New Packing Recommendations needed

[grannynurse]

In light on the new airline measures, I think we can put our heads together to come up with constructive suggestions for cruisers leaving in the next 3 months to compensate for the necessary new regulations. Yes, they may be temporary, but there are people leaving in the next week or two who will benefit from some group brainstorming.

Let's not let this become a forum for outrage which we know we share, just let's present ideas to help ourselves and others comply with the changes.

Grannynurse

[Starbright]

We will be travelling to Vancouver in seven weeks' time. What concerns me most about the packing situation is what do you do with your cameras?

 

DH and I are both very keen photographers and one of the joys of our holidays or cruises is the photographs we take. I also like to bring a camcorder. We certainly wouldn't be happy to put them in our hold luggage. Even if they weren't in danger of being stolen we wouldn't want to risk the rough handling that that kind of baggage gets!

 

Our upcoming cruise is a special "holiday of a lifetime" for us to celebrate my retirement. This situation is beginning to take some of the excitement away. :(

[esther e]

Jewelry is also a consideration. I have some lovely pieces and wouldn't want to pack them in checked bagggage.

[barriesdad]

We will be travelling to Vancouver in seven weeks' time. What concerns me most about the packing situation is what do you do with your cameras?

 

DH and I are both very keen photographers and one of the joys of our holidays or cruises is the photographs we take. I also like to bring a camcorder. We certainly wouldn't be happy to put them in our hold luggage. Even if they weren't in danger of being stolen we wouldn't want to risk the rough handling that that kind of baggage gets!

 

Our upcoming cruise is a special "holiday of a lifetime" for us to celebrate my retirement. This situation is beginning to take some of the excitement away. :(

 

My DW and I leave 2 weeks on Saturday for Ottawa for the start of our Silver Wedding Anniversary celebrations which culminate in our long awaited 1st cruise. We are already planning to take 3 cases so how we are going to fit the carry-on items in as well I don't know. I too am not happy about putting cameras, camcorders, mobile phones etc etc in hold luggage.

 

Hopefull this will be a very short term measure and we get back to some sort of normality quite quickly.

 

Lloyd

[Host Walt]

The best advice for now is to relax and see what develops (unless you are traveling in the next few days).

 

The rules being announced today are preventive because the actual event is still unwinding and the concern is the possibility that one or more of the threats can still be carried out.

 

Once the issue is contained, rules will be established for future travel taht will not be responsive to the immediate threats but will be appropriately precationary.

 

Example. Today no books or papers are permitted from England to the US, but they are fine on domestic US flights. Tomorrow, I suspect, the rules will be refined down to a more desirable level.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am very concerned about the jewelry. I do not want to pack it in my suitcase.

 

And if I wear everything, they will make me take it off at security and something could be stolen there.

 

We were going to buy a new camera - but will wait and see how things go over the next couple of weeks.

[vie lee]

Hi - GN Just got up and was listening to the news. I thought we just couldn't take liquids. Now it is sounding like you can't take any carry ons.

There are a lot of things I take in my carry on that I wouldn't dream of putting in my regular checked baggage. Jewerly being the #1. Since we are flying into Seattle a day before I am thinking that we will just go to a drug store and buy some things like toothpaste, hairspray, etc. use them on the ship then leave them. That could be a real hassel?problem for those flying in the day of the cruise, but its the best suggestion I have.

 

Vie Lee

[Host Walt]

Hi - GN Just got up and was listening to the news. I thought we just couldn't take liquids. Now it is sounding like you can't take any carry ons...

 

That's only for pax in the UK on flights to the USA. That's not the case, necessarily, on domestic US flights.

[Starbright]

In actual fact it's on ALL flights out of the UK at the moment, wherever they are going. Those travelling on flights to the USA are having to undergo further screening at the boarding gate.

[Host Walt]

Click here to see the latest information for US travelers:

 

TSA

[KAYEF]

I loaded up on the TSA locks this time, planning to lock my carry-ons as well, since we will be on a small plane from here to Vancouver and they usually take your carry -ons at the door and put them below..........and since we will be on land on our own once we disembark in Seward.

