Packing in a carry on... Yay or nay?

I'm leaving for the carnival breeze at the end of the month, and I've been toying around with the idea of packing me and my husband with just a carry on size suitcase each. I know it seems crazy, I'm a notorious overpacker, but I've gotten better! We used to take 1 checked bag each, now it's one for the both of us for a week long trip. I was thinking of our last trip where I took so much stuff and most of it stayed unworn. And I don't think anyone will notice if I wear the same thing on both elegant nights, and if they do I don't really care.

I also am platinum, so I can send off a few bags of free laundry. I really think I can do it if I'm realistic with what I actually wear on vacation.

I have been around the world with just a carry-on and a backpack.

Do a couple of practice runs before your cruise. Get your carry-on out and put in only those things you absolutely have to pack. Any room left over is for "like to have, but not critical" items.

Good luck and safe travels!

We do it almost every cruise. The few cruises we've checked luggage has been the ones where we take our snorkel gear.

A few tips---

Mix and Match

Limit your shoes

Limit your color palate

Wash your clothes, Febreeze can be your friend

No problem repeating clothes

Pack to the size of your suitcase

Edit Edit Edit

Bring only enough toiletries.

The fashion and beauty board has lots of threads on packing light.

Also look at Lady Light Travel and

The Vivienne Files

If you travel without checked bags, do you still have to place the carry-ons in the hall the night before disembarkment?

Not a chance for me, I want plenty of clothes and we are am driving. Plus, with our dive bags, we have luggage anyways. We're on a cruise, why restrict ourselves?

How many shoes would you take in your carry on? I would wear my sneakers on the plane, and I would take a pair of flip flops. I would take a pair of black low heels for elegant night, and I would like to take another pair of more casual sandals for the other nights. If the sandals are flat it shouldn't take much room... Hmm...

Although what do you do about sunblock? I burn to a crisp, I need my sunblock. Do you just buy it when you land?

Why bother, so much easier to check it.

It's the only way to travel.

We go away for 6 weeks with carry ons

and month long cruises ( no formal.)

If you travel without checked bags, do you still have to place the carry-ons in the hall the night before disembarkment?

Only if you want to.

Many don't want to hassle taking anything larger than a tote off the ship. Others have no problem taking everything off with them.

Here's one thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2253996

I really think I can do it if I'm realistic with what I actually wear on vacation.

I think the key to this is what your clothing personality is at home. Some people just don't wear a lot of different clothes...others find joy in the variety. Your weekly laundry burden should be an indication of whether or not the carry on only method would well for you.

Our biggest challenge is usually toiletry related, but we have since collected a variety of appropriate travel sized containers that literally hold one week's worth of product.

I'm one of those people that doesn't wear a variety of clothing. I enjoy wearing my favorites over and over again, I'm not inspired to wear something different all the time. I have since reduced my wardrobe in general and so packing what others would call a more minimalist wardrobe is very natural and in keeping with who I am.

Packing method can also make all the difference in the success of your endeavor. We started using packing cubes, which made it very easy to pack things that can withstand being packed TIGHT packed very tight and to the max (underwear, sleeping wear, exercise/tech fabric clothing, most swim wear, socks, etc.) and then to pack those things that would benefit from a bit more breathing room more loosely.

If you were to google the KonMari Method and relate that to packing cubes, you will find yourself slightly amazed at how much clothing you are able to fit into a carry on.

I caution against packing too few shoes...minimalist that I am, shoes are one thing that I find necessarily to have in a variety. My feet can swell and change and I have other issues that benefit from changing my shoe style during the day and from day to day. Generally, I find that having happy feet more than makes up for the fact that I might be rewearing something else somewhere else on my body.

We have done carry-on only to many places (land-tours) and three-almost-four cruises. 7-day Alaska (with 2 weeks self-drive after), 14-day Panama Canal, and 26-day TransAtlantic/Western Med entirely carry-on and 14-day Cape Horn with one-carry-on apiece plus one carry-on-sized hard-shell case checked, shared between three adults. The checked 21" bag held MDR dinner clothes, a third pair of shoes each, and down vests we never wore. So if that bag had NOT made it, we'd have been OK!

