Flying to cruise with only personal bag

[SelectSys]

On 7/22/2021 at 6:20 AM, nycruise3 said:

Has anyone flown to a cruise with just the free personal bag airlines allow you to take? And how many days was your cruise?

Good job!  You have triggered a healthy debate here as to both differences in airlines and packing styles.  I think where you are going also is a factor in addition to length.  The closer you are to sun and fun short cruises, the easier it is to pack lighter for most people generally.  Personally, I couldn't make a week long cruise if you are referring to a Spirit-style carrier.

 

10 hours ago, K32682 said:

There is no virtue in not checking bags despite the pretentious twerps that smugly declare at every opportunity that they never check. My approach is to assemble what I need/want for the trip and choose luggage accordingly. Sometimes I check, other times I go carry on or even personal item for short trips. 

While there may be no virtue in not checking bags, there are very tangible benefits when things go wrong with flights.   It's also much harder for luggage to be lost when it is in your possession.  There are also potential time saving benefits.  In my last flight, I was able to move to an earlier flight simply by not having checked bags.  This saved me about 2 hours of travel time in addition to not waiting for my bag to arrive on the belt.

 

6 hours ago, iancal said:

It is a complete mystery to me why anyone would care what or how much another fellow traveler packs. Let alone judge them. Why on earth would we even care?  We don't.   Travel trunk or carry on.....who really cares?

 

 Nor do we bother ourselves with what other people wear.   We are not a couple of busybodies whose travel/cruise days are centered around what others wear or don't wear. We have no control over it so why all the fuss about what other choose to do or not do? 

Good point.  I can see some possible "virtue signaling" benefits.  Travelling light suggests an "eco friendly" posture.  

[JRG]

48 minutes ago, SelectSys said:

While there may be no virtue in not checking bags,

 

We need to nip this one in the bud or maybe just prune it a little bit because it just sounds funny.

 

I think I get the intent though.

 

If we are measuring virtue by means of bag-handling then what has the world come to?

 

I'm just joking but we are definitely moving to the Amazing Race style of packing for traveling and we like it.

 

[SelectSys]

2 minutes ago, JRG said:

 

We need to nip this one in the bud or maybe just prune it a little bit because it just sounds funny.

 

I think I get the intent though.

 

If we are measuring virtue by means of bag-handling then what has the world come to?

 

I'm just joking but we are definitely moving to the Amazing Race style of packing for traveling and we like it.

 

I found @K32682's original use of "virtual signaling" in their post humorous and echoed those words in my explanation regarding possible value to a traveler for not checking their bag.  When I travelled for business, I never checked a bag for the reasons I stated above.

 

 

[JRG]

Just now, SelectSys said:

When I travelled for business, I never checked a bag for the reasons I stated above.

 

I Know,  neither did I. Lounges,  First class always and couldn't stand to wait for checked baggage and the habit always stays with you.  

 

I miss the expense account.

 

 

[SelectSys]

3 minutes ago, JRG said:

I miss the expense account.

 

That may be true but I don't miss business travel. 

Edited July 23, 2021 by SelectSys

[JRG]

Don't miss the tradeshows either.   The MENSA shows were ok though.

[sanger727]

3 hours ago, kilkoyne said:

 

I can fit 14 days of clothing into one personal bag. Shorts, t-shirts, bathing suits, underwear, and a few pairs of socks does not require anything larger.

 

A cruise is meant to be enjoyable -- not an exercise in hoarding.

 

 

there’s a large difference between hoarding and wanting enough clothes that you don’t have to re-wear sweaty stinky clothing multiple times. Going to Europe in the fall, I can get away with packing less than going to the caribbean. 

[lenquixote66]

4 hours ago, kochleffel said:

 

What bothers me about this is that most cruises from Manhattan or Cape Liberty begin with a sea day, so he would be wearing the same clothes for three days before he could buy anything. And what if the first port of call was someplace like Grand Turk?

He often wore the same clothes to work for several days.Some of us wondered if perhaps he slept in the office.

[lenquixote66]

4 hours ago, mom says said:

In these days when unecessary waste is so (rightly) frowned upon, this just seems wrong on so many counts.

This was close to 50 years ago.

