about on Christmas. Times is really flying by!!! This cruise has special meaning to us as we will be celebrating the 17th anniversary of our honeymoon cruise. The dates are the exact same. We are leaving from the same port. The only differences are the ship and one port of call. But that doesn’t matter to us at all.

So with the cruise quickly approaching, it is time for me to start making my lists. I will have a checklist for everything. Our goal is to limit ourselves to carry-on only. I’m not saying we can do it but I’m not saying we can’t. But we are definitely going to give it a try.

The important list is the clothes we will need. I make a list by day and what we would need for that day. I do this in an attempt to control the number of items I take. Typically I still end up over-packing. But it has helped me cut things down tremendously.

Then I have the very important travel first aid kit. This is important and can come in handy. But the goal is to not need it if at all possible. Of course, the antacids will definitely been used because… well, Warm Chocolate Melting Cake…. HELLO!!!!

And then there is the master list. Everything I think I will need goes on this list. Once the list is completed, I will break it down by category and how it will be packed. By doing this, I will know where everything is. Hopefully, that is.

I should mention, on our last cruise, we used packing cubes for a big majority of our clothes with minimal in a garment bag. I’m not sure how things will play out once we starting packing in August. But I am excited to use the cubes again!

So now we wait. My plan is to be packed early so the days leading up to our travel day is less stressful. I know on the drive to Galveston, I will constantly be checking to make sure I have our boarding passes, passports, reservation confirmations, and other necessities because that is just how I am.

My plan with this series is to update weekly on things that we are planning on doing in the ports of call and what I have already put aside to pack… in August!!!!

Thanks for reading and please come back!