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How Many of you cruise with only carry on luggag?


kelbre
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We are headed on Freedom of the Seas on March 15th sailing and i am seriously considering taking inly carryon luggage, as in one small rolling carryon and a small tote.we will be flyong out of northestern Ontario, staying in Orlando for 3 nights prior to boardi the ship. Part of my reasoning is the cost to check bags,and also, i recently went on a 5 day trip to Cancun, had a delay leaving and didn't get my checked bag until two days after i got home. I have a long history of over-packing but this will be our 6th cruise & i think i hve finally figured out i onky need to take half of ehat i think i will need, lol!! So, how many of you travel only with carryon luggage? I have watched a bumch of youtube videos in the past while and i'm going to do a practice pack this weekend and see if i can do it!!! Some people wek ow just got to mexico yesterday (fliying direct out of their departure city and the airline lost all 3 of their suitcases, ugh!!

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated:) thanks!!

Kathy

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There are quite a few of us who "travel light." Just do a quick search here. There are a few recent threads on the subject.

I do carryon even when I go to places other than Caribbean; going for 2 weeks to Italy (land trip) the end of April - will be doing carryon.

 

It has to do with having clothes that pack light and travel well, and a function of just how many pairs of shoes/pants/dresses/makeup, etc you REALLY need. If you come home from a trip and have not worn everything you took, you've packed too much. No packing all that "just in case" stuff everyone lists here…

 

I travel solo and I want to be able to take whatever transportation I need to and walk wherever I need to without worrying about lugging a huge suitcase. And, I dress well (traveling light does NOT mean you have to dress and look like a slob).

 

To each her own ;)

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If I have to fly to a port, then I do my best to travel only with carry-on luggage and almost have it down to a science. We have two trips to Alaska planned this year, so I'd be interested to know if any of my travel-light sisters and brothers have a list for that adventure.:)

 

As slidergirl said, you don't have to wear sloppy clothes to travel light - coordinating separates is the key. Clothes are the easy part for me - I need to work on cutting down some of the heavy accessories like electronic devices. My new photography habit weighs a lot.:)

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I agree with critterchick - it's not so much the clothes as the other "stuff". Last cruise, my clothes took up only about half the suitcase but after putting in the bits and bobs, the suitcase was full (and I only took two pairs of shoes).

 

Kudos to those of you who can travel with just a carry-on.

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Good for you for trying! That was my plan originally for our upcoming cruise but the shopping got away on me and I have 10 outfits for daytime, 5 dinner or dressier outfits, and 4 dresses for formal nights. Mind you, the cruise we are going on is 24 days and we are spending a number of days in Europe prior to and after the cruise. I tried to choose lightweight, non wrinkling fabrics and the plan is to pack some in my carry on, some in my daughter's suitcase and the rest in my own in case some luggage gets lost.

 

By the way, hello from one Northwestern Ontario northerner to another. =)

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We travel for 6 weeks at a time and only take one carry on and one tote type bag.

We don't mind washing what's necessary in our bathroom sink or sending it out.

We also buy our heavy toiletries once we get to a city or before boarding a ship.

I limit my colors to black and kaki and a few colored tops. Everything is hand washable except jacket or raincoat. NEVER need or take formal wear, thank you Oceania and hotels in London and other European cities......

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Thanks everyone for the advice!!:) i actually just double checked tonight and we do have one free checked bag each, looks like we booked our flights before Westjet changed their policy. Soooo, i think i am going to go ahead and bring a chcked bag and a small carryon but i will make sure i have plenty of things in my carryon just in case!!! I might as well take advantage of the free bag while i have the chance, lol!! But i did do a practice run tonight with just a small carryon & tote and i was able to fit everything in,but not a stictxh of room for shopping or souvenirs.

 

Danni3113, nice to know i have a neighbour:) i live in Dryden, rifht between winnipeg & thunder bay

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Fellow Canadian here. Dh & I do it all the time. I start with shoes & neutral dark pants with print tops. My usual is either based on black & beige or navy & aqua. For a 12 to 18 day cruise: 3 pair pants or capri shorts, 4 tank or tshirt tops, a print skirt & top that work as a dress, and a couple of bathing suits. 2 cardigans for warmth. Prints hide spots, knits don't wrinkle & some synthetic knits like microfiber breathe & can be washed in a sink, squeezed dry in a towel & worn again. Wear your heaviest & bulkiest items.

