How long before you Sail, do you start packing.....Any tips on how to make it easy....

[exlondoner]

There seem to be many different ways of organising packing in preparation for a cruise. The sad thing is that at the other end, except for those continuing a holiday, everyone does the same thing. They spend the last afternoon, shovelling everything in and hoping their suitcase will still shut.

[lindylooellalouise]

10 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

For a world cruise I usually begin planning the day after I book. That gives me around 18 months to get all eight suitcases of items ready. packing is done twice. Once about a week out to make sure all fits or do I need to find another case. Then the final packing is the day before leaving for NYC. In the past I always planned to spend several days in the city before embarking but since NYC has become more dangerous to casually walk around then Kiev, I will arrive the day before, stay in a hotel very near the terminal in Red Hook and not venture forth until time to board.

Can I just ask where  in your cabin do you manage to store all of the eight suitcases, we struggle with four.

[lissie]

Just now, exlondoner said:

 

I was thinking as well of passport/visa stuff and Covid hurdles.

Its pretty minimal really - nothing like  the paperwork I did for a  Central Asia trip we started but couldn't complete a few years ago . 

 

Just got the ESTAs for the USA the other day.  I believe we need to fill in a pay for an authorization for Bermuda - I assume Cunard will mention  it at some point!  That's it really. 

 

We need a Covid test for  entry to the USA. And another one pre-embarkation for Cunard in SF. That's the trickest - its going to waste a few hours of our time there.  Not even looked at the requirements for the 2nd cruise because that's not until October 

[lissie]

2 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

There seem to be many different ways of organising packing in preparation for a cruise. The sad thing is that at the other end, except for those continuing a holiday, everyone does the same thing. They spend the last afternoon, shovelling everything in and hoping their suitcase will still shut.

The really sad thing is when you get home and all that dirty washing just sits and looks at you 😞 most depressing time EVER 

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, lissie said:

Its pretty minimal really - nothing like  the paperwork I did for a  Central Asia trip we started but couldn't complete a few years ago . 

 

Just got the ESTAs for the USA the other day.  I believe we need to fill in a pay for an authorization for Bermuda - I assume Cunard will mention  it at some point!  That's it really. 

 

We need a Covid test for  entry to the USA. And another one pre-embarkation for Cunard in SF. That's the trickest - its going to waste a few hours of our time there.  Not even looked at the requirements for the 2nd cruise because that's not until October 

 

Schengen visa?

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, lissie said:

The really sad thing is when you get home and all that dirty washing just sits and looks at you 😞 most depressing time EVER 

 

I always enjoy being home, once I'm there. And I'm eternally grateful to the inventor of the automatic washing machine, so I don't even mind the washing. Hotpoint called an early range of their automatic machine the Liberator and it was a well chosen name.

[lissie]

Just now, exlondoner said:

 

Schengen visa?

Automatic on arrival with a NZ passport  - you just need to make sure you don't stay more than 90 days. If you mean the European ETIAS- not until 2023. 

 

I do think we may need visas for Egypt / Oman/Sri Lanka - but that's all port stops so Cunard can advise on that. 

[Lakesregion]

7 minutes ago, lissie said:

Seriously where do you put it? We have one bag between the 2 of us plus carry on's and last time we didn't jam pack the wardrobe but used all the shelf/drawer space. Where would you even put 8 suitcases - ours was put behind the couch by the steward - no room under the bed - but even if there was... We are doing 2 cruises total 56 days - and we're taking less than we did for our first cruise as we need to drop down to  one bag each for Europe - carry on size 

All of the bags are graduated so empty they fit under the bed or at the bottom of the closet and if you are nice to the cabin steward on a world cruise they can find space out of the cabin for the extra bags.

[Lakesregion]

6 minutes ago, lindylooellalouise said:

Can I just ask where  in your cabin do you manage to store all of the eight suitcases, we struggle with four.

graduated sizes and they slide under the bed. On a world cruise if you are nice to the cabin steward they will find space out of the cabin for the over flow.

[lindylooellalouise]

8 minutes ago, Lakesregion said:

graduated sizes and they slide under the bed. On a world cruise if you are nice to the cabin steward they will find space out of the cabin for the over flow.

Thanks that’s good to know about the cabin steward, we wanted to book a world cruise 2023 to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary but instead have booked six separate cruises throughout the year.

[BklynBoy8]

2 hours ago, lissie said:

The really sad thing is when you get home and all that dirty washing just sits and looks at you 😞 most depressing time EVER 

 

My DW attempts to do a wash on board so only the later dirty stuff goes home and washed packed in the clean bag.

[BklynBoy8]

2 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

All of the bags are graduated so empty they fit under the bed or at the bottom of the closet and if you are nice to the cabin steward on a world cruise they can find space out of the cabin for the extra bags.

 

I think we once saw a Babbage Storage Room off the Grand Lobby near one of the entrances to the ship. It's a massive room we saw items in there already.

[D&N]

6 hours ago, exlondoner said:

 

Magnetic hooks will attach to the magnetic walls, another time.

But I had plenty of space in luggage for one of my Bosch cordless drills! 🤣🤣

[Victoria2]

34 minutes ago, D&N said:

But I had plenty of space in luggage for one of my Bosch cordless drills! 🤣🤣

OK. I'll bite. 😁

 

Why?

[Mrs. H.]