[iancal]

2 hours ago, SelectSys said:

Good job!  You have triggered a healthy debate here as to both differences in airlines and packing styles.  I think where you are going also is a factor in addition to length.  The closer you are to sun and fun short cruises, the easier it is to pack lighter for most people generally.  Personally, I couldn't make a week long cruise if you are referring to a Spirit-style carrier.

 

While there may be no virtue in not checking bags, there are very tangible benefits when things go wrong with flights.   It's also much harder for luggage to be lost when it is in your possession.  There are also potential time saving benefits.  In my last flight, I was able to move to an earlier flight simply by not having checked bags.  This saved me about 2 hours of travel time in addition to not waiting for my bag to arrive on the belt.  

 

Good point.  I can see some possible "virtue signaling" benefits.  Travelling light suggests an "eco friendly" posture.  

It is not eco friendly.  More like we are OAP's and, based on how and where we travel, cannot always count on others to move our bags. Hence we take only what we can each physically handle.   The limit is how much either of us can lift into an overhead compartment on a plane or  on a train.  

 

As an example, when DW cracked several vertebrae in Kuala Lumpur it was up to me to handle both bags as we made our way forward to Australia.  You cannot imagine how thankful I was that we both had carry on rollers that were each of a reasonable weight.

 

We learned a long time ago to MYOB, to go with the flow and take things in our stride, and not to sweat the small stuff.  Makes for a happier life. 

 

Not certain why people get so uptight or opinionated over something like how much luggage a complete stranger travels with.  Very, very strange to my way of thinking.

Edited July 24, 2021 by iancal

[navybankerteacher]

6 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

A guy who I worked with years ago never carried clothing on a cruise.In the first port he would buy a cheap suitcase ,underwear and shirts and pants for the cruise and either take some things home in the suitcase or dump everything except the clothes he came on with.He only took summer cruises leaving from Manhattan or Bayonne.

He sounds like the sort of person who would only sail on from Manhattan or Bayonne ---on summer cruises to the Bahamas or the Caribbean -  on NCL or Royal Caribbean.

Edited July 24, 2021 by navybankerteacher

[lenquixote66]

20 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

He sounds like the sort of person who would only sail on from Manhattan or Bayonne ---on summer cruises to the Bahamas or the Caribbean -  on NCL or Royal Caribbean.

That was it ,exactly.

[kochleffel]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

 The limit is how much either of us can lift into an overhead compartment on a plane or  on a train.  

 

As an example, when DW cracked several vertebrae in Kuala Lumpur it was up to me to handle both bags as we made our way forward to Australia.  You cannot imagine how thankful I was that we both had carry on rollers that were each of a reasonable weight.

I packed lighter for my first cruise than I would have wanted to, under medical orders. I had dislocated my shoulder shortly before, and the doc said I could go only if I used a roller bag and checked it for the flight, and my cabin bag had to be light enough to put overhead using only the other hand. OTOH, I did pack an ice bag and a carpenter's folding ruler, which I've never taken on any other trip. The ruler was for mobility exercises where you hold a stick in both hands and use the good arm to push the injured one.

[kilkoyne]

1 hour ago, sanger727 said:

there’s a large difference between hoarding and wanting enough clothes that you don’t have to re-wear sweaty stinky clothing multiple times. Going to Europe in the fall, I can get away with packing less than going to the caribbean. 

 

The hoarding comment was only meant for the closed-minded individual who insinuated those who packed lightly were "penny pinchers".

 

If I was traveling to cooler climates I would just pay to have my clothing laundered. But since I prefer the Caribbean traveling lightly works to my advantage. To each their own. 🙂

[navybankerteacher]

21 minutes ago, kilkoyne said:

 

The hoarding comment was only meant for the closed-minded individual who insinuated those who packed lightly were "penny pinchers".

 

If I was traveling to cooler climates I would just pay to have my clothing laundered. But since I prefer the Caribbean traveling lightly works to my advantage. To each their own. 🙂

I would be inclined to want more changes of shirts and underwear - and be more willing to pay for laundry when in the Caribbean than when in cooler climates — but to each his own.

[kilkoyne]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I would be inclined to want more changes of shirts and underwear - and be more willing to pay for laundry when in the Caribbean than when in cooler climates — but to each his own.

 

I bring enough for one pair each day but I rarely sweat. Some people may need or want to change more often. As mentioned, to each their own.

