Packing

How far in advance do you start packing for a world cruise?

For us the answer depends on the timing of the World Cruise and whether or not we will be shipping any luggage.

We first make a list of all items we will take with us about four months before the start of the World Cruise. Even before that we have been identifying any items we need to purchase in the way of clothing. For cosmetics/toiletries we begin that process even earlier and try to have pretty much everything purchased five or six months before the cruise.

In general, because we do ship some items we pack about six weeks before we leave home. We also list each and every item that goes into each suitcase which takes time.

We could certainly not do things so early but the last couple of weeks we are focused on other items and by starting all of this early you minimize forgetting anything.

Keith

Depends on the definition of packing. I have two dresser drawers that are just for my world cruise stuff. I started filling up the drawers in April for my cruise this coming January. As I purchased cloths and other stuff for the trip, they went right into one of the drawers.

I'm almost done and will just transfer everything to my suitcases a few days before. Luckily I can drive to the port and will not need to worry about airlines restrictions.:D

Don

Don, my definition of packing was the physical packing. We begin the process much earlier by selecting the items and staging them.

I'm afraid two dresser draws would not work for us. I think my wife's shoes would fill up the entire dresser. :) Well maybe that is an exaggeration but with what we take it fills up a lot. And I do mean a lot.

Keith

Goodness! You've got me worried now. I've made a list of a few things we should check like visas, vaccinations etc, otherwise we've not done anything. Why do you start so far in advance of your holiday? We're only taking the stuff (clothes) that we would normally take plus a little extra. We'll use the laundry a lot. The longest list will probably be the checklist for all the leads and adapters that we'll need!

Goodness! You've got me worried now. I've made a list of a few things we should check like visas' date=' vaccinations etc, otherwise we've not done anything. Why do you start so far in advance of your holiday? We're only taking the stuff (clothes) that we would normally take plus a little extra. We'll use the laundry a lot. The longest list will probably be the checklist for all the leads and adapters that we'll need![/quote']

 

Sure you can take less but if you are on a 100+ day world cruise you will find that you can easily be bored with what you take if you take less clothing. So we take more than a little extra.

 

We start the planning many months in advance such as reading about each port of call and figuring out what we will do.

 

We take eight pieces of luggage for the two of us.

 

One is pretty much full of cosmetics and toiletries and medication.

 

On average you'll see about six pieces per couple.

 

Keith

Oh dear! We've only got three suitcases lol.

I'll probably put on so much weight I'll have to ditch most of my clothes and buy new as we travel around. Sorted!! 😃

I started a "cruise closet" after I watched the first Cunard World Voyage video of 2012 that came out about a year ago. I also bought a couple of the underbed plastic storage containers to keep odds and ends and have a shoe organizer to keep them straight. I'm taking virtually no toiletries and will buy some in Southampton and the rest in Fort Lauderdale to cut down the weight of my bags. I weighed my clothes the other day so I would get a better idea of whether I would need to start with 3 or 4 suitcases (I know I will come home with one extra for the "stuff" I will accumulate along the way). I think I can easily make it with 3 (if I don't buy too much more:eek:). I have probably a dozen different lists going of various things I have to do.

I'm thinking I will actually start putting things in suitcases about 10 days out. I'm hoping that it will go smoothly!

Don, I envy you being able to drive to the port!

My first world cruise I started to pack a month before. At the last minute I had to order two more luggages. We took 13 plus two carry on

Last year I started to pack two weeks before. We took nine luggages plus two carry on.

This year was four months cruise plus a round trip by train. I started to pack a week before. We took nine luggages plus two carry on.

I became a pro for a world cruise packing :D.

Have a fantastic evening :)

Marie

Oh dear! We've only got three suitcases lol.

I'll probably put on so much weight I'll have to ditch most of my clothes and buy new as we travel around. Sorted!! 😃

I have known some people who deal with this in two ways.

On couple we met on a couple of world cruises brought three sets of clothes to accommodate their weight gains. When they got home they lost what they gained and then did the same thing the following year.

Another couple we know the gent ate a lot the first 30 days and low and behold he had to purchase clothes in some of the ports as he outgrew many of his current ones.

For us, we actually were concerned on our first world cruise that we might gain weight so we actually each lost some weight. :)

My goal is always simple. I want to leave the ship at the same weight I boarded at and I actually do and if I don't I have lost a few pounds.

Keith

I started a "cruise closet" after I watched the first Cunard World Voyage video of 2012 that came out about a year ago. I also bought a couple of the underbed plastic storage containers to keep odds and ends and have a shoe organizer to keep them straight. I'm taking virtually no toiletries and will buy some in Southampton and the rest in Fort Lauderdale to cut down the weight of my bags. I weighed my clothes the other day so I would get a better idea of whether I would need to start with 3 or 4 suitcases (I know I will come home with one extra for the "stuff" I will accumulate along the way). I think I can easily make it with 3 (if I don't buy too much more:eek:). I have probably a dozen different lists going of various things I have to do.

 

I'm thinking I will actually start putting things in suitcases about 10 days out. I'm hoping that it will go smoothly!

 

Don, I envy you being able to drive to the port!

One trick we do is that between the two of us we take about one suitcase with the cosmetics/toiletries and over the counter medications. It has all of those related items except for any items we don't want to take on the plane such as certain liquids. We then can use that suitcase on our return for any items we purchased since we bring home very little of what started in that suitcase.

We do take more than we have to but again so we don't get bored with what we have taken. We do consider the closet space and other storage space when we pack.

We don't sweat it through and if we needed to take one more we would because in the scheme of things paying for one more suitcase is fine relative to the total costs of the world cruise. :)

Plus we do get some reimbursement from the cruise line. Not 100% but some.

Keith

Well, I have not taken a World Cruise but have taken long trips otherwise. The most I ever pack for is two weeks. Someone said something about getting bored with what you wear. I have been wearing the same thing for almost 20 years. ( I am 49) I wear khakis and a polo or button down casual shirt. I then have suits for when they are needed. I am comfortable and until my wife complains I see no change. I don't think anyone pays any attention to what I am wearing as long as it is clean and in good shape.