Preparing for Cruise #7: Part 1

It’s great to be back!  I took a 2 week break from blogging in order to unpack from a cross country move.  I am by no means finished unpacking, but I have made enough progress that we can live a reasonably normal life again and I don’t feel too guilty taking small breaks to do other things.  And honestly, I kind of need a change of pace.  I am getting totally burned out on the unpacking and organizing and need to break up the monotony a little bit.

Despite the craziness of the last few weeks, I did manage to find a few moments to do some planning for our upcoming 3 night cruise on the Dream which is now only 3 months away (you can read more details about the trip here).  I am not a procrastinator – in fact, I am the opposite.  I like to plan things in advance and space out the work over time as to not feel too overwhelmed right before a vacation.  That kind of takes some of the fun out of it for me.  So, a few days ago, I started my to do list and have even managed to cross a few things off.  This is what it looks like right now:

 

I just realized that I have already completed a few tasks which I didn’t write on here, like booking the hotel and VIP tour for our day at Universal Studios before the cruise.  I still need to buy our park tickets so I must add that to the list.  But, let’s focus on the tasks that I have already managed to check off.  Does anyone else love checking items off a list like I do?  Sometimes I even put things on a list that I have already done just so I can check them off immediately.  Call me strange but I can’t help it.

The first thing I did, which I actually did about a month ago right before the move, was to order a few items that I take on most cruises and needed to restock.  Here are the contents of my goodie box from Amazon.  You can click on the links below the picture for details and current prices:

 1. Passport Wallet

I have been meaning to buy one of these wallets for a while now and kept forgetting until the day of a trip when I was sticking 5 passports into a random pocket inside my purse and wishing I had a more secure way of keeping up with them.  I like that this wallet has lots of pockets for other things like boarding passes, cash, credit cards, luggage tags, business cards, etc. and that it zips closed so there is no chance that anything will fall out.

2.  Packing Cubes

If you have been following my blog for a while now, you are well aware of my obsession with packing cubes (you can read my review about them here).  I only have a few sets and am always on the lookout for a good deal, which I found with this set.  I try to get different colors for different family members so that keeping people’s clothing organized and separated in a small cruise stateroom is easy.

 3. Sun Bum Sunscreen

I love this sunscreen.  It gets great reviews, is vegan and gluten free, and has an amazing coconut/pina colada scent which is not too strong but I just love.  And best of all it is not greasy.

4. Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfectant Wipes

I admit that I am a germaphobe.  But, so far my efforts seem to be paying off as none of us have ever gotten sick on a cruise (knock on wood!) and my kids rarely get sick.  Some of this is undoubtedly due to the fact that we homeschool and thus are just not exposed to as much illness as typical kids, but it is enough for me to keep my efforts in full swing.  Upon first entering a hotel or cruise room, I like to take a few minutes to wipe down surfaces like door knobs and remote controls.  I researched disinfectant wipes that kill norovirus (not all do) and these were the best I could find.  There is some debate about whether they actually kill norovirus or not, but it was the best I could find and I figure is my best bet.  Note that these are intended to be used on surfaces, not hands.  Also, they come in a rather large container, so I plan to take a bunch out, stack them up, and put them in a ziplock bag for easier packing.

5. Wipe Away Pain First Aid Gel

Ever since my daughter was badly stung by a jellyfish in Grand Cayman (you can read all about that here), I will not go to a beach without this stuff.  They had both this product and vinegar on the boat that we were on and at first we applied the vinegar which did nothing.  Thank goodness the crew had this stuff on board because it worked really well.  Within about 15 minutes, my daughter was back to playing and having fun.  Without this stuff, I’m afraid the rest of our day would have been ruined.  This is one of those things that you almost never need, but when you need it, you REALLY need it.

6. Clorox Hand Sanitizer Spray

Consistent with my germaphobe tendencies described above, I researched the most effective hand sanitizer as well and this is what I found.  This spray claims to kill the most germs the fastest.  It also claims to kill norovirus.  It is a liquid, not a gel, which apparently causes it to get around and under your fingernails better.  It does not leave a sticky feeling which I love.

7. Sun Bum Face Stick

This face stick has all of the benefits of the lotion above but the convenience of a stick.  I have found that using a stick on my kids’ faces dramatically speeds up the application process and well as reduces the chance of the lotion getting into their eyes and stinging.

I think I am going to stop for today, get back to unpacking, and follow up with the other 2 completed items on my check list in my next post.  I paid in full and completed my online check in last week and can’t wait to share the details of what I did & didn’t book and why.

Up next:  Preparing for Cruise #7 Part 2

As always, don’t forget to like me on Facebook (click here) and follow me on Pinterest (click here) for all of the latest Disney Cruise Mom Blog updates!  And, keep emailing me your stateroom photos to disneycruisemomblog@gmail.com – I’d love to share them with my readers!

(this post contains affiliate links)