hal 42 day cruise-clothing question

[newcruisercanada]

I am going on the Maasdam(Jan 17) then Noordam (Feb 7)..total of 42 days! SIN (spend it now) cruise!! Wondering how many tops to bring. I know there will be laundry, but HAL cruisers always look nice. Any other suggestions for long cruises appreciated. Looking forward to getting out of snow and cold--Canada is snowed in already!

[OlsSalt]

A good tip I got from reading here is to pack for 2 weeks and plan on repeating that two week wardrobe for how many two week segments you will be cruising. This gets harder when facing major temperature changes during the longer cruises.

 

(PS: I still never do this even though I love the simplicity of the idea, but I keep trying, and I still always bring back plenty of stuff I never wore and find a few things I keep wearing over and over again.)

 

My own plan is to count out how many port days and sea days there are because each can have a different clothing demand. Then figure how many formal nights there will be in your 42 days, if you plan on doing those.

 

Then all that is left is how many changes do you want for main dining room smart casual night dinners for the evenings left over, minus how many time you might eat elsewhere: Lido, room service, specialty dining options.

 

So for 42 days, you would be repeating your two week wardrobe a maximum of 3 time, except for formal nights and the alternate dining nights. So maybe you will end up repeating those 14 items only twice. That makes 42 days look not so bad after all, now is it? (May I please take my own advice. :cool:)

[innlady1]

I am going on the Maasdam(Jan 17) then Noordam (Feb 7)..total of 42 days! SIN (spend it now) cruise!! Wondering how many tops to bring. I know there will be laundry, but HAL cruisers always look nice. Any other suggestions for long cruises appreciated. Looking forward to getting out of snow and cold--Canada is snowed in already!

 

Aren't you lucky! We'll be on the Maasdam 1/27 to 2/7 and then the Noordam 2/7 to 2/17...perhaps we can share a cab from Maasdam to Noordam.

To answer your question, our weight limit is 50 lbs. so I try to stay within those guidelines...and send our laundry out. The Maasdam also has aself service Laundromats on some decks which is nice for things you choose not to put in the dryer.

See you soon! :cool:

[Marigold252]

A good tip I got from reading here is to pack for 2 weeks and plan on repeating that two week wardrobe for how many two week segments you will be cruising. This gets harder when facing major temperature changes during the longer cruises.

 

(PS: I still never do this even though I love the simplicity of the idea, but I keep trying, and I still always bring back plenty of stuff I never wore and find a few things I keep wearing over and over again.)

 

My own plan is to count out how many port days and sea days there are because each can have a different clothing demand. Then figure how many formal nights there will be in your 42 days, if you plan on doing those.

 

Then all that is left is how many changes do you want for main dining room smart casual night dinners for the evenings left over, minus how many time you might eat elsewhere: Lido, room service, specialty dining options.

 

So for 42 days, you would be repeating your two week wardrobe a maximum of 3 time, except for formal nights and the alternate dining nights. So maybe you will end up repeating those 14 items only twice. That makes 42 days look not so bad after all, now is it? (May I please take my own advice. :cool:)

 

I concur with OlsSalt on the two week wardrobe. I've never been on a cruise for that long, but I've been out for a month several times. My DH and I take a 27" and 25", a roller carry on and a tote and we do formal nights (or wedding attire if that is on the agenda). It's amazing how many light weight tops can be packed in a small space. Enjoy your wonderful trip!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

[iancal]

We pack for 7 days max. We use layered clothing if we anticipate large variations. We do this for 7 day cruises or3 month trips. And yes, we use the laundry facilities.

Edited December 1, 2013 by iancal

[dorisis]

For 42 days I would need a steamer trunk. But Alas they no longer have room in the cabins. Can they still store them the way they used to many moons ago??? The last time we sailed on the old Norway they had a closet just for that trunk.

Edited December 1, 2013 by dorisis

[kakalina]

We also do the two week method. As four star the free laundry makes it even easier to follow.

Also remember that since you are changing ships no one will know what you wore the first two weeks.

[geocruiser]

I would look into the laundry package. I have used it on HAL, and I love it.

You might want to also visit and post this on the Fashion and Beauty board.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=182

Edited December 1, 2013 by geocruiser

[mamaofami]

We also do the two week method. As four star the free laundry makes it even easier to follow.

Also remember that since you are changing ships no one will know what you wore the first two weeks.

 

I'll be on the Noordam for 21 days and plan on bringing a week and a half of clothing. I don't really care if anyone knows I'll be wearing the same clothes. Especially, since after 11 days, people will be disembarking and new people embarking. As long as I look clean and neat, that's all I care about.

[OVgirl]

I am going on the Maasdam(Jan 17) then Noordam (Feb 7)..total of 42 days! SIN (spend it now) cruise!! Wondering how many tops to bring. I know there will be laundry, but HAL cruisers always look nice. Any other suggestions for long cruises appreciated. Looking forward to getting out of snow and cold--Canada is snowed in already!