 

I shop for most of my travel clothes at the Nygard group of stores, Alia, Tan Jay etc. Not Just Pants is theirs too. They don't just make horrible elastic waist polyester pants. I've gotten my best travel outfits there. I look for rayon or cotton blends in the pants & tops.

 

Other threads I've chimed in on have more & better tips but its a start. Lady light travel site has more yet. HTH

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If I have to fly to a port, then I do my best to travel only with carry-on luggage and almost have it down to a science. We have two trips to Alaska planned this year, so I'd be interested to know if any of my travel-light sisters and brothers have a list for that adventure.:)

 

As slidergirl said, you don't have to wear sloppy clothes to travel light - coordinating separates is the key. Clothes are the easy part for me - I need to work on cutting down some of the heavy accessories like electronic devices. My new photography habit weighs a lot.:)

 

Yeah, my electronics kill me. But, it's getting better. I don't take the laptop anymore - my iPad Mini takes care of my needs. I can preview all my photos on it (I do one SD card/day so that is my storage, too). My Nikon D40 is hard to make smaller, but most of the time I just bring my one 18-200 lens (it's a great all-purpose travel lens). I can't travel without my Bose QC15 headphones. I just make room for them in my bag.

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Skechers & Ecco make good supportive light packable flat shoes. I wear my runners (trainers) onto the plane, on my travelling day, pack some dressy sandals and a pair of what used to be called thongs, now called flip flops for pool and beach as well as bedroom slippers. I wear my bulkiest jacket or cardigan. My top is usually a spill proof print. If its my beige & black wardrobe I use an animal print in amber, black & beige. I can dump a coffee all down it without it showing. My navy & aqua set has a tropical print that is busy enough to take on similar accidents. I use layers on my travelling days to cope with extreme changes in temperature, but layering in an air conditioned dining area aboard ship is helpful too. I try to make sure my tops are all very different so i don't look the same. Ditto my jackets or cardigans.

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It's a small world out there!!! We're flying out of thunder bay:) have 3 nights in Orlando before we board ship.

 

Looking over my clothes last night, i'm going with blk & dk denim bottoms with coral & aqua prints in tops with blk, coral, & aqua cardigans that i can mix & match. My dresses are either blk or aqua prints. I feel more prepared for this cruise than i have evr felt for any vacation, lol!! I'm glad though because my last week of Feb & first week of march are going to be very busy!!

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It's a small world out there!!! We're flying out of thunder bay:) have 3 nights in Orlando before we board ship.

 

Looking over my clothes last night, i'm going with blk & dk denim bottoms with coral & aqua prints in tops with blk, coral, & aqua cardigans that i can mix & match. My dresses are either blk or aqua prints. I feel more prepared for this cruise than i have evr felt for any vacation, lol!! I'm glad though because my last week of Feb & first week of march are going to be very busy!!

 

I know that you are going to have a wonderful time. Any time away from this horrid weather is wonderful. =)

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Why not wear a Canadian tuxedo to board and add just a few matching items in your carryon?

 

Works for us . BTW we ARE OLDSTERS & have cruised extensively.the maître d' on all the various cruise lines we've been on have always laughed when our attire has been noticed negatively and we've shown them the definition of said tuxedo and who has worn it to various events such as Oscars, Golden Globes, etc. All you need is a printout and you've saved hundreds in both luggage fare and clothes costs.

 

Of course, we don't always do that (sometimes both DH & I love to play dressup on formal nights) but we have always been well received when we choose to travel canadian style. For outer wear we che either Hudson Bay's coats or Canadian Olympic sweaters. That also prevents lots of packing.

 

Don't sweat it. Most folk s have a sense of humour. Those who haven't really aren't the ones with whom you are most likely to have fun. Wahtever! ENJOY!

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Why not wear a Canadian tuxedo to board and add just a few matching items in your carryon?

 

Works for us . BTW we ARE OLDSTERS & have cruised extensively.the maître d' on all the various cruise lines we've been on have always laughed when our attire has been noticed negatively and we've shown them the definition of said tuxedo and who has worn it to various events such as Oscars, Golden Globes, etc. All you need is a printout and you've saved hundreds in both luggage fare and clothes costs.

 

Of course, we don't always do that (sometimes both DH & I love to play dressup on formal nights) but we have always been well received when we choose to travel canadian style. For outer wear we che either Hudson Bay's coats or Canadian Olympic sweaters. That also prevents lots of packing.

 

Don't sweat it. Most folk s have a sense of humour. Those who haven't really aren't the ones with whom you are most likely to have fun. Wahtever! ENJOY!

