7-Day Cruise with nothing but the clothes on our back?

[bam1957]

I have to say the idea doesn't even sound appealing to me. Pack a wheeled bag, wheel it onto the shuttle and into the airport, check it. Not hard to drag around airports at all.

 

And DH wouldn't even TRY to convince me to travel like that. lol

 

It doesn't appeal to me either. The thought of wearing the same clothes every day, NO WAY!!!!!!

[beerman2]

I have read where people have traveled with underwear and toiletries only in travel bag and bought all their cloths at a local goodwill.

 

Then donated them back after vacation.

 

I believe it was a land based vacation for 2 weeks!

[Peachypooh]

There was an elderly gentleman on our Panama Canal cruise that did this either on purpose or they lost his luggage. The same outfit every single day. Blue workman type pants, tan shirt, green windbreaker, sandals no socks. We even saw him at the airport waiting to go home wearing the same stuff.Not even a carry on. So I guess at least one person has done it.

[Sea Hag]

I haven't done a cruise with just the clothes on my back, but I have more than once done a week-long trip to visit family with only what I could fit in my laptop backpack that goes under the seat in front of me on the plane. Very doable. The laptop still has to come along, so that takes up some room. Wear a jacket, pack two changes of undergarments, teeshirts, and capris. Wash out undies on an ongoing basis. Do laundry once for teeshirts and capris.

[CruiseGal999]

I've actually been thinking about this. I'm a light packer and I'd like to be even more of a light packer. I found a dress that is a quick drying fabric and I was thinking about wearing a bathing suit, covering that with athletic gear, then the dress and wearing that on the flight to the cruise. I can launder all that stuff in the bathroom sink and let it dry overnight. I'd have to bring some undergarments, a scarf or two and probably one extra pair of shoes, but I could (in theory) wear that dress, bathing suit, or athletic gear everywhere and "pack" in a one gallon ziploc bag. I'd love to give that a try, but I don't know if my husband would be okay with that. I'm aiming to do our next cruise with a backpack and a 21" wheeled carry-on. Just to see if I can...

 

I am now a solo traveler and was able to trek through London & Paris for 1 1/2 weeks with a duffel bag and a tote bag for my 'under seat' piece. I did wear my purse ON me though and no one stopped me. So technically I had 3 pieces.

[mugtech]

It can be done. There apparently was a man on Jerome's (cruiseguys2009) last cruise who wore the same clothes all week. No one was ever able to explain why.

Was his name Jack Reacher?

[mugtech]

There was an elderly gentleman on our Panama Canal cruise that did this either on purpose or they lost his luggage. The same outfit every single day. Blue workman type pants, tan shirt, green windbreaker, sandals no socks. We even saw him at the airport waiting to go home wearing the same stuff.Not even a carry on. So I guess at least one person has done it.

More than one Jack Reacher out there.

[fredflint]

Was his name Jack Reacher?

Lost luggage

I am now a solo traveler and was able to trek through London & Paris for 1 1/2 weeks with a duffel bag and a tote bag for my 'under seat' piece. I did wear my purse ON me though and no one stopped me. So technically I had 3 pieces.

 

 

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[Justmekaren918]

Other thought you must me staying somewhere the night before, so mail a box of your clothing to that address. Take a carry on bag on good wheels and between the two you have a light amount of clothing. Usually Airport have stations to mail stuff back home. This route comes with fees, but so don't most airlines.

 

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[wizdiz]

My last cruise my luggage was totally lost. I walked on the ship with nothing but the clothes on my back. I was able to in each port get everything that I needed. It was a pain due to the sizes were different. I do think it would be easier and cheaper to do this on a Caribean cruise

[4774Papa]

Has anyone ever done a 7-day cruise with nothing but what you're wearing and the necessary paperwork? We're a few weeks out from our Breakaway cruise and the thought of dragging winter and summer stuff from home, through multiple airports, NYC and then onto the cruise does not excite me. Can I buy a couple pairs of shorts, shirts, and bathroom supplies on the ship??

 

Any chance I can talk my wife into this strategy?? :) Advice welcome.

