How Does One Pack for a 50 Day Cruise?

[zlato]

Wife and I are scheduled to embark on a 50 day HA cruise on the Amsterdam. The ships departs Seattle with stops in San Francisco and San Diego prior to sailing to the Hawaiian Islands and then on to the South Pacific (French Polynesia, etc) and then return to San Diego. Given the length of the cruise and different climates (plus baggage weight restrictions on the airplanes), how many different changes of clothing will meet the acceptable standards of dress?

[jhannah]

You will definitely need to do laundry several times during your trip. There is really no need to pack 50 days of clothing and schlep all those suitcases around. The ship's laundry does a good job. No one will notice that you wore that same shirt/blouse last week.

 

Enjoy your journey.

Edited April 22, 2015 by jhannah

[rkacruiser]

You will definitely need to do laundry several times during your trip. There is really no need to pack 50 days of clothing and schlep all those suitcases around. The ship's laundry does a good job. No one will notice that you wore that same shirt/blouse last week.

 

Enjoy your journey.

 

I do the same thing for a long cruise. Pack for 12-14 days and plan on having laundry done. The Amsterdam does have self-service laundry facilities (or at least she did when I last sailed on her). But, the ship's laundry does an excellent job with a normal quick turnaround.

[jtl513]

No matter what length cruise we are on we pack for 7 days and do (or send out) laundry every 2 to 3. For a little more variety we will buy another shirt or two on the ship or in a port.

 

We were once on a 7-day cruise where one man had on the same aloha shirt every single day! :eek: Or maybe he had a couple of identical ones. :)

Edited April 22, 2015 by jtl513

[Susie51]

No matter what length cruise we are on we pack for 7 days and do (or send out) laundry every 2 to 3.

 

This is what we do also.

[LordSpain]

We will be on the cruise with you but we will be embarking in San Diego. we've done a couple of long trans-pacific cruises, and again we will pack for a 7-10 day cruise. Because we are 4-Star we send out a bag of laundry every morning.

 

Bruce

[iancal]

We pack for 6-7 days.

 

Does not matter if we are travelling for a week or for 3 months.

[Harry1954]

We do the same as previous stated while on any cruise over 14 days ... pack for same days excepting the following:

a) if weather varies significantly, that has to be added as additional clothing (those are the most difficult relative to weight of suitcases)

b) items such as soap, if you bring your own as we do, toothpaste, razor blades, meds etc need to be based on your normal use at home. For instance, we use a bar of soap on a cruise every eight days .. so we bring n days/8 bars with us. Same with all other types of stuff.

c) depending on where you are going relates to how much to dress up - carribean type - dress down, European - dress up ..

 

harry

Edited April 22, 2015 by Harry1954

[sevenseasnomad]

OMG, I wish I had this problem. We're set to sail for 24 days in the Med this summer, the longest cruise we've taken thus far.

 

If it's any help from this novice, I plan to take one little black dress, lots of scrarves, 5 very light-weight jackets (lace-type), two neutral-colored skirts for daytime touring & long pants, with interchangeable shirts for those three options, & pj's. That's it. All of it packs in a carry-on! I still haven't decided what to do about face cream, etc. which must go in a checked bag and could cause a lot of damage to shoes. Three pair of shoes.

 

DH swears I'll end up taking much more, but I'm determined to go light. Hope this helps, but since you're more than double our days, I'm not sure it does.

[Typhoon1]

Pack lightly and make use of the unlimited laundry service.

[cruisemom42]

Pack for seven days, give or take. Wear, wash, dry, repeat.

 

Take layers to see you through the various climates. For example, instead of a heavier coat, take a lightweight rain shell and a fleece that can fit underneath. Combined, they are pretty warm. Separately you'll get a lot of wear out of them.

 

Jeans are heavy and useless if they get wet. Take lighter weight, quick-drying pants and layer some silk long johns underneath for cooler days. Etc...

[PathfinderEss]

For long cruises we pack for 14 days and interchange cloths, and ofcouse laundry is a must.

[ger_77]

I still haven't decided what to do about face cream, etc. which must go in a checked bag and could cause a lot of damage to shoes.

