In May 2024, we took a seven day Western Caribbean cruise on the MSC MSC Magnifica, and had a wonderful time.
Tissues: On the Magnifica, you will find a hair dryer, shampoo and body wash. However, just as we had heard on from an online video about MSC, the Magnifica does NOT provide tissues. Knowing this, we brought several travel-sized packs of Kleenex with us.
Pillow: Be aware that on Magnifica, the pillows are very old and have no structure to them. I did remember to bring my own supportive, cooling memory foam pillow. Very important is to use a pillowcase with a pattern and/or color that stands out, so that the room steward recognizes that it is your own pillow from home. Otherwise, you might lose a favorite white pillow case to the ship’s laundry.
Large Tote Bag
I stuff my memory foam pillow, inside a distinct pillowcase, into a huge cloth tote bag, along with other last minute items, like my Kindle. The tote bag is lined in soft quilted plastic, and has large pockets inside. A bag like this is perfect for carrying dirty clothes to the ship’s laundry room. Just wipe out the bag and use it to tote the folded clean clothes back to your stateroom. Some people use their rolling suitcases for carrying clothes to the laundry, but those are more difficult to wipe clean.
Sea Bands and Motion Sickness Patches: There were some items we either chose not to take along, or forgot to include, which would be more of an individual issue for me. For example, I forgot to pack sea bands and motion sickness patches. The sea was exceptionally rough on two days out of the seven. I managed to get by on Bonine, but I still wish that I had not forgotten the other two remedies.
Antacids: Another commonly packed item that I forgot was chewable antacids. Those would have come in handy after a couple of meals, especially those onshore, despite our bringing Pepcid AC.
On our MSC Magnifica cruise, there were several items that we neglected to take along, that I would recommend for just about everyone to add to their list.
A quiet, portable, table-top fan, USB chargeable, amps up your comfort. I love my Koonie (strong air flow clip on fan, USB chargeable). I don’t think I would have gotten through the 111 day world cruise without my fan, but still needed it on the week-long cruise, and wish I had brought it along. Bring a small fan if you prefer air movement or white noise when sleeping. Cruise line staterooms can sometimes get stuffy at night.
A folding NET clothes bin is essential. We packed a large drawstring bag, but that was a mistake. The Western Caribbean and Mexico were experiencing record high temperatures. Upon returning to the ship, we found that our clothes were completely wet with sweat. We couldn’t throw wet clothes into a laundry bag, but didn’t want to do laundry on such a short cruise. Therefore, we had to hang our clothes up to air dry in the tiny shower stall overnight. A folding net clothes bin allows better air circulation for those stinky, dirty clothes.
Air-wicking clothing and undergarments are a must, especially on Western Caribbean/Mexico excursions. Micro-fiber clothing dries fast. We actually saw some people wearing jeans on the excursions in record-breaking high temperatures. I don’t know how they did it. Micro-fiber clothing can be washed in the sink and hung up to dry overnight. Note: Cotton underwear can take longer than overnight to dry, so I don’t recommend it for those hot excursions, even for men.
Bring along a travel sized bottle of all purpose detergent, such as Ivory liquid, to quickly rinse out an item you might want to wear again the next day. If you do have access to a laundry room on a longer cruise, be sure to bring laundry detergent sheets. They save space and weight, and work great!
Bring towel clips to hang damp clothes inside your shower stall (where there is usually a clothes line) or elsewhere in your stateroom. Bring at least six. A wet hat secured to a balcony chair, for example, can dry in a couple of hours.
However, I don’t recommend bringing a clothesline to use on the balcony. It made for a good laugh when we were returning on the water shuttle, to glance up at a clothesline with the family laundry. Balconies are not as private as you think.
Bring along at least one magnetic, automatic nite-lite, USB chargeable. It makes getting up in the night much easier and safer. Apply it to the base of the bathroom door or attach it to the wall next to the bathroom. Just don’t forget to grab it when you are packing up at the end of the cruise. (Yes, I did accidentally leave one on the MSC Magnifica.)
Many folks like to bring fun magnets for the outside of their stateroom doors, so they can find their rooms quickly. The doors on the MSC were not magnetic, so we couldn’t use the decorative magnet we brought; however, most of the time, we had no trouble finding our stateroom. (Just don’t forget that stateroom number!)
Make Your Luggage Secure and Easy to Locate
You won’t have to worry about your luggage tags getting ripped off the handles if you buy plastic luggage tag covers. For extra security, buy combination luggage locks.
I used my label maker to label luggage with our name, phone number, cruise line, ship’s name, and stateroom number.
Once the cruise is over, make your luggage quick and easy to find by attaching distinctive tags for your name, address and phone number, and by using bright, colorful luggage straps. With mini-mouse adorning our luggage, we found our bags immediately.
Walking Sticks Essential for Outdoor Adventure Treks
Probably one of the most important items for safer adventures, is the collapsible walking stick. We purchased an inexpensive pair. They have proven to be very important. You need only one each. Walking sticks are essential for outdoor adventures, whether you are stepping up and down hills in the rainforest, exploring Mayan temples, trekking the uneven rocky paths of Petra in Jordan, navigating the crowds and treacherous steps in the old Jerusalem Arab market, or beating about the bush on Komodo Island, keeping an eye out for dragons. Check the ratings as you shop online for walking sticks, so that you can insure that they are sturdy enough for your weight and height, and offer a variety of tips for different terrains. Whatever brand you do buy, you should easily find a You Tube video showing you how to put the stick together and take it apart.
You won't need a walking stick on all cruises. It depends entirely on which excursions you take. When the excursion description mentions terrain such as paths, uneven surfaces, rocky terrain, and multiple steps, you will need a walking stick. If you are simply walking around city streets, a walking stick probably won't be necessary.
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