 

Lots of good advice so far. I agree that the laundry service will be your best friend. The ship does a very good job, your tops will come back wrinkle free, if not ironed. It's also a very easy way to have your clothing freshened up. And the majority of other passengers are in the same boat, they can only bring a certain amount of luggage with them on a cruise.

 

Also, would like to give you an invite over to the rollcall for the Noordam portion of your cruise. There is also another CC member doing the exact same 42 day cruise. And there are another 2 CC members also coming from Maasdam. You might be able to get some advice from them as well.

 

And you are right about that cold and snow!!!!

Edited December 1, 2013 by OVgirl

[sppunk]

We pack for 5 days - regardless if we are gone three or 300. T works well especially combined with the unlimited laundry package.

[CaveDiving]

We pack for 5 days - regardless if we are gone three or 300. T works well especially combined with the unlimited laundry package.

 

Packing for 5 days for a 300 day cruise sounds pretty ridiculous.

 

Scott & Karen

[take us away]

We did 132 days this year and packed for about 20 days. We get free laundry but not a fan of getting bored with the clothes. Kept a list of what I wore for dinner as into the mix and match so as not to repeat too frequently plus bring a bunch of shawls which change every outfit 'just enough'. Always bring a dressy black skirt and slacks with several formal night tops along with a black knit dress with a jacket which gets change dup with jewelry. The knit black slacks and sweater along with the white slacks were mainstays with several silk t-shirts (or similar) along with a few less formal dresses. Actually no one seemed to notice the repeats including the single lady we ate with (and I kid you not as she had the room next to ours) who shipped home 8 or 9 good size pieces of luggage for her 72 days on board and did maybe 4 repeats which she apologized for each time. She had outlandish outfits so easier to remember. One tip to keep down on luggage space is to forget the matching shoes and just bring 2-3 pair of shoes for dinner. Have converted to capezzio-type slippers for dinner and only bring black, white, and black with rhinestones for formal nights.

[OlsSalt]

….. One tip to keep down on luggage space is to forget the matching shoes and just bring 2-3 pair of shoes for dinner. Have converted to capezzio-type slippers for dinner and only bring black, white, and black with rhinestones for formal nights.

 

Agree. Shoes are a real pound and space grabber, plus closet clutter too. Recently discovered the brand "Bernie Mev" shoes which I have found to be the most comfortable walking shoe so far and best of all are extremely lightweight and easy to pack since they are crushable.

 

To my surprise considering those limiting virtues, they held up wonderfully pounding the pavements on our last 28 day cruise through the Med and Black Sea. I have a closet full of failed walking shoes, many dedicated walking brands which just did not deliver what these Bernie Mev shoes did. And we walk a lot. So that change now takes several pounds and inches of space out of my long cruise packing challenges.

[RuthC]

I generally plan to wear everything I bring 3-4 times each, but I've never sailed longer than 35 days. So, that's about 10 days worth of day clothes, 3-4 formals, and 5-7 evening casuals. Toss in one pair of evening shoes, and a lot of shoe clips, two evening bags, and loads of jewelry, and I could probably do the World Cruise (although I would get awfully sick of those clothes by the end.)

[surfsidemary]

Assuming you are flying, the best suggestion I ever followed was to purchase my toiletries at the embarkation port. No hassles over liquid quantities and much less weight in the luggage.

[PSR]

Aren't you lucky! We'll be on the Maasdam 1/27 to 2/7 and then the Noordam 2/7 to 2/17...perhaps we can share a cab from Maasdam to Noordam.

To answer your question, our weight limit is 50 lbs. so I try to stay within those guidelines...and send our laundry out. The Maasdam also has aself service Laundromats on some decks which is nice for things you choose not to put in the dryer.

See you soon! :cool:

 

We also do the two week method. As four star the free laundry makes it even easier to follow.

Also remember that since you are changing ships no one will know what you wore the first two weeks.

 

innlady1 will!!!:D

[Bluwater7]

We are getting ready to leave on 95 days of cruising. Plan on taking enough clothes for 2 weeks. 4 star so have free laundry. Changing ships at 25 days. Have done a number of long cruises ... 42 days, 88 days, 28 days, ... the only thing ... you sure are tired of the same clothes by the end of the cruise. Really don't think most people pay too much attention to what you wear ... or how many times you wear it ... unless of course it is something that really stands out and makes everyone remember .... go colour coordinated and you can make a lot of outfits with mix and match. Enjoy your cruise and don't worry about a million and one outfits.

[geocruiser]

I generally plan to wear everything I bring 3-4 times each, but I've never sailed longer than 35 days. So, that's about 10 days worth of day clothes, 3-4 formals, and 5-7 evening casuals. Toss in one pair of evening shoes, and a lot of shoe clips, two evening bags, and loads of jewelry, and I could probably do the World Cruise (although I would get awfully sick of those clothes by the end.)

 

Shoe clips sound great. I never thought of them.