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Packing early for the cruise

danielsumner

By danielsumner,
in Ask a Cruise Question

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Nado44

Nado44

Posted
Posted

I pack the night before a cruise. It's always just a few shirts, shorts, bathing suit, gym gear, toiletries and a formal night outfit. After packing, travel docs, books, highlighters, post-it notes go into the messenger bag. Easy peasy and not worth stressing about weeks before.

 

Am always amazed by the two distinct packing camps.

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iancal

iancal

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We check our documents/passports right after booking.

 

We pack the night before the flight if it is an early morning flight. If it is an afternoon flight we pack the morning of. We find we take less and don't forget anything when we do this. For us it is very much a routine. The only exception is that we often fill up our 100ml sunscreen bottle a day or two prior just to ensure that we don't need to buy more.

Edited by iancal
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reedl

reedl

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I bring down my carry on a few weeks before we go on vacation and put it on the dining room table. Into that I put my electronics, cameras, computers, etc. and the documents needed for the vacation (printouts of stuff, luggage tags, passports, etc). The night before I pack my clothes. It is pretty easy since I pretty much wear the same thing. Pants, shirt, and undergarments. My wife is a little more of a planner, but only a week or so in advance for things like dresses, etc.

 

The day we leave, into the carry on goes the phone, charging cables, etc. that I use daily.

 

I could not pack my clothes weeks in advance since I wear the same stuff during that time period. I wear jeans pretty much every day summer and winter so I would not want them locked up in a suitcase.

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Aaronmaissell

Aaronmaissell

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I use a pacing list! This is great because I can keep track of what I need and what I need to put away. It helps

So that I can go shopping if I miss a simple item. The clothes I pack the day before I leave. This way I can decide what I need to buy or wash.

This has worked for years. The check list is the best!!!

 

 

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CleoChase

CleoChase

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Yes, we pack several hours before we leave.:)

 

 

Yep! We are leaving before dawn in two days. So less then 36 hours from now. I will pack tomorrow night late. But then I travel all the time for work so I know I have everything I will need, just need to get it in the suitcases and load it into the car. I am packed and car loaded in under 30 minutes. My hubby takes longer to pack then I do.

 

 

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amydresh

amydresh

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My cruise isn't until Jan but I have already packed all the boys' summer clothes into packing cubes since being in WI they won't be needed before we leave. I always pack a good few days before we go anywhere so that I know I have everything that we need and I won't be stressing that I forgot something. I am sure that my "nightmares" about going on a trip and I forgot my luggage, clothes, etc has NOTHING to do with it. :p

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Blondilu

Blondilu

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First I put together a mental list of what I'm going to wear. I go back and forth for awhile until it seems "right".

 

As for when the packing actually happens, it depends on a lot. I need to give it my undivided attention. So it may be the day before. Or, as with this last trip, it was two weeks out. It's just the way it worked out this time. Next time might be different.

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Nebr.cruiser

Nebr.cruiser

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I don't pack way in advance, because then I can't remember what I already packed! Day before leaving is it. Of course, after years, I already know what I'm going to pack. And several things I leave in luggage between cruises; swim suits, binoculars, toothbrushes, water shoes, etc.

 

Yep, that's me. I pack the day before; I start sorting out clothes and trying on clothes the week before just to see what fits and looks/feels good and hang thiings together in the closet, but I don't pack then.

 

If I packed weeks ahead, I'd still go over everything again due to forgetfulness! Plus, some things I need to wear at home before packing.

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

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Our Oasis Cruise leaves in two weeks. Almost everything is packed in plastic bags and laid out in the guest room ready to be put in the luggage. Now we start our process of walking in the room every so often and asking ourselves if we really need to take this and that. In about a week half will go back to the main closet and next week I will go to the bank and get double the money I intended to take. Anyone else pack early?

 

It really depends on the trip, for some, I pack the night before. for others I start a few weeks out much like the OP.

