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Packing for a 12 day cruise suggestions.


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OK...so I know some time ago there was a forum for packing. Since I can't find it, I'll ask this here. I figure for a 12 day cruise for 2 people, it would be a minimum of 96 articles of clothing, if you count a 2 piece outfit for day and one for evening. That doesn't even take into account all the underwear, swim wear, PJs, etc. What do you do? Do you take 6 days worth and then have everything cleaned halfway through? That would be expensive. Suggestions?? Thanks

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I dress very casually so on a recent 15 nt cruise (only 4 nuisance port days), I wore nylon/polyester wick-away shorts and shirt daily. Had 2 shorts and 3 shirts but I alternated between the 2 shirts and 2 shorts. Washed daily and they dried over night. For lunch and dinner, I wore a long sleeve and short sleeve shirt and a pair of pants, They lasted me all cruise. Washed the short sleeve once. Had more socks (one pair for day/work out and one pair for evening) as these took at least 20-24 hrs to dry. Washed the underwear (had 5 pairs, could have done with 2-3) daily.

 

Had much more clothing but didn't wear them. My wife has a similar amount of clothing though she dressed less casually than I did.

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I dress very casually so on a recent 15 nt cruise (only 4 nuisance port days), I wore nylon/polyester wick-away shorts and shirt daily. Had 2 shorts and 3 shirts but I alternated between the 2 shirts and 2 shorts. Washed daily and they dried over night. For lunch and dinner, I wore a long sleeve and short sleeve shirt and a pair of pants, They lasted me all cruise. Washed the short sleeve once. Had more socks (one pair for day/work out and one pair for evening) as these took at least 20-24 hrs to dry. Washed the underwear (had 5 pairs, could have done with 2-3) daily.

 

Had much more clothing but didn't wear them. My wife has a similar amount of clothing though she dressed less casually than I did.

 

So you washed all this stuff every night in the bathroom sink (sounds like a lot of work) and hung it where? Did you bring laundry soap with you? I would have to buy all new clothes made from the right material (nylon/polyester). What about ironing shirts and dress slacks? Thanks for your help!

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Mix and match, layer, do laundry. Don't have to do it every day, but....I never mind washing one or two things at night so they can dry overnight.

 

You don't need 3 new items every day. Even in hot temps, I often wear one top for dinner and then again the following day - no need to wash from dinner to excursions the following day. Or can alternate a couple of sundresses with different cardigans for all evenings.

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There are a number of threads with good discussions on packing lighter on this forum. The consensus among most who travel on longer trips is to pack for a week (at most), then wash and repeat. Whether you use self-laundry or ship laundry there is a a slight cost of time (self) or money. However, I prefer the freedom of hauling less "stuff" --- particularly as I am a woman who travels alone and most of my trips and cruises are overseas. It is priceless to be able to hop on a train or haul my (small) suitcase over cobblestones to my hotel without worries.

 

For days I bring pants or long capris in a lightweight sport material that washes and dries overnight. I may bring two or three colors (black, taupe, navy), and I pack tops so that each top coordinates with at least two of the three bottoms. I probably bring enough tops for 7 days. I bring two pairs of "day" shoes.

 

For evenings I bring two 'bottoms' -- a black skirt (long or short depending on formality of cruise/trip) and a nice pair of black silk trousers. I select lightweight tops to go with; generally 5-7 options but some can be mixed and matched or worn in different ways. One pair of black shoes for evening + one small cloth black purse that takes up no room.

 

Underwear, socks, etc. no more than 7 days' worth. Sometimes less when I need to pack lighter. These are easy to wash out in your room/cabin.

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There are a number of threads with good discussions on packing lighter on this forum. The consensus among most who travel on longer trips is to pack for a week (at most), then wash and repeat. Whether you use self-laundry or ship laundry there is a a slight cost of time (self) or money. However, I prefer the freedom of hauling less "stuff" --- particularly as I am a woman who travels alone and most of my trips and cruises are overseas. It is priceless to be able to hop on a train or haul my (small) suitcase over cobblestones to my hotel without worries.

