Above all, don't overpack!

[Hoyaheel]

How am I going to pack for a 3 week trip, a cruise with formal wear and still have room for whatever we buy?? Plus I have my 2 teenage daughters with us who will no doubt go on a shopping frenzy

 

If you have time to box stuff up and ship it back home, that would be a good idea! My brother & his family live in Australia and my SIL likes to order stuff from "our" Amazon etc and send it to someone in the US and have us ship it to her....If timing isn't a concern, it's not that expensive using the regular mail system.

[Jsim2011]

One of the reasons I like to cruise is so that I can have fun with clothes.

 

I enjoy dressing for dinner, I enjoy formal nights, I love choosing outfits for different excursions.

 

It's part of the fun the vacation for me.

[Sassy Chassis]

I'll admit, for my last little 4-nighter I threw in a couple of extra sundresses because I was "undecided." Ended up not wearing a couple of things, but at least I had a choice. It's amazing how much you can pack in one of those little Dash spinners from Brookstone :D Wouldn't want to skimp on the undies though ;)

[MsMot]

I think it is important that you need to bring extra clothing. On my first cruise, I brought along two outfits for each day. One I wore during the day, and then I had my dinner dress. Added to that was a lightweight sweater and a pair of linen pants, in case it was cool in the evening.

 

It was so hot during the day, that my clothes were sweaty by the time we were getting ready for our late seating dinner. I could not re-wear the outfits. During the two days we were docked in Bermuda (in August) I had to change after we got back to the ship.

 

I literally ran out of clothes. Mix and match your wardrobe, and bring along extra shirts, at least.

I agree! It is better to have too many than not enough. Some days I plan on wearing a certain outfit and by the time I get dressed I often change my mind.

[critterchick]

I understand that you hand wash your undies and hang them in the shower to dry, but don't you ever wonder how the room steward feels trying to clean around your personals?

 

It's just odd to me. Idunno. But then again you can hang them in the closet, or place them under the bed on a towel, or in the closet on the floor... again, just a little much.

 

On our first cruise, our cabin steward would take my nightgown off the hook in the bathroom and arrange it artfully on the bed. It was the tradition at the time. So it has never occurred to me that they would be bothered seeing my undies or gym clothes hanging to dry in the shower - it's not like I hang a clothesline in the middle of the room. Or DH's, for that matter.

 

They don't have to climb into the shower to clean, I hardly think they give it a second glance. Mine are dry over night, not hanging out for days at a time. Plus, I don't really care what a cabin steward thinks of my underwear and bras hanging on the laundry line. I'm sure they have seen much worse.

 

It's not like I spend hours on washing a couple bras and underwear, maybe 5 minutes twice a week. Soak while you're in the shower, swish around, rinse, wring out in a towel and hang up. Easy peasy. For the husbands, put those in the laundry bag and leave for the cabin steward.

 

What she said. I've walked past cabins that look as if the occupants were raised by wolves, so I think a few pair of undies is no biggie.

 

As a first time cruiser -- I LOVED the towel animals. We took pics of every one. For those more experienced...what is the proper etiquett/procedure -- are you supposed to use those towels?

 

We just lined ours up on the back of the sofa like a zoo over the 7 day cruise!

 

I like to save mine, but I've had the occasional cabin steward break them down to make a new one. So I started festooning them with caps, sunglasses, beads, etc. and he got the hint. I suppose they could end up with a towel shortage if we all did that, but I haven't seen it yet...;)

[graceinmelbourne]

If you have time to box stuff up and ship it back home, that would be a good idea! My brother & his family live in Australia and my SIL likes to order stuff from "our" Amazon etc and send it to someone in the US and have us ship it to her....If timing isn't a concern, it's not that expensive using the regular mail system.

 

 

That's a good idea. I didn't think of posting it back home.:)

[ElsieToo]

I used to be a recruiter and spent much of the year traveling. I'm a MUCH better packer than most people, but even so, I tend to overpack when we go somewhere tropical. When we go to colder climates I *always* underestimate how cold I'll be, or how long something wet will take to dry, and I go through everything I take with me (and wish for more).

[fishfire]

I agree, it is rarely the clothes that take the space. On my first cruise I took 5 paperbacks, now I have a kindle, so I have room for more shoes! I'm a just in case... so I always overpack. This summer I'm in a suite which includes free laundry so maybe I'll take fewer clothes.

