My observations about packing for my 24 day trip

I just returned from my 24 days away, and here are my observations about packing, what I took, what I would do differently in the future. (Note: this was an Asian cruise).

 

I sweat a lot when I walk. I couldn't (or wouldn't) wear clothes from port days more than once, they were usually wringing wet when I returned from port.

 

I don't normally wear dressy clothes so I bought some nicer type tops to wear to dinner on non-formal nights. The type tops I bought wouldn't be good for port excursions. I wouldn't do this again. Nice looking knit tops with a pair of slacks were fine for the dining room, I didn't need the dressier tops. (I also wouldn't have needed the dress and skirt I took. I much preferred wearing slacks and a top to dinner on non-formal night instead of the dress/skirt). In the future I would only take tops which work both in the dining room and in port.

 

I took 5 pairs of capris which I wore during the day on ship and on port days. I took 9 knit tops which I wore during the day on ship, to dinner on the ship, and on port excursions. If packing again, I would take more daytime wear, including more capris and tops. Some days I went through two tops because of the heat.

 

I took five pairs of slacks to wear for dinner. If packing again, I would take fewer pairs of slacks. They could be worn over and over as they don't get many hours of wear. I think three pairs of dark slacks would have been a good number (plus one pair of jeans I only wore on the plane. Our plane trips were 20 hours long. Trust me, after that long of a flight time you don't want to wear them again without washing them.)

 

All of the clothes I took mixed and matched, I could wear any top with any pair of pants or capris. This worked perfectly. All of my pants were black or gray or tan.

 

Our cruise had 3 formal nights. Not many people dressed extremely formal. I took two nice looking maxi dresses (not sundresses) and they fit right in with what others wore. I wore one of the dresses twice. If packing again, I would take only the one black maxi dress and wear it all three formal nights with different accessories and shawls.

 

For shoes, I took tennis shoes, a good pair of sturdy sandals I could wear for walking tours, dressier sandals, my favorite slides that I wear all the time at home, and nice looking flip flops. I wore the tennis shoes two port days, but could have left them at home. My sturdy sandals did just fine. I never wore the flip flops except for the day I had a pedicure. I wore my favorite slides all the time on the ship. I wore the dressier sandals with the maxi dresses.

 

Tote bag/purse. I had heard many stories about pickpockets and purse theft in Asia. I bought a Travelon bag with zippers that locked, that I could wear cross body, and that the strap couldn't be cut. It had 2 side pockets that could carry a water bottle and an umbrella. I would never again travel without this type of bag, except the one I bought was not quite big enough. I would buy one size larger, and I would make sure I still had the pockets that unzipped for water bottle and umbrella. My Sis bought a new bag for the trip and found out after the first port that it wasn't big enough. She used a tote bag she bought on the ship.

 

I took way too many odds and ends and toiletries. I had a whole bag of stuff I never used, that I took "just in case". I took a converter plug for Asian outlets. I never used it. All hotels had a conversion plug you can use, just ask the front desk for one.

 

Some essential items: a travel outlet that turns one outlet into four or six, preferably with USB ports. There are never enough outlets in a ship's room. Two motion activated night lights, one we put in the room and one in the bathroom. I love those things and never travel without them. An all purpose tote bag that can comfortably carry a water bottle and an umbrella, and that is large enough to carry odds and ends you want to have with you. The umbrella was essential, both for rain and for shade.

Some good insights.. I always get tips when others share their experiences.

Thanks for sharing. :)

It's nice to learn from others.

Thanks for sharing! Trip sounds awesome!

 

I bring those flameless candles and use them in the bathroom for the nighttime visits :). It's bright enough to see but not enough to wake you totally up.

Thanks for your insights. On which cruise line were you?

Thanks for sharing! Trip sounds awesome!

 

I bring those flameless candles and use them in the bathroom for the nighttime visits :). It's bright enough to see but not enough to wake you totally up.

 

I usually have a booklight with me for reading - and find that makes a great 'flashlight/nightlight' for late night bathroom visits!

Most cruise lines don't allow irons. I'm surprised that yours was not confiscated.

Thanks for posting. I'll be on a 20-day Asian cruise in a few months; appreciate the thoughts on daytime vs evening wear. I'll probably toss in a couple extra daytime shirts based on your experience.

 

 

Most cruise lines don't allow irons. I'm surprised that yours was not confiscated.

 

Where did you read that she took an iron? :confused:

Edited October 4, 2014 by cruisemom42

We are planning our 5th long trip for next year. We've been on 33, 28, 34, 50, and an upcoming 39 night cruises-plus-land trips.

 

Like the OP, I perspire a lot in hot and humid climates. I have evolved to this type of wardrobe for climate and luggage weight:

 

Tops:

I bought several underslips of the thinnest fabric I could find and hemmed them into camis. Two were nightgowns.

 

I have collected a large wardrobe of chiffon/georgette fabric tops. Loose and breezy. Paired with the camis I can keep my top half as cool as possible.

 

I spritz them all from a bottle of Febreeze if they can be worn a second time. Otherwise, I will wash them like lingerie in the sink with shampoo or body wash, and hang them to dry. They dry in a few hours because the fabric is so light.

