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What is wrong with me? How do others do it?


PekingeseLady
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I have never felt guilty about checking luggage. I need my carryon allocation for meds, makeup, toiletries, electronics, manicure items, jewelry and the defensive packing "if the rest of the luggage gets lost" list'. Over the years, as my knees started hurting more, I started packing fewer dress shoes, and could actually manage with 4 pairs of shoes, which includes the pair I wear while traveling - but why? I like variety in my wardrobe, and need a specific kind of sunscreen, etc., so it is usually a 2 checked bag for me and 1 checked bag for DH situation, as well as 2 carryon items each. Limiting it to 4 checked bags when going on lengthy cruises ( over 30 days with several climates) is a trick, but manageable. So, don't feel bad about packing what you want, especially if you are driving to the port, you lucky lady. We have to fly in most of the time.

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I have never felt guilty about checking luggage. I need my carryon allocation for meds, makeup, toiletries, electronics, manicure items, jewelry and the defensive packing "if the rest of the luggage gets lost" list'. Over the years, as my knees started hurting more, I started packing fewer dress shoes, and could actually manage with 4 pairs of shoes, which includes the pair I wear while traveling - but why? I like variety in my wardrobe, and need a specific kind of sunscreen, etc., so it is usually a 2 checked bag for me and 1 checked bag for DH situation, as well as 2 carryon items each. Limiting it to 4 checked bags when going on lengthy cruises ( over 30 days with several climates) is a trick, but manageable. So, don't feel bad about packing what you want, especially if you are driving to the port, you lucky lady. We have to fly in most of the time.

 

Like! (y) We feel exactly the same.

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I am famous for over-packing and that is just fine by me! I pay a fair amount of money to cruise and I'm going to enjoy it. But then I still dress up for the theatre and the airplane too! I dress in gowns for formal nights, not just black pants and a blingy top. If that works for you great. I dress for the MDR. I get compliments from crew and paxs. I am fortunate that I can drive to Port Everglades, but even on a land trip to Spain and an Alaskan cruise last year, I still over-packed. I would rather over-pack than be one of those back-packers that you DO see in the MDR. But to each his own.

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We're Elite, so we pack with free laundry in mind. Everything we pack with the exception of formal night clothes goes to the laundry. We usually send out a bag every 2-3 days.

DH has narrowed his formal night attire down to the suit in a bag and a very nice turtleneck sweater that he can wear for chilly nights.

His other clothes include a pair of shorts and a pair of jeans (wears them on the plane), a couple of t-shirts and underwear for 4-5 days. He packs sandals and his dress shoes, wears his walking shoes.

I pack a long dress for formal night and a pashmina shawl (I also wear it when it's chilly). One nice pair of long pants for dining room wear or when it's chilly, 2-3 pair of shorts and 5-6 shirts, socks and undies. I wear a sweatshirt and long pants on the plane.

Everything is rolled and packed in cubes or vacuum bags.

I bring conditioner, normal brushes/combs, toothpaste, etc. I don't wear make-up, don't use hairspray (I'm very low maintenance). The usual odds & ends for the bathroom - shaver, etc. Some OTC & Rx meds.

Everything goes in one large roll aboard suitcase and 2 very roomy backpacks.

Some of the clothing choices will change when we go to Alaska in Sept.

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For us what takes up the most room is my husband's Scottish Kilt, including jacket, belt and sporran. And for me it's shoes! I can't wear my cream shoes with my black dress, LOL. That's the hard part is all the shoes and hubby's kilt :)

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We're Elite, so we pack with free laundry in mind. Everything we pack with the exception of formal night clothes goes to the laundry. We usually send out a bag every 2-3 days.

.

So you find the laundry service to be satisfactory? We're read some scare stories about how hard they are on the clothing. This will be the first cruise that we qualify for the complimentary service....but I'll do it myself if sending it means ruined clothing.

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The wife and I took a 14 day land/sea alaska/yukon/inside passage trip last summer with two carry-ons.

They gave us a "golf clap" at the transportation desk at Anchorage airport.;)

 

 

For those not familiar with the term: golf clap

noun: golf clap; plural noun: golf claps

a round of deliberately quiet applause, considered appropriate during a golf tournament but often uncomplimentary in other venues.

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For those not familiar with the term: golf clap

noun: golf clap; plural noun: golf claps

a round of deliberately quiet applause, considered appropriate during a golf tournament but often uncomplimentary in other venues.

 

Not sure they were schooled on your definitions but in this case it was very complimentary. Nice zing though...(y)

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Kudos to everyone that travel with only a carry on, and wash out their clothes in a sink or do laundry while on vacation When I vacation, cruise or otherwise, I take one large piece of luggage and a carry on. I do not have to pay a checked baggage fee, therefore no money savings by not checking a bag.

Also, one of my rules, while on vacation, is no laundry. I can stay home and do that. I also really enjoy the option of wearing different outfits on vacation. I take a couple of simple cocktail type dresses for formal nights and one pair of heels that work for both dresses. Not much luggage space is used. I never have the opportunity to dress up in real life, so I like having a reason to dress up on a cruise.