I was able to find them at Radio Shack, Target, Wal-Mart.........they're getting easier to find. (no time to order online, but they're there as well)

On our really long cruise (24 days) I took all kinds of jewelry........decided to take none this time............just what I wear. Maybe I'm getting better and will pack even fewer clothes.:)

Our safety, not our convenience, should be our prime concern and the TSA will be doing all it can to insure that.

[ANSalberg]

I'm sorry, but this HAS to be the most incredibly STUPID "rules" yet!

[jhannah]

As Walt says, measures we might think extreme are being taken right now. But these will flesh out over the next few weeks and we'll have solid info on how to pack. My understanding is as Walt noted ... no carryons only is applying to flights from the UK to the US right now, and no liquids except for baby formula and proven necessary medications.

 

I'm so thankful we rescheduled our cruise. We originally had yesterday's sailing of the Noordam booked, but changed for scheduling reasons. Otherwise, we'd be flying into London in 9 days.

[Tinknock50]

Thanks Walt for the TSA link.

 

Only packing instructions regard liquids in carry-ons.

 

Says nothing about cameras , jewelry ,etc.

Curious as to what was the source about photo equiptment in carryons?

Where did you hear that?

 

Kudos to the British authourities who foiled this plot! At this time they are not sure if it has been completely resolved.

[serendipity1499]

First of all I thank all those who uncovered this plot & those wonderful people who constantly put themselves in danger & work so hard to try to keep us safe..My prayers go out to these special people...

 

The TSA has not addressed this at the moment, but imagine that arriving ship passengers who have purchased spirits outside of the US, will have a major problem at US Airports.. Those who have purchased liquor & wine will probably not be permitted to carry it as hand luggage in the foreseeable future... And most is not packed well enough to be shipped as cargo or baggage....

 

However, our good friends have the right idea which they have done for years...They individually pack their liquor in large plastic sealed bags & wrap laundry & clothing around these bags to be shipped in their checked luggage... It is well packed & They've never had breakage ... Once they even had a lost a piece of luggage, which the airline eventually found & shipped to their home within a few days..The liquor was still intact in the lost bag..

 

We usually don't purchase liquor on our trips as my DH does not want the hassle of carrying it home, but I've pre-packed one or two bubble sheets to wrap around breakables that I can't resist..You can use the 2 gal Zip Lock bags which are quite strong to protect your clothing..Of course you can always have it shipped home but that would probably negate any savings except on high priced liquors..

 

You can do that with any liquids, but I have never packed anything that is in a spray can in my luggage..I've heard of these cans exploding in luggage & ruining clothing..:eek:

 

As far as Jewelry, PC's & Cameras etc., I too would not want to pack these things in our luggage..But as Walt stated, we will just have to wait & see what the TSA comes up with..

[serendipity1499]

I'm sorry, but this HAS to be the most incredibly STUPID "rules" yet!

 

You must be kidding...Have you been keeping up with the news today! Why in heavens name do you consider this stupid?:confused:

 

Would you want to be on an Aircraft that is in danger of being blown up by a liquid that looks like a fellow passengers water bottle..:rolleyes: Wake up & smell the coffee!

 

I worked at JFK for years & know many Customs officials..They've seen Women with Babies picked up at JFK with drugs smuggled in what looks like baby formula!

 

This is one of the smartest things the GB & US officials have done...

[JayS]

I once flew to Israel on El AL. They opened the camera and operated the shutter. My advise would unless or until TSA says anything would be not to load your camera. Digital cameras should be ok.

 

The 12noon News said any liquid creme or paste should be checked.

 

PS I wonder if the British used telephone tapping that the ACLU wants baned.

[elmorejj]

Magellans travel store sells a great item for packing liquor or any breakable item. I have three of them and have used them travelling all over the world. They are inflatable wrappers, about 18 ins. in length and 10 ins. in depth. You blow them up, wrap them around the item, and they fasten with velcro. I`ve never had a bad incident with them and have used them a dozen times or more.........jean:cool:

[papadave]

If you can still bring a purse, limit your jewelry to what fits in there. Don't bring a brand new camera. If you can leave electronics at home, then make do. This is not being imposed to inconvenience travellers, it is in response to the possiblity of dangerous activity. These are measures being taken to protect your life, the lives of people you know, and others you do not know. Unfortunately, we all need to bear the burden for a little while. Let the TSA work out a balance. Maybe that means buying shampoo after you get off an airplane. Maybe it just means using supplies that are already onboard a ship.

