Best and Worst Packing Tips

[bepsf]

I used to be really good at packing everything I needed for a week into one small carry-on bag and a briefcase....

...then I started cruising!!!

I'm up to four pieces:

Briefcase (for laptop & cords, tickets & travel docs, reading and music)
Carryon (toiletries, change of clothes, sweater, more reading material, sandals, swimwear)
Garment Bag (Tux, Blazer, dress shirts, dress pants, dress shoes)
Rolling bag (casual shoes, jeans, shorts, casual shirts, socks {some stuffed in shoes}, underwear, gym-wear...)
Am I doing something wrong???

[Krazy Kruizers]

Absolutely NOT!

We don't take any cruises under 14 days and we always do 2 -3 days pre-cruise and 1 day post cruise. So - 2 people - 4 suitcases - and nothing is overstuffed - lots of room for gowns, tuxedos, etc. DH's work out cloths - we both have to have shorts for shore excursions - you need all that stuff to look and feel right on a cruise.

[sail7seas]

Sounds about right to me, Brian.


We normally are gone about 17 days between pre and post cruise hotel stays and we always have three large bags.....sometimes I use four.
I like the rolling duffles for shorts, work out clothes, swim suits, sneakers, shoes etc

I use two soft sided garment bags (they each hold a ton) for gowns, tuxes, sports jackets, dresses etc

When these garment bags wear out, I'll be in deep trouble. I have not seen anything around lately that I like nearly as well or that hold close to the amount my bags hold. I've started to shop already for replacements as I know these can't last forever! :(

Packing tips I might mention are:

Never pack a his and a hers suitcase. Always share all the bags between you as if one suitcase is lost and it holds all of one persons clothing, one of you will be dressed fine and the other will be in flip flops the whole cruise.

Leave clothing on wire hangers like the dry cleaners use and put garments in dry cleaner plastic bags. It traps air and keeps the clothes from wrinkling. I hardly ever have to send anything out for pressing.

Line the bottom of each suitcase with an empty dry cleaner bag and place another on the very top before closing the suitcase. This will provide some protection if the suitcase is left out on the dock in the rain or on the tarmac at the airport. If all your clothes are in plastic bags and then you have lined the suitcase, there's a good chance your clothes will remain in good condition.

Always place a paper with your name/address/and itinerary on the very top of each bag. At least there is some chance you might have it catch up to you if it does not arrive on the carousel at the airport.

[saltydog28]

Brian-I think you should be asking tomc for packing advice. I think I read that he takes ONE carry-on for a 7day cruise.
...KK and sail were talking about suitcases for TWO people.
...OK...Granted...You are GQ-I can tell by your picture-so maybe you have the right amount.
Take care,
Pat.

[TinaLee]

Your list sounds right to me, but in our case we always have to add the extra "dive bag" that holds the Rx mask, fins, booties, snorkel, sunscreen, hats, large water mugs... the lists are just never-ending! If I ever lose my reference list, I'm going to be in BIG trouble!

TinaLee

[allen.crawford]

Wow, we must be light packers!!

We have been on cruises up to 14 days and taken: 2 roll-on pieces (one for each of us), 2 carry on bags (one for each of us), and 1 camera bag.

[jhannah]

So are we, Allen. We have a 27" we check and each take a carry-on plus my DW's kitchen sink purse.

[Bosun]

Packing tips I might mention are:

Never pack a his and a hers suitcase. Always share all the bags between you as if one suitcase is lost and it holds all of one persons clothing, one of you will be dressed fine and the other will be in flip flops the whole cruise.



WICKED tip - so simple, yet I'm sure it's often overlooked. Many thanks:)

[cruisinjudy]

I always pack things into large zip lock plastic bags. If you fold very carefully things always come out nicely and if your bags are searched, things can be returned to your suitcase in perfect order. I haven't figured out how to do this with a tux however, so hubby's tux and things go in the garment bag, but unless he carries it on himself, it needs to get on the bottom of luggage stacks and things don't arrive in such great condition. My gowns, however, pack into Ziplocks very nicely!

[jhannah]

If all your clothes are in plastic bags and then you have lined the suitcase, there's a good chance your clothes will remain in good condition.
Unless, of course, the steveadore dumps your bags into the water, as happened recently on the Oosterdam! :eek:

[Pudgesmom]

Brian-

This may not work for you, but, my DH always rents a tuxedo, then wears his sports coat on the airplane. That leaves only the everyday day clothes for packing. Have you considered a larger carryon that would accomodate your laptop and other items? How about leaving the computer at home?

We have travelled stand-by with the airlines for many years, and have gotten good at creative reuse of different clothing items, as we often board at the last minute with everything in hand.

