raid the mini bar. Alcohol actually is more calorie dense than carbs and/or protein. Plus, after a few glasses, it'll be a party!

In all seriousness, I dont' think there's a good way to prep for this. I usually have a flashlight too, and maybe one spare battery. I guess I'd be putting to test the "300 hours on low!" claim. But otherwise, are you really going to take enough food for all your days at sea? Bring a case of MRE's with you if you go on a 7-day cruise? Maybe the crew could have done something productive, like takign their liferafts to shore and stocking them with supplies, shuttling food back and forth. Hand out fishing rods and open the lower deck loading areas. Call it "Catch your own sushi night" or something clever.

As for whiney diabetic lady, well, if you're not taking in the carbs, I guess you don't need the meds. Is that a bad thing? Maybe there's a good take-away message there.

Ajax is correct in his post. Cruise ship security checks...much like air travel security severely limit what you can take on board.

A balcony room (fresh air, light and a place to put wastes :-(.

The small kit like the one Teacher carries, plus wipes and a water purification system (for cruises I really like my SteriPen).

Ajax is right, most of sotto's truck kit would not be allowed on board.

The best,

Jerry

I cruise every year at or near Christmas with the wife and kids. My standard kit includes...

- SAK
- LED flashlight (single AA)
- 8 Enelopes plus charger (seems excessive but I always find uses)
- safety pins
- tweezers
- nail clippers
- chapstick
- Burts Bees Res-Q Ointment
- small sewing kit
- bandaids
- antacid
- anti-diarrheal
- Hat
- toothpicks
- Duct Tape

I have used them all over the years...

My cruise ship didn't have a minibar, maybe in the swankier suites.

I don't think they were anywhere near close enough to land to run lifeboat shuttles. And I doubt they are capable of safely re-supplying by boat in open seas. I remember at-sea replenishment in the Navy and that was an orchestrated miracle on water. Two, sometimes three, ships running lines in-between and pumping fuel and loading cargo all at the same time in heavy seas?

Amazing.

I also recall seeing the coxswains trying to maneuver small boats close enough to off load people, usually harbor pilots, and that looked scary as hell.

I have been thinking the same thing the last few days before I read this thread. I am not arm chair quarterbacking here as I always take these items with me when I travel. Will there be holes, yes. But you can't prepare for everything.


My usual EDC (modified to conform to boat security requirements)
Mini Mag LED- (in EDC)
headlamp (in EDC)
Krill lamp (always take on trips so I don't stumble in a foreign room at night)
extra batteries

box of powerbars, caramel or licorice, bags of chips and dry food for kids.
We would have brought if we could or stockpiled free bottles of water or bought a few gallons of it as soon as we could once on the boat.
baby wipes.
grocery bags. (which in this case we'd have used for the used wipes).
fully charged battery packs for iPhones and psp's.

The one thing I should take from this is finding a really good solar charger for iPhones, psp's, batteries, etc. I actually surfed the net for reviews a few weeks ago and found poor ratings on everything I looked at.

I'd Go to 1 of the Many bars,Get ahold of a Bottle of Bacardi-151 Rum,& Make an Alcohol stove to cook with in my Quarters,Possibly stuff wet TP in the Smoke alarms,Just in Case!That would make Life a Bit More comfortable! A couple of headlamps,& A Can of Air freshener-Febreeze would help ALOT!

I've avoided cruises because the "what if.." just makes me uncomfortable, especially once I became a parent. I imagine I'd use the same rationalization as I do whenever I travel so I'll throw in my two cents anyway.

1. RESEARCH your route and destination and ask yourself "What should I expect and what could possibly go wrong?" Planning for a carribean cruise would be different than planning to go to Alaska.

2. I'd modify my EDC to comply with security (i.e. removing/shrinking sharps in my PSK) and then try to replace/substitute as best I could as soon as I was on-board. http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h351/backpackjac/?action=view&current=pursepsk.jpg

Light: I ALWAYS wear a mini photon around my neck, and especially in an unfamiliar environment, I keep an LED flashlight within reach. (There's also a headlamp and extra batteries in my EDC.)

Clothes: Pack smart and then throw in a fleece jacket with hood, rain jacket and pants, hat and extra sunglasses

Water: 1 full bottle on person and in luggage, plus a empty collapsable bottle to fill once I'm on-board.

Food: Power bars, dried fruit, jerky, instant coffee, juice boxes, koolaid

Health: FAK, antacid, anti-diarrheal, anti-histamine, vitamins, anti-inflammatory, tylenol, water purification tabs, baby wipes, couple week supply of meds, suncreen, bug spray, garbage bags, TP, pocket heaters

Shelter: heatsheet, paracord

Communication: cel phone, extra battery, charger, pre-paid calling card, mini radio

Timekillers: HUGELY important when I travel with my kids! Books, dinky cars, deck of cards, travel checkers/chess.

That is an excellent suggestion -- solar charger. Unless it were an Alaskan cruise.... The Brunton solar charger I bought several years ago for camping just never panned out to be worthwhile.

After this cruise ship story I'd at least take Doug's e-PICO (at least one is with me 24/7) and my Petzl e-Lite. They're both tiny. Probably would have taken them anyway but now I'd take more batteries.

And MicroPur tablets.

I've never been on a cruise so have no idea what the luggage limits may be.

Looked into Windjammer cruises years ago but never did one. The Love Boat-style cruises just never held much appeal. Seemed confining.

I don't take cruises. A recently learned that crimes on cruises are prosecuted in the country in which the ship is registered. That alone is enough for me to avoid stepping on board.

If I were to take a cruise (I don't), then I would make sure the ship is registered in the United States. I would bring the standard personal survival kit (flashlight, fire starters, whistle, first aid, mirror, etc.). I would also bring extra snacks, extra batteries, bandanas, water purification, toilet paper, plastic bags, and a personal life vest.