 

For days I bring pants or long capris in a lightweight sport material that washes and dries overnight. I may bring two or three colors (black, taupe, navy), and I pack tops so that each top coordinates with at least two of the three bottoms. I probably bring enough tops for 7 days. I bring two pairs of "day" shoes.

 

For evenings I bring two 'bottoms' -- a black skirt (long or short depending on formality of cruise/trip) and a nice pair of black silk trousers. I select lightweight tops to go with; generally 5-7 options but some can be mixed and matched or worn in different ways. One pair of black shoes for evening + one small cloth black purse that takes up no room.

 

Underwear, socks, etc. no more than 7 days' worth. Sometimes less when I need to pack lighter. These are easy to wash out in your room/cabin.

 

Thanks for these suggestions. I did travel to Italy recently and used some of these techniques. I went with my daughter, so I could just worry about my own clothes. Took 2 pairs of black slacks and everything went with those. Traveling with my husband is more difficult as far as packing is concerned. His stuff is so much bulkier (heavier and takes up more room in suitcases) and he seems to require more than I do. I wonder why that is...I thought women were supposed to be the over-packers! Packing is so overwhelming for me before a long trip for the 2 of us that it almost makes me not want to go. If I left him to pack for himself, I would be ashamed to be seen with him :p! I know a lot of men do their own packing, but he's just not ready for that. Ha!

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Which cruse line? Many ships have passenger laundries. If not, does you cruise line offer any 'by the bag' specials?

 

 

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RCL..no laundry for passengers. They offer a bag special but only for small items like underwear and shorts.

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I'm one of those people who want to travel light AND I hate doing sink laundry AND I don't trust the ship's laundry with the majority of my clothing. Even my underwear is something that I handle with delicate cycles and I don't want the Stuff-A-Bag to come back with my underwear looking like it's been handled roughly (shall we say). Socks are about the only thing that I will put into a Stuff-A-Bag, and I've been cruising long enough that I get free laundry perks so it's not a matter of cost, but of preference.

 

Keep in mind that if you change your day outfit into an evening outfit onboard that you will be wearing that evening outfit for a shorter period of time. Depending upon your evening activities and time of dressing, you may only be in that evening outfit for 5+ hours, so multiple wearings isn't something that is out of the realm of possibility.

 

For planning, this is a great reference and a fun place to start. You may already have this information because I know that The Vivienne Files is an often referenced source, but (just in case you don't!) here is a starting point:

 

http://www.theviviennefiles.com/2015/07/how-many-pieces-of-clothing-do-you-need.html

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OK...so I know some time ago there was a forum for packing. Since I can't find it, I'll ask this here. I figure for a 12 day cruise for 2 people, it would be a minimum of 96 articles of clothing, if you count a 2 piece outfit for day and one for evening. That doesn't even take into account all the underwear, swim wear, PJs, etc.

 

What do I do? I do NOT wear completely brand new outfits every single day and night! I don't generally care to skinny down my packing to be one of those who packs 2 shirts, alternates them the entire 2 weeks and rinses in the sink every night, but there's no need to go to the opposite extreme and toss things aside just because you wore them for a few hours.

 

For evenings for example, you won't be sweating and if you manage not to spill dinner on yourself, there's no reason you can't wear a shirt again a second or even a 3rd time; you're only wearing it a few hours each time. This is even more true for pants/skirts; just pick a neutral color and you can probably manage with 4 bottoms apiece for a 2 week cruise. Even for days when I'm out and about and more active I re-wear things. Unless your cruise is to a hot climate and you are doing active excursions and sweating and getting dirty every single day, you can probably re-wear shorts, trekking pants, etc. a couple of times. And while I don't want to rinse things in the sink every night, I don't mind rinsing a couple things and hanging them to dry midway through the cruise; that's what I'd do with any sort of active wear clothes I might pack for active excursions, since those are often the wick away/quick dry fabric. Beyond that, yes, just figure to send underwear, socks, t-shirts and such to the laundry midway through. The price will be minimal compared to the hassle of packing an entire extra suitcase or two.

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I also don't mind to wash, rinse and repeat later in the week any quick dry items I might wear on active/excursion days. I'm going to wash them to remove any ocean-ness or pool chlorine from them when I return to my room anyway. I send out the small amount of non quick dry items at the midway point that I'll need to reuse. There aren't many.

