Worst Cruise Packing Mistakes

[Brittany C]

Hey there cruisers,

 

We are compiling the worst cruise packing mistakes we've made so others can learn from our unfortunate -- and sometimes hilarious -- mishaps. If you have any you would like to share, it very well might be published!

 

We look forward to reading and grimacing along with you :)

 

Best,

 

~Brittany Chrusciel, Associate Editor, Cruise Critic

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

The last night I packed all my pants, leaving me nothing to wear off the ship the next day. Brain apparently not in gear as I cruise rather frequently and know better. Luckily I happened to look in the closet and noticed my mistake. They hadn't picked up the suitcases yet, so I was saved. I now hang the clothes for the next day together so I won't pack them the last night.

 

[Nachosdelux]

My wife (girlfriend at the time) packed her oral contraceptives, and the airline lost the bag - we did not get it until day 5 of a 7 day cruise.

 

Needless to say I was more upset than she was.

[chemmo]

Not as funny as the above posts but I bet I am not the only one who will confess to this.....

 

OK, I usually overpack. So last year knowing I had Elite laundry...and our cruise had pre and post hotel stays meaning lots of carrying of bags I decided to listen to the advice of so many and limit my packing to what I strictly needed.

 

I lasted until the day before we cruised and then panicked and ended up in a shopping spree in Honolulu! Extra formal dress, more T shirts, another day dress...non of which I needed but I really could not board without some 'just in case' clothes!

[G.M.T.]

Dear MIL was staying with us the week before our cruise. We told her how we share our clothes over the two suitcases, in case one of them gets lost.

 

While we were out shopping, she wanted to help, so she sorted out our shoes we were planning on taking.

 

Putting all the lefthand shoes to the red suitcase and the righthand shoes to the blue one.:eek:

 

Kuckily she pack them for us.

[CathyCruises]

Looking in my closet and picking out things I haven't worn in a year or more and thinking I will wear them on my cruise--resulting in hauling a lot of things with me that I never wear! This cruise, I am only bringing things I actually like to wear and am comfortable in.

 

We leave in one week, I'll see how well I stick to that!

[az_tchr]

With two teenagers at home we each packed a bag. DW and I one each for the cruise and teenage son and daughter one each to go on a 2 week school field trip. All piled into the car and off to the airport. Dropped son and DW at the curb and they said they would check the bags. That they did - thru to the destinations.

The children arrived in Washington DC with our bags and we in San Juan with theirs! We did not notice until after we boarded. Did lots of shopping in Barbados. Learned teenagers were really different clothing. The good news is our son was about the same size as DW and myself so we did have interesting T shirts to wear. LOL

Had some really funny photos to share after we all returned to Arizona.

[wwcruisers]

The last night I packed all my pants, leaving me nothing to wear off the ship the next day. Brain apparently not in gear as I cruise rather frequently and know better. Luckily I happened to look in the closet and noticed my mistake. They hadn't picked up the suitcases yet, so I was saved. I now hang the clothes for the next day together so I won't pack them the last night.

 

 

Linda -- Since DH and I both participate in the packing/unpacking ritual, I've always worried that we would inadvertently do something like this. So, the very first step in the pack-up-the cabin process is to lay out clothes for our "travel home" day. :cool:

[NCMTgal]

Did not try on a formal gown that I had worn a few years earlier. Assumed that it would still fit! Big mistake! Hubbie could not zip it up so we had a major crisis before formal night! Fortunately I had a pair of black travel pants and a black top which worked! Lesson learned. Always try on an outfit before packing for a cruise.

[FRMPEI]

With two teenagers at home we each packed a bag. DW and I one each for the cruise and teenage son and daughter one each to go on a 2 week school field trip. All piled into the car and off to the airport. Dropped son and DW at the curb and they said they would check the bags. That they did - thru to the destinations.

The children arrived in Washington DC with our bags and we in San Juan with theirs! We did not notice until after we boarded. Did lots of shopping in Barbados. Learned teenagers were really different clothing. The good news is our son was about the same size as DW and myself so we did have interesting T shirts to wear. LOL

Had some really funny photos to share after we all returned to Arizona.

 

... and the winner is this post.

 

Regards,

Kevin Reid

[TeaBag]

I packed the skirt I was wearing on the last day of the cruise with my seapass card in the pocket of it. Bags were gone the next morning when I realized what I had done. They let me off, of course but I told them they could have solved the problem by letting me stay on!

[dkjretired]

Here's one I saw on a TV program about Oasis of the Seas. Someone in the family packed their passports into the checked luggage. Got to the pier, checked in the luggage and went to check in. AT that point they realized the problem they had. Luckily the people from Royal actually searched and found the piece of luggage the passport was in among all the luggage that was on the ship.

