Please help with packing

[travelberlin]

Hi everybody,

I will be crossing with the QM2. I know the clothing requirements of my crossing. We have three formal nights. I am aware of what to expect on a formal night. However I am only able to take one suitcase with me because afterwards I will be travelling by train and due to back problems I am not able to carry to much weight. My suitcase should not wight more than 22 kg. Could you please advise me how to meet the QM2 clothing requirements with such limitation? What would you do in my case?

Thanks a lot in advance

Ivi

[imacruizer]

Hi everybody,

I will be crossing with the QM2. I know the clothing requirements of my crossing. We have three formal nights. I am aware of what to expect on a formal night. However I am only able to take one suitcase with me because afterwards I will be travelling by train and due to back problems I am not able to carry to much weight. My suitcase should not wight more than 22 kg. Could you please advise me how to meet the QM2 clothing requirements with such limitation? What would you do in my case?

Thanks a lot in advance

Ivi

 

It would be helpful to know if you are a man or a woman. Very best wishes for an excellent crossing.

[pmb1]

It would be helpful to know if you are a man or a woman. Very best wishes for an excellent crossing.

Ditto.

[travelberlin]

You are right! I am a women.

[fantasy51]

It's absolutely possible Ivy. I did the last leg of the QV world cruise, which meant a restriction of 23 kg for 18 (?) days, because I had to fly to Dubai. I managed important things like 2 sets of formal clothes, 2 sets of semi-formal, 2 sets of casual, and my laptop, books and 6 bars of chocolate. I also managed less important things like daywear. I think I had 3 skirts and 2 different tops for each one. I managed to pack my dancing shoes as well as 2 pairs for evening and 3 for day.

[Jim Avery]

Another option might be to ship your QM2 wear in a suitcase using Cunard's luggage service and take your other clothes in a carry on.:D

[Cruise NH]

I think you have a number of options, though some will depend on exactly what your after crossing plans are exactly. Are you going home, vacation? How long if vacation? Going from NY to London or vice versa?

 

Without knowing a lot about your circumstances I would suggest one of the following.

 

First, I agree with travelberlin about taking skirts. They take up less space, less weight and can be worn multiple times with different tops for a totally different look. I bring a couple of 'day' skirts while crossing and for the formal nights I take one long black skirt and then pair it with formal tops...just the three I need, no more. I only bring one pair of formal shoes and if you're doing skirts for daywear you can always wear sandals, again less room and less weight. For the informal nights I bring nice dresses and a wrap. They are made of a material that is very light and doesn't wrinkle (much).

 

Another suggestion is to bring a couple of suitcases and use the Cunard White Star service to return your 'formal' clothes case home for you.

 

If you're going to London and vacationing, and also returning on the QM2, you can store your extra bag at the port. We do this every time we go to Europe.

 

Last but not least, you can give up the idea of dressing formal. You will have plenty of company. Although we do dress, others don't for their own reasons and eat in the Kings Court area. This option does restrict you to venues not requiring formal dress on those nights. But it's an option.

 

Good luck...oh one more thing..you can rent formal clothes on the ship. You use them and leave them there.

[imacruizer]

OK, Ivi. I think many of us are trying to pack less. Here are a few suggestions. For the formal nights, I would take a long black skirt and two or three formal tops. You could also take one floor length black (or another color) gown or dress. You could wear that dress for each formal night and change your accessories each night. The accessories would include things like wraps, pashminas, jewelry, jackets, belts, etc. It is amazing how you can change the look of a dress with accessories. I would also take one pair of dress shoes to wear on each formal night. For the casual nights, you could take one pair of black dress slacks or a short or tea length skirt and two tops. Wear the slacks or skirt for each casual night and each top for two nights. If you take a skirt for the formal nights, you might take a simple black dress for the casual nights and use accessories to change the look. I have mentioned "black" several times. To me black is basic and easy to mix and match. However, you could certainly do the same thing with other colors. Again, you want to keep your shoes to a minimum. There is nothing wrong with wearing one pair of dress shoes each night during the voyage. I would not take more than two pairs of evening shoes. I would use the same strategy for things you wear during the day. I would pack two or three pairs of casual slacks and a couple of tops that can be mixed. I always take a sweater or casual jacket as the ship usually seems cool to me. For daytime, I would choose light weight easy-care garments. The ship provides a robe and slippers, so you could use those if you like. You can also use the ship's laundry, dry cleaning or pressing services. They also provide self service laundrettes. Most people come back to these boards after their voyage and say that they spent way too much time worrying about what they were going to pack. I think you can easily pack what you need for a crossing with an allowance of 22 kg. Again, have a fabulous crossing. The QM2 is an amazing ship!

[imacruizer]

Another option might be to ship your QM2 wear in a suitcase using Cunard's luggage service and take your other clothes in a carry on.:D

 

Hello Jim Avery. I hope you don't mind if I link your very helpful post when I posted a similar question in May. Mr. and Mrs. Avery are experts at packing lightly and shared some excellent suggestions.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=38550265#post38550265

[Jim Avery]

Hello Jim Avery. I hope you don't mind if I link your very helpful post when I posted a similar question in May. Mr. and Mrs. Avery are experts at packing lightly and shared some excellent suggestions.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=38550265#post38550265

 

Hi Beth. Hope you are having a good summer. Nope, don't mind. It can be done and still meet the dress codes.:eek::D

[pmb1]

It's absolutely possible Ivy. I did the last leg of the QV world cruise, which meant a restriction of 23 kg for 18 (?) days, because I had to fly to Dubai. I managed important things like 2 sets of formal clothes, 2 sets of semi-formal, 2 sets of casual, and my laptop, books and 6 bars of chocolate. I also managed less important things like daywear. I think I had 3 skirts and 2 different tops for each one. I managed to pack my dancing shoes as well as 2 pairs for evening and 3 for day.

