Overpacking?

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Bottom line basically comes down to "you to you boo".

 

If you are one who wants multiple outfits per day (even besides what you're wearing at night for dinner) and that works for you, great.

 

If you're one who is fine in the same outfit each day and changes for dinner but with things you can mix and match, great.

 

Neither is definitively right or wrong. It's all about what works for you.

 

For me, less is more and I'm almost always in carry-on only even when I can take a ride to the port (or the unlikely event I fly Southwest (super bad experiences with them all things that were their choice) again - I'm not packing more just because it's included in the flight or no charge if taking a car). I think that's as much a function of my parents' "You bring it, you carry it" rule that they instilled in me. I never want to have more than I can personally handle on my own. But that's me. Obviously that doesn't work for everyone.

 

And that's ok.

[Tree_skier]

13 minutes ago, SoloAlaska said:

If it isn’t broken then don’t fix it. I travel in Europe by train and having that much luggage is hard for anyone but pretty much impossible for those who aren’t physically fit. I always joked at the gym that the reason I work out is so I can carry all my work luggage. I can carry (lift in the air) 130lb but I can move (roll and carry) closer to 200 plus pounds. But try boarding a train with 200lb of luggage solo… no thank you.

Yeah that'd be rough!

[Keksie]

I don't over pack, I pack what I want and need for a trip.  It will not fit in a carry on.  I have a lovely suitcase that rolls well from the car to the ship or the car to the hotel.  I don't do laundry or want to wash and dry anything other then my swimsuits.  I want all my products that I use at home although I do put some in smaller bottles.  For warm weather cruises we bring our snorkel masks and for cold weather cruises we bring a lot of outerwear.   We usually can get by with two large suitcases and a carry on for me and a back pack for my husband.  For our Alaskan cruise tour we had three large cases plus back packs.

[zebra36]

I usually over(?) pack but since I am driving to port and not flying this I not an issue, I am more conscious of what I pack when I have to fly.

[TravisP]

I am a minimalist packer but my wife makes up for it. She takes up almost a whole suitcase with just shoes. 

[doghog]

My wife is an over packer, so that makes me one, involuntarily. 

 

[Keksie]

My husband is as much of a large case packer as I am.  His shoes are huge, so even if he only brings a pair of dress shoes and a pair of sandals they take up a lot of room. His clothes take up a lot of room and even his snorkel mask is big.  So even with less items his bag is as full as mine.  

[firstimer2009]

On 1/17/2024 at 7:18 AM, alphawave1 said:

Leaving  tomorrow from Galveston on a B2B with my sister. 
Ok, I admit it, my suitcase is super heavy. My sister is driving in today and  spending the night here is Houston. 
My sister, “ OMG, your suitcase is ridiculously heavy,  I will have to help you…..etc.” I will get a lecture driving to the port. 

Also my sister by 2nd  day, “OMG, I forgot socks, do you have hair conditioner, do you have clothes pins, can I use your hand lotion, sun  block toothpaste….etc.” 

Am I the only one? 

 

 

 

On my first cruise to Alaska in 2009 I packed way too much and my husband also complained.  At the airport check-in I was over the 50 pound limit so had to open my bag and take stuff out and put in my husband's bag.  Very embarrasing.  Now I take a big roller and small roller.  Plus I bought a digital luggage scale.  Try not to go over 40 in the big roller.

[firstimer2009]

4 hours ago, TravisP said:

I am a minimalist packer but my wife makes up for it. She takes up almost a whole suitcase with just shoes. 

That's me!  I am 5'9" but have the feet of a 6'5" man.  I take alot of shoes because I would never be able to buy extra shoes anywhere.  Unless it was at a Nike store.

[goldfish65]

Only four cruises, but always the same:

One large rolling bag, one good sized waterproof duffel without much in it, and one backpack. 

Large bag holds many changes of clothes. Bulky, casual items go in vacuum storage bags. 

I like to bring a hammock, and assorted items like a travel fan, bungee cord, zip ties, duct tape, a plush throw blanket, Yeti, a few books, etc.  

