Following advice...overpacking

[ksmdcruisin]

I got lots of advice to NOT overpack...

ummmmmm...

I packed yesterday and my suitcase looks like it will burst any time now:eek: . If you here of an explosion at Port Canaveral, it was just me opening my suitcase:D .

Karen, who´s got to rethink her packing

[camperhawk]

Been there, done that!.. can't tell you how many time I was not going to overpack, read all the threads to avoid it and my luugage just kept growing. I don't know what the answer is, because I truly did not use half of the clothes I brought anytime and am truly trying to change this! I think I am likening it to my junk drawer...which has now grown to 2-3, don't use that stuff either. Spring Cleaning seems to be in order..:D

[camperhawk]

Have a Great cruise by the way, the first is always special! Come back and tell us all about it!:D

[PantherFan]

On our recent cruise I was so proud of myself!

 

Between the 2 of us, we usually take 3 suitcases and I cut it down to 2 and a small carry on.

 

What a huge difference! I coordinated the evening clothes around 2 pair of black shoes.....may have been boring but less to store and carry off:)

[KarinaGW]

Weigh your bags. If you are flying, no one bag can be over 50 pounds or you will get hit with fees. Jet Blue was like $20 up to 75 pounds...don't know if other airlines are similar or more.

 

My sisters was 49.5 last week (mine was 33). She bought an RCCL duffle bag on the cruise because she knew she'd be getting more stuff and figured why not use it as a souvenir too....which reminds me I wonder what my DD did with my duffle...she swiped it when she went to college....hmmmm....

[ontheopenseas]

So, what are some tips to avoid overpacking????? With the whole family going on a 9 night cruise, between dress up clothes, exercise clothes and day wear (not to mention the snorkleing stuff) I think we're in big trouble. Luckily we're not flying so we don't have to worry about weight so much (well, we will have to worry about our weight with all the food;) but are there any luggage weight restrictions on the ship?) but I could sure use some packing advice. Our other cruises were shorter but we still had a lot of luggage and there was laundry service on board which we used. Thanks!

[onelifetolive2]

I'm with you... we are bringing 3 checked and two carryone.. one of the checked is nothing but shoes! :eek: I know, I know... way over packed... but I can't live without my shoes... to be fair 1/2 of them are DH's...

[louanne93]

We just got off the Vision on Sun. and I can tell you we way over packed!! We all only had 1 large bag and didn't even wear all of our clothes that we packed. Some things we packed that we didn't use were the laptop (never again...the computers in the internet cafe were perfect), we brought wipes (but everyone was so excited that we ALL touched everything before wiping it down:eek: ) and didn't use them, didn't use the booklight (the nightlight by the bed is perfect), didn't use half of the clothes we brought, didn't use the ipod and mini speakers (too many activities to hang out and listen to music). So all in all I think we are going back to packing just a carry on. The over the door shoe rack got used though!! We also used the small battery clock we brought.

[mrchips14]

The general rule is bring everything, then you won't forget anything.

 

My work here is done.

 

See ya

[GeckoGirl]

We pack fairly light for our cruises and then just used the laundry services and have some outfits cleaned and wear them again. I don't worry about what people think if I wear the same outfit twice, it's my vacation. Plus I usually bring some pants or skirts that several of my tops go with so I can mix and match. So far I have only had one suitcase and a carry-on on both cruises. It was nice not worrying about lots of luggage.

[mimgan3]

To the origanal poster, try as you may it is very hard not to overpack, but on our last cruise, which was a 7 day, I really surprised myself and my DW did not beielve I could do it but I managed to get all my "stuff" into on of our small suitcases. She had a larger bag and a carry on and a duffel. Ok I will concede you ladies have more "junk" to worry about than us guys but I will offer this example for the guys. I took on black suit, one white dress shirt and 2 neckties and 1 pr. of black dress shoes for the forman nights, just switch the ties. For the other nights in the dining room and other activities on the ship 1pair of khakis and 1 pair grey casual slacks and 5 polos, topsiders and sandals. Daytime attire swim trunks(2) shorts(3) 5- t- shirts underware and toiletries and you are done.

 

Most of our generation grew up watching Love Boat and that kind of gave us all a false sense of the clothes we needed on the ship. Most days are spent by the pool, or if even just exploring the ship, most often all you need are shorts and a tee shirt.

 

Hope this helps, but regardless, you will have a wonderful time, and I will live vicariously through you until my next cruise. So get out there have fun and don't sweat the small stuff.

 

Tim

[Sue L]

The secret is to lay everything out on the bed... all the clothes and ALL the money.

 

Now put away half the clothes and DOUBLE the money and it should be right!:D

[piercetc4]

i overpack and always regret it- one of these days i will learn and be realistic about what i will really need on the trip - if you can keep yourself from overpacking you will be so glad you did- if you can't , you will be joining a lot of others who can't break the habit either...lol

enjoy your cruise-

[Shanafan]

The secret is to lay everything out on the bed... all the clothes and ALL the money.