Here's a strange one from my mother-in-law- she and grandpa save up old clothing items throughout the year, both inner and outerwear, then dispose after use, freeing up room for souvenirs!

Beth

[Cruising Jake]

Brian, you are packing perfectly. Between DH and myself we have 2 carry-ons, 2 garments bags and 2 suitcases. I have tried to pack our clothes together and don't do it anymore. I am neat and he is NOT.

[dakrewser]

How about leaving the computer at home?


WHAT?!?
I'd as soon leave DW at home as my computer! :)

[Pudgesmom]

WHAT?!?
I'd as soon leave DW at home as my computer! :)


Dave-

The first step in recovery is admiting you have a problem! :rolleyes:

Beth

[mhshapiro]

We typically take one large softside and one small softside suitcases on our cruises. The small softside meets airline overhead bin standards, but can be expanded to a larger thickness than will fit in the overheads, so we usually expand it and check it along with the large bag. The large bag also can be expanded, but we hit the airline weight limit for it without it being expanded.

We also each take a small carry on bag for toiletries, medications, etc.

We pack clothes for both of us in each bag, so if one gets lost we have at least the basics. I don't bother with a tux. Instead I have a very good lightweight dark suit that packs easily. The suitcoat doubles as a sport jacket when worn with light slacks. That combination covers both formal and informal nights.

On longer cruises we make use of the ship's laundry and dry cleaning facilities. We prefer this to lugging extra bags.

[cbeachrose]

I bought the book, "Pack It Up" by Anne McAlpin. It has some wonderful ideas about WHAT to pack and about HOW to pack. One idea that worked very well for me was to pack the heavier stuff (shoes, etc.) on the bottom of the bag and then put a piece of heavy cardboard, the size of the suitcase, on top of the bottom stuff. Then it showed how to fold suit coats and pants and then other stuff so that you had a tidy bundle on top. The point of all of this is that if you need anything on the bottom of the suitcase you can just lift that piece of cardboard and the top part of your packing comes out in one piece and you can get at the bottom stuff. Also, the top stuff is not all messed up.

We did this when we went on a tour of Ireland and we were going to different hotels. I know a cruise is different but the idea works because your clothes don't wrinkle. We pack like this all the time now.

Last thought: Thank God for wheels! ;)

[dakrewser]

Dave-

The first step in recovery is admiting you have a problem! http://boards1.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

Beth

Ah, I used to have a problem, but I've been cured for years. I just like to have the computer along so I can, um, play solitaire - yeah, that's it, I like to play solitaire while the DW is getting dressed. That's not a problem, is it? http://boards1.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

[bepsf]

Ah, I used to have a problem, but I've been cured for years. I just like to have the computer along so I can, um, play solitaire - yeah, that's it, I like to play solitaire while the DW is getting dressed. That's not a problem, is it? http://boards1.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

That's an awfully expensive/heavy deck of cards....

[cruznon]

Brian,
Your packing sounds right to me!
We just finished packing for tomorrow's cruise.....DH, DD and I...4 large roll-ons and each of us taking a small roll plus DH has a small camera bag. :)

[Sueseb]

Two large roll ons and 2 carry ons and always more clothes than we use, maybe some day we will learn! Also take a "minor" medicine chest after being charged $14 for a small bottle of Nyquil on the Mercury several years ago. Had to go the the infirmary for it as they did not carry it in the gift shop.

[Suskies]

The only downside of cruising, for me, is having to pack so much stuff. On any other vacation, we pack shorts, tops, maybe one pair of khakis, and we're good to go. On a cruise, you have to pack daywear (shorts), casual night wear (khakis), informal night wear, and formal night wear (unless you rent a tux). And that includes multiple pairs of shoes/sandals. A cruise easily requires double the luggage of any other vacation. The day before we leave, there always comes a point when my husband, mired in clothes and luggage all over our bed, wails, "It's not worth it! I'm not going!"

But of course it IS worth it! :-)

[johnnycruise]

sail7seas,


We used to get away with one large checked bag each until the airlines reduced the weight from 70 to 50 lbs. I have a bag that weighs 20 lbs. so its large size is negated by the new baggage limitations. Now the Salvation Army has gotten two very nice huge bags for resale and we travel with three medium sized bags, filled to the gills.

Your baggage tips, by the way, are excellent.

[yes2sail]

You can get it down if you force yourself ... went on a 12 day European cruise and added 6 days in the departure port. Went with one roll around suitcase and a VERY small carry on. EVERYTHING else was packed so we could do a European city without lugging suitcases around. Forget the computer (bring a deck of cards) and use the internet cafes in port for e-mail or sign up for service on the ship. Can't imagine why you need to lug it around, do tell. Rent the tux on board and streamline the casual clothes. We did a 14 day caribbean with the same size suitcase and managed just fine.