 

One of the easiest things that helps me is a spreadsheet where I designate outfits for each day and evening. I wear an outfit to dinner one evening and a day or so later, wear the same as my daytime outfit. The most formal/fancy outfit I take is worn for those designated two or three evenings. This way, everything is worn twice. I don't always follow the spreadsheet to the letter, but having it on paper makes my life run smoother so I'm not standing at the closet trying to decide. I dress and am ready to have fun sooner.

 

I second Member123's advise to look at TVF. No matter what your favorite colors are, there are so many options. With only 16 items, there endless possibilities. LLBean may not be your preferred style, but you can substitute your own items for those shown. It's the concept that is so very good. Throw in that dressy outfit, a few swimsuits and cover-ups and you are ready to sail. I especially like this way to plan--

 

http://www.theviviennefiles.com/p/four-by-four-wardrobes.html

 

My best advise is take only three pairs of shoes--a casual sandal, excursion/excercise shoes and dressy shoes. I've been known to slide a pair of flips to my purse at the last minute, but, you get the idea. When it comes to those heavy and bulky shoes, less is definitely more. Best of luck with your planning. I think it's the most fun part!

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Febreeze is your friend. Freshens up your clothes between washings. Could use a homemade version.

 

Mom wears black pants for Formal nights. At times she'll wear her black Merrell slides with black socks. At a quick glance no one can tell what she's wearing. She also uses these as her slippers.

 

 

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Lots of good ideas here. With undies and socks, try to bring some "new" that pack well and a few "old" that can be discarded. Limit the shoes! Unless you will do serious hiking, a comfortable tennis type shoe will do.One dress shoe and a sandal.Most cruise lines, the dress is much less formal, which makes packing easier. Sundress can be worn in evening,add a little jacket.

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I use four carry-on for myself and DH. I bring formal wear (tux for DH) and lots of other garments. What I find that works for me (other than the tux) is choosing clothing that is light in weight and folds flat. We do mostly warm weather cruising, so fabric is lighter weight. My family and friends can't believe what I am able to bring. I do sew a lot of my garments,so I can really choose the fabric that I want and know will fold up to nothing and does not wrinkle. We travel on Princess and get free unlimited laundry service. They also have self service laundry room. So, I will send things out too. I send it out so I can come home with clean clothes.

But my bottom line is the fabric in which you garments are made of make a difference in the weight and what you can fit in a suit case.

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I think when you plan for a longer trip...you have to be very honest with what you are willing to do laundry-wise...how often you are willing to re-wear clothing...and what kinds of clothing you really want to wear on vacation.

 

For 12 nights...I would not do laundry. I don't have a issues re-wearing daytime clothing. I don't have issues re-wearing bottoms for evening...and depending on the shirt, re-wearing a shirt...especially over the course of 13 days.

 

Whenever I pack though...I don't think of days...I think of activities. Looking at your itinerary, my breakdown would be like this:

 

Travel Days...2

Sea Days...6

Port Days...5

Formal Nights...2 (is there a third?)

Casual dinners...10

However many days I would actually exercise...?

 

If I knew what my excursions were...my port days might look more like:

Beach...2

Catamaran...2

Sight Seeing Tour...1

 

This would really help me to pick out some "mini-wardrobe" concepts.

 

For travel, I would plan to wear the same thing on both days. I'm likely to be wearing layers...and so I might bring an extra tank top (usually my base layer) to wear on the travel home day...but otherwise...especially if the weather is cool in Maryland? I would be wearing the heaviest clothing that I planned to bring for travel and wearing layers...especially a top layer that would coordinate with my packed clothing...and definitely wearing my touring/walking/hiking shoes.

 

For Sea Days, I'm a big fan of activewear on most days at home...so I would bring a mix of activewear to wear on the Sea Days...planning on mixing and matching...and definitely including a hoodie or zippered top as a "keep me comfortable in air conditioning" layer.

 

I would have my mix for swim activities...suits, rash guards, cover-ups (at least one for walking around a port and one that might be less for around the ship; think dress versus large scarf), water friendly shoes.