 

Now put away half the clothes and DOUBLE the money and it should be right!:D

 

That is the best advice I have ever read! I'm gonna try to follow it!! :D

[Jungle Jane]

piercetc4-I see in your cruise history that you have a mother daughter cruise listed....were you the mother or the daughter? I ask b'c I am doing a mother/daughter also, I am the mother, my daughter is 13. Was your situation similar????? If so I'd like to hear what you did together on your cruise, rather than you as an adult and she has a child...thanks!

[rclcruzer]

Hi, My name is Jayme and I'm a overpacker :D:D:D

at my last meeting I confessed about having shoe withdrawls because my hubby said only 10 pairs this time! :p:p

[Sue L]

Hi, My name is Jayme and I'm a overpacker :D:D:D

at my last meeting I confessed about having shoe withdrawls because my hubby said only 10 pairs this time! :p:p

 

 

Last cruise I only brought 2 pairs for evening, 1 sneaker, 1 sandal and 1 water shoe.

[rclcruzer]

Last cruise I only brought 2 pairs for evening, 1 sneaker, 1 sandal and 1 water shoe.

Wow, now that would be tough for me, I am a "flip flop" queen! I bring like 5 pairs of just those. Some to match bathing suits, some to go with shorts etc...But was that your Alaska cruise?

[cruisePRN]

Hey, as long as you don't mind shleping around that heavy suitcase it's ok. I'm an underpacker, I like to be able to handle my own suitcase.

[Sue L]

Wow, now that would be tough for me, I am a "flip flop" queen! I bring like 5 pairs of just those. Some to match bathing suits, some to go with shorts etc...But was that your Alaska cruise?

 

 

Nope that was for my 11 day Panama, Alaska I sinned and brought another pair of hiking type shoes and I am glad I did.

 

You would get along with my daughter, for the Alaska cruise she brought like 10 pairs of flip flops,:eek: She and her friends are going on the AOS in March and I am scared how many she is going to bring.

[rclcruzer]

Nope that was for my 11 day Panama, Alaska I sinned and brought another pair of hiking type shoes and I am glad I did.

 

You would get along with my daughter, for the Alaska cruise she brought like 10 pairs of flip flops,:eek: She and her friends are going on the AOS in March and I am scared how many she is going to bring.

How old is your DD may I ask?? Is she the one in college? Speaking of that, Oh my, I have my oldest son graduating this June and the off to Arizona State for college. Wow that out of state tuition is pricey! My hubby said we should cruise once more on Monarch, cheap cheap cheap because we may not be able to cruis in 09'....too broke !!!

[Sue L]

How old is your DD may I ask?? Is she the one in college? Speaking of that, Oh my, I have my oldest son graduating this June and the off to Arizona State for college. Wow that out of state tuition is pricey! My hubby said we should cruise once more on Monarch, cheap cheap cheap because we may not be able to cruis in 09'....too broke !!!

 

 

She is 22 and graduating college in May and starting her new job at Google in August.:D I have two in college and both are private schools, DD is 50,000 this year and DS is 40,000$ if it wasn't for them I would be cruising a LOT more.:D

[pinkrosesdeb]

We decided to REALLY cut back on our packing this time. We always come home with half of what we took still unused! You have to realize that most nights you will dress for dinner be in the clothes MAYBE 2 hrs. and then change for the rest of the night. SO, you really can wear the same pants/skirt/dress more than 1x. We just plan to take a couple different shirt/blouses for ea. pair of pants. We mostly wear bathing suit/coverup on sea days and shorts & T-shirts in port. We always buy t-shirts anyway so why pack more? It CAN be done and we are going to try!

[birdylady]

Now that we did our first cruise last year, I can honestly say everyone was right. Pack everything and then tack out half of what you packed. We used the laundry services and that helped so much that hubby, who is a notorius overpacker, said he can pack less stuff for our next cruise and just get some items cleaned. As for me, I try to minimize and coordinate. I only bring one pair of 'dress' shoes that will work for both formal nights. And I choose clothes that all go with a minimum of jewlery. And from there, there were some things I wore more than once.

 

Good Luck.

Erika

[senrab]

First off, have pity on me, since this is my first cruise. I've seen all sorts of things relating to the different dining room dress codes, and in the boy scout spirit, I'm trying to "Be Prepared."

 

I'm going on a 7 night Western Caribbean on Voyager, leaving on February 3 to Cozumel, Jamaica, and Cayman.

 

Anyway, we have 2 formal nights, a couple of smart casual nights, and the rest are casual. My question is what does smart casual really mean?

 

As best I have figured from everyone's packing suggestion, it boils down to: (for gentlemen)

• Casual=Khakis & polo/golf shirt or dress shirt without tie
  
• Smart casual=Khakis/dress slacks with dress shirt and tie
  
• Formal=Business suit or Tux

Am I off base here, or is that a good definition of the dress codes?

 

Any input is appreciated!