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zqvol

zqvol

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I laugh at some of these responses, especially people who pack three or more weeks ahead. In those three or four weeks I often take one or two other trips. Packing is done either the night before we leave or the morning we leave depending on when we fly out.

 

Wife usually waits even later than I do to pack.

 

When you travel often packing is routine.

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mamasylvia

mamasylvia

Posted
Posted (edited)

> I'm ready to start packing now for our April 2018 cruise!

 

I've sort of started packing for our May 2017 Alaska cruise. Toiletries bag (one of my best-ever purchases) has duplicates of everything I use and never comes out of the suitcase. Bathing suit and water shoes are still there from last cruise 3 years ago. I've picked up a couple things from suggestions here (color-coded highlighters and postits) and put them directly into the suitcase so I don't suffer the "where did I put them?" next May. lol

 

> Almost everything is packed in plastic bags

 

I've been eyeing them on Amazon but don't see how they are used or how they help, either in organizing or getting more into a suitcase.

 

> Am always amazed by the two distinct packing camps

 

What's interesting is when your other half is in the other camp! I started my packing list for a May 2017 cruise the evening I paid the deposit in October. I also started a FB group for our family "to plan our family vacation." DH's response was "I plan to drink lots of margaritas. Planning finished!" I'm amazed we have lasted 28 years together. ;)

Edited by mamasylvia
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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

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I use the plastic bags (large sandwich like bags that are sealable) to help keep things sorted, which makes it easier when doing land tours or hotel stays and you are living out of the suit case. Adding to this if the clothes in the bags are t-shirts and underwear, you can squeeze the air out which helps with space in your luggage, alternatively, if you have items you do not want to get crushed, you actually blow more air into the bag and this helps keep the items wrinkle free. Another use is that it also keeps things dry as luggage may get wet at airports and such.

Edited by MicCanberra
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Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

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Many. many years ago I made packing lists as to what goes in each of the four suitcases and two carry-ons. It only takes us a short time to get everything packed.

The biggest time consuming project is counting out the many medications my DH takes and making certain that we have at least 5 extra days of pills -- just in case something goes wrong.

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sapper1

sapper1

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Since most of our cruises fall into the two to four week range we take four suitcases and I carefully cross pack each one with outfits for both myself and my husband in case the airline loses a bag.

 

I work from a list and stuff starts appearing in the back bedrooms about a month beforehand.

 

About two weeks before we leave, the suitcases come out and I pick away at packing. After watching a YouTube video on how to pack a suit in a giant ziplock bag, I tried it and found that it works like a charm. Just let the suit hang overnight when you unpack and it is good to go.

 

Since we arrive at our cruise port three nights in advance, I mark the outside of one suitcase as the bag that has everything we will need in the cruise port in it. That saves a lot of rummaging in the hotel.

 

I use packing cubes for the bits and pieces---lanyards, money belts, notepads, pens, bottle opener etc.

 

The suitcases all have bright ribbons attached along with distinctive luggage tag holders. That, along with distinctive luggage straps, enables me to spot our luggage at a distance on the airport carousel and to make sure nobody grabs a bag in error.

 

I have a portable luggage scale which is one of our best ever purchases. I leave each bag with about eight pounds to spare to allow for shopping while on our trip.

 

My packing list gets started as soon as we book the cruise and gets added to as things occur to me. Planning is part of the fun. I also start a "to do" list for cruise planning.

My husband, on the other hand, knows his only job is to turn up ready to go on a certain date. He has no idea what is packed and only a rough idea of where we are going. He trusts me to look after all the details. I love doing it and he has no interest in doing it. He loves the cruising part but not the beforehand bits so it works well for both of us.

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reedl

reedl

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I would love to be able to bring out the suitcase and start laying out clothes for a cruise a week or so beforehand....but when the suitcase comes out our cat goes insane. Sigh. So to make everyone's life bearable I wait until the night before...

 

You mean like this?

 

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