Packing cubes

[JohnsBride23]

Hello everyone! I am fairly new to cruising and my future husband has NEVER cruised! However, we are setting sail on the Sun for a land and cruise tour of Alaska in July! Recently, someone mentioned to me that I should invest in packing cubes to help pack up all the layers we are told we might need in Alaska! Does anyone use packing cubes? Are they worth the investment? Any other tips for new cruisers? I read that we should bring clips for the shower, but I don't have any idea what kind of clips! Any tips are greatly appreciated! Thank you cruisers! :)

[MICHLEV1974]

Hi, happy cruising to you and your future hubby!

 

Yes, I use packing cubes and love them. Keeps me organized. I also use the bags that you push the air out of to shrink it down to a flat pancake. They come in all sizes.

 

Everyone uses them in different ways, but here's how I use them when we travel for a 7+day vacation...

I put 2 days worth of clothes in each bag, including unders and jammies and socks. I am not a fan of putting things in hotel dressers and there never seems to be enough hangers in the cruise cabin (although you could ask your room steward for more). I usually fill 4 of those so I have 8 days' worth of items.

 

The packing cubes are nice, and mine are all different colors. I have one 'all in' packing cube that I use for my toiletries and cabin must-have items. This usually includes clips, clothespins, multi port charger, sticky notes, pen, duct tape, etc.

[polySeraph]

I use packing cubes. I have several different sizes of them. I've found them to be really useful on cruises. They really shorten the amount of time I spend unpacking on embarkation day. I just pull the cubes out of my suitcases and put them directly into the drawers. The suitcases go under the bed and I'm off to explore the ship.

 

They also come in handy on ships that have shelf space instead of drawer space in the cabins. The cube goes on the shelf and does a great job of keeping everything together and at hand.

[Weetahbugdotcom]

I bought packing cubes in 2013 and they changed my travel life! Highly recommend.

 

 

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[grouchomarx]

Packing cubes are a must have for any trip. It keeps all your stuff organized and you can zip open the top, fold it under and place the cube on the shelf and not have to take anything out. It's nice to keep your stuff clean and not touching anything else, especially your undies. Nothing will get lost and tumble around in your suitcase either. You should visit the Container Store, they have all those cubes and lots of other organizing items for travel including the best leak-proof bottles in the world.

[BirdTravels]

Don't waste you time or money on cubes and clips. You can stack and hang your clothes on the shelves and closet. And your suitcase. You can ask your room steward for more hangers or carry a few wire hangers and leflve them In the trash on your last night.

 

 

Unless you are sailing in the early or late season, we are in shorts at the port calls. Bundled up on glacier watching days. When we went up to danali, it was warm and dusty. Just gotta watch the weather as it gets close to your embarkation day.

[E@syPe@zy]

Love the packing cubes. It does make unpacking super easy and fast. Just buy a couple to see if you like them...you can get them on Amazon...lots of choices.

As for Alaska...great choice! Just pack clothing that can be layered. That way it will be duo purpose and you can adjust as the weather changes. A rain jacket is a must. It will provide protection from the wind as well as from the rain. A small travel umbrella can come in handy also.

Have fun and congrats!

[LeesaB]

Packing cubes are awesome. I use them whenever I travel. Take this week - I'm on the last day of a 4 day work trip. I do like to unpack when I get to a hotel so I don't feel quite so displaced. So I pack my cubes to go with like items so it's easy to transfer to hotel drawers. When clothes are dirty I 'fold' them back up and slip them in a cube. Packing this morning to leave was as simple as placing my pjs in a cube, zipping it up and putting them in my luggage.

Beyond that, they're just great for keeping things together. Imagine the luggage you've seen after a flight and it had obviously failed and was all taped up and has clothes hanging out any w hi ich way. Packing cubes keep all your clothes together so it's not as huge an issue.

 

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[Seminole1975]

I just bought packing cubes so will be interested in seeing how they do on my next trip. I bought them because I heard so many great comments on CC.

 

I believe the " clips" are magnetic to stick on the metal walls in the bathroom and the stateroom. I hung up wet clothes in the bathroom.

