Packing Nightmares

[Jack E Dawson]

Right on windsurfboy!

[TV Dad]

On ‎2‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 9:57 AM, Stella1250 said:

I have many packing cubes, and use the ziplocs for stuff that leaks. We have already upgraded our seats on the long haul flight, so that will be good. My biggest problem now is shoes. I want the pink ones for the pink dress, and the blue ones for the blue dresses etc. etc!  OMG, I am going to be in trouble!

I once went on a 10 night European cruise with my wife and college aged daughter. They needed one suitcase just for their shoes.... And still went shoe shopping in both Rome and Nice. You are not alone.

 

Pak the third suitcase and don't feel bad about the extra airline fees. It's only $75-$100. And you'll feel so much better.

[wenlyn]

On 2/24/2019 at 9:22 PM, Windsurfboy said:

 

Men can manage with a minimum, just a tux, a jacket and some shirts, the less choice we have and we take the happier we are, 

Could you tell my husband that I can get all my stuff in one case for a transatlantic - he needs 2! 

[Elephant1151]

I sympathise with you. This is a dilemma on every cruise or was until we came up with this formula.

 

Lists are the way forward and compromise. If we are sailing from and returning to Southampton I take my full beaded evening dresses and more evening  shoes and matching bags.  If a flight is involved I make a list of possibles - excluding fully beaded as these weigh 3.5 kgs each!!!  On the list  I state the shoes and bagsto match that dress then I go through and see if I can reduce the number of shoes and bags, as these take up maximum room and weight, by only taking the  dresses they can be worn with several times.

 

I still take a different dress for each formal night but will wear a cocktail dress twice on a longer voyage - 75 days was 27 formal and the rest cocktail. Day clothes I take enough changes for 7 - 10 days mix and match and use the laundrette or send to the laundry.

 

My husband will take a tuxedo plus another tuxedo jacket. Blazer, sports jacket, linen jacket and 2 suits on a longer voyage. We recently returned from Southampton to Hong Kong on QM2 - 6 weeks 19 formal dresses and 21 cocktail etc. plus daywear. but we managed with 3 cases plus carryons. We were up to our limit on the return but at least not over.

 

I go through all the other items especially toiletries and only take what I need or am prepared to leave behind if they are not used as this saves weight on flying out and allows for any purchases whilst away.

 

It is your holiday and if you want to dress well each evening then go ahead. Your cruise and your choice. You can never be overdressed on Cunard.

 

 

[Stella1250]

Well, I just made my packing dilemma worse! We have a roaring 20's gala on our cruise, so I bought a feathered hat! Now, I have to figure out how to pack that. LOL

[Bell Boy]

A feathered hat !  just wear it ,  you're bound to be upgraded at check-in.  😉

[Stella1250]

We are already upgraded!!!  I will find a way to stick it in the garment bag. It really isn't too big - I hope LOL

[Windsurfboy]

Can't wait to see the hat, with that on they'll think you are a princess and you'll jump to the head of all the queues for the palaces in St Petersburg 

 

[AussieVoyager]

8 hours ago, Stella1250 said:

We are already upgraded!!!  I will find a way to stick it in the garment bag. It really isn't too big - I hope LOL

When we were visiting the UK a while ago my wife found the hat she wanted to wear to our son's wedding back home in Australia.  On the advice of the shop assistant, she bought a postage box at the post office to protect the hat and was able to squeeze the box into her suitcase for the next 3 weeks, arriving home with no damage to the hat!

[Stella1250]

Amazon says it is delivered in a hat box. It was only $11 so I won't worry too much! Just bought it to add a little Roaring 20's look to my gown that night.

[rtdiva]

On 2/22/2019 at 10:04 AM, wripro said:

Stella 1250.

The most important thing you should pack is a different attitude. You talk about all the gowns and tuxedoes you plan on taking. There are many easier ways to dress for a formal night which don't entail all that nonsense. A tuxedo is a tuxedo is a tuxedo. You only need one, For the ladies something in a basic color that can be accessorized differently each time you wear it makes all the difference. And trust me no one will notice. Focus on the fun part of the cruise, the places you will see, the people you will meet, the food you will eat and stop worrying about what you will wear. jmo.

My goodness! JMO you are exactly where I am about traveling and packing. I consider it a fun challenge to manage packing the least I can, while looking acceptable, creative and artsy. Accessories are the key! 

 

My husband wears his tux with either a black shirt or the standard white with a variety of different colored bow ties. He will wear the same pair of shoes every evening, as will I.  Black pants for me with a variety of tops, jewelry, colorful scarves, a neutral wrap of some sort. It is always cold on cruise ships. One blazer for him, several long and short sleeved shirts, deck shoes, walking shoes.Easy Peasy! 

 

However I must say choosing one basic color of clothing will drive you to  boredom after the first month! Be sure to bring at least two or three choices of color. Truthfully if you pack a variety of mix and match for a WEEK, and use the laundry, buy an occasional something off board you will get by just fine. No hauling multiple suitcases, fear of not getting packages, fear of lack of space. It’s a relief! Save space in your bag for a cultural item bought for yourself. We seldom buy gifts for those back home, their responses are not as ours.

