Packing for 20 days?

[meggers82]

We are cruising on the Amsterdam in December to South America/Anarctica for 20 days. How do you pack for 20 days, in various climates with formal nights? Help?! :)

Any suggestions on must haves, and tips on packing for such a long cruise would be much appreciated!

[kakalina]

We have taken many cruises over 30 days. I pack exactly what I pack for a 10 day cruise. The laundry by the bag is reasonable and so easy. The formal wear I rotate and/or change sparkly tops.
I have never had any trouble packing enough for even the longest cruise I've taken.

[kryos]

I second what Kakalina said. I won't lug more than one large suitcase, so everything has to fit in that bag. I pack as I would for about a two-week cruise and then send laundry out or even use the self-service laundry rooms if I am feeling particularly cheap. All the ships except the Vistas have self-service laundry rooms, and the laundry by the bag, as Kakalina said, is very, very reasonable and you'd be surprised how much stuff you can shove in that bag if you roll it tightly.

I'm sailing for a total of 39 days (on two cruises b2b, plus one night in a land-based hotel in between) this coming September/October. One suitcase and a carry-on will do me fine, supplemented by shipboard laundry services.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Juanita462]

I agree with Kakalina and Rita - pack for 10 days and use the blue bag and/or the self serve laundry. I remember seeing one woman who wore navy shorts and striped white and navy top every single day on a 21 day cruise. More power to her - maybe we worry too much about what people will think if we repeat our outfits. I don't know if she had several of these navy/white outfits - or stood in the shower every night to wash them :D - maybe they were Tilley.

Mix and match is the way to go to make it seem that you have packed way more than you did.

If you google world temperatures you can find the average temperature for the time you will be in Antartica which will give you an idea is any cold weather gear needed. I believe that December would be about the end of the wet season in South America - we hve always been there Jan - March and it was plenty hot then.

You will have a wonderful cruise on the Amsterdam - we were on her last fall and had a fabulous cruise - great food and good service - perfect except for the flu virus that swept the ship but that's another story.

[lettienets]

[quote=meggers82;15381988]We are cruising on the Amsterdam in December to South America/Anarctica for 20 days. How do you pack for 20 days, in various climates with formal nights? Help?! :)

I did this cruise in Jan/Feb this year on the Rottersam. I took too many summer clothes, not that necessary. Nice weather in Brazil and Chile. Wore the same casual outfits for touring. The long johns, scarf, hat and mitts were the greatest for standing on the deck in Antarctica - it is very windy and cold. Since you are leaving from Canada you will already be wearing a winter jacket.
The formal nights, I took three outfits and wore the same ones 2x each 10 day cycle. I think there were 5 formal nights.
3 pairs of shoes - runners, sandals, strappy heels for dressup.
Washed my own undies so that was it for me, one carryon and one 29" suitcase.

[PathfinderEss]

I agree with all the posters, I have been out several time for 3 weeks and I pack like I'm going on a 14 day cruise, but I do take 2 suitcases.

[photomikey]

My first long trip was three weeks in Europe and three weeks in Africa. I brought the world's largest suitcase with ten changes of clothes. After two weeks, I bought a rollaway, and gave almost everything (including the suitcase) away to a guy I met in a hostel.

Here's what I kept:

1 pair jeans
1 pair shorts
1 pair khaki pants
1 long sleeve shirt
1 polo shirt
1 t-shirt
1 jacket
1 pair shoes
3 pair shorts
3 pair undies
toothbrush
comb

To this day, whether I'm going out of town for the weekend or moving to Europe for the summer, this is what I bring. Do some mixing and matching, you'll never wear the same outfit twice on a ten day cruise. If the people you surround yourself are so dense they notice you're wearing the same thing again ten days later, change the subject and tell them how easy it is to travel with only a rollaway. Never check a bag, always get off the ship first (or last), never wonder where your luggage is, always plenty of room in a taxi, easy to change clothes at a moment's notice, as your luggage is compact and easy to deal with. I do laundry in a HAL bathrobe, makes it easy to do all of it at once. I shake my head at the 80-year-old people who can't lift their 60 lb, 52" suitcase over the curb, looking for someone to help. I hope someone notices how they never wear the same pair of socks twice in two weeks... cause I sure won't.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Also remember that the Amsterdam has self-serve laundry rooms -- which means you can cut back on the delicates that you don't want ruined by the ship's laundry.

