Worst Cruise Packing Mistakes

[ccruisequeen]

Not really a packing mistake I could have known about ahead of time....boarded our Princess cruise and went straight to the phone to call the dine line, desperate to get into the Chef's Table (lottery type system, not easy to get). Low and behold we find out a few days later we were picked! Went to the briefing and were told only closed toed shoes are allowed in the galley. I had none as I packed for a warm weather cruise. Not even sneakers. So every port we went to, I'm searching and searching for a shoe store (none) or some closed toed shoes (none). I was desperate, and even considered wearing my husband's shoes (really) for the galley portion of the event. They ended up cancelling the event due to Norovirus outbreak, too bad, and so I didn't need those shoes after all. While packing on our last night, I found the (close toed) shoes I wore down to Florida hidden in my suitcase! Forgot about them altogether. All that worry for nothing.

 

Reminds me of the time I was sure I'd packed my makeup bag in my parent's bag. Had everything, including toothbrush and paste, deodorant, and makeup. My parents insisted it wasn't there, so I was Forced to pay the exorbitant prices on board to replace them.

 

Sure enough, once we got home, the bag was tucked in the corner behind the zipper pocket.

 

 

I still cruise for Warm Chocolate Melting Cake (with 2 sugar free ice creams)

[CI66774]

Going through security at cruise terminal and accidentally bumping my electric toothbrush on. Well, the security dude heard the buzzing and saw my bag vibrating and made some comments about what was transpiring inside my bag. After I suppressed a snicker, we finally found the offending object and turned it off but I kept getting strange looks from those who thought it might have been something...er...a little more interesting.

[2BeOnaBoat]

For me it what I packed more than what I forgot. I had an old backpack that I threw my electronics, pair of shorts and a book into. Going through airport security they found something odd and pull the bag aside. It was a single 38 caliber bullet! The bag had been used as a range bag many years before. My cousin's daughter even took the bag to Spain on a school trip.

 

They called the local police who came and questioned me for about 10 mins. I had to sign a form allowing them to dispose of the bullet. I joked with the 'ready to arrest me officer in charge' if they were just going to shoot it. She looked me over, cracked a smile and let me go.

 

On the way home, they pulled my backpack as it had some hair pins in it. Obviously it was my cousin's as I have as much hair as this smiley face... :)

 

We joke that Hermione's magic purse is more plausible than not. But my backpack continues to get a thorough inspection before and during travel.

[capriccio]

Not a story of something forgotten; rather a story of something that should never have been taken...

 

My husband is the son of an Italian immigrant and in 1963 his family (dad, mom, 2 sisters, aunt) were traveling from NYC to Sicily for the wedding of the aunt's daughter. This was in the days when people dressed like they were going to church for a plane ride. His aunt (also an immigrant) decided to take an extra special present back to the 'poor' folks in the old country. She showed up at the airport dressed in a heavy coat that she kept on during the flight which was strange because it was summer. When the family got to Sicily more than 12 hours later (changing planes in Rome) everyone found out the reason for the heavy bulky coat. Her special present was steaks! She had duct taped them to her underclothes! They had started out frozen solid and defrosted during the trip. The family in Sicily (who weren't all that poor) were stunned, gave thanks and then tossed the steaks. Imagine how TSA would react today if they saw that in one of the body scanners!

Edited October 7, 2015 by capriccio

[minikiss]

Our lesson learnt was to better cross pack after our 1st cruise.

Having spent the good part of 10 month collecting all the things we wanted to take I set about packing 2 cases with half of mine and half of things in each one. I wasn't thinking of outfits just weight limits.

So when 1 went on a holiday all of it's own for 4 days I learned the hard way.

When I un packed the 1 case that did make it on board I found we had only part evening outfits. Trousers with no tops to go with, dresses with no shoes to match for me. Hubby then only had part of his formal wear, Shirt + bow tie but no shoes socks and no Tux. Princess were great and loaned us a Tux and shoes in his size to get us by and offered us free laundry till the other case got on board. I have never been so happy to see a suit case. All I could say was "SHOES"......

I also realised in that missing case was the sea sickness tablets I had brought. Yep I needed them that first night as I was as sick as dog!

so now I always make sure everything gets separated out in to outfits just in case.

the Sea Sickness tabs go in my hand luggage and after catching a cold due to the Air conditioning I always pack Cold and Flu remedies to.

