What's Your Best Packing Tip?

[silleycats]

This idea has worked out great and I thought I'd share:

 

I got a wide strap and strapped my garment bag to my wheeled luggage (I attached it's own ID tag just in case). The airlines checked it in ok as long as the two are not over the weight limit. If you have to take the strap off, no problem, re-attach when you get to your destination. My cloths arrived without a wrinkle.;)

[Poohster]

Bubble Wrap! I never travel anywhere without it. Spread a large sheet over the top layer of your clothes before closing your suitcase. (Added bonus - it keeps your clothing in place, and reduces chances of stuff getting wet if your suitcase is left outside in the rain.) When you purchase fragile items, bottles of spices, etc, cut pieces to size and wrap the breakables before packing them between clothes in your suitcase for the return trip. No scissors? Borrow some from your cabin steward, or pack a small pair in your checked luggage.

[Emily23232]

Hi Everyone! This may have already been mentioned but I figured I would it mention it in case it hasn't. I actually had gotten the idea from the cruise critic message board when we went on our last cruise a couple of years ago and it's the greatest idea I've heard yet. A hanging plastic shoe rack works great to place all of your cosmetics in over the bathroom door in the cabin. As we all know, the bathrooms are always tiny so the shoe organizer is great and it's even better if you get the "see through" pockets. I put everything in there from toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, and even my hair dryer and cosmetics bag in the two larger pockets at the very bottom. My husband and I take it with us every time we travel, whether it's on a cruise or elsewhere. It keeps everything so organized and right within your reach. You can get one for less than $5 at Wal-Mart. I highly recommend it. You'll love it! =)

[Nliedel]

Emily,

 

I was thinking about that but could not justify the purchase cause I was not sure that it was worth making a special trip to WalMart for (I despise large stores) and then hauling it to Florida with us when the luggage is already so full but your arguments are swaying me.

[packngo]

This thread is just full of neat packing tips and ideas.....I will share a couple.

 

In my more organized days .... I would type out a menu for what to wear:

daytime, evening......two outfits per day.....on business trips I used to have three....I also used to take a lot of costume jewelry..I would decide beforehand what necklace, earrings, bracelet, pinkie ring went with an outfit

and put that jewelry into a ziplock bag...then punch it over the hanger for the evening outfit.....didn't have to think about what went with what. I also used to sometimes put the jewelry inside the shoes when I had shoes to match each outfit.......I have cut that stuff way down.

 

I still print out a copy of the itinerary with the evening outfit to be worn written next to that day..........and scotch tape it to the mirror. Saves a lot of time when you come back from a tour exhausted and also what you want to get out for the next day before retiring that night. I put each worn outfit back into the hanging bag and/or suitcase.....at the end of the week, voila! the packing is almost done.

 

The neatest packing trick I learned from a fellow cruiser.......Pack all the slacks (male and/or female) at the bottom of the suitcase leaving the legs to hang outside the bag. Then stack all the tops etc. on top................when full fold the legs over everything and everything stays in place....no more wrinkled slacks. When hanging shirts and blouses in the hanging bag, over lap them...by hanging one blouse on the neck of the previous hanger......you can do about 4 or 5 that way depending on how long your hanging bag is......we always put our shoes in the bottom of the hanging bags............and always take our expando bag..used as a carryon.......and a souvenier filled carry off.

 

YOu know the bottom of the luggage that has those lumpy bars in them...they are a great place to pack socks, hose, bras, belts, panties etc\

then a piece of cardboard to have a flat bottom.

 

Keep all important info .......... documentation, passports, housekeys, etc.....medicines, in the carryon.........it never leaves your side.

 

Remember when it is time to pack your bags and place them out in the hallway, to keep a travel outfit including shoes out for the next day...Some

people have been known to travel home in a chicken suit worn to the masquerade party the last night on board.

PackNGo

[Nliedel]

In my more organized days .... I would type out a menu for what to wear:

daytime, evening......two outfits per day.....on business trips I used to have three....

 

I would laugh at you but guess what I spent part of the afternoon working on? Yep you guessed it, my packing list. OUtfits by day, accessories AND hairstyles. I am trying to do the same for my guys, but for some reason I cannot understand, they are resistant. :rolleyes:

[Tinabrn]

Y'all are packing toooo much stuff!! Some of us old birds really don't take all that much, about 3-4 days worth for a 7 day cruise...wash em and wear em again!! egad, someone might see you twice in the same thing??? Always 2 bathing suits, buy t shirts on board, shorts, and a couple of evening packables....no, not glamourous, but I have time for fun and a lot less stress.

 

I agree with the mini pharmacy ideas...and keep the same. HOwever, most of that stuff is available on the ship, or definitely in most ports especially in Mexico. More expensive probably. Ships Doc also usually has those standard meds without extra charge.

 

Have finally gotten down to a 22" rollaboard and carryon with meds and change of underwear and bathing suit....We have given up the formal nights for sure.

