Anyone Take JUST Carry ons?

[Rowan555]

After two cruises during which my luggage was broken while being placed on the ship, I am considering the option of packing VERY light and just taking carryons. Has anyone ever done this, and did it work out okay for you? With 2 kids, packing light is a real challenge; however, I consistently overpack, so I finally realize where I can cut corners while packing. We're also planning on skipping formal night on our next 5 day cruise, which will save a good bit of room.

 

Any experiences and tips would be appreciated. My kids have their own little rolling backpacks, so maybe I could cram 5 days worth of clothes for each of them in their backpacks, then put our clothes in my small rolling suitcase (which is just under the 11x17 maximum), and bring toiletries, etc in my backpack. I just don't know if this will actually WORK once I start getting everything ready!

[tef43]

LegalCat should be along any time now to share her experiences with this. She swears by it.

[Kathy555]

Each time I travel to sunny warm locations I have been trying to pack lighter and lighter. I get out everything I think I would like to wear then I start to be more realistic and put things back in my closet. I did a good job this time but not good enough for carryon. The ships do have laundry rooms. I have never seen one or used one so I couldn't tell you much about it. I think you could do it wit carryon for a 5 day cruise and no formal night. Good luck and if you do let us know how it worked out.:D

[GoinCruisin]

I could never do it in a million years :p I try to pack light, but even packing light, I would have to carry about 5 carry on's to make it work :D And I also would not have any place for my... er, um... beverages :eek:

[lavigne101]

Hi, we do this all the time!! We never check our luggage unless we will be traveling over a week. We have 2 girls who have learned to pack light, most of the time the are in swim suits anyway. We are going on the 4 night Inspiration in March, can't wait. Good luck with packing and remember how much you usually pack and then end up not wearing!! I would suggest getting the kids full size rolling suitcases (same size as yours) because they always like to bring a few things to keep them busy in the cabin or on the plane ride.

[Flip2cruise]

I could never do it in a million years :p I try to pack light, but even packing light, I would have to carry about 5 carry on's to make it work :D And I also would not have any place for my... er, um... beverages :eek:

 

DITTO! I could do it, but would rather not sacrifice my libations:) If it werent for that, I could easily do it for a 7day cruise.

[Kathy555]

I could never do it in a million years :p I try to pack light, but even packing light, I would have to carry about 5 carry on's to make it work :D And I also would not have any place for my... er, um... beverages :eek:

 

OOOHHHH!!! I forgot about the beverages we bring. Guess I wasted my time packing light. My husband always gets mad because my suitcase is so heavy but I told him I like to be able to pick from an assortment of what I would like to wear and also, the sizes need to increase by the end of the week.

[Intrudr]

we can usually pack pretty light up until we start loading the swim diapers.

[GoinCruisin]

we can usually pack pretty light up until we start loading the swim diapers.

 

Are those diapers "pre-loaded" Max??? :p

 

Thinking about this whole carryon thing... and how I could ever make it work... never, LOL. It's hard enough getting everything into the 2 suitcases I have! And I really don't take all that many clothes... more than I should, but I don't overdo it. Maybe it's the shoes? :p I MIGHT be able to do it for a 2 day cruise, but that would be it, LOL... and I probably couldn't make it work :o

[Intrudr]

maybe if there were a way to bring your own sherpa...

[crisp1]

My first thought is what about anything that's on the 'list'?

[Rowan555]

What's "the list"?

[NHLady]

But it was just DH & myself on a 4-day. Made embarkation and debarkation MUCH easier. If we had to go for a week, I'm not sure we could do it. We just got back from a 4-day with the kids and we had to check luggage. That was mainly because DS is only 3 and too small to drag his own bag (even on wheels), and DD whines if we make her do something and not her little brother, so it was easier to check things this time. I'm going in May and plan on checking nothing!! My garment bag will hold my formal dress. It's got plenty of pockets for shoes, toiletries, etc., and there's always the laundry room if needed.