 

I would have my formal outfits...and I would probably have two unique dresses for 2 nights. And I may or may not be able to wear them again in a dressed down version for a different casual night.

 

For all the casual nights, I would have a mix of sundresses (because putting on a one and done dress on a port day is the best for me) and a couple skirts with several shirts...and the all important "keep me comfortable" layer for sitting in the theater and possibly the dining room.

 

As you analyze things, you can see how, if you wear a sundress for dinner one night and you aren't in it for very long...you might wear it again on a different night...OR you might just wear it during the day to help stretch out your Sea Day wardrobe, especially if you planned to actually exercise in your activewear and thus retire that bottom/top set from the rotation...

 

And if you have to plan these things out so that you don't re-wear anything, well, so be it. Regardless, I second what Geocruiser says about how important fabric choice and packability is for your clothing. Some people advocate the mix and match wardrobe...depending on what that is...let's say 2 pairs of capris and 2 tops that coordinate with both...those capris can be bulky is they are waistband and zippered...whereas 4 sundresses could literally take up the same space and potentially weigh less if they are jersey fabric.

 

In the end, it's all about making smart choices for how you are and what you are planning on doing.

 

As for shoes...I do not skimp on shoes. I do not overpack them either, but I can deal with swelling issues, so I will bring choices to make sure that I have happy feet. At the least, I would have the shoes I traveled in, water friendly sandals, Sea Day happy shoes, and two pairs for the evenings...one that might be nicer but might not work later in the cruise and ones that will still work if I have some foot swelling. Especially for a warm weather cruise...my shoes don't take up the space that DH's do. It's more important for him to limit as much as possible because men's shoes are just space hogs and can weigh so much.

 

I will also add that my DH almost always takes more clothing than I do. He will re-wear dress pants...and even casual pants (I think RCI still requires pants in the MDR?)...and re-wear other bottoms (activewear)...but he usually wants a fresh shirt. Usually. There are exceptions. But this is why he brings more clothing than I do. IMO it's related to how harsh men's deodorant is compared to women's. You can really tell when a man has worn a shirt before... ALSO...I think it relates to the fact that he wears sleeves, whether short or long...and somehow, with all the sleeveless shirts and more loosely fitted sleeves that I prefer...my tops seem to weather being worn more than once more scent-friendly.

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I have packed for several three and four week trips and the only advice I can offer is limit it to one bag . Whatever fits in that bag is a go . I usually do mix and match and for dressier occasions I pack a few knits . I do do laundry if available and I limit my shoes .I find it harder to pack for a longer trip that includes a cruise due to the need for dressier clothes .

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Thank you folks for all the suggestions. I really do appreciate all the thought and time you have taken to respond. I will take all the info. into consideration. I am not a sundress girl, so that won't work for me. I think we are going to leave dressy clothing at home and thus eliminate the need for a large garment bag with a suit and formal wear inside. We have always taken those things in the past, but it seems more and more people don't do that and it's such a hassle. I understand many disagree about that issue, which I do understand. I guess we'll just eat at the buffet those nights if we don't feel comfortable in the MDR on formal nights.

Anita Latte...you're so right about the mens' clothes. My husband would never wear things more than once on a Caribbean cruise where it's so hot. I guess he could wear things he wears at night a couple times. His shoes take up so darn much room!!

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Thank you folks for all the suggestions. I really do appreciate all the thought and time you have taken to respond. I will take all the info. into consideration. I am not a sundress girl, so that won't work for me. I think we are going to leave dressy clothing at home and thus eliminate the need for a large garment bag with a suit and formal wear inside. We have always taken those things in the past, but it seems more and more people don't do that and it's such a hassle. I understand many disagree about that issue, which I do understand. I guess we'll just eat at the buffet those nights if we don't feel comfortable in the MDR on formal nights.

Anita Latte...you're so right about the mens' clothes. My husband would never wear things more than once on a Caribbean cruise where it's so hot. I guess he could wear things he wears at night a couple times. His shoes take up so darn much room!!

 

When you pack his shoes, stuff his socks inside them.

