Ultimate Cruise Pre-pack?

[srphnx]

We have done a lot of traveling for work in the past. We got in to the habit of having duplicate toiletries and on the road needs, it slowly morphed into a complete set of traveling clothes etc. A "Go Bag" as it is known in military parlance.

 

I noticed the other day that we have done much the same with cruise clothes, most items we take don't have a use in our daily lives. Now I won't go so far as to have the hanging items packed in perpetuity because of the perma-wrinkles that the poor laundry staff would have to try to eradicate.

 

So we have 90% of the cruise bags packed and ready and can drop the hanging items, zip lock of precriptions and passports (stored in fire safe otherwise) and go.

 

Total 10-15 minutes from couch thinking to car driving.

 

Anyone else like to be that ready?

[cb at sea]

Nope! I don't have special "cruise clothes"....I wear my summer clothes all summer! However, I do know what things I need to take on any trip, and it doesn't take too long to get them together! I'm pretty good at packing quickly...without forgetting things I need!

[srphnx]

I guess it helps that we really only cruise warm water ports and live in a very warm climate, we don't have summer and winter clothes, unless you count socks which we wear in Phoenix from late November to mid January.

 

If we go to alaska we add a sweat shirt. :D

[Beopthtuh]

yip were like that cruise clothes completely seperate from normal every day wear ,case always packed ,hanging clothes in carriers so pick and go, be it southampton or airport :):):cool:

[SiBreeze]

I have a couple of items I consider "cruise clothes", otherwise they just come out of my regular wardrobe. I have been on so many cruises I pretty much know what to pack and it doesn't take me very long. I could be ready with a days notice. :D

[Rob & Beckys mom]

We keep a pack it flat bag (eBags Pack-it-Flat Toiletry Kit - eBags.com) with everything we need packed at all times. We just replenish when we get home & it's ready to go at all times. Makes a great Christmas gift :D.

 

Clothes we keep on wire hangers covered in dry cleaner bags & we just choose from these & they go right in the suitcase and can be hung right up in the cabin. Makes unpacking a breeze.

 

Jan

[Carolyn R]

I guess it helps that we really only cruise warm water ports and live in a very warm climate, we don't have summer and winter clothes, unless you count socks which we wear in Phoenix from late November to mid January.

 

If we go to alaska we add a sweat shirt. :D

 

I live in a cold climate where we usually dress quite casually so I do have cruise clothes that I seldom wear at home.

 

I have a request. Could you please post in a larger font as I have difficulty reading your posts even with my glasses on?! Many thanks. :)

[srphnx]

I have no idea why you are having trouble, I use black and up size all my posts, I read lots of them that people leave in the standard font which looks about 1/2 the size on my monitor.

I have a request. Could you please post in a larger font as I have difficulty reading your posts even with my glasses on?! Many thanks. :)

[rdsqrl]

I have no idea why you are having trouble, I use black and up size all my posts, I read lots of them that people leave in the standard font which looks about 1/2 the size on my monitor.

I can't read them, either, unless I really, really stare hard at the screen. If you type them in a larger font size than "1," then I think we'd all be able to read them much more easily. This post is typed in 2, which you can see is almost twice the size of yours.

[srphnx]

thanks for letting me know

[avalong]

thanks for letting me know

 

That's better. Love your posts, but I had a hard time reading them too.:)

[srphnx]

I figured out what the problem was, I have my browser configured to feed ME fonts I can read, it overrode what the CC board was posting. I am no longer a number 1 guy and it is 2 from here on in.

 

Steve

[cruise flotsam]

i have cruise cloths. I live in a very hot climate in North Queensland Australia. I also live in the bush and hardly ever go to town except when I am about to cruise again. I have a wardrobe with all my cruise cloths in it and I just choose from that which cloths I want to take this time depending on the weather. Life is good and computers are great. I can book everything now without going to town.

[Pam in CA]

I live where the temperatures are pretty temperate, upper 70's-low 80's in the summer, 60's in the winter. On the other hand, on some of my cruises, I can expect three seasons with temperatures going from downright cold to hot and humid. So, while I have drawers that have almost 100% cruise toiletries, appliances and what have you, I wear most of my "cruise" clothing all year round.

 

I use packing cubes and when it comes time to pack, I organize my clothing and pack the cubes. Then, I just stuff the cubes into my suitcase.

[srphnx]

If those packing cubes also fit into Princess drawers and cabinets then you have something going there!

[melodyina]

We have done a lot of traveling for work in the past. We got in to the habit of having duplicate toiletries and on the road needs, it slowly morphed into a complete set of traveling clothes etc. A "Go Bag" as it is known in military parlance.

 

I noticed the other day that we have done much the same with cruise clothes, most items we take don't have a use in our daily lives. Now I won't go so far as to have the hanging items packed in perpetuity because of the perma-wrinkles that the poor laundry staff would have to try to eradicate.

 

So we have 90% of the cruise bags packed and ready and can drop the hanging items, zip lock of precriptions and passports (stored in fire safe otherwise) and go.

 

Total 10-15 minutes from couch thinking to car driving.

 

Anyone else like to be that ready?