For any trip I always say I'm going to start packing 6 weeks before in case my back goes out or I get sick closer to the vacation.  It always seems I then say, ok, 5 weeks. Then 4 weeks I'm saying ok, now I'll start packing.  3 weeks and I'm kicking myself.  2 weeks ok lets get cracking.  lol  

 

To BklynBoy8 (I'm from Bay Ridge)
 

[exlondoner]

16 minutes ago, Mrs. H. said:

3 weeks and I'm kicking myself.  2 weeks ok lets get cracking.  lol  

 

To BklynBoy8 (I'm from Bay Ridge)
 

 

That's a sure way to put your back out.

[D&N]

5 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

OK. I'll bite. 😁

 

Why?

To do a bit of diy on board of course! 🤣

[BklynBoy8]

3 hours ago, Mrs. H. said:

For any trip I always say I'm going to start packing 6 weeks before in case my back goes out or I get sick closer to the vacation.  It always seems I then say, ok, 5 weeks. Then 4 weeks I'm saying ok, now I'll start packing.  3 weeks and I'm kicking myself.  2 weeks ok lets get cracking.  lol  

 

To BklynBoy8 (I'm from Bay Ridge)
 

 

I'm In Bath Beach/Lower Dyker Heights next to the Fort with a wonderful view of the VNB. Hello!!!!

[BklynBoy8]

3 hours ago, Mrs. H. said:

For any trip I always say I'm going to start packing 6 weeks before in case my back goes out or I get sick closer to the vacation.  It always seems I then say, ok, 5 weeks. Then 4 weeks I'm saying ok, now I'll start packing.  3 weeks and I'm kicking myself.  2 weeks ok lets get cracking.  lol  

 

 I'm trying this time on the coming 14 day sailing with multi climate days.... to make it easy this time but cover all the bases so we are ready.

[Mrs. H.]

16 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:

 

I'm In Bath Beach/Lower Dyker Heights next to the Fort with a wonderful view of the VNB. Hello!!!!

I grew up just off 92nd Street and could see the bridge from my kitchen and bathroom.
They told my Dad they were taking his house when building the bridge, dad went out looking for a house in Dyker and Bensonhurst and then they moved the blueprints over one block and they didn't take our house.

[2BACRUISER]

Dies anyone use packing cubes, I discovered them for my last cruise and find them a game changer for my packing and especially DH. I just give him a cube and say fill that with pants and socks, another with bathroom gear, it has truly revolutionised getting him organised ♥️😛 otherwise he's a last minute Larry 🙄 and it all just get thrown at me or worse in the bag. 

[njpln]

I must say to the people who can pack the day before— I am so impressed.

 

I always start packing about two weeks before any trip. I have packing lists and I leisurely do things so it’s not all on me to do it at the last minute. However for Cunard, I actually have to pack the formalwear earlier because I ship them to the port,  we don’t carry them.

 

We typically have 2 carry-ons, 1 26 inch suitcase for our every day clothes, and 2 more 26 inch cases for our eveningwear.

 

We have one carry-on that’s full of medical supplies, unfortunately that’s part of our aging reality. Then we have a smaller carry-on that has all of our toiletries and whatnot,  and a pair of PJs for each of us because quite often we’re doing a pre-flight or a pre-cruise night somewhere in a hotel.

 

Since our first Cunard cruise where I had packed 3 gowns that I never wore, I have learned to pack with less clothing.  I actually have a little spreadsheet that I’ve used over and over to make sure that I don’t over pack anymore. And even for my husband, he takes a tux, and he takes a blazer with two pairs of trousers. The first cruise I packed a second sport coat for him, but I looked around and saw most men wear their blazers every night so he does too now.  
 

Another thing helped me pack  less was using the laundries and the laundry service. It’s so easy on Cunard, so I don’t have to pack as many clothes because I know I can do laundry or we can send it out. We actually pack many more every day clothes when we’re doing Celebrity since they don’t have self service laundries… We get free laundry bags, but sometimes they don’t do the best job…

 

One more thing, I also love packing cubes. I find not only do you fit more items in your suitcase, but it really keeps them from wrinkling if you pack them in well. So I highly recommend packing cubes to anyone whose are frequent travel traveler

Edited June 8, 2022 by njpln

[frankp01]

3 hours ago, njpln said:

Another thing helped me pack  less was using the laundries and the laundry service

Indeed. I don't pack more than 5 or 6 days' clothes, with the expectation that I'll do laundry at day 4 or 5. I used to do a fair amount of bicycle touring, so I learned to travel lightly.

[lissie]

5 hours ago, 2BACRUISER said:

Dies anyone use packing cubes, I discovered them for my last cruise and find them a game changer for my packing and especially DH. I just give him a cube and say fill that with pants and socks, another with bathroom gear, it has truly revolutionised getting him organised ♥️😛 otherwise he's a last minute Larry 🙄 and it all just get thrown at me or worse in the bag. 

I use plastic bags - they are the same but free and you can make them fit into any space. A bag for underwear, a bag for laundry and shoes go in separate bags.  I don't really care when my partner packs - that's his issue - but I do absolutely insist that he checks his prescriptions a week out so he has time to get refills  - though to be fair he's got a lot better at doing that now. 

[Solent Richard]

On 6/7/2022 at 8:19 PM, exlondoner said:

 

I don't have those sort of nails. An emery board suffices.

LOL. I like it 😂