 

On that note: Egad! There are multiple dress theme nights, some according to ports, again buying an item off board adds to the uniqueness of the culture of a port. I’m careful NOT to spend much precious travel time shopping.

 

The thing is we all do what is comfortable for our personal life style.

 

Have a great cruise!

A

 

 

[kmerlin14]

On 2/24/2019 at 3:22 PM, Stella1250 said:

Unfortunately, there are 4 left feet in this family. We will probably watch all of the dancing, but I am sure we will not venture onto the floor. Most of my dress shoes take up very little room as they are heeled sandals which fit inside each other to pack. Luckily LOL

I'm trying to picture this. Do you do them as pairs or stack them all up at once. My problem is deciding which of the 12 pairs of dance shoes to bring.

 

[Stella1250]

I put one upside down, and the other right side up together. I also usually rubber band them together so they fit snug. Stuff the toe with a half stocking to prevent too much squishing and I am ready to go! I always stuff my husbands shoes with socks so they are not smashed and we have all those extra socks.

[Topper123]

Hi Stella, 

A cautionary tale:  My wife and I enjoyed our first cruise ever on the advent of her retirement last July.  We took QM2 from NYC to Southampton where we  boarded QE for a sail around the British Isles. We packed three large cases, one for each of us, one to share all of our formal wear, and a carry-on which held our travel papers, tickets, medications and other “odds and ends”.  

On our arrival in Southampton Cunard handled the transfer of our bags between the ships while we went merrily on tour of Winchester Cathedral. We didn’t bother packing all the “essential” stuff in a carry-on because we had no intentions of dragging a suitcase around on our tour. What could go wrong? Cunard would have our bags in their custody the whole time. I put the bags in their truck myself.

That afternoon, when we got to our cabin on QE,  all but one of our cases were waiting for us. The concierge advised us not to worry about the errant case: it would surly turn up, which it did, in the belly of the QM2, headed back to NYC! Happily for my bride it was my case, not her’s and not the formal wear, that had gone missing.  Happily for both of us it wasn’t the carry-on with all of our papers and tickets. Still, there I was in just the cloths I was wearing and not even a toothbrush to get through the next three weeks. I managed by getting off at the next port and purchasing a small assortment of garments and toiletries. I was able to get a couple of prescriptions filled in the ships dispensary (so that’s why they advise you to carry copies of your prescriptions with you!) and we went on to have a wonderful cruise! Cunard were very gracious and managed to re-unite us with our lost bag in London, just before our flight home.

We enjoyed “cruising” immensely and have just booked a trip on QE from Tokyo to Sydney. This time we intend to spread our load out amongst all of our suitcases, not sorted into exclusive bags, as before. I may be a ‘newby’ but I can be taught! 

I think that you’ll have a wonderful time. Enjoy!

Topper123

[rtdiva]

Maybe it’s a California thing:What’s a gown? It’s not in my clothing vocabulary. 

Ive sailed on thirty plus cruises, wearing black pants or cocktail dresses for evening events.  Do you mean a cocktail dress?  Or full on Cinderella gown? Evening at the opera? I’m not trying to be rude, I just don’t know.

A

[Elephant1151]

In my vocabulary :-

Cocktail dress means knee length  or slightly longer - lace or embellished dress.

Evening dress - full length formal dress,  possibly with sequins or beading but not exclusively.

Evening gown is more of a Cinderella type and more suited to banquet than a cruise.

[bluemarble]

Just for reference, here is an example of what Cunard considers a gown from their "What to Pack" page. On the website, this image is labelled "Evening gown, Adrianna Papell."

 

[Stella1250]

Hello Topper! I learned years ago to pack half and half. Each suitcase has half mine and half his. This way, if one goes missing, both of us have something to wear. We once went to China with no luggage. It had gotten stuck on a small plane in a thunderstorm. We moved onto the larger plane, and off we went. Shopping in China was so much fun! Our luggage caught up with up with us in a few days.

[8dimsum]

 DH's shoes are much large than mine:  I plastic bag each shoe and will stuff my smaller shoe into his.  A  sock ball can also be tucked into my shoe to protect its shape.  The bags keep the shoes individually clean: easier to pack and keep the suitcase clean, too.

[rtdiva]

2 hours ago, Elephant1151 said:

In my vocabulary :-

Cocktail dress means knee length  or slightly longer - lace or embellished dress.

Evening dress - full length formal dress,  possibly with sequins or beading but not exclusively.

Evening gown is more of a Cinderella type and more suited to banquet than a cruise.

 

Thanks to both of you!

Ann

[kmerlin14]

11 hours ago, Stella1250 said:

I put one upside down, and the other right side up together. I also usually rubber band them together so they fit snug. Stuff the toe with a half stocking to prevent too much squishing and I am ready to go! I always stuff my husbands shoes with socks so they are not smashed and we have all those extra socks.

Thanks. I was visualising you stacking about six pairs together. That should work for my dance sandles. Now to decide if we want to get a suit travel bag or just go with regular suitcases. My husband is thinking of bringing his kilt and paraphernalia for the formal nights and then a couple of pairs of trousers and this lovely jacket I found when we went into the store for his suit. (It looks great, but doesn't seem terrible prone to wrinkling and it will be comfortable to dance in. Most of my dresses won't wrinkle so I'm wondering if we need the suit bag or not.