How do you keep the luggage weight down?

TRY a TRIAL run see how it packs and takes up room or not!

The trial run is great...I have done that and can get everything in a 24" bag. My outfits are mostly Chico's Traverlers" brand and all color coordinated. Two pair of daytime pants, capri and long with matching jacket and vest, various tops that can be interchanged. Two pair of dressier pants for evening with several different tops & jackets. Cosmetics, all travel size. I have a carry on with personal items...meds, jewelry, camera, books, the normal stuff. Hubby will pack in the same size. I don't worry about lost luggage as we have a non-stop to London. I do plan on wearing some things more than once. With so many people on your ship who notices that you wore that item before, unless it is really tacy! I look forward to not overpacking and wearing everything I take...kind of a game. We will be gone 15 days. I pack everything in a bundle fashion and it really works well, very few wrinkles. Happy packing to all:D Sandy

My first trial run will be after the 4th of July. So far, I have "piles" of clothes that are ready to be packed, or that I am thinking about packing. As it gets closer, I will start to narrow it down more and more.

I just discovered this thread, and it's great. Thank you to all who contributed. It has so much good info, and was last posted in June, so I figured I would bump it up.

My first cruise I had no idea what to expect (didn't know about CC), so I packed EVERYTHING I could possibly need. And yes, I brought home things still folded/not worn. Boy, what a dummy I was!

I just booked a cruise that leaves in 12 days... yikes! But this thread makes me want to lay everything out tomorrow and look at it over several days. Now I am really getting excited!

p.s. I will never be one of those who takes old undies and throws them out... mine are too nice, pretty, costly to do that. Besides -- I think a dozen pairs would easily fit in one clenched hand... so that doesn't save much in my mind. Of course, my BF would prefer I not bring any....:eek:

I found ways to lighten items to save packing weight.

Brought the lightest bathing suit...YES, I weighed them, a few ounces difference. Took one, not two.

Changed my nook e-reader cover to a lighter one (Our carry-ons got weighed on the flight home). Did not take a single book.

I would rather have two tops for the same weight as just one choice, so I pack lighter weight tops.

I left jeans at home then- it was summer.

I am going to be going to British Isles, so one or two pair of jeans might go with me. Might pare back to one pair. I am going to weigh them, might look to buy a lighter weight jean. Might not have to, I know my jeans are way lighter than my husbands.

I am also going to pack a pair of two of my Columbia pants in different colors, especially if jeans don't go with me. They will go with everything.

I bought a pair of ultra light sneakers, love them!

My comfy Columbia beige pants will be worn on the planes rides.

I did buy a small travel hairdryer and I am tried of making do with the Princess ship ones that I kind of dislike enormously. I don't have to pack bras like most women, so I save some ounces there.

I do take gowns for formal night- just take the lightest weight ones. Trying to figure out shoes for entire trip now. I always choose my lightest weight dresses for dinner.

I left home my waterproofed high ankle boots for Alaska and didn't miss them....but upcoming seems a good time to take them....

I've noticed my travel purchases have included unique tops/shirts from different countries, (Mexico, Turkey, France- comes to mind) or scarves that I can wear to work, so I really can pack a little less and then wear any new purchases.

I was doing an experiment to find out how much shampoo I needed for 12 days....not done yet, this way I don't have to fill the bottle entirely to save weight.

Bernadette

what about the bags that you suction air out of? has anyone used those? I thought of it for next year since we have to fly, and i'm sure i can tip the room steward extra to use his vacuum when we leave to suck the air out again.

Get the bags that are like a big double-end ziplock bag (Dollar Tree). Fill, sit on to push out the air. I find them very helpful for packing, finding what I want while aboard, and repacking. Just don't pack so many that the weight goes up!

I know what I will wear each day, do mix and matching, take no electronics (won't use them, anyway) take refillable, environmentally friendly travel size bottles for shampoo, etc. One swimsuit that dries overnight and my cabin robe serves as coverup to and from the pool. I take no hair appliances, extension cords, etc. A large cloth bag is my dirty clothes hamper. On trips over 10 days, I will do some hand laundry.

I don't do formal so that saves significant space in my rolling carry-on. Most of my clothing is lightweight 100% cotton and packs easily. I don't care about wrinkles but don't get many as my clothes are not compressed from an overfilled suitcase.

I do take books as I like the tactile sensation of paper and the ability to pass them on when I am done with them.