[fishfire]

What a great idea. I wish I had thought of that last year. I had to buy another bag in order to not have to pay an overweight bag fee

[CRUISE4JANE]

Not everyone can fully enjoy their vacation out of a 25" suitcase for a week. I can't. I've gotten better through the years but I don't wear the same clothes at home over and over for a week and don't want to on a cruise. Maybe it's just me, but as much as I admire you could make do with 12 1/2" of suitcase space, I know we cannot.

 

Sometimes it isn't even clothes that take up suitcase space.... it's the 'things' I want with us. I bring the just in case OTC meds, books, electric toothbrushes, hair products, beachbags and all that 'stuff'. :D

 

 

I totally agree with you. I don't want to wear my clothes over and over. I always overpack and I guess I always will. I rather have extras with me than not. I will never understand how some say they go on a cruise for a week with a carry-on. A carry-on can barely hold my toiletries, etc. :rolleyes:

[lewnmarknva]

Our first Royal cruise (Family of 4 adults) I kid you not I packed 8 suitcases,1 garmet bag,4 carryons and one large duffle bag.... The poor valet guy at the airport couldn't fit it all onto the cart.. Oh yeah and a laptop too... Needless to say this upcoming cruise I am limitimg myself to one pp and a carryon!!!!!

[pdmlynek]

To be perfectly honest, the debate between the “travel light” proponents, and “travel light=freeze at night” advocates is simply an ego debate. The travel light folks tend to compete to see how light they can travel. The thought is that the more experienced a person is, the less things they need. Some can do a month-long round the world tour with a large fanny pack.

 

I certainly understand the “pack light” mentality. Although we do not compete with ultra-light travelers, on our vacations my family tends to travel light: unless we bring snorkeling gear, or heavy winter clothing, or are bringing lots of presents, for any international or domestic travel we simply have carryons (roughly 35-40 liters each). This is done so that we can easily jump on a plane, or a bus, or a train, or whatever, without having to need to keep track of many luggages, etc. It is easier to keep track of bags. It is easier to be on the move when you pack light. To me there are many good reasons to pack light, and I stand by them.

 

HOWEVER, in case of a cruise, I do not see the urgent need to pack light. You get on easily with lots of luggage, and you can get off with lots of luggage. You unpack/pack once. For the purposes of our first time cruise, we are considering not to pack light.

 

Can someone who is an ardent supporter of "travel light" explain to me why it is beneficial to travel light when going on a cruise?

[pdmlynek]

I totally agree with you. I don't want to wear my clothes over and over. I always overpack and I guess I always will. I rather have extras with me than not. I will never understand how some say they go on a cruise for a week with a carry-on. A carry-on can barely hold my toiletries, etc. :rolleyes:

 

I have not been on a cruise yet but I can answer this question how I normally travel when it comes to a toiletries. The answer is to pack what you are going to need, and not haul things back. For example, I take a travel size toothpaste, so that I’ll just about use it up by the time I go home.

 

My toiletry kit is a sandwich bag: toothbrush, travel sized toothpaste (30 g/1 oz), travel sized deodorant, 60 cm/2 ft of floss, a pack of tissue, razor, travel size shaving cream, cotton swabs in a hard case, lip balm, eye glass repair kit, 3 mL of superglue, and any medication for that week. Depending on where I am going, sometimes I throw in a 1 oz of DEET, or one or two 2 or 3-oz bottles of soap (which serve as soap, shampoo, body wash, dishwashing liquid, and soap for doing laundry). My wife has two sandwich bags.

 

The same thing when it comes to other items. For example, I don’t take the entire guidebook to where I travel to, but just the pages that I need.

[Lois R]

Well, I fly to Rome on Wednesday and did 99% of my packing

yesterday:D....since I have to work tomorrow and Tuesday I wanted

to get it finished:).....bringing 1 checked bag and 1 carry on!

I was going to bring a tote bag and put stuff in it too but that would

have gone under the seat in front of me and I decided I wanted to

have my feet there instead since it is a much longer flight;)...

 

My Kipling crossbody bag will be my 2nd "Personal Item":)......

 

Everyone needs to just pack what is best for them. If you want

to overpack, go for it....if you don't want to, go for it too.....

