2 wk cruise 1 suitcase?

[Daydaes]

Leaving very soon for our cruise. Starting to wonder about packing. I know I can do laundry. I am just one of those women that don't know what I want to wear till I am ready to wear it and want to make sure I have it with me. Going to Hawaii so not sure if I should bring sweaters, t-shirts, long sleeved or all of the above. How about shoes, tennis shoes, sandals/flip-flops and boots? I have two long dresses for the formal nights and some cocktail dresses. Bring a few to decide? Am I stressing out when I really shouldn't be?:) thanks for any suggestions!!

[mamaofami]

Good luck if you can get it into only one suitcase. Make your decisions before you pack. Put out anything under consideration and then eliminate what you don't need.:)

[Randyk47]

All the power to you and congratulations if you can get by for two weeks with one suitcase. :) If you do I'd almost hire you to give us lessons. Granted it was closer to three weeks for us this past March but on our Med cruise we looked like we were moving, not going on a vacation. With two suitcases and two carry-ons for each of us I thought we were loaded down. I did feel a bit better when I saw one of our shipmates get off in Istanbul with seven suitcases and she was a solo cruiser. :eek::D

[cruz chic]

All the power to you and congratulations if you can get by for two weeks with one suitcase. :) If you do I'd almost hire you to give us lessons. Granted it was closer to three weeks for us this past March but on our Med cruise we looked like we were moving, not going on a vacation. With two suitcases and two carry-ons for each of us I thought we were loaded down. I did feel a bit better when I saw one of our shipmates get off in Istanbul with seven suitcases and she was a solo cruiser. :eek::D

Love the story about the solo cruiser:D. I think she could be my sister.

 

I'm glad other folks take LOTS of luggage. I'll be gone for 16 days on my cruise and I'm taking 2 suitcases and a carry on. I want to take what I want to take and there is nothing wrong with it. I have to pay for both suitcases and I'm ok with it.

 

Good luck to the OP.

[sail7seas]

If our trip is between 7 - 17 days, which most of our cruises/cruise related hotel stays are........ we have 3 suitcases all of which are around 50 pounds. Most of the time, we bring three suitcases and a roll aboard each. I am like you, OP, and need to have choices for what to wear. I'll wear the same pants a few times but just about never the same top. I know that no one notices or cares but I dress for me and DH and I care. :o

 

 

(Once in a while, I might add a fourth suitcase but very rarely. We don't mind paying the airline a luggage fee for the one extra bag. We are permitted one each at no charge.)

 

[startwin]

For our cruises of 7 days we usually get away with one very large suitcase each (I think it's 29"), plus a wheeled carry-on. I would make a decision before you go about formal night, however. Just take the dresses you decide on, no options! And make sure the 2nd one is not too tight-fitting because you may have expanded a bit by then:D:eek:

 

My biggest problem is shoes.... I always take way too many pairs of shoes.

 

Forgot to add.... for anything over 7 days we have at least 3 large suitcases between us, and possible 4.

[cruisinjudy]

For our thirty five days away in December I think we will each bring two suitcases. My husband always brings two and I usually bring one, but for South America we need to be ready for anything weatherwise. Plus I will need a lot of liquids that will need to go in checked baggage, hair products, skin products, etc. It used to be so simple when we were younger!

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

If you want choices on what to wear on a two week cruise, I doubt you can get it all in one suitcase. For a two week cruise, we generally pack the same clothes we take on a one week and have laundry done and get it all in in one suitcase each plus a small carryon. In my early days of cruising, I found I took things I never wore and thought that to be a waste of space. Basically I have a set of cruise clothes and that is what goes with me.

[iriemon]

We do it on every cruise. There are 3 of us, (me, DW and adult DD) and we take 2 suitcases total and 1 carryon bag each. We have a rule if it doesn't fit in the suitcase it doesn't go. :eek: We use to pack tons of suit cases and change clothes 4 or 5 times a day and then finally said "Why". This is a vacation and suppose to be relaxing. We do send out laundry on our longer than 7 day cruises and there is occasions where we will wear something twice. Life is so much easier now that we have taken this attitude. The one thing you don't need on vacation is stress.