 

Karen

[LastofSeptember]

We always just do carry ons, it's not that hard, you can do it!

[LegalCat]

LegalCat should be along any time now to share her experiences with this. She swears by it.

 

Hahahah yeah I do.. sorry gang I've had like an endless supply of personal issues over the past few weeks and have hardly been on...

 

I do swear by this.. on 8 cruises I have never let a porter touch my bags.. lol and I dont necessarily pack light.. .and we do bring alcohol in the bags..

 

We usually have one rolling suitcase each, one garment bag each (or some times only one total) and one backpack.. I put all the vital stuff in the backpack.. tickets, passports, wallets all that stuff and carry that on my back, then the garment bag hooks onto the handle of the rolling suitcases.. and we just roll away...

 

Now.. there is no problem doing this.. but a) your bags have to fit through the xray machine thing... they only have to go IN.. the coming OUT side is much bigger.. so as long as your bags have a little give to them and you can push them thru.. your good... and b) you must be able to carry everything... your gotta get some nasty looks if you have to stop every three paces to take a breath... so we always make sure our bags fit and that we can carry them properly so as to not hold any one else up...

 

We do this, not because we have an issue with porters or tipping, but because we always board as early as possible.. a couple of times we have had skippers club and been literally almost the first people on the ship.. we like to go directly to the room, unpack, put everything away, THEN go have lunch and relax and do all that stuff...

[Rowan555]

Thanks, I think I'm going to try to make this work. We won't be cruising again until September or October, so I have a long time to form my packing strategy ;)

 

My kids are only 3 and 5, but I don't think they will have a problem rolling their little suitcases along. I may buy them bigger ones if it looks like theirs are too small. They like feeling "grown up", so I can use that to my advantage!

[lucyjohnz]

My problem is that I have a million carry-on bags, several thousand backpacks (wheeled and un-wheeled) and several hundred 21-inch and under wheeled suitcases - or something like that. But I do not have one single suitcase bigger than 21-inches. My husband is the opposite - 1 21-inch wheeled bag, 2 carryon bags and 4 giant hard-sided suitcases.

 

So, today at Wal-Mart, I was looking at suitcases and bought a $30 set of suitcases that included a 24" rolling suitcase, a wheeled duffel bag and a carryon bag. I'm going to try out that 24" suitcase on our next cruise and maybe the duffel bag too. What's my point to your question? They had several $10-$20 rolling suitcases in the 17" range - these would be great for your kids and they could fit more in them. Only problem is that almost EVERY suitcase they had was black. But that wouldn't matter if you didn't have to check bags, now would it?

[GrannyJ]

I've never carried my own luggage on before, but I think I'm going to do it this time. Are the xray machines the same size as the airport ones? I just bought a great rolling duffle bag that is "just" this side of airline carry-on legal and it would hold enough for the cruise. Plus, it'll fit nicely under the bed when I unpack. I was in a panic last year on our RCI cruise when my suitcase still wasn't in the cabin when the ship sailed. After several calls/visits to the pursers desk and several reassurances that it WOULD be delivered, I found it sitting in the middle of the elevator lobby on our deck. I don't know if it was delivered to someone else's cabin and they brought it down and dumped it, or what. Then, to boot, it was about the last one that came out when we got off. Everyone else in our party had theirs (including my husband and granddaughter), but mine just didn't want to get off the ship, I guess. Can't blame it....I didn't either.

[GoinCruisin]

They are the same size as most of the airports...

[KreuzNCruise]

I'm a little worried...everyone talking about 17" & 21" bags. What is the exact measurements that WILL go through the xray machines?? We're driving to Mobile leaving Monday "Valentine's Day" and I purchased two fairly large rolling duffle bags (1 4 me;1 4 him) we Do Not Pack Together..and never thought twice about the size until I read this post. Please help! Thanks.