How do I keep the weight down? Co-ordinate everything and lightweight fabrics. For trips of a week, I'm not so strict, but anything longer, tops must go with multiple bottoms and the other way around. We live by the saying that if you pack it, you deal with it. Lugging dead weight around isn't my idea of fun. I also think I dress differently from some of the packers I know. I have a friend and everything is "outfits"..this top goes with these pants and this jacket. And she'll end up taking 20 outfits. I'm much more of a mix and match girl.

 

For our upcoming trip to France, I'll have access to laundry at the start of week 3 - that will definitely play a role in my packing. We also have an apartment booked on the 4th floor, no elevators. I would like to be able to leave luggage in the car between destinations and it's can't be in sight. Tons of reasons not to overpack!!

We are spending 15 days in France before catching an 18 day cruise Rotterdam to Boston. Really going to have to be disciplined because of much more handling of luggage in and out of car/hotels/ and places without elevators. Ship no problem because of unlimited laundry. Hope that about day 6 of car trip will find a laundry.

I have a terrible time with weight and yes overpacking. I usually allow myself anything I want and pack it all in. Then weight the bag. I must keep it under 40 pounds because that is the maximum I can lift without hurting! Tears and Tantrums but I know that it MUST be under 40 pounds. It is in the privacy of the bedroom -- lifting bag up on bed/holder up two stairs or over cobblestones where it does not roll, up curbs and into the trunk that really make it hard. Once on ship -- or even just at dock -- those lovely strong men take my bag :D

Basically take 7 days in suitcase and a spare in carry-on. Mix and match and do laundry. AND REPEAT AFTER ME -- YOU SHOULD SEE ALL THE LOVELY OUTFITS I LEFT HOME:D:D:D

So, it's a B2B and you're flying -- still, you should easily be able to do do this in one large bag. We're planning our first B2B, and I've just done a bit of a "practice run", and I had no trouble fitting everything into a medium bag. I'm assuming a Caribbean cruise /warm weather. My thoughts:

- Make a list and be realistic about what you're going to want to wear. A list assures that you won't forget, for example, your husband's dark socks for dinners. For us, we spend a lot of time at the pool and take part in athletic/water-based excursions -- so I'm bringing 4 swimsuits /4 cover ups /a pair of water shoes. My husband's stuff is less washable-in-a-sink, so he's taking 5 swim trunks /5 matching tees /a pair of water shoes. Your personal mileage might vary on things like this, so that's why you should make your own list based upon your own expectations.

- I don't understand the concept of making everything for the whole trip "match". Instead, I pack "sets that match"; for example, a "set" might be orange shorts + white top w/ orange polka-dots + floral top with orange. This means the orange shorts will be used twice and the shirts each once. Since the shorts are only going to get two "wears", why should everything else in the suitcase match them? For a back-to-back, I'm packing four "sets" of shorts + 2 tops, meaning 8 shorts outfits.

- Still on the subject of daytime shorts outfits, I always wear the shorts for the first time for an at-sea day. They don't get hot and sweaty lounging around reading my book or in the casino. I always plan the shorts' second use to be an excursion day -- after that, they're ready for the dirty clothes basket.

- I'm going to take one pair of thin, brightly patterned pants and two silky tops to match. These things are as comfortable as sweatpants and are appropriate for breakfast, lunch, or a casual dinner in the MDR.

- For our B2B I'm thinking of packing 4 casual dresses and 5 dressy dresses (a couple of them cocktail dresses). This means I'll have four casual dresses that I can wear around the ship -- four casual dresses that I can wear to breakfast (before changing into a swimsuit for the majority of the day), etc. And those dresses would be okay for a casual dinner as well. Then I'll have 5 dressy dresses; since we average 2 room service or pizza dinners in a week, this means that each dressy dress will be worn twice -- once on the first leg, once on the second leg of the cruise. I kind of think I'm "over" on dresses -- though they easily fit into the medium suitcase, I think I may leave two.

- Because we're cruising in the fall, I'm going to wear a lightweight pink sweater as we board -- it'll match two of my casual dresses. And I'm going to take a lightweight denim shirt that'll work as a light top over any of my shorts outfits. In the past I've never really used my pashima wraps, so they'll all stay home.

- Bras and underwear take up more space than you expect. I'm going to take, I think, six sets ... and wash them in the sink. Again, minutes.