[geoherb]

We took a 13-night cruise tour to Alaska this past summer. We managed to get everything for the both of us into a rolling garment bag and a rolling duffel. Both were close to the airline's 50-pound limit.

[sail7seas]

For our thirty five days away in December I think we will each bring two suitcases. My husband always brings two and I usually bring one, but for South America we need to be ready for anything weatherwise. Plus I will need a lot of liquids that will need to go in checked baggage, hair products, skin products, etc. It used to be so simple when we were younger!

 

 

How big are those suitcases?

 

I always keep each bag under 50 pounds. I use one 27 - 28" wheeled duffel and two expandable, soft-sided, sturdy garment bags that hold a ton. The only downside to the garment bags is they are not wheeled.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

OP

You do not need boots for Hawaii.

But you will need at least 1 sweater and maybe a jacket for San Diego.

There is no way I could do 2 weekes with one suitcase.

We each have two 28 inch suitcases and 1 small carry-on each.

[sapper1]

We left home yesterday for an 18 day trip which includes a 14 day cruise. We took two suitcases each plus we each had two carryons. This was for a warm weather Caribbean cruise.

 

Next spring we will be gone for 38 days and the thought of packing for that one is a challenge. I will most likely have to have any shopping items shipped home as the suitcases will be bulging to start with. :eek:

[Randyk47]

Now I don't feel so bad about our luggage and the Med cruise. :) Of course, we fly to our cruises....you should have seen the one time we drove to Galveston for a 12-day cruise! I think the porter was trying to figure out how we got that handle on my wife's triple dresser. :rolleyes::D We had a good sized SUV and I couldn't see out the back window. :eek:

[KirkNC]

We have done a 4 week with one suitcase each and one small carry-on.

[celle]

I can do 3-4 months' travelling with just one suitcase weighing 44 pounds or less and a small backpack. I have to do that, to keep within my airlines' baggage allowance.

 

2 suitcases (or even 7, as one person reportedly did) just seems unnecessary.

 

In order to trim your packing down to one case, you need to be organised. Colour co-ordination and layering are the way to go. Lay everything out on a bed and try out clothing combinations.

 

If you won't wear something more than once, it stays home! Nobody but you cares if you wear something on more than one occasion.

 

I limit myself to 3 pairs of shoes only, as shoes take up so much room.

[petrakae]

We always have to fly to embarkation port (economy class) so always only have one suitcase each weighing 23 kilograms, and one cabin bag no more than 7 kilograms. Last year we cruised for 43 nights and managed fine.... If people notice what I am wearing all the time, then they are not noticing the great time I am having;) Next year is a 24 night cruise, away from home for 36 nights and same weight restriction applies. We manage and we always feel nicely presented. Laundry package is essential though. I have learnt to layer and mix 'n' match.

[cruz chic]

I can do 3-4 months' travelling with just one suitcase weighing 44 pounds or less and a small backpack. I have to do that, to keep within my airlines' baggage allowance.

 

2 suitcases (or even 7, as one person reportedly did) just seems unnecessary.

 

In order to trim your packing down to one case, you need to be organised. Colour co-ordination and layering are the way to go. Lay everything out on a bed and try out clothing combinations.

 

If you won't wear something more than once, it stays home! Nobody but you cares if you wear something on more than one occasion.

 

I limit myself to 3 pairs of shoes only, as shoes take up so much room.

That's great that you pack light but other folks choose not too. Why make judgements on others or tell others what they should do? I remember one dude that had to make comments about my luggage. He smelled so badly of BO I just about puked. He felt one suitcase was adequate. I wished he'd packed more.

[xxoocruiser]

Personnally don't care how much others pack . Regardless of the length of the cruise, I choose to take one 18" suitcase and a carryon tote. Don't bring lots of shoes and also only pack items that can be worn with at least 2 other items. Pack one outfit that can be dressed up for all formal nights. I have actually come home with items that weren't even worn..... but that's just me.