 

Put your face cream into a plastic container, then put the container into a zip-lock. You could "eliminate the middle man" by simply putting your cream directly into the zip-lock instead, and insert that into a larger zip-lock. I do a trial run with my face cream, foundation, etc., prior to the trip by filling a travel-sized bottle and seeing how many days it lasts. If we are going for longer, I just pack an extra travel-sized bottle full and then I'm sure to have enough of my favourite brands without worrying about bringing full sized containers with me.

 

When packing shoes, use inexpensive shower caps to cover them and you won't have to worry about getting the rest of your items dirty from the soles.

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

[rkacruiser]

Planning to take the amount of personal toiletries needed on a long cruise was the most challenging of the entire planning/packing process. At least for me.

[igraf]

Airlines have baggage fees rather than baggage restrictions. It might be better to bring another suitcase considering laundry costs if you pay by the load.

 

igraf

 

 

 

Wife and I are scheduled to embark on a 50 day HA cruise on the Amsterdam. The ships departs Seattle with stops in San Francisco and San Diego prior to sailing to the Hawaiian Islands and then on to the South Pacific (French Polynesia, etc) and then return to San Diego. Given the length of the cruise and different climates (plus baggage weight restrictions on the airplanes), how many different changes of clothing will meet the acceptable standards of dress?

[albingirl]

Learned my lesson. We brought too many clothes on our 42 day cruise this past year, so I would lighten it up. I think the people saying pack for one week make sense. There's always laundry. I would make sure to have a light jacket and 2 polar plus things, but otherwise, I'd go with the general flow here.

[zlato]

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. DW, however, has expressed concerns about the potential number of formal nights on a 50 day cruise. I will bring my tux and change vests and or cummerbunds; however, my wife is concerned about how many formal dresses she would need for this lengthy voyage. I guess the men do have an advantage in this category!

[ksqueak]

I've done a 28 day (2 fourteens back to back) and packed for a 7-10 day and sent out laundry. I just figured it was part of the cost of my cruise. I have found though for me it's cheaper to stuff the bag rather than pay for unlimited laundry.

Have a great cruise!

 

Edit to address your wife's question on formal nights. I took one basic black dress that was sleeveless and then a few wraps and shawls to change the look. Got me thru 8 formal nights :-)

Edited April 23, 2015 by ksqueak

[regnig]

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. DW, however, has expressed concerns about the potential number of formal nights on a 50 day cruise. I will bring my tux and change vests and or cummerbunds; however, my wife is concerned about how many formal dresses she would need for this lengthy voyage. I guess the men do have an advantage in this category!

 

Please assure your DW that no one will remember or care that she repeats clothing. If she can perhaps she can pack 2 bottoms (skirts or pants) and perhaps 4 tops to mix and match.

[summersigh]

We've done extensive land tours using only 22" suitcases. One thing I learned is to have everything go with everything else.

 

I travel with 1 pair of brown slacks, 1 pair of black slacks, and one pair of jeans. Tops had to go with all three or they didn't make the cut. Most things would layer if needed as well.

 

Shoes take up a lot of room so I limit it to a pair of leather flip-flops that double a slippers, black flats that can double as dress shoes, and a pair of black walking/sightseeing shoes. I carry a black travel purse. Again, all these go with everything else. I figure that if something go wrong with one of the pairs of shoes - I'll just replace it in a foreign city rather than lugging extras around with me. We did this in Amsterdam and it worked just fine.

 

On the land tours - Every week and 1/2 or so we find a Laundromat where we thoroughly enjoy spending time with locals:)

[Randyk47]

We haven't booked a cruise less than 10 days in over ten years so we pretty much pack for that length at the minimum. For longer cruises we might add a thing or two but we certainly don't try to pack for the full length and have gotten much better planning out laundry/dry cleaning during the cruise. Of course we also don't qualify as exactly light packers and travel with a fair amount of luggage (2 checked bags each and carry on). Luckily we're both advanced frequent flyers and don't pay for our bags so no fees to limit us.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

We pack lightly - and for longer cruises we take the same amount as we do for 14 day cruises. Send out laundry and repeat clothes. Do others really remember what you are wearing? I know I don't.