 

Some folks have hung up the dailies and notes on their stateroom walls using magnetic clips. I did not think of that last cruise, but will try it for my upcoming cruise. It will keep things more organized rather than stuffing them all in a drawer.

[AryMay]

Glad to find this thread because I am going to order some packing cubes for our upcoming Alaska cruise. I've been searching on Amazon but wonder if some of you "experts" might recommend a certain brand.

 

Also...which size do you find you use most? Or is it a good idea to get several different sizes?

[JohnsBride23]

Glad to find this thread because I am going to order some packing cubes for our upcoming Alaska cruise. I've been searching on Amazon but wonder if some of you "experts" might recommend a certain brand.

 

Also...which size do you find you use most? Or is it a good idea to get several different sizes?

 

 

Great questions! I am definitely sold on getting some too! We are cruising the Sun in July to Alaska! I can't wait!

[mking8288]

Two sets of assorted sized, color-coded packing cubes (Eagle Creek, eBags & yes, Ikea branded) can easily last 10+ years under normal use, even for frequent business travelers - doing solo or going places with a companion. You cross-pack each other's items, especially when checking luggage and even if only planning carry-ons ... a late/last minute tight airline connection and/or overhead bins "full" from the FA can result in gate-checking (or, regional/commuter jet where only ultra-small bags will fit these days)

 

It keeps your items neat, clean & wrinkles to a minimum ... last thing I need to worry about is to iron or sent items out to be pressed on a trip, with careful selection of mix-n-match items, traveling light. If you fly LCC in Europe & Asia, you are limited by strict rules about size/weight & how much you can bring along without "investing" extras in funding the carrier's success. Whether it's a hotel's dresser drawer or ship's closet or open shelves, how often do you think they throughly clean & wipe them down on busy turnaround days - the "cubes" provide a barrier and keep all the items together, 5 minutes to unpack and hang up items & easy to pack them at the end of the trip/cruise. Take a look at a # of Youtube videos, some are very good as presented by seasoned travelers and luggage pro's - on how to pack. You can use the cube for compression, roll them up & really pack a huge amount into a tiny space, zip it up and press, then fit it all into your luggage ... take practice to get them perfectly over time. (See image below for ideas)

 

DW and I travel abroad with basically a 22" expandable carry-on and a backpack/cabin bag - if it doesn't fit, those excess stay behind & amazing enough, it seldom exceed 44 lbs per piece, unless it's loaded with heavy items. The backpack I carry is rather heavy at times, but it is within limits for a personal bag, fit under the seat bottom in front of me on the plane while the 22" roller fit in the overhead bin, viola - no fees although I can check it at no charge if flying "our" (sometimes) preferred carrier.

 

The backpack has the laptop and tablet, electronics, gadgets, toiletry & medications, and a medium packing cube (clothing for 2 days or 1 + a fleece jacket during cold months) The use of cubes and smaller pouches made it much easier to slip them in and out, without losing small items.

 

When we cruise, the 22" rollers get checked not liking to board and walk around pulling the cases, just taking the smaller one with us to head up the ship's gangways ... for longer trips, we just plan for a quick laundry ... quick wash & dry "Ex-Officio" items in the sink with simple soap and/or Woolite packets.

 

As for sailing Alaska, it's beautiful scenery - pack a 3 season jacket/parka layers ... maybe an extra warm/down vest (it doubled as a small pillow rolled up inside a soft flannel case) Even if you might feel like packing & taking "extras" - you can always hand-carry your heavier outer jacket for boarding your flight, don't forget a pair of wool mittens & wool cap/silk scarf to keep you toasty warm ... and, a folding umbrella (Alaska ports are wet & rainy, don't get fooled by those sunny pictures ... bring along a nylon drawstring tote/pouch to keep them handy when going ashore.

[DebQ5]

We used packing cubes on our Bermuda trip and loved them! I got a different color for each member of the family and it definitely helped us stay organized. I got an inexpensive brand on Amazon and they worked great. I just got more for our upcoming Alaska cruise and ordered mostly the large size, as I plan to pack complete outfits (as another poster mentioned) and the clothes for Alaska are a bit bulkier. I'm hoping this will help us limit our luggage, as we're flying to Seattle. Good luck and have a great trip!