- I have some severe foot problems that mean I have to be very careful of my shoes. If I "break the rules", I will suffer the next day, so I'm definitely not willing to do that on a cruise. I'm thinking of taking three pairs of sandals that'll work with all my daytime outfits, including the casual dresses. One pair will work with the dressier dresses -- I'd prefer strappy heeled sandals, but the wedge sandals will have to do. Walking the next day matters more. I'm leaning towards long dresses for dressier evenings; this means my shoes will "show less".

- In addition to the carefully-chosen sandals, which will comprise the majority of my shoe wear, I'll also take a pair of tennis shoes (I'll wear them onboard, as they're the most chunky of the shoes), and I'll take a pair of water shoes.

- Finally, I'm packing two nightgowns for a B2B ... and one pair of yoga pants with two floppy, oversized tee-shirts for lounging in the room in the afternoon after an excursion. They're decent enough for a quick trip to the buffet or a bar.

This is more than I'd take for a one-week, but I think it's going to be "just right" for a B2B. I'd plan to send the shorts out to the laundry on the first week of the B2B when the "laundry special" comes around, and I'd spend 10 minutes washing some things in the sink 2-3 times during the week.

The stuff beyond clothing and shoes takes up more space. Clothing, when folded nicely, takes up only a modest amount of space. It's the other stuff that kills you:

- I agree that I'd bring my own snorkel and mask (assuming, of course, you've planned that type of excursion). Using something that's been in someone else's mouth ... ewww. But I'd use their fins.

- I don't have any problem using the blow dryer in the room. I don't see any substitute for the hair straightener you list as a "must have", but it's also not all that big an item. Don't neglect some hair pins, etc. in case you want to do an up-do to keep your hair off your neck in hot weather.

- I'll bring one big, floppy sun hat; I'll wear it onboard. And I'll pack a ball cap. If it rains on an island day, my husband and I are both fine with getting wet -- as long as we can keep the rain off our faces.

- If we fly, we send a package of toiletries to ourselves at our night-before hotel (do make a call and verify that they'll accept packages marked "hold for __ on __ date" -- I've never had a problem). This excuses you from packing liquids of any type; on a B2B you'll definitely need more sunscreen than the TSA will allow you to bring on a plane. A similar option: Mail yourself an Amazon package with the toiletries you'll want. At the end of the cruise, I just leave all my toiletries in the bathroom to be tossed. One less thing, you know.

- On a cruise, on just-sunned-skin, I like to use tinted moisturizer instead of the base makeup I use at home. I bring eye make-up but nothing else -- it seems "just right". And since you're supposed to switch out your eye make-up every six months anyway, I bring along make-up that's at the end of its life span and dump it at the end of the cruise. Similarly, I use a prescription eye drop every day; I'll bring an almost-empty bottle onboard. Again, less to bring home.

- I'm a voracious reader and could easily read 4-5 books in a one week cruise -- so I adore my Kindle. We'll bring an iPad with some movies uploaded, but we won't bring a big laptop, and we don't need any other electronics. I'll bring a real camera; I use phone cameras for "should I buy you this shirt?" but not for real pictures.

- We don't bring a bunch of stuff that'd be handy for a few moments here and there -- but overall doesn't earn its space: For example, a clock. A cell phone or a wake-up call completes the same function. We don't bring our own cups or storage holders or bottled water or the so-many-other-things that are possibly useful for a few minutes, but aren't worth the toting on /toting off the ship.

- My husband brings a backpack as his personal bag; I bring a tote bag. On island stops, we bring one or the other bag -- both are big enough to carry our on-shore needs, and by carrying different bags, we're ready for either a beach day OR a tour. In our personal bags, we pack cash and documents, medicines, jewelry, and electronics. Because he's diabetic and sometimes needs an appropriate snack RIGHT NOW, we bring a few pre-packaged snacks for taking ashore.

Just an FYI I to those quoting....this is a 6 year old thread that was resurrected, so the person you are quoting may or may not respond.

Great tips, MrsPete. I did want to respond to the "everything matching Vs capsules" -having almost everything match just gives more options -if those orange shorts can't be worn again (they get wet, you spill, the zipper breaks) you may end up with two unserviceable tops. I usually bring solid, neutral bottoms and the n most tops will "go". This cruise I am bringing a combination of shorts, skorts, and capris in Black and White. All my tops will go with several bottoms. For me, this does result in fewer items overall.

