Jump to content

Have you overpacked or underpacked for a cruise?


SLSD
 Share

Recommended Posts

Horsgrl,

Yes, I did know you were teasing.

 

So my preliminary packing list for this 45 day trip includes 10 dressese and two gowns.. I’ll bring a half dozen pair of shorts and light weight ankle length pants and a dressy pair of white linen pants to wear some evenings. I will bring 8-10 casual tops (some with sleeves for temples) as well as a couple of dressier tops for evenings. Also there will be the usual bathing suits ( deciding between two or three), cover up, workout clothes, and lingerie. And then there are the shoes!! Right now I am at 8 pair ( but really only 7 count since the ones I will. wear one pair on the plane ???) This all fits snuggly into a 24” suitcase. But I may decide to put some items (shoes, makeup) into a separate rolling 20 inch bag to give me breathing room in case I shop.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Because I never trust airlines to deliver my bags, I will have one checked bag and a carry on with sufficient clothes to last a few days just in case my luggage doesn't make it. DW will probably do the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes I know it would be tempting fate not to carry the small one one the plane with emergency necessities. However, on our long layover in Zurich we are going to meet up with a friend for dinner and I’m not sure I want to be dragging the bag around. Then again the last time a bag went astray it was in Zurich!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Because I never trust airlines to deliver my bags, I will have one checked bag and a carry on with sufficient clothes to last a few days just in case my luggage doesn't make it. DW will probably do the same.

 

We carry a little in carry on but we always take two cases and split half mine and half her clothes between them making sure that everything in one case is mix and match (ie black pants and shoes in one case, things which go with brown shoes plus brown shoes in the other). Even though, if you lose one case on a flight you usually lose both, in the event that just one does go missing, we have enough for each of us to make do.

 

That tends to mean we end up wearing 1/2 what we took but honestly, the cases wheel, we have help from the airport to hotel to ship and it's not that much bother.

 

And in 190 days we'll be pullin' them out for another trip .. time to test out Encore ..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We carry a little in carry on but we always take two cases and split half mine and half her clothes between them making sure that everything in one case is mix and match (ie black pants and shoes in one case, things which go with brown shoes plus brown shoes in the other). Even though, if you lose one case on a flight you usually lose both, in the event that just one does go missing, we have enough for each of us to make do.

 

That tends to mean we end up wearing 1/2 what we took but honestly, the cases wheel, we have help from the airport to hotel to ship and it's not that much bother.

 

And in 190 days we'll be pullin' them out for another trip .. time to test out Encore ..

 

Exactly what we do, half and half. Over the time we had had one case delayed by a day on 3 different occasions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What a great packing idea. I always take a carry on with some basics--a dress for evening dinners, a couple of basic outfits for daytime and another pair of shoes--but had not thought about packing half and half with my husband. Of course he is such a last minute (night before) packers that I would be very very impatient and concerned about the half in his suitcase.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am a believer in being prepared so I ultimately overpack. Not just clothes either. I've had shoes break so I always need extras. I'm always thinking "what if" ( I lose my sunglasses, I get sunburned, I catch a cold) so in the bag it goes. Easy to do living in Florida and driving to the port but it requires extra care when flying. Most importantly is that I never pack more luggage than my DH and I can manage on our own. We never need to use a cart or porter to transport luggage.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What a great packing idea. ... but had not thought about packing half and half with my husband. Of course he is such a last minute (night before) packers that I would be very very impatient and concerned about the half in his suitcase.

 

Since this thread turned towards packing tips .. the other thing we found a few years back is zippered packing bags (we use the ones from Flight 001 but there are many such). You fold and zip some clothes/shoes/toiletaries in each of them, that packs them nice and tight, and you can then just shuffle them like bricks around your suitcases. Packing for us now is just filling up the zippered bags and then picking the right sized suitcase shells to contain them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking of zippered packs we both have heavy duty clear plastic zippered packs for our clothes and all essentials. These bags/packs are from purchasing items such as pillow cases, sheets, doonas and other such items over time. Their various sizes make them ideal. Some will sit directly into the Ships' Suite drawers, no need to unpack just unzip. The best thing is you can clearly see what you are looking for. As " rols" said "Packing for us now is just filling up the zippered bags and then picking the right sized suitcase shells to contain them".

I have been known to sit on the case to close it in the past. Yes, I like to take plenty of choice also, GUILTY. Now we have purchased bigger cases and even have space for shopping. Happy Cruiser.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here we are in Atlanta awaiting our flight to South Africa and on to our Sojourn cruise.

 

So, packed yesterday afternoon. Left the suitcases open while I watched the Superbowl. On reflection, after the game, went back to the suitcases, removed one dress shirt, one golf shirt and a suit from my luggage. Feel much better about it now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Here we are in Atlanta awaiting our flight to South Africa and on to our Sojourn cruise.

 

So, packed yesterday afternoon. Left the suitcases open while I watched the Superbowl. On reflection, after the game, went back to the suitcases, removed one dress shirt, one golf shirt and a suit from my luggage. Feel much better about it now.

 

I pack all the things, take some stuff out then close my luggage and drag it down the stairs. If that is too difficult because of weight or balance, I take out more. We do land travel more than sea travel and I've learned the hard way that if you don't want to carry it down your own stairs, you DEFINITELY don't want to drag it down a train platform.

 

I second the pick a color scheme idea of packing. I pack a lot of black and grey and then bring color-pop accessories to change things up. Tights, scarves and necklaces are much lighter than sweaters and skirts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...