 

It makes no difference to me:D

[Lois R]

To be perfectly honest, the debate between the “travel light” proponents, and “travel light=freeze at night” advocates is simply an ego debate. The travel light folks tend to compete to see how light they can travel. The thought is that the more experienced a person is, the less things they need. Some can do a month-long round the world tour with a large fanny pack.

 

I certainly understand the “pack light” mentality. Although we do not compete with ultra-light travelers, on our vacations my family tends to travel light: unless we bring snorkeling gear, or heavy winter clothing, or are bringing lots of presents, for any international or domestic travel we simply have carryons (roughly 35-40 liters each). This is done so that we can easily jump on a plane, or a bus, or a train, or whatever, without having to need to keep track of many luggages, etc. It is easier to keep track of bags. It is easier to be on the move when you pack light. To me there are many good reasons to pack light, and I stand by them.

 

HOWEVER, in case of a cruise, I do not see the urgent need to pack light. You get on easily with lots of luggage, and you can get off with lots of luggage. You unpack/pack once. For the purposes of our first time cruise, we are considering not to pack light.

 

Can someone who is an ardent supporter of "travel light" explain to me why it is beneficial to travel light when going on a cruise?

 

I am a supporter of whatever "works best" for each individual:D

but I do know many folks just don't want to check a bag....whether

it be because of fees, the chance of losing lugagge, or whatever

their personal reasons may be...........

 

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

If I have a luggage fee? I include it in the cost of my trip.

 

I leave for Rome on Wednesday:).....flying overseas I have no

luggage fees this trip but would still check the same bag even if

I did;)

[cruisemom42]

HOWEVER, in case of a cruise, I do not see the urgent need to pack light. You get on easily with lots of luggage, and you can get off with lots of luggage. You unpack/pack once. For the purposes of our first time cruise, we are considering not to pack light.

 

Can someone who is an ardent supporter of "travel light" explain to me why it is beneficial to travel light when going on a cruise?

 

Well, I don't travel ultra-light, but I try to travel "lighter". I can think of several reasons, from experience, that it is beneficial to travel light even on a cruise:

 

1. I cruise overseas and travel to/from port mostly on my own as a solo woman. I have to be able to handle my own luggage not only at the airport but often on public transportation.

 

2. There isn't a ton of extra space in most cabins; you can only accommodate so much "stuff" in a room and I don't like having extra "stuff" around with nowhere to put it.

 

3. I don't want to spend precious time packing and unpacking.

 

 

It helps that I am a no-fuss person in my normal life. I don't ever wear a lot of jewelry or have to have 12 pairs of shoes to choose from. I generally pack in one 24-25" suitcase and one carry-on; so not super light, and I am a very good packer. I certainly don't wear the same things all week, most times I have enough clothes to go a full week or longer without having to re-wear anything other than perhaps a pair of dressy pants or skirt (with a different top).

 

I just don't bring a lot of extras -- no pillow, tea kettle or coffee maker, fan, blow dryer, electric candles or all the myriad other stuff that folks pack. I have a Kindle now, so very few books -- maybe a guidebook or two.

 

It works for me; I prefer not to be a "schlepper" and it makes me happy. If overpacking makes you equally happy and you don't complain about it (as some do, vis-a-vis prices of checked bags, effort to schlep through airport, etc), then go for it!

[LindaM]

I have not been on a cruise yet but I can answer this question how I normally travel when it comes to a toiletries. The answer is to pack what you are going to need, and not haul things back. For example, I take a travel size toothpaste, so that I’ll just about use it up by the time I go home.

 

My toiletry kit is a sandwich bag: toothbrush, travel sized toothpaste (30 g/1 oz), travel sized deodorant, 60 cm/2 ft of floss, a pack of tissue, razor, travel size shaving cream, cotton swabs in a hard case, lip balm, eye glass repair kit, 3 mL of superglue, and any medication for that week. Depending on where I am going, sometimes I throw in a 1 oz of DEET, or one or two 2 or 3-oz bottles of soap (which serve as soap, shampoo, body wash, dishwashing liquid, and soap for doing laundry). My wife has two sandwich bags.

 

You cannot compare men and women when packing light!! My husband takes even less than you do. I pack his clothes, and he doesn't even notice he has very few of everything, because he doesn't care if he wears the same thing over and over. He only complains if I don't pack enough underwear---especially briefs for wearing under bermudas! He is one who could travel with only a carry on!! I'm glad, because there is more available "weight" for me!

