Cruising and luggage

[Rum Rat]

CRUISING AND LUGGAGE

 

A thread about suit carriers made me think about luggage in general and I thought I would put ‘pen to paper’ or ‘fingers to keyboard’ if you wish to be exact and give what I have learnt over a few years of cruising with the implications of getting to and from the ship which one may encounter.

 

SOUTHAMPTON TO SOUTHAMPTON ... No restrictions unless you are bound by your mode of transport to Southampton viz coach travel may say ‘1 case’. Train travel and do you really want to be lugging six cases about? So, on the assumption that you are coming by car, then as many as you can get in the car.

 

But what sort of luggage? Cases can be hard or soft. The hard one is more robust and can be useful for packing fragile items, such as that bottle or two, between clothing and it will stand more chance of arriving in 100% condition. Bottles I do advise to wrap in plastic or place in plastic bags, just in case. Soft cases are lighter in the first place and can ‘bend’ to squeeze that odd item in. Obviously not so robust and I have had one pierced and the top layer of fabric layered back. These are your main packing items and the majority of your packing will be into these. Suit Carriers can come again in a robust form or a fabric type. Designed to have your suits and dresses in full length, the suit carrier ‘hangs on the back of a door when packing’ and when full, folds over and clips together to form a suitcase size article. I have a fabric one with pockets here there and everywhere. I pack it tight, fill the pockets with such as soft shoes, fold it over and secure it with a case strap. In that state it has been through ‘the hole in the wall’ on numerous occasions without mishap. ‘Wheeled Cabin Bags’, these are little suitcases on a couple of wheels with a telescopic handle. “About” the size as designated by the airlines as their cabin baggage, more about this later. These are idea for packing your couple of boxes of wine for the cabin, your valuables and jewellery and anything you want to keep handy/secure/eye on all the time, because your suitcases and the suit carrier, if prepared as I have described, can go through the hole in the wall, to appear as if my magic at your cabin whilst you trundle along with this ‘Wheeled cabin bag’. This makes it easier as you check in and board. If you can manage to get your packing done so there is very little to carry on with you, a lightweight back pack is also very good. Can of course be uses as well.

 

Packing is an art and it only comes with practice, and with practice you will get ‘a Quart into a Pint pot’ so to speak BUT, even Southampton to Southampton, there IS a weight limit. The recognised amount P&O expect their staff to lift and move, so if you are an avid reader and fill a suitcase with books, expect it to be left behind, or called!!

 

Identifying your case. All cases look the same from a distance, make yours stand out. Two inch wide Adhesive Carpet tape right round the case in two colours. I can see my case from miles away. I also have a brightly coloured ribbon tied to the handle. Flying in the breeze about 18 inches long.

 

But what about packing? What goes in first and where does everything go? Easy. The choice is yours. The secret? Pack your case in ‘layers’ and make sure the first layer has all the corners and little holes filled. Rolled up socks, handkerchiefs, knickers, tee shirts, sewing compact, make up compacts, shaver, book, soft shoe, note ‘shoe’, they don’t have to stay together in the case!! Clothes such as delicate blouses with sparkly buttons or beads, need to have a smooth article over and under them with no buttons to hook a bead or sparkly bit off. A layer of hankies or underclothes. Fill the corners and if your case is a fabric one, keep lifting the corners up to ensure the case is its full depth. They seem to sink in the corners. Watch the weight. Put it on the bathroom scales and see how you are going, yes even Southampton to Southampton. If you are packing upstairs, YOU are going to have to lug it downstairs!!!

 

SOUTHAMPTON CRUISE THEN FLY HOME .. This is the pain in the neck situation, because you are still bound by the weight restriction when you fly home. However there are some good points, work out what will be used over the period of the cruise and consider that their weight won’t have to be considered!! Again, pieces of luggage, what are you taking on board? ‘Wheeled Cabin Bag’ to use as a flight cabin bag when you return? What does it weigh empty? With the wheels and the telescopic handle arrangement, the total weight you are allowed in the cabin before packing??? Mine does, thus we used the lightweight back packs.

 

How strict will the distant airport be on weight? Will they stick rigidly to the hold weight and the cabin weight? If I could answer that, I could tell you what the winning numbers will be on the next Lottery, perhaps some of the readers would like to comment on lax and strict airport, and if they do, it will be advice on their experience only.

 

FLY OUT CRUISE HOME .. the very best way of a cruise which entails flying. You know the baggage restrictions weight and number wise. Get out there and have a super cruise, all the way home. And when you get to the Baggage Hall you will see your cases a mile off.

 

Hope this has been of help to some of you, especially the newbie cruisers.

 

 

Hpyy cruising :D:D

 

 

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