So just do a Jack Reacher and only carry your toothbrush and passport along with cash. After a few days, throw away your dirty clothes and buy new. It works in the novels, but stinks otherwise.

 

Seriously, at least take a carryon with a change of underwear and socks as well as a couple more outfits.

[doones2]

You could probably get quite a few clothes in a carryon. I have often thought about trying it.

[spidybabe]

We did a week cruise with a carry on (small suitcase) and an under the seat bag twice. Once on MSC with formal wear (tips online how to pack a suit worked great) and once to Alaska with sweatshirts. Ok on the way home from Alaska we needed to wear some of those sweatshirts back to NY in 90 degree weather, but we did it!! After 25 cruises, I've become a great packer

Safe sailing

 

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[Something fun!]

You could also play a round of golf with just a 7 iron but why would you.

 

"Like":champagne-toast:

[littlelulu01]

Kids and I went on a two week med cruise with over a week in Florence prior to cruise start. British Airways lost our luggage. It’s the first and last time I’ll check luggage. We had the clothes on our back. British Airways gave us a toothbrush, toothpaste and a t shirt that doubled as pajamas. We got our luggage back at the 11th hour prior to departing Venice on the cruise. We ended up purchasing clothes, shoes and underwear... in Florence and it was very expensive. Our trip insurance policy did reimburse us.

 

A woman on our sailing never did get her lost luggage. Ncl washed the one outfit she had every night and returned in the morning. For the times she was without the outfit she had an Ncl logo outfit and was constantly asked for drinks. Passengers thought she was crew. The biggest obstacle I see with needing to purchase clothes shoes etc in a foreign country is size style and cost.

 

We now have only travel with either just a backpack or if not doing trains then just one carryon wheeled luggage.

 

Cruises are ideal for Europe travel and minimal luggage. Laundry service on Ncl is pretty quick and it comes back looking great.

 

I bring the season end sandals and running shoes, underwear that is in need of replacement and leave that stuff behind to make room for anything I purchase.

 

Europe can easily be done with either a backpack or just one small carry on. And you don’t need to look like a slob. The alternative is potentially dragging a wheeled suitcase through cobblestone cities, up and down stairs at train stations (sometimes running up and down stairs to get to the right platform in time), having to keep an eye on your stuff so it’s not taken from the trains.... all that can be an absolute nightmare in a hot crowded ancient city.

[coffeenmorecoffee]

I did a week and a half in S. Africa with just an Osprey Porter backpack. (This one here - love it!!) I'm a light packer despite the stereotypes about my gender, and I really hate checking luggage.

 

That being said - I wouldn't want to rely on picking up stuff along the way. Maybe if I were to be gone for a month plus, but shorter than that I would just try to manage with one bag.

[Nelsj099]

I travel with only carry on luggage, I have done 6 weeks in SE Asia. I have done 3 weeks in Australia. Multiple cruises. However, on my trips to America (Where I am from) I always end up coming back to wherever I live with all kinds of "Very Important" things. (Think if you only went home once a year/ year and a half what you would want to bring back). I highly recommend carry-ons only, I'd be willing to try just the clothes I have on me (considering I never go anywhere without my backpack) it would just have important things like underwear.

[kathy884]

Not a cruise, but I one time did this for a five night four day trip to Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH by accident. There were two long six hour travel days in there also on front and back end, so six days. All I had was what I was wearing (underwear, jeans, short sleeved polo, tennis shoes and socks), my swimsuit, sandals, one extra shirt, and one extra pair of underwear, all in my backpack. I had my cosmetic bag in the backpack too, to my relief (makeup, sunscreen, toothbrush toothpaste, antiperspirant). We were traveling with a large group of 12 or so in one of those big vans. My mom asked everyone to pair down their stuff into little suitcases (balance of week was at her house). Anyway, I moved stuff from my big suitcase into a little suitcase and a backpack, but by mistake only brought the backpack.

