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How early do you pack???

Terry305

By Terry305,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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cheeseheads1

cheeseheads1

Posted
Posted
Yes ,by all means . I am 57 Days out and my suitcases are open and ready. I keep dropping things in. I am sure by cruise time I will have packed and unpacked 10 times. All part of the excitement.:)

 

 

I am with you on that. We cruised in late March and I started packing the basics and the things that I did not need (winter in the midwest no shorts needed!!) in early Jan. I did give the kids lists to set aside in Feb so that I would be able to purchase needed items. Drives me nuts to forget stuff. Just my OCD coming out!!:D

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Hunding

Hunding

Posted
Posted
I pack the night before..... but then.... I'm a guy.

 

The "business end".... tickets, reservations, schedules, etc.... I start working months in advance.

 

 

We sail tomorow afternoon, and I haven't put a single thing into the garment bag yet. The "carry-on" is almost full, and I know what I'm going to pack -- I just haven't done it yet.

 

And we're scheduled to sail into the jaws of the "cute, little baby" monster - Tropical Storm Julio - so everything is going to change anyway, itinerary, ports, et al. I'm cool. (I think. I hope!)

 

We'll see.

 

(There is no GROAN icon.)

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LHP

LHP

Posted
Posted

I have packing lists 4, 5 or 7 day (3 or 4 people, depending on if we are cruising with the oldest is in college).

 

I pull off the appropriate list....and pack the weekend before we leave.

 

I just finished for our cruise that leaves a week from Monday. (we drive down Saturday!!)

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kelligirl

kelligirl

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Posted

For me, writing it all out a few months beforehand helps. That way I can see what clothing can be interchanged etc. without getting it all out of the closet. My problem is what I write down I usually can't remember what I was talking about:eek: . Anyway, I'm a list person and I'll tell ya, the cruise rituals section helped me immensely in deciding what "extra" things to bring to make my cruise v e r y comfortable!

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laurenfl15

laurenfl15

Posted
Posted

Im on your same cruise (been following your threads :D .) Im down in Orlando and the weather is warm so i am likely wearing everything ill wear on the cruise up until then! That being said I will probably bust out the suitcase and start about a week before.

 

Im organized to a fault and believe it or not I think if you pack TOO SOON you'll end up taking things out to use or forgetting whats packed and end up leaving stuff.

 

About a week before I make list, pack it up, and im set :) I know it so tempting though! Knowing its so soon you just wanna do stuff to make it come faster! im struggling not to print my sail and sign info yet!

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mek

mek

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I really envy those of you who have a spare bedroom on the same floor as your own. Ours is on the 1st floor and the rest are on the 2nd floor, so my dining room turns into the staging area for pre packing. I try to not start getting things out until 2 or 3 weeks prior to leaving and I do most of the actual packing 1 week before. If I have company during that time, we either have a cookout or do something that keeps everyone out of the dining room. My friends and family all understand my addiction so they just ignore everything in the dining room.

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Sarapdot

Sarapdot

Posted
Posted

My next cruise is April of 09. I will most likely put the suitcase out on the guest bed after christmas and then start adding to it slowly. I like to make sure I have plenty of time to pick up anything I may have forgotten. Also, I'm in the process of losing weight and I have no idea what size I'll be wearing so I plan to hit the summer clothing racks as soon as they start putting them out.

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Chacooe

Chacooe

Posted
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I really envy those of you who have a spare bedroom on the same floor as your own. Ours is on the 1st floor and the rest are on the 2nd floor, so my dining room turns into the staging area for pre packing. I try to not start getting things out until 2 or 3 weeks prior to leaving and I do most of the actual packing 1 week before. If I have company during that time, we either have a cookout or do something that keeps everyone out of the dining room. My friends and family all understand my addiction so they just ignore everything in the dining room.

 

Which cruise are you taking the the Carnival Pride, I am doing the cruise of Oct 26, the Halloween Cruise.

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3boysvus

3boysvus

Posted
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Were we supposed to 'unpack' after the last cruise??:p :D

 

That's what I was thinking...I guess some cruise stuff just lives in my suitcase. We had to go on the 'Family Reunion Tour' over the summer and DS grabbed my usual suitcase...he commented on the nightlight, over the door thing, snorkle gear, and travel size everything...I just gave him another suitcase and told him that was my cruise suitcase - it had started packing itself. He just rolled his eyes and told DH to get ready the spare bedroom is about to become the cruise closet again.