[DrivesLikeMario]

A rookie mistake: packed a bottle of wine in dirty clothes for the trip home. After picking up the luggage at the airport, smelled merlot all the way home...hmm...the red wine bottle had broken and all our good clothes soaked up the liquid. :o

[brfan]

Packing for a cruise I grabbed a pair of shoes to wear on formal nights and threw them in my suitcase. Fast forward to first formal night and get the shoes and realize I brought two different shoes. However they were close enough in appearance that I thought I'd just wear them and hopefully no one would notice until I realized they were both the left shoes. :D

[mdcelebrity]

Packing for a cruise I grabbed a pair of shoes to wear on formal nights and threw them in my suitcase. Fast forward to first formal night and get the shoes and realize I brought two different shoes. However they were close enough in appearance that I thought I'd just wear them and hopefully no one would notice until I realized they were both the left shoes. :D

I did EXACTLY the same thing. Thanks for posting: I feel better now that I have company.:)

[kannna]

A rookie mistake: packed a bottle of wine in dirty clothes for the trip home. After picking up the luggage at the airport, smelled merlot all the way home...hmm...the red wine bottle had broken and all our good clothes soaked up the liquid. :o

 

Vinnie Bags are a miracle. I've brought home wine, liquor, olive oil all home safe. Though I think they are much more expensive than when I originally bought mine.

[Straughn]

DH forgot to pack his tux shirt, not once, but twice. Two is a trend! It was then included on my check list for every future cruise. He also forgot extra socks on one cruise and his cuff links and studs on another. Both of these were easily resolved on the ship.

 

Have made similar mistakes as others when packing at home. Left my formal slacks hanging in the closet because they were next to similar colored items. We now have two large brightly colored empty hangers. Anything on hangers that is to be packed, gets put in the spare bedroom closet between those hangers. Whoever packs the hang up bag knows that anything hung between the red and blue hangers goes in the bag. No more guessing or forgotten items.

[SetU2]

Perhaps the worst mistake you can ever make, is packing a bad attitude – pack some sense of humor instead and you’re guaranteed an unforgettable vacation. And remember that: “When you figure out your suitcase, you figure out your life,” (Diane von Furstenberg).

[silkismom]

We picked up a bottle of very good gin at a duty-free and packed it in the middle of the laundry bag for protection on the trip home. When we got there DH thoughtfully threw the dirty clothes bag down stairs for the laundry--not only did it break, but HE was picking glass out of everything!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

w

[Grandma Gilly]

We picked up a bottle of very good gin at a duty-free and packed it in the middle of the laundry bag for protection on the trip home. When we got there DH thoughtfully threw the dirty clothes bag down stairs for the laundry--not only did it break, but HE was picking glass out of everything!

 

w

 

I did the exact same thing just a few weeks ago. I was SO cross with myself

[junetraveler2014]

I packed the skirt I was wearing on the last day of the cruise with my seapass card in the pocket of it. Bags were gone the next morning when I realized what I had done. They let me off, of course but I told them they could have solved the problem by letting me stay on!

 

Oh, I like this one...can always try again, it might work!!

[ORV]

Packing for a cruise I grabbed a pair of shoes to wear on formal nights and threw them in my suitcase. Fast forward to first formal night and get the shoes and realize I brought two different shoes. However they were close enough in appearance that I thought I'd just wear them and hopefully no one would notice until I realized they were both the left shoes. :D

 

A few years ago when I was still working I looked down at my feet in the middle of the day and realized I was wearing two different shoes. They were both brown & similar. I felt like an idiot. :o

[Balconyaft]

... and the winner is this post.

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Kevin Reid

 

 

Agreed, this is hilarious!

[ScarlettMLB]

I'd bought a new pair of pants to wear on the cruise. We flew into port the night before the cruise and the morning of the cruise I woke up, put on my new pants, and we went to the ship.

 

Not long after we checked our luggage did I realize that my new pants were stretching out....a lot. I didn't have a belt on and didn't have one in my carry-on. The shops weren't open yet on the ship. The pants (which got thrown away after the cruise) kept getting looser the longer I wore them. I had to walk around literally holding them to keep them from falling down until the ship finally set sail and the stores opened and I could buy a belt.

[LucasLounger1]

I purchased new black slacks. Not until on the cruise I put them on and realize that when I purchased them, I picked up the wrong size pair in the mess of the fitting room at the store. I could hardly get them on.

 

Another time for a land vacation I had a pair of pants hemmed. I didn't take them out of the plastic wrap until the afternoon we were leaving only to discover the tailor sent me home with someone else's pants. Luckily I had enough time to race over and get it rectified. This particular trip also had a near miss with the car. I had taken it for an oil change same morning (we drive to the airport) and they pointed out a tire that was rapidly flattening and wouldn't have made it to Toronto. Whew!