12 suitcases and more....!?

[Heidi13]

5 minutes ago, West Coast Gal said:

Wondering why you no longer sail on Princess?  We are booked on a world cruise with them in 2023, and even though we are elite, we have not been on a Princess ship since 2015

 

After almost 40 yrs with P&O/Princess, our last cruise with them was the 2015 World Cruise R/T Sydney. We had been Elite for a number of years. We found the Carnivalisation of a once great company had dropped the standards below our minimum.

 

The Sea Princess was very badly maintained, resembling a Greek Tramp ship, rather than a cruise ship. The quality of the meals were extremely poor and the Entertainment, which was contracted out was rubbish.

 

I did daily posts on our 2015 Princess cruise and the 2020 Viking WC - www.AndyandJudi.com

 

Please note our blog is only a record of our travels, so is not moneterised in any way, so we gain no benefit from suggesting it to others.

[West Coast Gal]

11 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

After almost 40 yrs with P&O/Princess, our last cruise with them was the 2015 World Cruise R/T Sydney. We had been Elite for a number of years. We found the Carnivalisation of a once great company had dropped the standards below our minimum.

 

The Sea Princess was very badly maintained, resembling a Greek Tramp ship, rather than a cruise ship. The quality of the meals were extremely poor and the Entertainment, which was contracted out was rubbish.

 

I did daily posts on our 2015 Princess cruise and the 2020 Viking WC - www.AndyandJudi.com

 

Please note our blog is only a record of our travels, so is not moneterised in any way, so we gain no benefit from suggesting it to others.

So Sad to hear, we have loved Princess because it just seemed to have  "crisper" service and we really enjoyed the food.  Thanks for sharing your blog!

[Heidi13]

Just now, West Coast Gal said:

So Sad to hear, we have loved Princess because it just seemed to have  "crisper" service and we really enjoyed the food.  Thanks for sharing your blog!

 

You are very welcome, I also have links to a couple of other travel blogs - Clay & MonaLiza

[Capalaba]

57 minutes ago, West Coast Gal said:

Do you remember where the story is of this lady, I would enjoy reading it!

It was a story within an email from CC. I think it was a story about packing - but it was a number of years ago. I have been searching but cannot find it. Given the title I assume this forum may have been created from that story??

My recall (which may or may not be accurate) is that they had the adjoining cabin for the luggage!

[West Coast Gal]

4 hours ago, Capalaba said:

It was a story within an email from CC. I think it was a story about packing - but it was a number of years ago. I have been searching but cannot find it. Given the title I assume this forum may have been created from that story??

My recall (which may or may not be accurate) is that they had the adjoining cabin for the luggage!

Wow, that is so incredible, pretty much blows my mind!

 

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, West Coast Gal said:

Do you have any suggested travel blogs to look at?

 

A CC poster known as WCB always posts on CC during their world cruises on Holland America.  Whether their posts are still accessible or not, I don't know.  But, they have been filled with much good information about the ports the Amsterdam visited as well as their cruise experiences.  

[floridababa]

Ill be on the Island Princess 2023 WC

Do they store the luggage?  Anyone know how much space there is?

[Heidi13]

37 minutes ago, floridababa said:

Ill be on the Island Princess 2023 WC

Do they store the luggage?  Anyone know how much space there is?

 

The Island/Coral do not have storage lockers for suitcases. You are expected to store them under the bed, or in the wardrobe area. However, if you have too many, the Cabin Steward may be able to assist.

[rkacruiser]

17 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

However, if you have too many, the Cabin Steward may be able to assist.

 

17 hours ago, floridababa said:

Ill be on the Island Princess 2023 WC

Do they store the luggage?  Anyone know how much space there is?

 

On HAL's Amsterdam, the children's playroom area was used to store excess luggage.  I walked by one day and saw the room backed floor to ceiling--wall to wall--with luggage.  

 

Otherwise, if the ship does not have such an area for storage, using the available space within one's stateroom, particularly under the bed and the floor space of the closets is what one ought to plan to do.  

Edited March 21, 2021 by rkacruiser

[floridababa]

On 3/21/2021 at 12:10 AM, Heidi13 said:

 

The Island/Coral do not have storage lockers for suitcases. You are expected to store them under the bed, or in the wardrobe area. However, if you have too many, the Cabin Steward may be able to assist.

Many of the  beds no longer have enough height for luggage

I would hope on a WC they store them for you

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, floridababa said:

Many of the  beds no longer have enough height for luggage

I would hope on a WC they store them for you

 

Yes, that is becoming an increasing problem on many ships and since it has been a few years since sailing on either Island/Coral, I have no doubt the beds have changed.

 

On most Princess ships we stowed them all within 2 cases which fit nicely in the closet, with smaller ones under the bed.

 

The other option would be RKA's suggestion, of using the kid's centre, which on Island is a completely interior space, since they removed the aft pool, outer decks and aft lounge to cram in more cabins.