And, if you are worried that some may notice that your wardrobe is repeating more frequently than the menu choices, you can add a tasteful "I'm the lady whose luggage was lost" button to what you carry on.

[Louise D]

It's absolutely possible Ivy. I did the last leg of the QV world cruise, which meant a restriction of 23 kg for 18 (?) days, because I had to fly to Dubai. I managed important things like 2 sets of formal clothes, 2 sets of semi-formal, 2 sets of casual, and my laptop, books and 6 bars of chocolate. I also managed less important things like daywear. I think I had 3 skirts and 2 different tops for each one. I managed to pack my dancing shoes as well as 2 pairs for evening and 3 for day.

 

Yes, it is always advisable to have emergency supplies of high calorie foodstuffs with you on board a Cunard ship. Good food is often so hard to find.:eek:

[balf]

? What would you do in my case?

Thanks a lot in advance

Ivi

 

I would do as my DH does and leave it in the hands of the ladies maid.

 

David.

[Whitemarsh]

Another suggestion is to bring a couple of suitcases and use the Cunard White Star service to return your 'formal' clothes case home for you.

 

Great advice, CWS luggage service worked for me. The suitcase was in the room before I was.

[fantasy51]

Yes, it is always advisable to have emergency supplies of high calorie foodstuffs with you on board a Cunard ship. Good food is often so hard to find.:eek:

 

Well, those 6 bars were a drastic reduction on the 20 bars I took on the previous cruise. ;) In the last year I've discovered phenylalanine tablets (amino acid), a component of chocolate that my body evidently needs. Now I can leave a block of chocolate in the house and not touch it for a week. It's just a pity that white tablets don't taste as good as chocolate. :rolleyes:

[Whitemarsh]

Well, those 6 bars were a drastic reduction on the 20 bars I took on the previous cruise. ;) In the last year I've discovered phenylalanine tablets (amino acid), a component of chocolate that my body evidently needs. Now I can leave a block of chocolate in the house and not touch it for a week. It's just a pity that white tablets don't taste as good as chocolate. :rolleyes:

 

Speaking of chocolate, a work colleague (who eats white chocolate every day) told me there wasn't any actual chocolate in white chocolate.

[fantasy51]

Speaking of chocolate, a work colleague (who eats white chocolate every day) told me there wasn't any actual chocolate in white chocolate.

 

I think it depends on the make of chocolate. I was told that white chocolate contained soy - to which I have an allergy. However, we have a fantastic chocolate company over here called Hotel Chocolat. They describe their white chocolate in the following way:Our dreamy white chocolate is made with lots of natural cocoa butter.

 

I still don't like the taste of it!

[Whitemarsh]

I think it depends on the make of chocolate. I was told that white chocolate contained soy - to which I have an allergy. However, we have a fantastic chocolate company over here called Hotel Chocolat. They describe their white chocolate in the following way:Our dreamy white chocolate is made with lots of natural cocoa butter.

 

I still don't like the taste of it!

 

Good quality chocolate is delicious. I was recently sent a box of very fine chocolates by a dear friend whilst I was recuperating at home. Unfortunately I was unable to contain myself and they lasted just over a day. :o

 

I will tell my work colleague to stop spreading rumours about white chocolate.

[fantasy51]

Good quality chocolate is delicious. I was recently sent a box of very fine chocolates by a dear friend whilst I was recuperating at home. Unfortunately I was unable to contain myself and they lasted just over a day. :o

 

I will tell my work colleague to stop spreading rumours about white chocolate.

 

I post special boxes of Hotel Chocolat from the UK to my mother in Brisbane (but only in Winter, to save a chocolate puddle on her doorstep). We have both noticed that when they get the recipe correct, we only want a few chocolates each night as the taste lingers. However, the special Summer chocolates, lovely as they are, are consumed very quickly.

[pmb1]

... I will tell my work colleague to stop spreading rumours about white chocolate.

Just share the truth with them: white chocolate contains cocoa butter (the fat in the cocoa beans) but no cocoa solids (the good stuff in real chocolate). The U.S. regulation governing it is "...white chocolate must be (by weight) at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% total milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat, and no more than 55% sugar or other sweeteners."

[fantasy51]

Just share the truth with them: white chocolate contains cocoa butter (the fat in the cocoa beans) but no cocoa solids (the good stuff in real chocolate). The U.S. regulation governing it is "...white chocolate must be (by weight) at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% total milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat, and no more than 55% sugar or other sweeteners."

 

No wonder it's never satisfied my chocolate cravings. :eek:

[Whitemarsh]

Just share the truth with them: white chocolate contains cocoa butter (the fat in the cocoa beans) but no cocoa solids (the good stuff in real chocolate). The U.S. regulation governing it is "...white chocolate must be (by weight) at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% total milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat, and no more than 55% sugar or other sweeteners."

 

Wow. That's insane.

 

Thanks for the info.

[travelberlin]

Thanks a lot for the many helpful answers. I will be travelling 3 months before returning home also with a ship. I am not able to send clothes home since I need them for my trip back and since home is in South America, it would cost a lot to use any Cunard services in case those are available. I am not able to store clothes in Southhampton since my ship back is leaving from Barcelona. This means I do have to live with the contents of a suitcase for those months. I do plan however to buy a couple of nice trendy European clothes appropriate for women my age while in Europe. Someof your suggestions were indeed very helpful.

[travelberlin]

I would do as my DH does and leave it in the hands of the ladies maid.

 

David.

Hi David, I am not sure I have understood properly your answer. Who packs and pick the clothes up for your DH? Your maid?

Ivi