I have never flown in the day before a cruise, Do you Unpack and Repack?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I will start my packing this weekend and have started my "Things to Pack" list. The one thing that is really different for us this time is we are flying into FLL the day before. In our two previous FLL departures we took "redeyes" into FLL and arrived the morning of the cruise and of course going out of Seattle and California was a fairly quick flight "same day" from Vegas.

My question is when you do go in the day before do you unpack so you can hang up formal wear, suits and tuxs? Or do you just leave them packed and just have change of clothes in your carry-ons? I am the most concerned about my formal wear, DH's Tux seems like it never wrinkles. We will be in a suite so I suppose we could have them steamed or pressed. What do all of you do:confused:

[SANDY BEACH]

We always travel to the port a day before and because we are driving from Ohio we always leave at least a couple of days before the cruise. I always pack formal wear in dry cleaner bags in my garment bags and leave them there until we reach our cabin. I immediately unpack and have never found there to be a problem with wrinkles. My casual cotton clothes are another matter. I use the Downy wrinkle releaser and it seems to work very well. At first you think it won't but when you come back and look at your clothes after about an hour the wrinkles are gone. Good luck and don't get too stressed over packing. It can be quite overwhelming at times. If a piece of clothing is too bad for your taste, send it out to be pressed. Enjoy your cruise!!

[Suskies]

I agree. I make a point of putting on the top of the suitcase the things I'll need during that one day/night on land and just leave everything else alone until I'm on board.

[peaches from georgia]

Good gracious, no, we don't unpack. Since we drive to FLL we leave home 2 days before the cruise, not 1, but would never consider unpacking when we arrive for the day/night pre-cruise in FLL. I don't think it would make a darn bit of difference wrinkle-wise. Once clothes are folded or hung, if they are going to wrinkle they will wrinkle and packing, unpacking and re-packing won't make them wrinkle any less, probably they would wrinkle even more with all the handling. (What we wear the 2 travel days are in our carry-on and left in the car. We never even touch our luggage that goes on the ship.)

I pack everything either in or between dry cleaner bags and also take along Downy Wrinkle Free in case the rare item has to be de-wrinkled a little for dinner the first night. After that there would be plenty of time for ship pressing (also in a suite), but have never had to do that that I can remember. And that is with everything being packed for for least 2 days before getting on the ship.

[Randyk47]

When we go in the day before we never fully unpack. Just put sufficient clothing on top for embarkation the next day and leave the rest packed. We'll be driving to our next cruise and I'm thinking of just hanging our formal wear, etc., until we're ready to go to the ship the next morning. I'm debating with myself whether or not that'll really make that big of a difference....probably not but it might make my wife feel better about not having her gown "pressed" in the suit valet for 48 hours.

[ekerr19]

Lisa - Don't unpack! You will go crazy trying to re-pack everything. I usually place evrything we will need including our clothes for embarkation in one of the bags... for us and the kids, this way I only need open one bag in the hotel and the rest stayed piled in the corner waiting to go to the ship.

I am pre-packing this morning too. :)

[Himself]

I just put what I need in my carry on bag and leave the rest packed.

[jhannah]

Once clothes are folded or hung, if they are going to wrinkle they will wrinkle and packing, unpacking and re-packing won't make them wrinkle any less, probably they would wrinkle even more with all the handling. Peaches has the same thought as I do. We leave our large 27" case with formal wear alone. Our carryon has the next morning's change of clothes. We do use the plastic laundry/dry cleaner bags that others have mentioned, and there is very little (if any) wrinkling enroute.

Wish I were packing! :(

[tiffnco]

The Downey Wrinkle Releaser is a godsend. But, since we always have to fly in (but not for our upcoming San Diego trip :D ) I've always packaged "wet" items in double plastic bags.

Well, the Downey did not hold up on the plane...and fortunately, we double bagged. Next time I fly in, I'll go to a local drug store and pick up a bottle of that and Febreeze...

And on the unpacking question...listen to everyone else, pack your "pre-cruise" items in a carry-on or other easily accessible bag...and leave the other stuff alone until you board.

[dakrewser]

We back one bag (a small, "wheel-aboard" size) with what we need for the hotel, then leave everything else packed up. It's the same bag we'll keep in the cabin on the last night aboard ship. Trying to re-pack everything while sitting in a hotel on embarkation day sounds like it's a recipe for disaster!

[RuthC]

The votes are in and the decision is: leave 'em in the suitcase.

When I go in the day before I don't even unpack my breathing machine from the carry-on! Too much effort to try and get it back in the next morning. Get a poor night's sleep, but it's not worth it.

Ever notice that, once you unpack, the exact same articles won't fit back in the exact same suitcase? :eek:

[stanford's girl]

We back one bag (a small, "wheel-aboard" size) with what we need for the hotel, then leave everything else packed up. It's the same bag we'll keep in the cabin on the last night aboard ship. Trying to re-pack everything while sitting in a hotel on embarkation day sounds like it's a recipe for disaster!

I do the exact same thing Dave.:D

[LAFFNVEGAS]

OK, I agree I will not unpack.:o We are taking 1 very large suit case (my things) 1 medium size (DH's) 1 small that we can also carry on which we will put our change of clothes for the next day. Then we actually have a carryone bag and my lap top case. Packing definitely takes some organizing but it is some much fun too:p

[Giorgi-one]

We always pack our formal / dressy clothes in garment bags on hangers. When we get to the hotel, we just hang the clothes in the closet. Much better than leaving it in garment bag for two days. We do not unpack other bags.

[ron46936]

Definitelt no to unpacking. I try to have everything for the hotel stay in one bag.