packing & travel question

[Indigo Shoes]

We're going on our first cruise on the RCCL Legend Transatlantic from Ft Lauderdale to Portugal on April 10th. It's a 10 day cruise, air return is not included in the cruise so we are going to do the Eurorail adventure to Spain, France then England hopefully to return from Heathrow.

 

Problem is packing... for the cruise, it's a semi-luxury thing, with formal and semiformal dining nights, but we are not taking standard luggage, just some backpacks... Any suggestions on packing and what to pack that will cover both parts of the vacation (the luxury and the rugged...)?

 

I have been researching and printing of various packings lists from websites, but my fiance keeps reminding me that whatever I pack I have to carry, so I am starting to get worried about shoes, etc.... I'm considering "splurging" at a thrift store on formal/semi formal wear that I can leave behind when the cruise is done so all I have to carry is my casual travelling clothes....

 

any hints and suggestions will help..

 

Also, we don't have ANY reservations for our arrival as we dont' have a planned itinerary, other than hopefully going from Portual to Spain, France then England for our flights back (research seems to point that Heathrow is the least expensive flight back to Canada- either to Halifax NS or Toronto Ont).

 

He's travelled before and is very comfortable "winging it", saying we can find a hostel as a last resort and check the airlines for cheap flights home at the last minute. I am willing to be adventurous but am more worried...

 

any hints on travel tips and inexpensive hotels in Portugal, Spain, France & England would be great too... as well as return flight tips...

 

Karen

[mconthehighseas]

Karen - first check out the "ports of call" boards for all the places you will be going in Europe. There's all sorts of good info there from people who are happy to share their experiences. Another source for info is any book written by Rick Steves. He has travelled the way your fiance likes to travel, and has places that he recommends. My boss went through Italy this way with his family and did very well.

 

As for the cruise. The longer the cruise, the more people dress up on formal nights, so you will want at least one pair of nice shoes. For your clothes, have you looked at crushable clothing? Chico's makes wonderful stuff that doesn't need ironing that you can dress down and dress up, but may be too old for you. I'm guessing you are younger than their average customer, but it never hurts to look. There are some catalog companies that sell things along the same idea.

 

Another alternative: you could sail with some nice "dress-up" clothes and shoes, and then mail them home from Lisbon. Now it won't be cheap, but you will feel so good not lugging stuff around on your back.

 

OK. Now I'm going to ask questions, and you do not need to post answers. Are you really interested in going around Europe with a backpack? Or are you just trying to make your fiance happy? Are you going to enjoy your cruise knowing that you will be winging it in Europe? Have you talked about what you like to do with your fiance? Do you have a rough itinerary of where you will be when? Have you talked about what you want to see where? If he is planning to spend 5 days on the Spanish coast catching rays, and you are planning to spend 2 days in Madrid checking out the Prado, and then speeding to Paris to do the Louvre, you need to talk about that before you get there.

 

I recommend you get your return ticket home before you leave. You have to get Eurail and Britrail passes before leaving the US, and they are for a limited number of days. Based on that, you will know about when you need to fly home. This will help you focus on the most important sites along the way for both of you, and if you overspend on your cruise (a VERY possible situation - you have 6 days at sea with at least 7 bars, a spa and a casino), at least you won't have to worry about getting home.

 

I am a planner and my husband is a winger. So when we vacation, we try to have some planned days, and some freeform days. That way, we both have days we are comfortable, and days we have fun watching the other one be comfortable.

 

I wish you a wonderful cruise and a fabulous time in Europe.