[Travelling2Some]

I swear by packing cubes for land vacations but I don't really see much point in using them on a cruise ship since you are not moving from hotel to hotel. On a ship you just unpack once and have plenty of closet and drawer space.

[BostonGal35]

i just bought two sets on amazon, one for me, one for my fiance. normally cost $50, i got them for $23.95. i believe they are 6 cubes each. i intend to try them out on our may sailing after reading so much abotu them on here.

[AliceIn]

Ebags has sales on packing cubes all the time, stalk that site frequently to see when you might pick up a full set. When I'm traveling with just my husband, the packing cubes are nice, but not necessary. When we travel with the family of 5, it's a godsend. We each have a set, and everybody has a different color. It's really easy to stay organized and avoid fighting (those are MY socks!). The kids just put their cubes away, and everything stays organized. I think we got 5 sets for about $100 during an ebags sale. Each set came with 3 small, 2 medium and 1 extra large cubes. It's just about perfect for a 7 day trip.

[lfplenore]

I think the clips that were referred to are clothes pins to weight the shower curtain so that it doesn't cling to your legs.

 

I love my packing cubes. I use the largest for pants and skirts; medium for tops and smallest for undies and socks. I find them most useful for our pre and post cruise travel since we are packing and unpacking more frequently.

 

 

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[sunshine55]

We started out with cubes but now use 2 1/2 gallon Ziploc bags. Put outfits together in each bag. Works like a charm. Been to Alaska twice. First time with cubes..second time with bags. Bags worked better for us :)

[E@syPe@zy]

We started out with cubes but now use 2 1/2 gallon Ziploc bags. Put outfits together in each bag. Works like a charm. Been to Alaska twice. First time with cubes..second time with bags. Bags worked better for us :)

That's a really good idea! Particularly if you are one of the unlucky people on a rainy embarkation day. I have read that some have received their luggage on such a day and everything was wet inside of their luggage. With the bags you wouldn't have to worry about that. Good Idea!

[Blackrose73]

I've been looking into packing cubes as well. I'm especially intrigued after watching this video:

[Coreysgrl06]

I'll be trying out my packing cubes for the first time this fall. I found the cubes at Marshall's. For a set of 2 (one large and one small) it cost $8. It has two sides to it and two zippers.

[McGirls]

We live love them as well. In Australia you can buy really expensive good quality ones from outdoor stores, but IKEA and Kmart sell ones that do the job as well.

 

Other than keeping everyone's clothes in one package, the thing I love about them is on our last night away I tip all the dirty washing onto the bed and repack the packing cells into lights, darks and coloureds so when we get home they all get thrown in the laundry and each one becomes a load of washing.

 

I travel with children and wouldn't be without them.

[jaja]

I'll be trying out my packing cubes for the first time this fall. I found the cubes at Marshall's. For a set of 2 (one large and one small) it cost $8. It has two sides to it and two zippers.

 

 

I got some at Marshall's also.....!!! Great price... I use mine for small items that always used to get lost in the suitcase ! I also use the 2 1/2 gallon Ziplock bags (though many stores no longer carry that size :mad:)

[rayness]

I like them because when I open my luggage items aren't spilling out all over the place. I do unpack and hang my items up. To me it makes everything neat and organized. It only took me 15 minutes to pack up my items for disembarking the next day. The longest being my toiletries because I didn't use a cube but I will for my next trip.

 

 

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[trivia addict]

I love my packing cubes. Since discovering them a few years ago, I have used them every time I travel. Land or sea, carry on and luggage, I always use them. I have small medium and large. The small are great for electronic equipment and camera items.

I even buy them as gifts.

Depending on the length of the trip, I either sort them by clothes category or pack an entire outfit in one cube.

I buy eBags on Amazon, which very often has them on sale.

 

And while you are shopping on Amazon, treat yourself to cruise tags for your luggage. Another item that has made my travel easier!