Why carry-on only? Having all our luggage with us allowed us to switch ON THE SPOT to an earlier plane (it was in last-stage boarding) when the monitors showed that our later plane had a TWO HOUR delay that would have meant we'd miss our connection to Europe.

On the way back from the above mentioned S.A. cruise, we were tired and decided to check all four carry-on-sized bags. Sure enough, my husband's did not pop out on the carousel at LAX! If that had been on the way TO the cruise, even cross-packed, it would have been a bummer.

And of course, being able to carry all your bags (we each take a daypack for our "personal item") means you can self-disembark EARLY.

Like you Soozles -- we did not start out packing this light. We used to take 26" pullmans AND carry-ons... Sometimes I would pack an empty box in the suitcase and fill the space with souvenirs! Then we got so we could take just one pullman and two carry-ons. One flight to Ireland, the pullman did not arrive with us (it was delivered to the hotel later) and I realized, we would be OK with what was in the carry-ons! they were that well thought out. That was a breakthrough.

Sure you can......there are people who travel for weeks and weeks with just a carry on. I've done it for a week's vacation, and could certainly do it for longer if I could get laundry done.

If you travel without checked bags, do you still have to place the carry-ons in the hall the night before disembarkment?

It is always your choice as to how much or how little you put in the hall the night before. You can put everything out there, or you can choose to carry it all off yourself, or something in between.

Are these the packing cubes everyone is talking about ? http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/packing-cubes-4pc-classic-plus-set/297340?productid=10371833

I don't understand how that really lets you pack more, aren't you just organizing it better? You would still get the same stuff in there, no?

I've contemplated it, and I've even purchased multiples of TSA carry-on sized sunblock in anticipation of doing it. I then packed my husband's suit and dress shoes, and they essentially took up most of one bag.

At that point, I just said, "Why am I agonizing over this?"

When mixing and matching do you re-wear shirts/tops? How many times do you re-wear bottoms? I am a total over packer but I am really, really trying to pack light this time. The problem I am having is I keep thinking I shouldn't be wearing the same shirt/top twice. Well on an 8 day cruise plus two nights pre cruise all those tshirts take up a lot of space and add a lot of weight. Then I think...who cares if I wear them again! I know I can always do laundry at some point but I'm not sure if I wanna do that.

When mixing and matching do you re-wear shirts/tops? How many times do you re-wear bottoms? I am a total over packer but I am really, really trying to pack light this time. The problem I am having is I keep thinking I shouldn't be wearing the same shirt/top twice. Well on an 8 day cruise plus two nights pre cruise all those tshirts take up a lot of space and add a lot of weight. Then I think...who cares if I wear them again! I know I can always do laundry at some point but I'm not sure if I wanna do that.

I don't mind rewearing pants and tops. Considering I spend most of my day in a swimsuit and coverup, I'm only in the clothes for maybe a couple hours a day. We aren't excursion people, we mainly just go to the beach in port. My husband definitely doesn't mind, he wouldn't even notice, tbh. Our last trip I must have packed him 5 pairs of shorts and he only wore 2 the entire week.

When mixing and matching do you re-wear shirts/tops? How many times do you re-wear bottoms? I am a total over packer but I am really, really trying to pack light this time. The problem I am having is I keep thinking I shouldn't be wearing the same shirt/top twice. Well on an 8 day cruise plus two nights pre cruise all those tshirts take up a lot of space and add a lot of weight. Then I think...who cares if I wear them again! I know I can always do laundry at some point but I'm not sure if I wanna do that.

Yes I re-wear my clothes on vacation - just like I do at home - unless they're stained. The idea of not wanting to wear the same thing I wore 2 or 3 days ago, or only wearing something once between washings is strange to me. (Of course, I'm not talking about underwear.) I unfortunately have a tendency to wear what I eat, so I do often need to take a lot of tops - but it's because of my frequent messiness, not because I don't want to be seen in the same thing.