 

Jackets:

I have also collected about 10 chiffon/georgette open jackets in all kinds of colors, including several solid black. I take these for evenings. Several are very dressy and I wear them for formal nights.

 

Formal/dressy:

1 black or grey tea length georgette skirt (lined), depending on the jackets I take for formal nights.

I have a 3-piece seafoam pantsuit that I can wear the tank and pants with other jackets.

 

Bottoms:

Black knit slinky pants for any time, including formal nights. With matching tank top.

Brown knit slinky pants for evenings or day wear depending on climate. With matching tank top.

2 pair cotton capris in a linen blend for more air flow

2 pair black knit capris

 

Shoes:

1 pair walking shoes

1 pair walking sandals for hot weather (must be comfortable and cool; my feet dictate the temperature of my body)

1 pair black evening sandals

1 pair grey or taupe evening sandals, depending on colors I take for evening and formal

1 pair flip-flops in neutral color

 

My white, wide-brimmed straw hat. I ALWAYS take this hat. I also will put a clip on flower in the back of the brim to accent whatever blouse I'm taking.

 

White cotton jacket

Black knit vest (can be worn under or over the jacket for warmth)

 

Toiletries, undies, jammies

 

 

I bought many of my tops and jackets on ebay, and make alerations for a better fit. Here's a few examples:

Edited October 5, 2014 by pcur

I love the idea of the motion activated night light. Where did you get yours?

I love the idea of the motion activated night light. Where did you get yours?

 

Home Depot actually has some portable ones...

We are planning our 5th long trip for next year. We've been on 33, 28, 34, 50, and an upcoming 39 night cruises-plus-land trips.

 

Like the OP, I perspire a lot in hot and humid climates. I have evolved to this type of wardrobe for climate and luggage weight:

 

Tops:

I bought several underslips of the thinnest fabric I could find and hemmed them into camis. Two were nightgowns.

 

I have collected a large wardrobe of chiffon/georgette fabric tops. Loose and breezy. Paired with the camis I can keep my top half as cool as possible.

 

I spritz them all from a bottle of Febreeze if they can be worn a second time. Otherwise, I will wash them like lingerie in the sink with shampoo or body wash, and hang them to dry. They dry in a few hours because the fabric is so light.

 

Jackets:

I have also collected about 10 chiffon/georgette open jackets in all kinds of colors, including several solid black. I take these for evenings. Several are very dressy and I wear them for formal nights.

 

Formal/dressy:

1 black or grey tea length georgette skirt (lined), depending on the jackets I take for formal nights.

I have a 3-piece seafoam pantsuit that I can wear the tank and pants with other jackets.

 

Bottoms:

Black knit slinky pants for any time, including formal nights. With matching tank top.

Brown knit slinky pants for evenings or day wear depending on climate. With matching tank top.

2 pair cotton capris in a linen blend for more air flow

2 pair black knit capris

 

Shoes:

1 pair walking shoes

1 pair walking sandals for hot weather (must be comfortable and cool; my feet dictate the temperature of my body)

1 pair black evening sandals

1 pair grey or taupe evening sandals, depending on colors I take for evening and formal

1 pair flip-flops in neutral color

 

My white, wide-brimmed straw hat. I ALWAYS take this hat. I also will put a clip on flower in the back of the brim to accent whatever blouse I'm taking.

 

White cotton jacket

Black knit vest (can be worn under or over the jacket for warmth)

 

Toiletries, undies, jammies

 

 

I bought many of my tops and jackets on ebay, and make alerations for a better fit. Here's a few examples:

 

What a helpful post! Your detail added to the info from the original poster has really given me some good ideas for our next cruise. We will be in the Mediterranean for over a month and I want to have as many light weight options as possible. Thank you for posting your info and pictures.

Most helpful for the 83-night (23 formal nights) Africa Explorer cruise next September--THANKS!

terrific thread. Thanks for posting your thoughts, I'm going to look for a motion activated night light.;)

Thanks for sharing! Trip sounds awesome!

 

I bring those flameless candles and use them in the bathroom for the nighttime visits :). It's bright enough to see but not enough to wake you totally up.

Two other options for nightlights:

 

- Light sticks; you know, the type that you break, and they stay lit up for about 8 hours. We started using these as nightlights for the kids when we took them camping as toddlers. They're perfect for a cruise: they're bright enough that a kid feels comfortable having one in bed with him, but they don't shine in anyone's eyes or keep other people awake. They're enough light to get to the rest room. If you want a brighter light, drop them into a glass of water; it'll magnify the light.

 

- If you forget about nightlights entirely, all is not lost. Your stateroom TV has a clock channel. It's just a black background with a white analog clock. You can adjust the brightness up or down to suit yourself.

I have collected a large wardrobe of chiffon/georgette fabric tops.

Yes, I love lightweight breezy tops for cruises -- in part because they're so easy to wash out in the sink, and they dry in no time. I always bring my own shampoo . . . so that leaves the ship's stuff for laundry.

Another nightlight option is to take one of the little flat screen nightlights, and plug into the shaver outlet in the bathroom. It does not draw enough power to be a problem, yet it gives off enough of a green glow for you to see well.

 

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