 

Canadian Tuxedo - I had to look that one up! Love it!!!!! Let the fashion police sniff at you with their upturned noses!! Who really cares what someone else is wearing??? If someone says his/her cruise is disturbed that something as trivial as that, well, that person needs to lighten up ;)

I love those HB coats - it's a historically classic coat.

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I always travel carryon only for cruises. As a 30 year old 6'1" female, I am very particular about my clothing and can not bear the thought of lost luggage.

 

For me what probably helps the most is forgoing formal night. While I do dress up every night but I don't do the big ball gown thing, it just takes up too much space. Because my clothing of choice is usually pretty body conscious (think Express, Bebe) I can wear a different dress/romper/jumpsuit without taking up much space. I also save space my either not taking any heels or limiting myself to one pair. Instead I pack a few pairs of Jack Rogers sandals in metallic colors.

 

On sea days I typically stick to maxi dresses and or tunic style coverups which can go directly from the pool to the MDR. Lily Pulitzer and Victoria's Secret has some good options.

Edited by slm517
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Not a chance that we would ever do that. Just our dive gear alone is one suitcase apiece. Then, I carry a large underwater camera system, laptop, and iPad. Those go in a large backpack and roller carryon bag, which also holds my makeup and jewelry. My hubby takes a large backpack, also. Then, we each have one large suitcase for clothes.

 

We're going on vacation and see no reason to deprive ourselves of anything. Besides, how would we smuggle our rumrunners on? ;)

.

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Just got off the Constellation and had only a carry on. I was blown away watching people with 6 bags or better. Even if they were B2B, I would have had a carry on. You can wash out undies and have clothing washed if you need to.

 

We've had lost luggage twice and it's not fun. Both my husband and I own a Miata, so the trunk space is very limited. We are able to get two carry on's in the trunk and we take a small bag with our clothes to sleep in, extra shoes and something to wear for the embarkation. We usually stay with our good friends in Pompano Beach before leaving. I had too many clothes this trip once again. I have a few travel knit things that I dress up with scarves and pashminas. Neutral pants work, few pairs of shorts, blouses, undies and bathing suit. We always have clean items to wear. No one is paying that much attention to what you are wearing.....if they are, they have way too much time on their hands! :D

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Last May's trip to the Western Mediterranean was my first experience with packing light and now I can honestly say I will NEVER go back. We spent a couple of days in Barcelona, followed by a 7 day cruise, then a train ride and a few more days in Madrid. I found that it did take some creativity and planning on my part to get all the outfits together in my head, but there are some excellent apps for that including Polyvore, which allows you to create outfit combinations with some clothes they already have on file and my favorite app Wardrobe Journal, which will allow you to take pictures of all your outfit combos and record when and where to wear them. I know this sounds like ALOT of work to some people, BUT I do it ONCE and then I have my travel wardrobe I use for the summer months, the winter months, etc, so I don't have to repeat myself-(I hope this makes sense) Other than than, plan to do laundry every few days, look for quick drying fabrics, darker colors, etc. Neutral Palettes. Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize! Have fun

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Just Google "Capsule Dressing" and you'll find all kinds of ideas for how to pack with just a few pieces of clothing.

 

I've never done just carry-on...except for a two-day trip a couple of times. I just like having lots of choices and not repeating clothing items. But seriously, I'm going to try it soon.;)

 

OMG! I Googled "Canadian Tuxedo" and I laughed so hard. I love it! They even have a whole cite just for buying all things denim! Love it! I always thought that picture of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake was so cute. They got ripped apart by the "Fashion Police" but I thought they looked adorable!

 

To each their own...happy travels to all!

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We travel several times a year, mostly land-based, with carry-on only -- a 20"(plus 2" for the wheels) spinner suitcase and a backpack or tote each. We cruised 14-day Panama Canal with carry-on only AND a ton of things to make the room homier! We cruised Cape Horn with carry-ons and one additional same-size bag checked between three adults, for the cold weather gear.

 

I used to make a spread sheet of "outfits" for the entire trip, but now our wardrobes have become so travel-oriented that it's more a matter of packing by principle: 3-4 pants, 7-8 shirts, a couple jackets or sweaters, raincoat, etc. Just vary by the season and expected weather.

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We always travel carry-on only, one duffle andone backpack. It doesn't matter whether we are spending weeks touring in China or on safari in Africa or on a cruise always carry on only.

Obviously I do need to tweak the clothing from an African safari as compared to a cruise.

Once you get into the habit of carry-on only and traveling light you will never understand why you hold around those great big suitcases before.

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