 

I did OK, but more underwear especially would have been nice. I had to wash mine out by hand and blow dry them a couple of times, as it was too humid for them to dry overnight and sometimes even with blow drying they were still a little damp. It was early June, so jeans were OK, but some lighter clothes could have been nice. I was surprised that my jeans and shirts were not that bad to wear that many days (not as fresh as I would have liked, but really not all that bad). I would have been happier, though, if I had brought that other little suitcase. I really would have preferred to have a few more things to change into. I looked at clothes in the hotel and gift shop, but didn't see anything I really liked, so just kept wearing my jeans all six days (two travel days and four park days) and my same two shirts - switched every other day (three days for each). As I said earlier, not having dry clean underwear was what I missed the most. I felt a little gross though in general.

 

This experience did not convert me into being a super light packer.

[klfhngr]

I'd like to try the same thing, but take it up a notch.. No deodorant and no toothbrush/toothpaste or hair gel.. I'd save time and money! But probably wouldn't make any friends...

[FitchburgWIFamily]

I went to visit my niece in Europe and my luggage did not. We were country-hopping and there was no way for my bag to catch up to me until the night before I left Europe.

 

I survived, but I don't know if I would do it on purpose. Airline gave me an emergency kit: one thin t-shirt, a comb, socks, toothbrush, stuff like that. Only thing that really helped was the thin t-shirt, which I could use as a night shirt.

 

My travel outfit was black pants, a black shirt jacket and a brightly colored short sleeve shirt with a coordinating scarf. Thankfully my shoes were comfortable flats I could walk in. I had another an extra pair of underwear and another scarf wadded up in the bottom of my oversized purse. Between the colorful shirt and two scarves, with and without the little jacket, I made it work. My pants got pretty stretched out and baggy after a few days. My "airport/airplane" shoes weren't the best for some of the hikes we took. And it was hard to dry my socks and underwear at night. But I survived. Pictures from the trip are pretty funny because niece looks different everyday, and I looked the same every single day. So I look like I toured 5 countries in a single day, and she looks like she changed clothes 5 times in a single day.

 

For a Caribbean cruise, I could definitely make it work just rolling up a few things in a very small carry-on or large purse. I could wear black pants and a black top to dinner every night on the cruise, with different scarves or jewelry to make it look different. I would pack a swim suit and a cover up that is shore excursion suitable. I would pack sandals with straps that work as water shoes or hiking shoes (like keens). I could fly from my colder home airport to my southern port of departure in my black dinner outfit and change at the airport to a day outfit. I would board the boat in the day outfit, and spent the week in that or my swim suit and cover up. So, the only other thing I would need to pack would be underwear and cosmetics. Scarves take almost no room and can help camouflage the fact you are wearing the same thing every day. Sun lotion and other sundries can be bought on board (for a premium).

 

So I could make it work with just a large purse. But I won't. And there is no way I could do it with just the clothes on my back.

[Annede07]

I could never do this but it is making me question how much i was planning to pack for my 7 day cruise. I'm inspired! :)

[DarkJedi]

Has anyone ever done a 7-day cruise with nothing but what you're wearing and the necessary paperwork? We're a few weeks out from our Breakaway cruise and the thought of dragging winter and summer stuff from home, through multiple airports, NYC and then onto the cruise does not excite me. Can I buy a couple pairs of shorts, shirts, and bathroom supplies on the ship??

 

Any chance I can talk my wife into this strategy?? :) Advice welcome.

 

Book a nude cruise. Only one set of clothing needed ;)

[honeywell]

Yes I did it but not by choice - when my luggage was lost. (Found it after we got home). Bought things on the ship and in ports. Your wife will kill you for just having the thought however. Good luck with that!

 

 

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[txagfan]

13 pages...THIRTEEN. Some people take this board far too seriously. [emoji23]

 

 

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[Caroldoll]

I need to chime in. I love clothes, but for traveling I buy Issey Miyake. Mostly you have to get it in Japan or on line or Ebay (new). I can put 4 to 6 dresses in my husband's size 13 shoes. My underwear and his takes up no room at all. He wears one pair of black pants and brings one other and a pair of shorts. He takes 4 Polo shirts, long or short sleeves depending on the climate and one pair of jeans. I take one pair of shorts or a denim skirt. Can make a week easily with this. It works. You have to think it out. He uses the ships laundry/dry cleaning and Issey has to be washed out--drys overnight. It takes thought.