[karen2cruz]

Thanks for the thread Grannynurse. As we leave in two weeks this would be helpful to keep updating. I wonder about aerosol cans as well; not listed, but there are some hyper vigilant TSA that might include that.

 

I can deal with double bagging everything, but these weigh a lot and that affects the weight limit in my checked luggage, sigh. Good thing I have travel size bottle of toiletries/make-up that I can refill, and are much smaller than what I use at home on a daily basis.

 

So glad I am not going to the UK this year. Trying to pack last year was a challenge and now that everything has to be checked - yikes. It wouldnt be a big problem, except there is so much theft from baggage handlers.

 

My daughter and I had our vacation to the UK 1 week after the bombings last year and we were a nervous wreck; between that and the restrictive luggage requirements now, I would highly consider canceling any overseas travel.

[Mlascheid]

The bottom line here is SAFETY! Agreed that these new rules are an inconvenience, but that's all that they are....an inconvenience!! Any rule that ensures the safety of airline passengers should be accepted without question. I am happy to comply! The safety of my family is of the utmost importance to me...I'd much arrive at my destination alive and well than be blown up in an airplane because someone had explosives in a liquid/gel thay were able to carry on the plane. It's no big deal to put the prohibited liquids in checked baggage. A very big THANK YOU to those officials that uncoverd this potential disaster...many innocent lives would have been lost.

[Tinknock50]

If you can still bring a purse, limit your jewelry to what fits in there. Don't bring a brand new camera. If you can leave electronics at home, then make do. This is not being imposed to inconvenience travellers, it is in response to the possiblity of dangerous activity. These are measures being taken to protect your life, the lives of people you know, and others you do not know. Unfortunately, we all need to bear the burden for a little while. Let the TSA work out a balance. Maybe that means buying shampoo after you get off an airplane. Maybe it just means using supplies that are already onboard a ship.

 

papadave,

 

There is nothing about electronics on the TSA website....just liquids and gels which must be packed in checked luggage so the powerful scanners can detect for explosives.

 

No problem bringing a good camera since according to the TSA I can carry it on. Says nothing about putting your camera in checked luggage.

 

The only major restrictions on carryons that I have seen are flights to and from Britain

[Mlascheid]

Opps... Sorry...forgot to add new packing recommendations. Obviously, the easiest thing would be to pack the prohibited items in your checked luggage. If that isn't an option, then possibly your taxi driver could make a quick stop at a grocery/drugstore on your way to the port. If you are traveling to a port ahead of your scheduled departure and staying in a hotel then you could take a trip too the local store for needed items. Some hotels have small convenience-type stores in their lobbies. These suggestions are only for the new rule that prohibits carrying on liquids/gels.

[cactuslady]

Who knows what the ultimate restrictions will be, but perhaps the following might help with the restrictions on liquids:

 

It is possible to get hand and body "lotion" in solid cakes. Found one on the internet called Hamptons Hideaway. I have a boutique brand that is like a bar of soap, stored in a metal tin; works well.

 

The new Schick Intuition Razor for women has a solid cake around the blades that turns into shaving cream when you use it. This will avoid the need to carry separate shaving cream or gel. I got one in anticipation of our upcoming Europe trip, but have not tried it yet.

 

And the older ones among us will remember the old-fashioned soap that comes in bars instead of pump bottles. ;)

 

I'm sure capitalist ingenuity will solve the toothpaste issue in short order, if it has not already. If you are traveling soon, I'd make a quick trip to the nearest drugstore and look around.

[Pudgesmom]

I sometimes wrap liquids or cosmetics in plastic bags, then put them in shoes. Athletic or mens' shoes offer a solid, protected base for that shampoo you can't travel without! I have never had a problem with breakage or spillage with items checked in this fashion.

 

Beth