 

I'm 50 days or so away from sailing and ready to bring the suitcase out. :-). What I do have going in my closet is two sections - - cruise and or formal wear, and work wear. The everyday clothes in the dresser.

[itzmered]

I live in a cold winter climate so as I washed and put away my summer clothes I just put them in my suite case. So this week I just have to go through it see if I have everything I want in there and add all my toiletries.

[jrzebird]

I tend to keep the clothes I wear on a cruise in a special spot of my storage wardrobe. As I wash them before I put them away I am sure to tell them we're going sailing again soon! Bathing suits, water shoes, etc., are kept in one of those large bags you deflate for more room. I buy new delicates for each cruise so I get them when I see a sale and put them into a deflatable bag, in the lingerie drawer or one of the suitcases. I generally have a small 'go to' bag ready all the time anyway, with my medications. I'm ready to hop on a ship with very short notice!

 

Maureen

[Happy ks]

I don't find packing clothes to be a problem at all. I just have a list of how many items I'll need (X amount of dresses, X amount of pants/tops) and then select for the cruise. I don't have "cruise clothes", I found out years ago they were a waste of clothing budget $$. I just wear my normal wardrobe, making adjustments according to weather.

 

I find the toiletry case to be the more time consuming part of travel planning. Several years ago I started collecting "doubles" of all our things, like razors, brushes, makeup tools, etc... and have those packed all the time. We need the same things whether we are gone overnight or 3 weeks. So I only have to adjust quantities of liquids. I pack us each a 3-1-1 bag if we're flying and the residual in the checked bags. I don't know why people have such a hard time with it, each of our toiletry bags weigh less than a pound. I only use travel sized bottles, refilling them when we return home.

 

My biggest travel packing advice is to pack your bags out of the bedroom, nowhere close to your closet or drawers. Select the things you need ahead of time, hang them all together (we use a collapsable rolling rack in the living room). . All the shoes and folded items are stacked below. #1 we don't forget anything this way and #2 we avoid packing "what if" clothing. It takes all of 20-30 minutes to pack when the time comes.

 

If I pack in advance I forget what I've already packed and will then double pack. I learned the hard way not to pack things that aren't essential for the trip and that not only includes too many shoes and clothes, but paper, books and too many gadgets. We return home with suitcases full of dirty clothes, everything is used and usually worn 2/3/4 times each. We do cross pack when flying and we have never gone over the 50 lb. limit.

 

Everyones travel packing list will be different, so avoid those long lists with suggestions for extras to pack. If you don't think of it yourself, you probably can live without it for a week.

[beachbum53]

We keep a pack it flat bag (eBags Pack-it-Flat Toiletry Kit - eBags.com) with everything we need packed at all times. We just replenish when we get home & it's ready to go at all times. Makes a great Christmas gift :D.

 

Clothes we keep on wire hangers covered in dry cleaner bags & we just choose from these & they go right in the suitcase and can be hung right up in the cabin. Makes unpacking a breeze.

 

Jan

 

Thanks for the tip about "eBags.com". Found the perfect carry-on.

[puddles99]

I live where the temperatures are pretty temperate, upper 70's-low 80's in the summer, 60's in the winter. On the other hand, on some of my cruises, I can expect three seasons with temperatures going from downright cold to hot and humid. So, while I have drawers that have almost 100% cruise toiletries, appliances and what have you, I wear most of my "cruise" clothing all year round.

 

I use packing cubes and when it comes time to pack, I organize my clothing and pack the cubes. Then, I just stuff the cubes into my suitcase.

 

What are "packing cubes"? I love new gidgets & gadgets!:D

[Happy ks]

What are "packing cubes"? I love new gidgets & gadgets!:D

 

Eagle Creek: http://www.coloradobaggage.com/cbc/dept.asp?s_id=0&dept_name=Eagle+Creek+Packing+Solutions&dept_id=3074

 

Or Ebags, I prefer the Eagle Creek brand.

[AmoMondo]

The only "cruise clothes" that I have are my evening gowns which I rarely wear anywhere else. As for the rest of what I take, it chops and changes depending on what colours I'm in to at the time.

 

I do however keep a permanent supply of travel size toiletries in the spare room, that re ready to o when my next trip on land or sea comes along.

[Sailingpeace]

I live where the temperatures are pretty temperate, upper 70's-low 80's in the summer, 60's in the winter. On the other hand, on some of my cruises, I can expect three seasons with temperatures going from downright cold to hot and humid. So, while I have drawers that have almost 100% cruise toiletries, appliances and what have you, I wear most of my "cruise" clothing all year round.

 

I use packing cubes and when it comes time to pack, I organize my clothing and pack the cubes. Then, I just stuff the cubes into my suitcase.

 

Pam, your advice is always so good, may I ask you to share what your "cruise appliances and what have you" are ? I alredy use the packing cubes ( got some from Rick Steeves ( like them because really light and completely mesh top) Thank you.

[PennyAgain]

I use mostly eBags packing cubes and wash them by machine after each trip and hang them to dry. No point in packing clean clothes in cubes that aren't.

 

I travel so much that I just stay packed most of the time. This will change with retirement.