Packing your bags

How early do you start packing? Weeks,months? or days?

I try to start atleast a week ahead. However, I sail at the end of February and I have started to gather some things I will take.

How early do you start packing? Weeks,months? or days?

We get the toiletries, shoes and accessories organised and in the suitcase a week or so before we leave, and add the clothes the day before, to keep them nice and fresh. I wouldn't pack too early.

Depends on where we're going. I usually pack the night before we leave.

We have start laying things in the guestroom a few weeks in advance. then we go through it and eliminate a few things and add a few things. All cameras / chargers / electronics are put in one area of the bed so nothing gets left behind

final pack is the day before we leave for the airport or if we are driving we pack the car up the night before

Depends on where we're going. I usually pack the night before we leave.

This is me - afternoon/night before.

My other half (better half?) likes to start a few days out though.

Dan.

#1: I start hanging the possible outfit "contenders" on the "cruise side" of the closet weeks to months in advance.

#2: About 3 weeks out I will start laying outfits together on the bed to see what I need and what can be eliminated.

#3: About 2 weeks out, I try each outfit on with shoes and accessories to make the final decision. I then, do a trial run of packing to make sure it all fits in the carry-on. Unpack and lay the outfits aside or hang up.

#4: Then, FINALLY 3-4 days out from cruise, the last step of ironing and packing into suitcase

It builds up the excitement to go in steps. Friends and family think I may be a bit crazy, but its FUN !!

Happy Packing !!

PS: the toiletry bag is always packed, for that "spur of the moment" trip, so those must have items are not forgotten. Just add to it as needed during the planning.

Day before/day of (we live 15 min from Port Everglades). If I start earlier I over think, second guess myself which leads to over packing.

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It's never too early to start. A checklist is your best friend.

#1: I start hanging the possible outfit "contenders" on the "cruise side" of the closet weeks to months in advance.

#2: About 3 weeks out I will start laying outfits together on the bed to see what I need and what can be eliminated.

#3: About 2 weeks out, I try each outfit on with shoes and accessories to make the final decision. I then, do a trial run of packing to make sure it all fits in the carry-on. Unpack and lay the outfits aside or hang up.

#4: Then, FINALLY 3-4 days out from cruise, the last step of ironing and packing into suitcase

 

 

It builds up the excitement to go in steps. Friends and family think I may be a bit crazy, but its FUN !!

Happy Packing !!

 

PS: the toiletry bag is always packed, for that "spur of the moment" trip, so those must have items are not forgotten. Just add to it as needed during the planning.

It's never too early to start. A checklist is your best friend.

I follow the patterns of the PPs quoted above.

It helps that we are in a cold climate, and head south to cruise in the warmth. As a result, I'll set aside the warm weather clothes whenever I'm dreaming of sunshine. I will also set aside one suitcase that holds a lot of cruise-related needs. I'll toss in our sandals (not much use with the four inches of snow outside in the yard) and hats and sunscreen.

Then two weeks before departure I'll do a full inventory and usually toss some items overboard. The actual packing will be two days before departure, except for the formal night clothes. They'll often go in the day of departure.

Too early. Lets just say we cruise in March. After I hit the mall last week and my previous spot of stuff I was "collecting" ran out of space, I just threw it all in a suitcase behind my closet door.

Granted I live in the frigid midwest and I won't need a single one of these items til about June.

We try to vacation 3-4 times/year. I don't bother unpacking the carry-on. When I go down stairs to the family room it's a happy reminder there on the loveseat, open and ready for the next trip:D When we went to Florida over Christmas break I threw the cloths into the larger suitcase the night before :)

I get the clothes together, but don't pack until we're ready to leave...less creases if you don't pack too early!

#1: I start hanging the possible outfit "contenders" on the "cruise side" of the closet weeks to months in advance.

 

#2: About 3 weeks out I will start laying outfits together on the bed to see what I need and what can be eliminated.

 

#3: About 2 weeks out, I try each outfit on with shoes and accessories to make the final decision. I then, do a trial run of packing to make sure it all fits in the carry-on. Unpack and lay the outfits aside or hang up.

 

#4: Then, FINALLY 3-4 days out from cruise, the last step of ironing and packing into suitcase

 

 

 

 

 

It builds up the excitement to go in steps. Friends and family think I may be a bit crazy, but its FUN !!

 

Happy Packing !!

 

 

 

PS: the toiletry bag is always packed, for that "spur of the moment" trip, so those must have items are not forgotten. Just add to it as needed during the planning.

I pack very similar to this. On the last cruise I also made a list of general things I would be doing each day and what I would wear so I didn't overpack, it really helped me eliminate some things because I always pack way too much. However , I don't iron. And I don't do the trial packing. I will make it all fit one way or another!! I am cruising in late July and have already started mentally planning!

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We have start laying things in the guestroom a few weeks in advance. then we go through it and eliminate a few things and add a few things. All cameras / chargers / electronics are put in one area of the bed so nothing gets left behind

 

final pack is the day before we leave for the airport or if we are driving we pack the car up the night before

We do it exactly the same way. If I pack too early, I start re-thinking my choices, adding "just in case" pieces of clothing and changing things out. Before I know what is happening, I have everything in the luggage back out on the bed and I'm re-packing from scratch. I put a post it note on my empty, open luggage now. It says, "Not to be packed until the day before we leave. Don't deviate from the plan." :D

I start a box of "Things I won't need until the trip, but don't want to forget" Passport, cufflink and stud set, lanyard, stuff like that. That way when I think of something, I can drop it in the box at that time.

Couple of hours before I leave. :)

I do go by a packing list.

About three days before leaving my wife says "Don't put anything in the wash that you want to take." She does the actual packing the night before we leave. I lay out my clothes during the day and then disappear for the evening until I'm called to weight the suitcases. Works well for us :D :D :D

How early do you start packing? Weeks,months? or days?

Some things stay in cases from one cruise to the next. I usually finish when luggage tags are printed

I started packing a couple weeks ago for our cruise in March:)

Day before/day of (we live 15 min from Port Everglades). If I start earlier I over think, second guess myself which leads to over packing.

 

 

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Agree. I used to start packing a week or prior, setting out a suitcase in the spare bedroom and gradually adding/removing things. I thought it made me more excited about the vacation knowing it was coming up shortly and I was already preparing for it. But I always over packed. I had way too many outfits and shoes I never wore. Last year we did a "last minute" cruise, meaning we decided at 4pm on Thursday to sail on Saturday (and we had to drive from Michigan to Port Canaveral!) So I literally only had a couple hours to pack. It ended up being the best ever. I knew exactly what I needed, remembering all essentials, and yet didnt over pack. I actually found it less stressful with less time to him-haw about what I was going to pack. Go figure!

I start packing about twice as many day ahead as the length of the cruise.

Actual packing, the day or night before. I do start hanging possibles in a certain area of the closet sometime in the week before, and check if I need any smaller sized toiletries.

How early do you start packing? Weeks,months? or days?

We take cruises longer than a week. I start making a packing list as soon as I book a cruise, tweaking the list as time goes on. But I don't start actually packing until 2 or 3 days before the cruise.