Are these the packing cubes everyone is talking about ? http://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/packing-cubes-4pc-classic-plus-set/297340?productid=10371833

 

I don't understand how that really lets you pack more, aren't you just organizing it better? You would still get the same stuff in there, no?

Have those and other types.

It depends on HOW you pack them.

I roll shirts and underwear, practically over stuff the cube then zip it closed. Pants are either rolled or folded, or bundle wrapped. I use an assortment of packing cubes, pouches and maybe a packing folder.

Sis uses a different method. She uses a combo of cubes, pouches and Space bags. She likes that the Space bag condensed down real small. I do not like Space bags because they get an odd shape when condensed.

Cubes are also good for organizing. Sometimes things are organized by type, other times by activity. Fancy clothes, road-trip-to-cruise clothes, etc. They're also excellent for duffle bags.

Lots of people do it.......here are 3 other threads with that same question:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2253996&highlight=carry+on+only

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2163164&highlight=carry+on+only

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2105367&highlight=carry+on+only

I travel on my own and choose to bring 1 checked bag and 1 carry on.

Different strokes for different folks:)

A reason to pack carryon

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-05/malaysia-airlines-temporarily-bans-checked-baggage/7069632

A reason to pack carryon

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-05/malaysia-airlines-temporarily-bans-checked-baggage/7069632

If I were flying somewhere on Malaysian Airlines soon, I'd probably be worried about more than just getting my suitcase aboard.... :eek:;)

I think the key to this is what your clothing personality is at home. Some people just don't wear a lot of different clothes...others find joy in the variety. Your weekly laundry burden should be an indication of whether or not the carry on only method would well for you.

 

Our biggest challenge is usually toiletry related, but we have since collected a variety of appropriate travel sized containers that literally hold one week's worth of product.

 

I'm one of those people that doesn't wear a variety of clothing. I enjoy wearing my favorites over and over again, I'm not inspired to wear something different all the time. I have since reduced my wardrobe in general and so packing what others would call a more minimalist wardrobe is very natural and in keeping with who I am.

 

Packing method can also make all the difference in the success of your endeavor. We started using packing cubes, which made it very easy to pack things that can withstand being packed TIGHT packed very tight and to the max (underwear, sleeping wear, exercise/tech fabric clothing, most swim wear, socks, etc.) and then to pack those things that would benefit from a bit more breathing room more loosely.

 

If you were to google the KonMari Method and relate that to packing cubes, you will find yourself slightly amazed at how much clothing you are able to fit into a carry on.

 

I caution against packing too few shoes...minimalist that I am, shoes are one thing that I find necessarily to have in a variety. My feet can swell and change and I have other issues that benefit from changing my shoe style during the day and from day to day. Generally, I find that having happy feet more than makes up for the fact that I might be rewearing something else somewhere else on my body.

Wow, are you my twin? I feel like I could have written everything you wrote, except for the shoes. I am not that particular about my shoes but I don't have feet swelling issues. It's my stomach that does LOL ( I love my leggings and elastic waist!) I take one tennis shoes for working out, two pairs of flip flops (since they hardly take up any space, one old one for beach, and other for the ship) and one pair of high heels that matches my evening dress. I stick to one color family. Or, cool tones or warm tones.

I too find that it's my makeup and toiletries that restrict me from doing just a carry on. I just don't want to skimp on bad quality hair products and my favorite lotions and potions for my face. For my last overnight trip with my daughter, our toiletry took half of our luggage.

I incorporated the KonMarie method of decluttering in Dec after months of thinking about it. In short, I was never happier having less things in my house!

Not a chance for me, I want plenty of clothes and we are am driving. Plus, with our dive bags, we have luggage anyways. We're on a cruise, why restrict ourselves?

We have always thought like this. But this cruise is a very short 5 day for us to the Bahamas out of our home port. So I figured what the heck- I am not exactly feeling attractive right now- so why bother packing a ton of products and pretty clothes. I think we will be able to carry on everything we need in three small rollers and a small back pack (and my new way so hot walking stick:-(