[sunprincess]

just out of curiousity, do you bring enough antibiodics for the whole "prescribed" medicating time? or is this like a jump start getting well amount?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Perhaps me being a nurse with a Father who is a MD has me being medicinally prepared ??

I usually bring 2 types of antibiotics, and enough for the duration of my cruise.

Always have a stash on hand at home.

Yes, they do have a Medical Center on board. But, after my first cruise, getting a nasty infection, the ship's MD gave me a shot of tetracycline (charged me quite a fee) & told me to stay out of the sun! Since then I bring my own meds.

 

PS Never had to pay a luggage fee yet ;)

[Nliedel]

Y'all are packing toooo much stuff!! Some of us old birds really don't take all that much, about 3-4 days worth for a 7 day cruise...wash em and wear em again!! egad, someone might see you twice in the same thing??? Always 2 bathing suits, buy t shirts on board, shorts, and a couple of evening packables....no, not glamourous, but I have time for fun and a lot less stress.

 

I agree with the mini pharmacy ideas...and keep the same. HOwever, most of that stuff is available on the ship, or definitely in most ports especially in Mexico. More expensive probably. Ships Doc also usually has those standard meds without extra charge.

 

Have finally gotten down to a 22" rollaboard and carryon with meds and change of underwear and bathing suit....We have given up the formal nights for sure.

 

You see you are missing my point. I WANT to pack too much stuff! I like it even. At home I am in sweat pants and a T-shirt all day. Why dress up to change diapers? Vacations are the times I can trot out the clothes I love and actually wear them. Not everyone wants to or should pack as much as I do. I actually think most people should not. However there is a sect of the population that only dresses on vacation and to them I say "Pack like you are never traveling again!"

[cherry6905]

I buy the removable hooks to use in the bathroom for wet suits, towels etc. I pack collapsable plastic shoe boxes to store makeup and just stuff in. I pack a hanging laundry bag, a shoe bag - a narrow one that'll not take up a lot of space. I also take wire hangers. My ipod and speakers.Lots of $2 bills - they remember you - you'll get better service.

[Mark+Anne]

I like the packing cubes from ebags and use them for my tops. I like to pack my tops by "temperature"...sleeveless in one, short & long sleeves in another, twin sets in another. I dress in layers, so if I bring a cotton sweater, I pack the tank top I'm likely to wear underneath it, right inside it so I don't have to go digging for it when I want the sweater. That way, I can dress for the weather, especially on our pre-cruise stays where I don't like to fully unpack. I pack my underwear in a separate one. Also, if security goes through my luggage, I don't have their hands all over my personal stuff.

 

We've been very lucky and never had our luggage lost or delayed before boarding, however, I do "cross pack" some items just in case. What I mean is that I pack a few day's worth of clothing and underwear in DH's suitcase and have him do the same in my luggage. That way, if one piece of luggage goes missing for awhile, at least we'll both have something to wear.

Additionally, I make sure we both have some clean shirts, underwear & toiletries in our carry-ons enroute. For the plane ride home, we don't bother.

 

Lastly - and this is really a tip for the future - Keep a toiletries bag packed all the time and just keep it in your luggage. In my suitcase at all times is a bag with all those little items I tend to forget - bandaids, tissues, Q-Tips, needle/thread, floss, travel toothbrush/paste, tampax, clear nail polish/file, travel bottles filled w/ shampoo/conditoner, etc. When I return from a trip, I replenish the items I've used up before putting the bag back in my suitcase and storing away. I'm too frazzled before a trip to think about those stupid little items, but always happy to have them with them with me in case I need them.

I don't pre-pack make-up though because those items change and make-up/moisturizing cremes and sunblock go stale.

 

I'm with you, I HATE packing and find it stressfull.......especially when both cats have to go into my luggage at once and inspect every item carefully placed! I'd love to get to a destination without kitty hair on our clothes! LOL!

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Jane

Jane

 

packing cubes are the way to go!! Have used them on several trips and would never go back to ziplocks. Just bought DH a set of six for our upcoming cruise on Sun Princess. Packing takes some planning but there is no need to unpack because everything is visible/accessible. Comes in really handy when storage space is at a premium. Just leave them in suitcase or stack cubes on top of each other (no sliding because of the type of material).

[eyzwdeshut]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Perhaps me being a nurse with a Father who is a MD has me being medicinally prepared ??

I usually bring 2 types of antibiotics, and enough for the duration of my cruise.

Always have a stash on hand at home.

Yes, they do have a Medical Center on board. But, after my first cruise, getting a nasty infection, the ship's MD gave me a shot of tetracycline (charged me quite a fee) & told me to stay out of the sun! Since then I bring my own meds.

 

PS Never had to pay a luggage fee yet ;)

 

I understand where you are coming from... my father is a pharmacist, mother a nurse. i have always had meds for whatever ails me. however, i don't think that i have ever brought antibiotics on a trip... thanks for the info.

[eyzwdeshut]

Jane

 

packing cubes are the way to go!! Have used them on several trips and would never go back to ziplocks. Just bought DH a set of six for our upcoming cruise on Sun Princess. Packing takes some planning but there is no need to unpack because everything is visible/accessible. Comes in really handy when storage space is at a premium. Just leave them in suitcase or stack cubes on top of each other (no sliding because of the type of material).