[Happy ks]

I don't think I'd ever qualify for being a light packer, since I do take a suitcase and a carry on. But I read here how people take 2 suitcases each, a carry on each, a large purse, etc... And all this is for a vacation when you will be in bathing suits and shorts most of the time?

 

I've done it both ways, the first few cruises we took I overpacked to the hilt. Then I got weary of having so much to organize and unpack, repack and haul it all home...much of it unused. When we repacked, we had to pack part of the suitcase dirty and part of it clean. Now when we get home it's simpler, everything is dirty.

 

I realized that all the cute shoes/purses/clothes I purchased just for the cruise ended up in the back of the closet and eventually into the Goodwill bag. I spent a fortune on stuff suggested here and on other sites I thought I needed. I started lightening the load years before airlines started charging for overweight and multiple bags.

 

So, if you don't mind paying extra money for baggage and having the hassle of organizing/packing/hauling/repacking/unpacking/reorganizingand always needing assistance handling your luggage, go for it.

 

I have a packing list and I stick to it. I rarely need an item that I don't have. I never run out of clothing and I do re-wear a few things. We come home with suitcases full of dirty clothes, it makes unpacking simple. My toiletry kit goes back under the sink, still packed and only needing refills. I prefer the simple way in life, not the complicated.

 

I'll never be a light packer in the sense that I can take everything onboard an airplane. More for the reason that I just cannot stand having so much to haul on and off an airplane.

[Ehpride]

To be perfectly honest, the debate between the “travel light” proponents, and “travel light=freeze at night” advocates is simply an ego debate. The travel light folks tend to compete to see how light they can travel. The thought is that the more experienced a person is, the less things they need. Some can do a month-long round the world tour with a large fanny pack.

 

I certainly understand the “pack light” mentality. Although we do not compete with ultra-light travelers, on our vacations my family tends to travel light: unless we bring snorkeling gear, or heavy winter clothing, or are bringing lots of presents, for any international or domestic travel we simply have carryons (roughly 35-40 liters each). This is done so that we can easily jump on a plane, or a bus, or a train, or whatever, without having to need to keep track of many luggages, etc. It is easier to keep track of bags. It is easier to be on the move when you pack light. To me there are many good reasons to pack light, and I stand by them.

 

HOWEVER, in case of a cruise, I do not see the urgent need to pack light. You get on easily with lots of luggage, and you can get off with lots of luggage. You unpack/pack once. For the purposes of our first time cruise, we are considering not to pack light.

 

Can someone who is an ardent supporter of "travel light" explain to me why it is beneficial to travel light when going on a cruise?

 

Honestly, my advice is to create a day by day packing list. That way, you don't bring anything you don't need but you don't end up missing something either. If you choose to pick outfits that are independent of all others, great. If you choose to reuse items, that's fine too. I just pack a day outfit and night outfit for each day. Everything gets used. I only bring one checked bag and one small carryon with an extra bag packed if I need to carry it on for souvenirs. I just find that for a cruise, a packing list that consist of 3 shorts, etc... Isn't helpful to me at all. I can honestly say that we've always had more than enough room for storage even with 3 women in a cabin!

[simplelife]

 

And my last rant --those who bring a 22 inch suitcase AND a tote bag that will hold half the house AND a purse that is 2 inches less than a 30 gallon bag. You probably look better on the cruise than I do but YOU ARE A BIN HOG and that is worst than a chair hog! You know who you are. Take your share of the bin and no more.

 

OOOH - Bin Hogs -one of my favorite rants. :):( ONE item per person in bin and the rest under the seat!!! (should only be one item)!! On a flight out of San Juan, there was not room for carryons in the bins because people had filled them with backpacks totes, etc. The flight attendants were trying to clear space and asking people to put the smaller pieces under their seat. When she asked "whose is this?" about one backpack (We knew whose it was because we had see him put it there) the owner just ignored her and acted like he didn't understand English.

On a recent flight, this same thing happened, but the attendant had a great response. She said "Okay if no one claims it I have to put it off the flight. Cannot have unclaimed baggage aboard" The owner suddenly "heard" her. :D

[simplelife]

I agree, it is rarely the clothes that take the space. On my first cruise I took 5 paperbacks, now I have a kindle, so I have room for more shoes! I'm a just in case... so I always overpack. This summer I'm in a suite which includes free laundry so maybe I'll take fewer clothes.