[Allis154]

In 2003 my DH and I did 5 days in London, transatlantic on the QE2 and one night in New York. We left with 2 large suitcases, 1 small suitcase, and 2 carry-ons. We we came back, we had 2 large suitcases, 2 small suitcases, one carryon and a backback. We pack the extra suitcase inside one of the others, just for souvies!

This year, a three week land vacation with mother and moth-in-law to Orlando. Driving down, so our luggage limit is one large suitcase and one small on. Don't know how I will fit everything in!

[ekerr19]

Well, we must be doing something wrong... :confused: for our upcoming 10-day cruise with the kids we have:

3 - 28" rolling bags (I used to use my 30" - but they are always over the 50 lb. limit)

2 - 24" rolling bags

1 - Extra large (and hard to find!) Tumi garment bag for the formal clothes

and our carry-ons... the kids usually bring pack packs, DH & I share a shoulder carry-on, but that is going to be replaced this time with a wheeled duffel or wheeled tote, I haven't quite made up my mind.

[jlynnek]

ekerr-


It must be all those shoes you are taking! :D That's ok, I'm taking that many too!!!! :eek:

For our 10 day cruise plus 3 days in FLL, we are taking 2 large rolling, 1 medium rolling, 1 small rolling and a rolling garmet bag to check, plus my cosmetic tote and DH always has to carry on a backpack for cameras and such. DH doesn't like to travel with this much luggage (likes to travel light). Have to have room for the stuff we buy and my shoes.

[lidorose]

All the guys in our group are going to wear their sports jackets on the plane. While they aren't necessarily the best attire for formal nights, the jackets would work to get into the dining room if, God forbid, our luggage didn't make it. It also means the men won't have to pack a suit jacket in their carry-on luggage. Instead, they can pack their DWs' shoes!:)

[ekerr19]

ekerr-


It must be all those shoes you are taking! :D That's ok, I'm taking that many too!!!! :eek:

For our 10 day cruise plus 3 days in FLL, we are taking 2 large rolling, 1 medium rolling, 1 small rolling and a rolling garmet bag to check, plus my cosmetic tote and DH always has to carry on a backpack for cameras and such. DH doesn't like to travel with this much luggage (likes to travel light). Have to have room for the stuff we buy and my shoes.

jlynnek -

DH hates bringing so much - but what the heck, I'd rather want it and have it with me than want it knowing it's at home...

I actually paired down the shoes (so far I think) and I am looking at 7-8... and pretty proud of it. DH is is shocked - also doesn't believe I won't slip a couple pairs in at the end!

We actaully have to weigh our luggage now, with the weight restrictions. I try and keep them about 45 lbs.

[ehrkes]

I used to be really good at packing everything I needed for a week into one small carry-on bag and a briefcase....

...then I started cruising!!!

I'm up to four pieces:

Briefcase (for laptop & cords, tickets & travel docs, reading and music)
Carryon (toiletries, change of clothes, sweater, more reading material, sandals, swimwear)
Garment Bag (Tux, Blazer, dress shirts, dress pants, dress shoes)
Rolling bag (casual shoes, jeans, shorts, casual shirts, socks {some stuffed in shoes}, underwear, gym-wear...)
Am I doing something wrong???

NOPE,

that is exactly what I have done and am finishing up doing now......
except for the music.....I bring along my sketchbook/art stuff to draw....

BUT, yeah that is the thing, if I goto Maui or London/Uk we usually pack very little, buy tshirts there, and clothes shop there.....but once you are on the boat, and luggage in room is put away...isn't it nice knowing that you don't have to worry about it for another week?

YEP!

EHRKES IN CHICAGO :rolleyes:

[jcrandle]

I used to be really good at packing everything I needed for a week into one small carry-on bag and a briefcase....

...then I started cruising!!!

I'm up to four pieces:


Briefcase (for laptop & cords, tickets & travel docs, reading and music)
Carryon (toiletries, change of clothes, sweater, more reading material, sandals, swimwear)
Garment Bag (Tux, Blazer, dress shirts, dress pants, dress shoes)
Rolling bag (casual shoes, jeans, shorts, casual shirts, socks {some stuffed in shoes}, underwear, gym-wear...)
Am I doing something wrong???Gosh, and you still haven't packed your two liters of distilled beverage, 6 bottles of wine, two 12 packs of beer, and three cases of soft drinks and bottle water! Looks like at least one more suitcase. :D