 

i have seen where you can buy the individual packing cubes, but is there somewhere you can buy a "set" of six?

[celbercrz333]

my best tip is Space Bags. The kind where you roll them up to get the air out. You really can bring more clothes that way and wet bathing suits can be packed separate from the dry clothes. You just have to practice how the clothes can be packed to come out more "pressed" than wrinkled. Also I take a mini bottle of dish washing liquid in case there are items that can be hand washed in the sink such as a bathing suit, some panties, etc. I hang them up in the shower stall to dry.

[Mark+Anne]

No, these cubes don't come in sets - I just measured the inside of the suitcase(s). For a 22 inch suitcase I use two 13x10x3 for bottom; for 2nd layer one 13x10x3 plus two 13x4x3. For 24 inch suitcase I use two large plus one small for each layer. Works beautifully!!!

[masterbaker]

Several cruises ago I changed my whole packing plan. I used to obsess over avoiding wrinkles and packing very carefully. Not any more.... I don't iron anything before cruises now. I roll up everything and send out all the stuff that creases and wrinkles to be ironed when we get onboard. It is delivered the next day looking perfect. No more hours in front of an ironing board and careful packing before a cruise. I'm on VACATION!!! When we spend as much as we do for a cruise, the minimal cost of having clothes ironed onboard seems trivial. Now I just cruise and enjoy my vacation. ;)

[Happy ks]

i have seen where you can buy the individual packing cubes, but is there somewhere you can buy a "set" of six?

 

I haven't seen a set of 6, but you could buy 2 sets of 3! Or, customize, like Mark + Anne mentions. Here's a link to what's available. I actually buy stuff from a luggage or department store, but ebags is always a great site to check things out:

 

 

http://www.ebags.com/travel_accessories/packing_folders_cubes/category_search/index.cfm?Ne=100&N=4001+20014520

[LolaWiz]

this is a fantastic thread!

 

 

one thing that i always pack that i have not seen posted is a Glade or AirWick plug in with a small nightlight!

 

I get a scent to go with where we are going (plumeria, mango, etc) and when we arrive in our cabin, i plug the sucker in and it makes the cabin smell wonderful!

It's nice to have a nice scent in the room incase the air gets stale, etc.

But, the best part of this to me is when we get home, i plug it in my living room, bedroom or where ever, and instantly, i am reminded of the wonderful memories from our last vacation!

[surfsup]

Masterbaker - The charges for ironing - are they added to your S&S card? This si a wonderful idea. I've got a gown that's three layers of wrinkled chiffon right now that I would love for someone else to do.

 

Your right, we are on VACATION!!

[masterbaker]

Surfsup, yes the charges are added to you onboard account. I tried to copy and paste Carnivals laundry charges here but for some reason it won't work. To see the prices just go to their website and check at the bottom of the homepage under FAQ and scroll down to laundry services and you can access a list of their prices for cleaning and press only charges. Press only service is usually half the amount of cleaning however it looks like Carnival is higher. We usually sail other cruiselines and they charge around $1.50 per shirt or blouse to iron for us. Carnival also has self service laundry rooms onboard with irons if you need one in a pinch.

[kayred]

Several cruises ago I changed my whole packing plan. I used to obsess over avoiding wrinkles and packing very carefully. Not any more.... I don't iron anything before cruises now. I roll up everything and send out all the stuff that creases and wrinkles to be ironed when we get onboard. It is delivered the next day looking perfect. No more hours in front of an ironing board and careful packing before a cruise. I'm on VACATION!!! When we spend as much as we do for a cruise, the minimal cost of having clothes ironed onboard seems trivial. Now I just cruise and enjoy my vacation. ;)

 

I considered doing this, does it run you a lot of money. I really like the idea of not having to worry about wrinkles..

 

Sorry for the post, I should of finished reading the thread before I asked my question....:(

[benjidog]

Emily,

 

I was thinking about that but could not justify the purchase cause I was not sure that it was worth making a special trip to WalMart for (I despise large stores) and then hauling it to Florida with us when the luggage is already so full but your arguments are swaying me.

 

I got mine at a dollar store. Much easier then dealing with WalMart.

[reeran]

I also use the 2 1/2 gallon zip-lock bags. I pack everything with tissue between it. It does take a little while to pack but when we arrive I never have to steam anything. I even pack my husband's suits and my formal wear this way.:D

[buckeye12]

I always like to take a couple bottles of different perfumes and of course cologne for my DH. But I'm always afraid its going to get broke....Does anyone have any useful tips for packing fragrances?

Thanks

[IrisF]

I always like to take a couple bottles of different perfumes and of course cologne for my DH. But I'm always afraid its going to get broke....Does anyone have any useful tips for packing fragrances?

Thanks

 

I'd say wrap individually in bubblewrap and then in doubled zip lock bags should do the trick. I usually only travel with one fragrance, but that seems to work for me.:)