Yes, it is shoes which are the packing demons. That's one of the reason stick to a color scheme so that I only need to worry about shoe function and not color. Walking shoes, pool shoes, casual sandals, and dressy sandals usually get me through. Sometimes I take 2 pairs of casual sandals or a pair of espadrilles (after all, I am wearing one of the pairs, so that's only 3 or 4 pairs to pack.) I have been known to take an extra pair of flip flops. Luckily I wear size 6, so my shoes don't take up much room.

[ducklite]

I mix and match keep to one neutral (for me its black) and one or two colors and set my wardrobe accordingly. My largest suitcase I use is my 14 year old 22" Tumi- which has room for a weeks worth of clothes.

MY DH thinks Iover pack I don't i just know how to pack and fit a whole lot of crap in my luggage:D

 

Sounds like me, only I use three neutrals (black, white, and tan) and maybe add in one or two colored top. I use scarves and jewelry to add color.

 

My Tumi is 20" and about 10 years old--best bag ever--and I am going for 18 days three weeks from now with only that and a tote.

 

I keep shoes to a minimum, I'll have a pair of dressier low wedge sandals, a pair of flip flops that have seen better days and I'll leave behind when I come home, and a pair of walking shoes.

 

My packing list is evolving, but right now looks like:

 

2 broomstick skirts (one solid black and one black and white patterned)

2 cotton pants (one light tan, one black)

2 white cotton tops

2 colored cotton tops that match all bottoms

2 black cotton tops

1 black trousers

2 "dressier" tops for dinner

2 black dresses (one linen, one poly, both "sheath" style that take zero packing space)

2 shorts

1 bathing suit

2 pj's

underwear

2 socks (wear to bed)

1 lightweight white cotton sweater

3-4 scarves, assorted jewelry

 

I'll wear on the plane:

1 lightweight black cotton sweater

1 black yoga pants

1 white tank

1 walking sandals

1 large pashmina in my tote will serve as a blanket/pillow/wrap as needed.

 

I have an indigo linen pants and top set that I'll probably also take along because I love it and it works for daytime or evening depending on what jewelry I wear with it.

[ducklite]

I think it is important that you need to bring extra clothing. On my first cruise, I brought along two outfits for each day. One I wore during the day, and then I had my dinner dress. Added to that was a lightweight sweater and a pair of linen pants, in case it was cool in the evening.

 

It was so hot during the day, that my clothes were sweaty by the time we were getting ready for our late seating dinner. I could not re-wear the outfits. During the two days we were docked in Bermuda (in August) I had to change after we got back to the ship.

 

I literally ran out of clothes. Mix and match your wardrobe, and bring along extra shirts, at least.

 

I just wash out (or send out for laundering) anything that needs to be washed. It takes two minutes in the sink and then drip dry.

[ducklite]

I do that all the time. I'll wear a tank top, skirt or capris to dinner and then wear then into port or around the ship later in the cruise with different top or bottoms. I have a t-shirt dress that I wear to dinner one night and it's my beach coverup after that if I need one. I don't sweat on board the ship at night; I'm usually cold from the air conditioning and wrapped in my faux pashmina.

 

My husband usually wears the polo from dinner during the day the next day. Like you said, you don't sweat in the evening, and when you've only got something on for four hours, it's not like it got dirty. I usually wear the same black dress two or three times in the evening, dressing it up with a different scarf or jewelry. Or the same black trousers with a couple of different tops.

[Nigella]

I used to travel for my career, and I live between two countries and travel a lot for leisure. I am a chronic overpacker and if anything I overpack more now as a very experienced traveller than I ever did years ago....worse category for taking too much of is shoes. I plan on one pair of strappy sandals for evening. Then I tell myself the heel may break or a strap may come loose, so I'd better take another pair. Then I think maybe those two pairs are great but I'll want a lower or higher heel too, so in goes another pair. Same sort of process with my daytime shoes and sandals too. Last cruise I took was 14 days and I took nine pairs of shoes plus two pairs of flip flops.

I'll be going away for five days later this month, and I keep trying to plan my clothes so I can get them into just a carry on....but I can't do it!