[ellbelle]

On 2/25/2021 at 2:30 PM, West Coast Gal said:

Do you have any suggested travel blogs to look at?

 

On 2/26/2021 at 1:28 PM, rkacruiser said:

 

A CC poster known as WCB always posts on CC during their world cruises on Holland America.  Whether their posts are still accessible or not, I don't know.  But, they have been filled with much good information about the ports the Amsterdam visited as well as their cruise experiences.  

Here is the link to their blog site:

 

"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann (cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com)

 

I have been reading of their travels for years hoping we would one day book a WC. Even though we are long time cruisers on HAL we chose Princess for our first WC in 2023. 

[BCHappyGal]

Wow Multiple cases for a long cruise... we did a 60 day crusie with only a total of 3 suitcases + carry on for 2 of us and we did an around the world adventure combining cruise ship - air & train travel total time 186 days and only our 3 cases + carryon

 

Maybe I am under shopping and under packing...  Will have to get right on that shopping bit!!!

[Mich3554]

23 hours ago, BCHappyGal said:

Wow Multiple cases for a long cruise... we did a 60 day crusie with only a total of 3 suitcases + carry on for 2 of us and we did an around the world adventure combining cruise ship - air & train travel total time 186 days and only our 3 cases + carryon

 

Maybe I am under shopping and under packing...  Will have to get right on that shopping bit!!!

I am still trying to figure out our luggage situation for an upcoming cruise in Nov which will be 58 days (B2B2B).  Normally, DH and I each take a carry on and a backpack.  We have traveled up to 6 weeks with these.  The 58 day cruise is a trial run for our 138 day (? trying to decide if we want to piggy back on this) WC, and both of us know that living out of a 22” carry on for that long isn’t going to happen.  At the end of the 6 week trip, I was thoroughly sick of everything!  I’m guessing we will each have to add a full sized suitcase.

[rkacruiser]

19 hours ago, Mich3554 said:

I’m guessing we will each have to add a full sized suitcase.

 

Personally, I think that is a reasonable expectation.  

[wishIweretravelling]

Since one of the benefits of traveling by cruise ship is that you only have to unpack and pack once, a little more luggage than usual is just fine for a long cruise. What's an extra $35 or so to check a bag on the flight there, given what you've already paid for the cruise?

[Mich3554]

3 hours ago, wishIweretravelling said:

Since one of the benefits of traveling by cruise ship is that you only have to unpack and pack once, a little more luggage than usual is just fine for a long cruise. What's an extra $35 or so to check a bag on the flight there, given what you've already paid for the cruise?

I don’t know about others, but for DH and myself cost of checking a bag is not the reason why we travel so light.  We travel such that we can easily manage our own luggage.  
 

[Ladys Mom]

On 6/2/2021 at 7:06 PM, Mich3554 said:

I don’t know about others, but for DH and myself cost of checking a bag is not the reason why we travel so light.  We travel such that we can easily manage our own luggage.  
 

The nice part of a WC on Regent is that they have Luggage Central come to your home a few weeks before you sail and pick up as many as four large suitcases that they will deliver to the ship.  That way we have come control on the number of suitcases we need to travel with ourselves.

[Brownie54]

The luggage service on the Regent 2017 WC was a huge help! You can also pay to add additional pieces to the 2-50 lb. pp pieces they ship (included in the fare).

 

Sue

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, Brownie54 said:

The luggage service on the Regent 2017 WC was a huge help! You can also pay to add additional pieces to the 2-50 lb. pp pieces they ship (included in the fare).

 

Sue

 

22 hours ago, Ladys Mom said:

The nice part of a WC on Regent is that they have Luggage Central come to your home a few weeks before you sail and pick up as many as four large suitcases that they will deliver to the ship.  That way we have come control on the number of suitcases we need to travel with ourselves.

 

When I sailed on the Amsterdam for my world cruise, I also had such luggage service.  It was very much appreciated by me!

[Heidi13]

31 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

 

When I sailed on the Amsterdam for my world cruise, I also had such luggage service.  It was very much appreciated by me!

 

Totally agree, great service. Viking have Luggage Forward deliver 1 case each, which makes life so much easier.

[BVILady]

On 2/11/2019 at 10:25 PM, JBL919 said:

I am with all of you.  We have 11 months to go and one would think the cruise is tomorrow. Also thinking purses, cocktail dresses, wraps for the eve,  other eve clothes. Especially wondering how one wears the same dressy clothes over and over on a 90 night cruise. Love all your posts and suggestions! 

Accessories,  fancy costume-jeweler, nice blouses you wear like a jacket over your dress, the blouses you can again wear as a blouse during the day.  I live in a hot climate and am usually cold all the time, so I get plenty of light and heavier jackets 🙂 Felt bad for planning to have 2 suit-cases and the carry-on, you all make me feel so much better!