 

Jules

[cynbar]

Going through security at cruise terminal and accidentally bumping my electric toothbrush on. Well, the security dude heard the buzzing and saw my bag vibrating and made some comments about what was transpiring inside my bag. After I suppressed a snicker, we finally found the offending object and turned it off but I kept getting strange looks from those who thought it might have been something...er...a little more interesting.

 

This happened to a couple we were traveling with. The wife had packed her "personal massager" in her carry on, and it started buzzing in the security line. Of course, this triggered a full search of her bag, with everything pulled out for the world to see. Moral: remove batteries from all electronics and pack separately.

 

In a related area, DH, my self and our teenage daughter were flying home from a cruise. DH was holding her carryon as we went through security, and we were sent to different scanners. Well, his carryon was chosen to be searched, so you have thus burly guy standing there while the agent pulls out a pink bra, frilly nightgown, and so on. It was quite the entertainment for the other passengers, and the staff as well. Wish I had taken pictures but you don't want to kid around with the TSA. Moral: have teenage daughter carry her own bags.

Edited October 7, 2015 by cynbar

[LeeW]

Worst problem for me was getting dressed in Copenhagen before cruise. DW had packed my shirt in luggage that had already been picked up for ship transfer. Just had jeans jacket to wear in 80 degree weather. No problem - went down to the Stroget shopping street and bought a nice one I still wear.

[seamwoman]

My girlfriend packed the bags and put them out after dinner. The next morning her husband had no shirt and was not happy. Finally she got a shirt out of lost and found! Karen

[nukesubsailor]

Looks like Shredie's Law of Thread Degeneration (you know, the one that says all threads will eventually degenerate into a formal wear discussion) strikes again.

 

The topic of this thread was what people felt was their worst packing mistake.

That is what I did in my post, so I was following the thread topic.

Your post, on the other hand, has nothing to do with the topic. Any thread degeneration was initiated by you, not me.

[SteerageJack]

I packed a pair of dress shoes without noticing the heel had fallen off one shoe.

[SteerageJack]

I consider our worst mistake was the packing of formal wear. It takes up valuable space in our luggage which is increasingly more vital with the airlines charging for checked luggage. There are other items that we would get more benefit from on a cruise than formal wear. In our opinion the formal night dinners in the main dining room just aren't worth the hassle. I don't think we are alone in noticing that the trend today is moving away from traditional dining and formal wear.

 

 

I think you are right.

[riclop]

Don't forget to take enough underwear.

[Gallivanting Souls]

I remember my Mom was packing for all of us kids to go on a trip (not cruise). We got all the way there and my Mom realized she didn't pack any under garments for herself. We had to go off to Woolworths for new stuff for her. Mom was she embarrassed (pun intended.) :eek: I learned from her mistake early on to always make sure that I have packed **my** most important items for myself, even when I am packing for 5 others! Thanks Mom!

[Grego]

Not our packing mistake but our cruising friend failed to hold out the pants to her outfit to wear off of the ship. She put her luggage out the night before disembarking and didn't realize her mistake until the morning. We received her frantic call and were running all over the ship trying to find an open shop to sell us something she could cover herself with to walk off the ship. FYI--all shops are closed up tight.

Her desperate plan was to take her husband's jeans and have him walk off in his boxer shorts!

In a stroke of luck, our daughter-in-law had not packed her evening outfit, so had two pairs of pants.

We laugh about it now...

 

....and I laughed at this as well because it is one of my phobias. Even after over 30 voyages, I still wake up in the middle of the night worrying that I had packed my pants in the suitcase put out in the hallway and collected during the night. I even get up and look in the closet to make sure there's a pair hanging there but until then I'm thinking what I could wear if I did screw up!

[kjets]

First Aid Kit was packed. Flight from Siem Reap to Singapore and Mum felt really unwell. The medication she needed was in the First Aid Kit but I couldn't find it in our carry on bags. Why? Because we had packed it in our luggage! Lesson learnt...First Aid Kit always goes into carry on!

[crochetcruise]

Not our packing mistake but our cruising friend failed to hold out the pants to her outfit to wear off of the ship. She put her luggage out the night before disembarking and didn't realize her mistake until the morning. We received her frantic call and were running all over the ship trying to find an open shop to sell us something she could cover herself with to walk off the ship. FYI--all shops are closed up tight.

Her desperate plan was to take her husband's jeans and have him walk off in his boxer shorts!

In a stroke of luck, our daughter-in-law had not packed her evening outfit, so had two pairs of pants.