[Flip2cruise]

I'm a little worried...everyone talking about 17" & 21" bags. What is the exact measurements that WILL go through the xray machines?? We're driving to Mobile leaving Monday "Valentine's Day" and I purchased two fairly large rolling duffle bags (1 4 me;1 4 him) we Do Not Pack Together..and never thought twice about the size until I read this post. Please help! Thanks.

 

Any luggage that is too large to fit through the 11x17 opening of the xray machine will have to be checked.

 

Taken from the carnival site

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/Baggage_Information__Embarkation_Debarkation.aspx

 

For security purposes, Carnival limits the size of hand-carry luggage to 11"X 17" which is the dimension of the opening of the X-ray security machine (similar to those at the airport); there is no measurement for length as the hand-carry luggage will lay flat on the conveyer belt. Luggage larger than 11"X 17" will not be permitted through the security machine and must be checked-in with a curbside porter. Once on the ship, the luggage will be delivered to the guests' stateroom by 7:00pm that night.

[Cotton]

I'm a little worried...everyone talking about 17" & 21" bags. What is the exact measurements that WILL go through the xray machines?? We're driving to Mobile leaving Monday "Valentine's Day" and I purchased two fairly large rolling duffle bags (1 4 me;1 4 him) we Do Not Pack Together..and never thought twice about the size until I read this post. Please help! Thanks.

 

Any carry-ons must fit through the 11"x17" x-ray machine opening. All other luggage is checked in another area where they use much larger x-ray machines.

 

The 11x17 is width and height, so it can be any length. Some bags can be 'squished' down to fit into the opening.

 

Hope y'all have a wonderful Valentine's cruise on the Holiday - my favorite ship!:)

[KreuzNCruise]

Thanks soooo much!!! I know you pros can tell me about a few other dos and don'ts--Can I take a small metal fan? My hubby has to have it to sleep. What about a 1cup coffee maker? I'm guessing these things are ok as they are not much bigger than a blow dryer and curling irons. What about a portable steamer? I think I saw somewhere you could not take an iron. Too bad curling irons won't work on clothes...:D If you opt to use the iron in the laundry room is there a better time of day then say right before you go to dinner? How many irons are in the laundry rooms? Thanks again for the help.

[Chele60]

We used carry on luggage for our cruise, but checked it anyway. One thing I hate is schlepping luggage around for hours. (And check in at Long Beach is similar to running a marathon across half the port - I swear it is the most disorganized method of processing travelers I've ever seen!) We each had one roll on (mine is 21", my mom's is 20") and each carried a tote plus purse. We checked the roll ons and had absolutely no problems with them.

 

I do have to say, though, that I packed more for a 5 day cruise than I would ever pack for a land vacation. And that made packing light a real tight squeeze. You just use more clothes on a cruise, even when you layer and re-use items. (At least this is true for cooler cruises where you don't live in swimsuits) So, while I was able to do this for a 5 day cruise, I doubt I would be able to do it for something longer. Way too many different changes of clothing required.

 

Also, the x-ray machine the cruise lines use is the same as the airlines. If your luggage fits in the airline x-ray, then you should have no problem with the cruise lines. Just be certain of this. On our cruise one woman had a case that was slightly larger than the machine could handle. She argued with the personnel at the x-ray machine, who finally helped her cram the bag into the machine. Problem was, one of the wheels broke in the process, and when the bag came out the other end the woman was complaining that her bag was broke! If it hadn't backed up the line it would actually have been quite comical!

[Cotton]

Can I take a small metal fan? Yes, some folks take the white-noise machines, so why not a small fan?

 

What about a 1cup coffee maker? Hmmm. Never thought about it, as room service coffee delivery is there within 5 minutes.

 

What about a portable steamer? Yes, steamers are allowed.

 

I think I saw somewhere you could not take an iron. Irons are big NoNos, HUGE fire hazard. (No candles either.)

 

If you opt to use the iron in the laundry room is there a better time of day then say right before you go to dinner? How many irons are in the laundry rooms? I have never used the laundry rooms on any ship, but most folks say to iron EARLY in the day, and for sure not to wait until just before dinner....busy-busy.