The duffel will have Fresca, diet ginger ale, and/or Coke Zero, paper towels and small windex. Later it is used for dirty clothes, and for things/gifts we have bought. 

Backpack for meds and wine. 

For me, one of the pleasures of cruising is that you can pack as much as you want.

[cruiseguy1016]

1 hour ago, goldfish65 said:

Only four cruises, but always the same:

One large rolling bag, one good sized waterproof duffel without much in it, and one backpack. 

Large bag holds many changes of clothes. Bulky, casual items go in vacuum storage bags. 

I like to bring a hammock, and assorted items like a travel fan, bungee cord, zip ties, duct tape, a plush throw blanket, Yeti, a few books, etc.  

The duffel will have Fresca, diet ginger ale, and/or Coke Zero, paper towels and small windex. Later it is used for dirty clothes, and for things/gifts we have bought. 

Backpack for meds and wine. 

For me, one of the pleasures of cruising is that you can pack as much as you want.

 

🤯 Wow!

[HappyTexan44]

2 hours ago, Keksie said:

My husband is as much of a large case packer as I am.  His shoes are huge, so even if he only brings a pair of dress shoes and a pair of sandals they take up a lot of room. His clothes take up a lot of room and even his snorkel mask is big.  So even with less items his bag is as full as mine.  

 

My husband likes to pretend he doesn't bring much.   He'll set a pile of folded clothes onto the bed and say to "add it to my clothes".   But, then you add his sleep machine and his duffle is full.  If I do add his clothes to mine, he is annoyed because he has to dig though mine to find his.  

 

[SoloAlaska]

3 hours ago, goldfish65 said:

Only four cruises, but always the same:

One large rolling bag, one good sized waterproof duffel without much in it, and one backpack. 

Large bag holds many changes of clothes. Bulky, casual items go in vacuum storage bags. 

I like to bring a hammock, and assorted items like a travel fan, bungee cord, zip ties, duct tape, a plush throw blanket, Yeti, a few books, etc.  

The duffel will have Fresca, diet ginger ale, and/or Coke Zero, paper towels and small windex. Later it is used for dirty clothes, and for things/gifts we have bought. 

Backpack for meds and wine. 

For me, one of the pleasures of cruising is that you can pack as much as you want.

Zip ties are the best. I don’t carry duct tape but have an impressive sewing kit and first aid kit which make up for it. As of my next cruise I’ll have my down quilt which is rated to bellow freezing but will take only about 2L of space. 
 

I never drive to ports so airlines is what limits how much I want to pack. Now if airlines I fly with start putting a max weight on carry ons I may have to reconsider my packing strategy. Thankfully the max for Canadian safety is 35lb each which isn’t a problem when I travel personal.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

3 hours ago, goldfish65 said:

duct tape,

What are you using that for? You're not supposed to use any adhesives on the ship walls/floors/ceilings.

[Tree_skier]

2 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

What are you using that for? You're not supposed to use any adhesives on the ship walls/floors/ceilings.

bungie cords, zip ties and duct tape sound like things a serial killer would carry 😜

 

JK 🙂 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Just now, Tree_skier said:

bungie cords, zip ties and duct tape sound like things a serial killer would carry 😜

 

JK 🙂 

Ooh true. I did just finish watching a doc series on Netflix and it was about a serial...not killer but horrible person who used zip ties and swim goggles that had been duct taped over. Eek!!

[doghog]

1 minute ago, Tree_skier said:

bungie cords, zip ties and duct tape sound like things a serial killer would carry 😜

 

JK 🙂 

I always pack duct tape. Not a serial killer. 🤣

[Tree_skier]

5 minutes ago, doghog said:

Not a serial killer. 🤣

So you say but... 

 

🙃

Edited January 18 by Tree_skier

[doghog]

3 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

So you say but... 

 

🙃

No but. 🙃 Glad we had it for our March 2023 B2B Explorer cruise.

[goldfish65]

Duct tape is good for quick fixes of luggage or shoes or a hem or rip, also to block out any slivers of light coming thru the curtains.