For me, trying to cram everything in a small carry on is more stressful than managing luggage on a a trip.

To the OP, you are not doing anything wrong. There is no right or wrong amount of luggage to take on a trip. More important is what works for your needs and preferences, and what you are comfortable with.

Enjoy the journey, no matter where it takes you.

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In the 22 years my honey and I have been cruising, we have learned a lot about packing. I take a LOT less than I did back when we started. That being said I have different packing lists for different lengths of cruises and different climates. We like to do walk-off at the end of the cruise so that is a factor.

 

Now we usually take 2 26" rolling suitcases, 2 carry-ons and a backpack each. Our longest cruise was 32 days and we have free laundry but I won't send everything out (some ruined clothes). We will do some laundry ourselves. We like to wear clean clothes everyday and have a little variety. We will wear some things a second time like pants and shorts. We don't get real dressed up for dinner anymore but we do dress nicely for the dining room.

 

I like to walk down the hall the night before the ship docks and see people with 4 or 5 bags waiting to be picked up. Good for them! I always say why does it matter to you how much I take as long as I don't ask you to carry my bags!

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My flip-flops do pool AND beach duty...and walking around town! I LIVE in flip-flops in warm weather! I bring shoes for dinner, and really, the rest of the time, I'm in flip flops! Now, hubby's shoes are larger, but not necessarily heavy....except for "dress" shoes...they do weigh a bit!

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It's in the DNA. Some can do it and some cannot. I CANNOT! I need 5 shirts just to get through lunch. I just don't even try anymore. One of the perks of being older is that Paying an extra $50 for a 2nd suitcase is a little easier then when I was 25.

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We both enjoy getting dressed up- nice clothes for mdr dinners and tux and gowns on formals. We have breakfast in Sabatini's so we want to look nice there. I had to laugh last spring because I really tried hard to pack light. I brought dh's tux but left his white dinner jacket at home. He kept asking about it. I guess if I can bring three gowns, he can have two jackets. Neither of us enjoy wearing the same things day after day so we pack a fair share of clothes. And I always pack at least four swimsuits.

 

We did four weeks of cruising and two weeks traveling around Europe by train a coupke years ago. We each had a backpack plus three suitcases. It was hell getting on and off the trains and finding a place to stow them. We decided only two suitcases when doing something like that again and it was fine last spring. But if we are traveling and even doing pre and post cruise stays, I plan to bring as much as we want if no trains or odd transportation are involved.

We wear mainly Tommy Bahama clothes and they are unique and don't want to wear them more than twice since people tend to remember them more than a dark shirt and pants. I wash his shirts myself but do send them down for pressing. I wash out my clothes and hardly send anything to the laundry but I do want my clothes clean when I pack to go home. And it seems that many of our cruises involve different temperature zones and I want a variety of outer clothes. I don't want everything coordinated so I have to wear a black jacket with all my outfits.

As someone said, we pay a lot for our cruises and I am not going to be cheap with luggage charges.

 

The world would be boring if we were all alike, so good for you if you can travel with just a backpack and carry on but it isn't for us.

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When I traveled for work I was always on a tight schedule and always used just a carry-on. No time to wait for checked baggage. Hurried off plane to car rental - to business location. Now that I'm retired I enjoy the fact that I don't have to hurry. I do what's easiest - for me that's curb side check-in of all baggage, arrive early (no stress about missing plane) and enjoy a bloody mary before boarding. Upon arrival no rush to car rental - stroll to baggage claim, wait 20 mins for luggage, Uber to hotel. It really doesn't make any difference if we have one bag or four, so we just pack what we want and don't stress about over-packing. For a 14 day cruise it usually works out to 2 suitcases and a garment bag. I know this approach isn't right for everyone, but it's what works for us.

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To the OP, you are not doing anything wrong. There is no right or wrong amount of luggage to take on a trip. More important is what works for your needs and preferences, and what you are comfortable with.

 

Enjoy the journey, no matter where it takes you.

 

 

Exactly - to each their own. Enjoy your cruise!!

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Your DH could always use Cruise Line Formalwear to pre-order his tux/suit/dinner jacket. This way it would be in your cabin when you board:).

 

Bob

 

That is a good idea and we have taken advantage of this many times. However a few cruises ago, we encountered bad luck twice in a row. First time, my 6ft. 4 husband who weighs 240lbs found that the tux left for him would accommodate a 5ft 10 170 body and there was nothing the ship staff could do for him. Second occasion was on a trip to Hawaii where the Formalwear company left the 'dirty' formalwear on the dock and took back the formal wear that was to be delivered to the ship. Even with cleaning there was no way that all sizes would be available. Since then, my DH wears a very good blazer to travel and wears it with white shirt, tie and trousers etc. on formal nights.

 

We purchased large suitcases about 10 years ago but gave them away and now we travel with two small suitcases and small carry-ons. As another poster said, mix and match, and if you are at Anytime Dining, no one will even notice if you wear the same clothes to dinner more than once.

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