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BND

BND

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Posted

I'd start tomorrow, but we have a trip to San Francisco two weeks before our cruise so I need the luggage for that. I'll start laying out stuff in the guest room in 2-3 weeks that I don't need for SF but I do need for the cruise and our trip to WDW right after. We have 4 bedrooms on our upper floor including the master and since one son has been out on his own for 2 years and the other one moves out next weekend I have several places to pack from. I also have a drawer in the guest room that has cruise related stuff in it. From our passports to S&S card holders to sunscreen and Less Drowsy Dramamine and a power strip, theres lot of stuff in the drawer. I like to start early to make sure I'm not missing anything and decide how much I really want to pack. I can easily visualize what will fit in what suitcase so it all goes in fine.

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LHP

LHP

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Posted
That's what I was thinking...I guess some cruise stuff just lives in my suitcase. We had to go on the 'Family Reunion Tour' over the summer and DS grabbed my usual suitcase...he commented on the nightlight, over the door thing, snorkle gear, and travel size everything...I just gave him another suitcase and told him that was my cruise suitcase - it had started packing itself. He just rolled his eyes and told DH to get ready the spare bedroom is about to become the cruise closet again.

 

I do keep my pilot bag packed at all times. I have duplicate makeup, hairdryer, curlers, brushes, hairspray, shampoo, conditioner etc etc etc in it. I call it my 40 pounds of "natural beauty"!!

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G'ma

G'ma

Posted
Posted

Everybody is different. I have a friend that starts throwing stuff at her suitcase 2/3 weeks in advance. Then she weeds it about a week out.

 

Personally, I take the same things every time so packing is a no-brainer. I pack the morning of the flight. Takes about 20-25 minutes to fill up my 21" roll-on-board which is the only suitcase I ever travel with.

 

Onboard, 10 minutes and I'm done unpacking.

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amcjeep4life

amcjeep4life

Posted
Posted

I have 2 of those plastic under-the-bed roller thingys that are in our spare room. Those are currently cruise clothes receptacles. I bought some polos and khakis for the DH, a dress for myself for elegant nights, some new capris and shirts for regular dining, snd some "special" undies and a nightie. These have been put away in those boxes for at least a month, does that count as packing? Cause that was at better than 100 days! I also have 3 lists going, including stuff to buy, stuff to pack, and stuff to think about. We went to Disney last year, and I did the same thing, only we were taking our nieces, and I had bags for them too, since it was a surprise trip for them. This cruise has definitely been easier to pack for. I won't officially get the bags out for another month or 6 weeks, but that still puts me at 6-8 weeks out. My OCD is showing!

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Terry305

Terry305

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Im on your same cruise (been following your threads :D .) Im down in Orlando and the weather is warm so i am likely wearing everything ill wear on the cruise up until then! That being said I will probably bust out the suitcase and start about a week before.

 

Im organized to a fault and believe it or not I think if you pack TOO SOON you'll end up taking things out to use or forgetting whats packed and end up leaving stuff.

 

About a week before I make list, pack it up, and im set :) I know it so tempting though! Knowing its so soon you just wanna do stuff to make it come faster! im struggling not to print my sail and sign info yet!

 

Nice, I am putting my suitcase in my room today, Husband thinks is crazy, last night I told him to coordinate together some outfits, he said , " I am oonly taking 2 pants and 2 shirts " i say "No way " lol, I just bought 2 outfits yerterday , so I am very excited, last night I drem that I was not pack untill 11:30PM the day of the cruise lol, in my nightmare I called the 800 number of Carnival and they said the ship left at 4:30 Mrs. Ohhh I did wake up so nervoussss. lol

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luckycruzer

luckycruzer

Posted
Posted

for 3 cruzes in advance.(seasonal changes).and mostly done for tomorrows. keep reg stuff packed, I make up out of my travel sizes for 2/3 days b4..and for the onesies..in the bath room on a shelf..now if I can just get it all zipped ! I dont carry a handbag, just put docs in side pocket of roll-a-board . $, jewels, face,ID, go too..I do carry a soft tote ashore, and carry key/card on a lanyard..so just one thing to tote aboard..oh, and then dispense with rolly,packed in the large bag roominess at the end..so then only 2 bags to roll

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