We laugh about it now...

 

I can't do a multiple quote, there were 2 other posts with "essential" reminders so I can't specifically name the clever people, but they'd know who they are!

 

I have noted to:

 

1-Leave out my COMPLETE Disembarkation outfit when I am packing the previous afternoon.

 

2-Put ALL my prescription and Over The Counter medication in a bag with my First Aid Kit to travel in my Carry On Case.

 

3-Put my Cosmetic Case in my handbag/cooler bag, so I know where it is!

 

I will also make sure my friend who is travelling on the same cruise, and is also a Blue Card holder, is advised to do the same re his luggage. While I WOULD have a "spare" lined skirt to loan him, I REALLY don't think he'd want to wear it off the ship in public! *Insert evil cackles of laughter at the mental images evoked* here.

 

I am revising my packing list, and making sure all tops will combine with all skirts to maximise the wearable outfits. Have noted the 3 useful Essential Items at the top of the Packing List.

 

It's 400 days today until I embark in Sydney for my Coastal repositioning to Melbourne! Yes, I AM more than a little excited!

[geoherb]

I forgot to pack a couple of pairs of pants. I ended up wearing the same pair of khakis I wore when we flew down to Fort Lauderdale to dinner every night (except for formal nights--fortunately I did not forget the pants to my tuxedo).

[FraudBroad]

Sometimes it's not about what we forget to pack...it's about what ended up in the suitcase that we didn't expect!

 

Late night packing in August caused my TV remote to end up on the cruise with me....too bad my father who stayed at my place while I was gone had to manually turn the tv on and off and had to get up to switch the channels! Just like in the olden days!

[shredie]

I will also make sure my friend who is travelling on the same cruise, and is also a Blue Card holder, is advised to do the same re his luggage. While I WOULD have a "spare" lined skirt to loan him, I REALLY don't think he'd want to wear it off the ship in public! *Insert evil cackles of laughter at the mental images evoked* here.

 

LOL. :D Then there is the one about the guy who had to wear nothing but a Princess robe off the ship...

[CATGUY7]

But I let my father with what I thought was mild dementia drive me to the airport. While unloading the bags from the back of the truck we realized we were in the wrong place for unloading. I directed him to drive around again to drop our bags. My mother and I were left on the sidewalk with our passports, tickets to Tahiti and a bag of shoes. We went to Tahiti with no clothes.

 

I'm so sorry - I cannot stop laughing at your story. 😂 I can only imagine how you felt!

[Treven]

Sometimes it's not about what we forget to pack...it's about what ended up in the suitcase that we didn't expect!

 

Late night packing in August caused my TV remote to end up on the cruise with me....too bad my father who stayed at my place while I was gone had to manually turn the tv on and off and had to get up to switch the channels! Just like in the olden days!

Do the newer TVs, this year's model, even have manual control buttons on them?

[graphicgal]

Biggest packing mistake? Not packing your own suitcase!

[Mommypig]

LOL. :D Then there is the one about the guy who had to wear nothing but a Princess robe off the ship...

 

 

Unless he bought that Princess robe prior to arriving in port, you can't do that. That would be stealing Princess property.

[Mommypig]

Having left for cruises without various and sundry things, we now have canvas zipper pouches (from Walmart in the school supplies area) that are labeled for different categories of things, and then the required items are listed on the pouch. Rental Car category has car adaptor plug, device charger cables, little speaker, glasses wipes, tissue pack.

 

General Cruising has magnets, battery votives, hand-held scale, batteries for everything, and leis to put on the door.

 

And so on.

[crochetcruise]

Having left for cruises without various and sundry things, we now have canvas zipper pouches (from Walmart in the school supplies area) that are labeled for different categories of things, and then the required items are listed on the pouch. Rental Car category has car adaptor plug, device charger cables, little speaker, glasses wipes, tissue pack.

 

General Cruising has magnets, battery votives, hand-held scale, batteries for everything, and leis to put on the door.

 

And so on.

 

THANK YOU! You've just inspired a "Bright Idea" re storage of prescribed and Over the Counter medications and vitamins for travelling. A nice Sponge Bag with an adhesive label affixed detailing the contents! So obvious, I feel a fool for not thinking of it earlier! I do like to "compartmentalise" my packing and different coloured sponge bags would be perfect!

 

I've also noted to bring some Ziploc bags, so any magnets can be packed separately.