[ANSalberg]

We've done a World cruise & 4 of HAL'S" Grand" cruises to Asia etc - What I try to do is plan around a wardrobe based on color; I have both dressy and casual long pants in black and navy or denin or light blue [ so about 6 or 7 pair various fabrics] Then I have a variety of tops/tunics or T-shirts.blouses that CAN mix andmatch - I never take high heels; BECAUSE the the danger of floor levels etc -but "nice" flats] Add a lighteight jacket for "just in case' and underwear -and you're good to go.

I NEVER pack for my DH -he's used to packing for himself and does a good job; then its HIS problem if something is forgotten ;)

Most Grand cruises are over 65 days [ We've also done Eu Grand] The World is in the neighborhood of 110 days. AND we send out laundry about every 3 days/ HAL laundries are TERRIFIC-We've never [knock wood] had a problem.

Edited April 23, 2015 by ANSalberg

[wander]

Agree with others about packing as for about a 10 day cruise, plus a few other things depending on the expected weather. (By the way, Hello to rkacruiser and ANSalberg!)

 

Other considerations that are important to me. As we have cruised a lot, over the years I have purchased my "formal" wear so that:

1. All go with a single pair of black dress shoes.

2. I take either a dressy BLACK skirt or pair of slacks, a nice black sweater and several shawls. Maybe one or two dressy tops as well. Minimal space required and it allows for variation in my dinner outfits. I have four or so beautiful shawls that pack well.

 

I also severely limit the other shoes I take. For a 50+ day trip I take two pair of good (for me) walking shoes, along with two pair for relaxing on the ship and non-formal dinners.

 

Similar to what RKRcruiser said, one difference for longer cruises is the number of "meds" I take. I try to take small amounts of meds for intestinal problems, pain, eye drops, etc. Often such meds are not readily available as you travel or cost a small fortune (like on the ship). All go into my travel pharmacy plastic bag.

Edited April 23, 2015 by wander

[serendipity1499]

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. DW, however, has expressed concerns about the potential number of formal nights on a 50 day cruise. I will bring my tux and change vests and or cummerbunds; however, my wife is concerned about how many formal dresses she would need for this lengthy voyage. I guess the men do have an advantage in this category!

 

Understand your DW's concern..I tend to over pack, as now that we're retired we don't get to wear our dress clothes unless we're cruising..:D On our 68 day cruise to SA & Antarctica, HAL picked up the luggage for us & it was delivered to our cabin, & shipped back to us when we got home, so I could over pack (as usual :D)..They did this only because we paid in full early & it was worth it to me..

 

On that cruise, I packed for 18 formal nights by combining seven different formal outfits:

 

One long black sleeveless dress, one long black skirt & one pair blck chiffon palazzo pants.. I then added one soft blck/blue Kabucki top, one Alex silver/blck shell with Jkt, one white shell w/whte lace Jkt, one blck/whte soft shell with overblouse, one silver shell w/blck chiffon Jkt., one whte chiffon top, one blck velvet Jkt & shawl..

 

I mixed & matched all these items & actually had 7 different formal night outfits which I wore two or three times by rinsing some of the tops out in the sink...I have never sent my formal outfits out with the laundry..

 

For the informal nights I packed white, blck & navy poly/silk type Capri's, Slacks, one long skirt with different tops &/or Jackets.. Of course I took too many pr. of shoes, sandals, handbags etc.. I actually came up with 12 smart casual outfits which I wore several times.. I normally only send my clothes out to be laundered if they will not be ruined in a commercial laundry.. Some of the things I could send out to be laundered by HAL.. We used the $20 bag although we are 4 star, & do not pay for laundry..

 

DH took both a suit & his TUX in addition to a sport jacket & long pants.. We sent his shirts, socks, long pants, & underwear out to be washed & both the suit, & Tux to be cleaned..

 

We had to take sweaters, Jackets etc. for the cold climes as well as clothes for the warm climes.. During the day we layered our clothes.. After we left the cold climes I packed all our winter clothes in one 29 inch suitcase & stuck it in a corner of our cabin, never to be opened until we got home.. Unfortunately it would not fit under our bed with our other luggage.. Realize, I could have asked our steward to store it, but it was not in our way so I kept it in the cabin..

 

When we fly I usually take an extra bag & pay for it.. We consider this amount well spent..

 

BTW we actually did not have 18 formal nights.. But for the life of me can't find my paperwork on the number of formal nights that cruise.. I must have tossed it out..:D