When we do Alaska, I also make certain that 1 layered coat goes into 1 suitcase and the other one goes in a different suitcase.

We still take 4 suitcases on long cruises.

[papadave]

HAL lists what you should pack. I'd use the Alaska list as a guideline for a cruise that include Antarctica. As a rule I find the less I pack the better. I always buy the unlimited laundry package as it seems like the best luxury I can afford on a cruise. Also, I can't remember any cruise where I did not purchase something I wanted to wear immediately in the course of visiting ports, so I need to leave a little room in my suitcase for new clothing. I've met people who only really needed to pack underwear and one change of clothing because buying new clothing while traveling works for them.

The best advice is to avoid packing more than you really need.

[ehschief]

We will be in Europe a total of three weeks, 12 days of them on a cruise. Packing is always a problem because we tend to overpack. This time we are taking very little, it is ok to wear things 3 or 4 times especially because we can do laundry. We will be traveling and dealing with luggage is a probem. My husband and son (who never travels with us) do not want to bring tuxes, just a shirt and tie and nice pants for dress up and I am okay with it.

[papadave]

It is possible, but based on what I have both seen and read highly unlikely, that failing to bring a suit jacket will keep you out of the dining room on formal night when men are expected to wear a tuxedo or a dark suit. It appears to me that the current standard is that anything nicer than khakis will get you into the dining room on formal night. Pack only what you think you need because you'll have to carry it all and most airlines are starting to make you pay for more or heavier baggage. Enjoy your cruise.

[Harry1954]

We have completed several 2-3 week cruises where we were in the area around Northern Norway or across Barent to Longyearbyen ... and then went down to Great Britain and around that area when it was hot.
We found that having layers of clothes which work as summer clothes in the hot areas and adding more layers for the winter area along with a fleece jacket and a rain slicker shell was more than sufficient. No bulky coats or shirts/pants, just layers.
Further, as been mentioned, laundry on ship really helps cut back on clothes needed.
We keep an Excel file for DW and myself of all the potential stuff we might take and scratch off those not applicable in the area we are going before we pick what is going into the suitcase - that way, we do not forget anything.
harry

[Richard in Panama]

Harry has got the idea - layer, layer, layer. It works! For the longer cruises I plan carefully and everything has multiple uses and combinations. The same dark suit with different ties and shirts gives you a bunch of outfits. You can pretty much figure out on your own the formal, semi-formal (I still prefer that term) and casual nights. Then plan what you are going to wear each night, and see how much cross-dressing (no, not that kind) you can do using each item for multiple combinations. You don't need a new pair of black socks every night. Once you get it down, save the list. I have a 10-night list, a 12-night list, etc. If I get called on a Friday, to leave on Sunday morning, I know just what to throw in a single small/medium suitcase, and I'm off! And I still find myself asking, "Why did I bring that? I haven't worn it!" so it's off the list for the next time . . . eventually . . . I know HAL once had a nudist charter to Alaska (?????) of all places.

Regards, Richard

[cf_chuck]

I never pack more than what is required for 7 days, and use the bag laundry services which I find both reasonable and better than I do for myself. The 7 day packing fits well within a large (but not oversized) roll on. I do find it possible to use the same clothes on multiple days, as I change from deck clothing to evening wear each day. I will confess that I always take a second, smaller roll on, using it for stowage for wine and smaller bottles of water (more convenient for carrying around than the large bottles on board), a back pack, etc. On the return, this serves as a place to stow the goodies I've bought along the way.

I would think the challenges offered by the various climates you'll experience will be a challenge. As others have suggested, layers are a good approach, but also realize that HAL typically does a good job of providing blankets, at least on the cruise I was on to Alaska. The idea of thermals is good, but you could also consider sweats which afford a bit more flexibility. I'd suggest you weight your packing toward the predominant temps you are likely to experience and not go overboard on the climates where there is a substantial change, such as Antartica. If things get too chilly, there's always an inviting view that is shielded from the cold, so there's not much of a reason to put yourself through the freezer stress if you don't pack enough.