[RuthC]

For Hawaii, or any cruise to a single warm climate, one suitcase should be easy. The length of the cruise doesn't really matter, as all it takes is to pack for 7-10 days, then repeat as many times as necessary.

Sure, I love to be able to open the closet door, look at a vast selection, then decide. I can do that at home, but not on a cruise. I don't look like a pack mule, and refuse to drag luggage as if I were.

Now, when it gets to a combination of climates, as a South America cruise that includes Antarctica does, then doing it on one suitcase is a little more challenging. But it can still be done.

[dcsam]

Packing lightly CAN be done. I once did two (back to back) Tahiti cruises (20 days) with just one carry-on (okay, so it was packed to the hilt)!!!!

[Randyk47]

In all fairness to the lady on our Med cruise with the seven suitcases I really should give the "back story". We met her and she was a wonderful lady and a true pleasure to cruise with. The cruise was her gift to herself for losing 150 lbs and she was out to thoroughly and completely enjoy herself. She wanted to dress up every night and have all sorts of outfits that she felt good in and hadn't been able to wear for a long time. There were two gentleman hosts on our cruise and she wore them out touring then dancing the night away. It was a celebration and a well deserved one at that. Her joy and enthusiasm was infectious and one of the memorable moments of our cruise. :)

[CowPrincess]

Leaving very soon for our cruise. Starting to wonder about packing. I know I can do laundry. I am just one of those women that don't know what I want to wear till I am ready to wear it and want to make sure I have it with me. Going to Hawaii so not sure if I should bring sweaters, t-shirts, long sleeved or all of the above. How about shoes, tennis shoes, sandals/flip-flops and boots? I have two long dresses for the formal nights and some cocktail dresses. Bring a few to decide? Am I stressing out when I really shouldn't be?:) thanks for any suggestions!!

 

I can manage with one suitcase and my carry-on. I try to use the "rule of 3" -- anything that I take for daytime has to go with 3 other items. So a t-shirt has to coordinate with 3 bottoms, a bottom has to coordinate with 3 tops. I also plan on doing laundry (or sending it out to be done).

 

I'm accustomed to not having a huge selection to pick from once onboard ;) .... but there is no special place in heaven for people who can travel for weeks with one suitcase and there is no special place in Hades for those who need 2 or 3 suitcases :D

 

I used to travel with virtually every piece of luggage I owned, and could easily take 20 pairs of shoes for a 7 day cruise. :eek:

 

If you are going to be uncomfortable having limited choices, and are okay with hauling a couple of suitcases, take what you want, everything you want. For me, though, after we get to whatever port city, I'm usually tooooo tired to want to deal with any extra work. We do self-disembark, too, so that is a HUGE motivator for taking only one suitcase each.

[Shmoo here]

DH & I always travel with 1 suitcase and 1 carryon (each). Even on our 24 night cruise.

 

And we had plenty of room to put souviners in them to come home, so still just 1 suitcase and 1 carryon each coming home.

 

I generally pack 1 formal dress and 1 semi-formal outfit (fancy top and dress pants), 3 or 4 shirts/blouses, 3 pairs of pants/capris. All of which can mix and match (including the semi-formal pieces). Add in 1 or 2 swimsuits (depending on if it's a warm weather cruise or not), light jacket, dress-up wrap and a couple of nightgowns, plus underwear for 6 days, one pair of dress shoes, water shoes (flip-flops) and an extra pair of walking shoes, I'm good to go.

 

:)

[DWAliaschief]

For Hawaii, or any cruise to a single warm climate, one suitcase should be easy. The length of the cruise doesn't really matter, as all it takes is to pack for 7-10 days, then repeat as many times as necessary.

Sure, I love to be able to open the closet door, look at a vast selection, then decide. I can do that at home, but not on a cruise. I don't look like a pack mule, and refuse to drag luggage as if I were.

Now, when it gets to a combination of climates, as a South America cruise that includes Antarctica does, then doing it on one suitcase is a little more challenging. But it can still be done.

Ruth - I want your packing list for the South America cruise!! Please help.