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If the weight of your luggage isn’t the issue and you just don’t want to be juggling multiple suitcases, I would recommend using travel space bags to condense the volume of your clothing.

Easy to use, you just roll the bag to expel the air ( instead of the vacuum cleaner for regular space bags).

They also protect from leaks etc in transit.

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I love using packing cubes. I did a 2 week Europe trip with just a carry on by using the cubes. It is amazing how much you can get in each cube! We are going on a 2 week cruise in December. I have been challenged to try to accomplish the same. Not sure I will accept the challenge though. I find it harder for cruises. I like having more choices!

Whatever you do, pack some of hubbies clothes in your luggage and some of yours in his. My sister-in-law had her luggage lost just before a long cruise and it didn't catch up to her until the last port! She didn't practice this philosophy, but does now!

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I agree with the packing cubes, it makes for very efficient usage of the luggage space. We can get the same amount of clothing in a smaller case. We prefer to fold everything, we have not found that rolling or layering works well for us.

 

To cut down on casual clothing, we both have some wrinkle resistant shirts that can be hand washed and they drip dry, (in shower or on verandah) looking perfect. This helps a lot with DH's shirts since he also sweats and can't re-wear shirts unless they are washed.

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OK...so I know some time ago there was a forum for packing. Since I can't find it, I'll ask this here. I figure for a 12 day cruise for 2 people, it would be a minimum of 96 articles of clothing, if you count a 2 piece outfit for day and one for evening. That doesn't even take into account all the underwear, swim wear, PJs, etc. What do you do? Do you take 6 days worth and then have everything cleaned halfway through? That would be expensive. Suggestions?? Thanks
I usually make a spreadsheet. :)

 

I wear my travel outfit twice, so I usually use a thin tech fabric tank as a base layer. It washes fine in the sink.

 

I take a pair of shorts and a pair of capris and a skirt. Then I take two or three tanks and two shirts that go with at least two of the bottoms (preferably all three). Then I mix and match with items worn for dinner worn during the day later in the week. I take two sundresses as well, that take up hardly any room.

 

I also take one knee length little black dress. It is wrinkle free, so I could scrunch it up and it would still look great. I wear a blingy necklace with it the first elegant night, and blingy earrings and a tied-scarf kimono with it on the second. (The scarf is oversized and part of my travel outfit, and also works as a sarong)

 

I take three pair of shoes. Strap on walking sandals, slide on dressy sandals and tennis shoes I wear on the plane. I also stick a pair of flip flops in my purse.

 

All my clothes/shoes/accessories fit in a hard side carry-on. Everything else goes in a small backpack

 

My big weakness is swimsuits. Currently for our ten day trip in November, I have three bikini tops, one tankini top, four bikini bottoms, one full coverage one-piece, one short sleeve rash guard, two long sleeve rash guards and a long pair of board shorts. And five or six cover-ups/sarongs. I am trying to cut that amount in half. :)

 

I take a small bottle of febreeze, and even if I only wore something for a little while, I'll still give it a spritz.

 

 

 

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Consider me one who isn't a fan of packing cubes. I occasionally use them... when keeping certain things together and/or separate from other items (ex. sometimes I find it easier to keep all my workout stuff together in one separate cube) but I've never found that they allow me to pack more overall. Cubes don't magically make your suitcase bigger, and if you can squish it into a cube, you an squish it into your suitcase. Plus you end up with cubes that now have to be fit with jigsaw precision and I always seem to end up with gaps that are too big for another small cube but too small for another big cube. To each his own, but I find it easier to just pack most things without cubes.

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I don't like cubes either. I use them for 2 things - underwear & bras in my suitcase (whether it's checked or carry-on) and for clothing that goes in my carry-on tote or backpack if I'm checking a bag with most of my clothing - that way I can keep the clothing separated from the tech & toiletries or whatever else is in the carry-on.

 

When I travel carry-on, my clothing is in my small rolling bag and "the rest" is in my backpack or tote.

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I liked the cubes when I was on a trip where I was changing hotels every couple days. It was easy to take things in and out of the suitcase without messing everything up if I needed something in the middle or bottom of the suitcase. For a trip where you just unpack everything at once like a cruise, I probably would just pack things normally.

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