Whatever's Clean 13 is an interesting concept on the Vivienne Files. Here's a rather boring Black, White, Beige version. http://www.theviviennefiles.com/2013/02/13-81-or-whatevers-clean-summer-wardrobe.html?m=1

And a more colorful version http://www.theviviennefiles.com/2015/05/how-to-pack-light-whatevers-clean-13.html?m=1

I picked out plenty of tops for my next cruise and total they weigh under 6 pounds. I bought the size down from my normal case which would save me 1.5 pounds of weight...

I have to see if everything can fit to use that case...too early to tell...

Bernadette

I once had backpacking expert advise that if you keep the ounces down, the pounds will take care of themselves. Consider each item, whether it can be left at home or if a lighter substitute is available.

Simple life, I put pieces of clothing on a little scale. I prefer choices, so I'd rather take two items rather than 1 for the same weight. Backpack expert was correct!

We always bring an empty carry-on to transport any purchases on the way back home. The heaviest things go in there. We just came back from a land tour where we couldn't even have a rolling carry-on, just one suitcase each. So I brought my tote on the bus (I also use it on the plane to keep under the seat in front of me) and the empty carry-on was a nylon duffel that could be folded up in a suitcase. We did most of our shopping at the last city we visited.

so I'm bringing 4 swimsuits /4 cover ups

 

 

you'll definitely need more sunscreen than the TSA will allow you to bring on a plane.

Is it really necessary to bring a separate cover up for each swimsuit? :confused:

Seems like an obvious place to cut down IMHO.

And you can bring a full-sized sunscreen bottle on a plane; just put it in your checked bag instead of carry-on.

I use one cover up no matter how many bathing suits I might bring.

Dumb question perhaps, but doesn't a reversible skirt weigh as much as 2 separate skirts???

Why would it? I have a reversible winter jacket and it doesn't weight more than one single jacket.

After WAY overpacking for a European trip, I made it my mission to pack light but still look great. My tips:

-I pack according to a color scheme. For me, its blue, purple, pink, orange, gray & black. Everything I bring is in those colors. This allows me to mix & match & expand my limited wardrobe.

-I buy dresses from this etsy vendor (Nuichan). She makes gorgeous dresses that are long, have nice flowing sleeves and can be rolled up into a ball for travel. I adore these dresses and get compliments every time I wear them.

-Heaviest on the plane. I wear my boots, skinny jeans & sweater dress on the plane. The shoes I pack are some sort of strappy sandals (for formal night) and some comfortable walking shoes (I'm fond of leather Sketchers or Clarks).

As to what I actually wear on these trips? Lots of leggings & jeggings with tunics or short dresses (normally a few inches above the knee) as well as a few sweaters & knit tops with knit pants or skirts. I alternate my boots & shoes. I take outfit pics every day I'm on a trip and overall, when I look back, I feel like I look appropriate & comfortable.

I use one cover up no matter how many bathing suits I might bring.

I use one coverup and that coverup is also my bathrobe/spare nightgown/and usually a day wear dress. I prefer a knit midi dress with pockets and hopefully cotton material that is soft. I just got a Calvin Kline knit dress with maxi length, lace halter top and a pretty belt waistline. Throw on a lace top jacket and you go to dinner too! My rash guard for tropical swimming and touring is a zippered coat and it is used for warmth as well as sun protection and as an additional layer under a jacket. Multipurpose items get more trips than items that are only used once -- like a gala dress.

Great tips, MrsPete. I did want to respond to the "everything matching Vs capsules" -having almost everything match just gives more options -if those orange shorts can't be worn again (they get wet, you spill, the zipper breaks) you may end up with two unserviceable tops.

I see the point, but I'm still not into the everything-must-be-one-color-scheme concept. Maybe because I'm not much into neutrals, nor do I want to commit to orange for the whole trip.

Is it really necessary to bring a separate cover up for each swimsuit? :confused:

Seems like an obvious place to cut down IMHO.

 

And you can bring a full-sized sunscreen bottle on a plane; just put it in your checked bag instead of carry-on.

I'd say that if you're using a swim cover-up just for the walk from your room to the pool, yeah -- you could use it again and again. However, if you wear that cover-up for a day's island excursion, it's going to be hot and sweaty, and I wouldn't re-wear it. Unless, of course, it'd been washed.

I don't check luggage. Ever.

I use one cover up no matter how many bathing suits I might bring.

Me too......one coverup is enough for me.