[K32682]

14 hours ago, SelectSys said:

While there may be no virtue in not checking bags, there are very tangible benefits when things go wrong with flights.   It's also much harder for luggage to be lost when it is in your possession.  There are also potential time saving benefits.  In my last flight, I was able to move to an earlier flight simply by not having checked bags.  This saved me about 2 hours of travel time in addition to not waiting for my bag to arrive on the belt.

 

Good point.  I can see some possible "virtue signaling" benefits.  Travelling light suggests an "eco friendly" posture.  

 

Over 40 years of often intense flying I've never had luggage lost and only delayed twice. Waiting for luggage to appear on the belt is the price to pay for not having to wash out your underwear in a hotel room sink, pay eye-popping prices for hotel laundry or madly scurry around in a foreign country looking for the Walmart equivalent to buy clothes. Also, when travelling internationally and being processed through passport control my luggage often arrives on the belt before me.  

 

The trip determines how much luggage and the type of bags and I do not go through massive contortions simply to avoid checking bags. If connections are tight or I'm doing a lot of ground travel I'll probably not check. I've had three day trips where checking bags made sense and 4 week trips where carry on was all I needed.

 

 

Edited July 24, 2021 by K32682

[slidergirl]

I won't  comment on my packing style nor packing shame anyone.  I'll just say that because I can pack in a carry-on does not mean I carry it on.  I've been known to check my carry-on from time to time if I don't want to be bothered by dragging or lugging my bag.   I also have a strong distaste for the on-board scrum known as "finding a spot in the overhead on the plane when people do not how to properly stow their ONE bag."  I already know I'll be doing that as I walk to my hotel, walking to my train, lifting it into the train overhead...

[sanger727]

14 hours ago, kilkoyne said:

 

I bring enough for one pair each day but I rarely sweat. Some people may need or want to change more often. As mentioned, to each their own.

At home I wear 3 outfits a day: workout outfit, work uniform, and the casual clothes when I get home. So I don’t think anything at all about packing 3 outfits a day for a caribbean cruise. That doesn’t mean I need 21 outfits for a 7 day cruise; but certainly need to be in the 10-14 range. But I sweat profusely so very little of my clothes can be re-worn in a hot climate without laundry/washing in sink. 
 

my next trip will be for 4 weeks and will go from very hot climates (Galapagos islands) to cool climates due to altitude (Machu Picchu). It will be an interesting packing experience to get that all in one bag. 

Edited July 24, 2021 by sanger727

[SelectSys]

14 hours ago, K32682 said:

Over 40 years of often intense flying I've never had luggage lost and only delayed twice.

Congratulations!  I have also never experienced truly lost luggage.  I have also talked with people on cruise ships with delayed luggage that started their journey without their bags which were delayed.  I am not sure what airlines will do in terms of forwarding luggage to meet the ship as I haven't experienced this personally.  

 

14 hours ago, K32682 said:

The trip determines how much luggage and the type of bags and I do not go through massive contortions simply to avoid checking bags

I mostly agree with this statement.  A long weekend at the beach in Mexico or Hawaii is different than packing for a multi-week cruise.   

 

14 hours ago, K32682 said:

If connections are tight or I'm doing a lot of ground travel I'll probably not check.

My home airport of San Diego has very little long haul service.  As a result, I tend to take extra early flights to my international gateway airport to build in contingency in case my first flight gets delayed.

 

Agreed that the mode of travel is another variable. The mode of travel also matters.  As @Hlitner stated, it's good to be able to carry your own luggage easily without help for train travel, transfers on public transit, etc.  One of the things I like about cruises is that it minimizes luggage transfers.  

 

11 hours ago, slidergirl said:

I won't  comment on my packing style nor packing shame anyone.

Love it!  Great use of the modern, PC lexicon. 

[sverigecruiser]

On 7/22/2021 at 3:20 PM, nycruise3 said:

Has anyone flown to a cruise with just the free personal bag airlines allow you to take? And how many days was your cruise?

 

We have done it once and it was a five nights cruise + one night at hotel before the cruise. We had clothes for formal night with us, including extra shoes.

 

  

[sverigecruiser]

After reading the whole thread I must admit that I don't know what the OP mean. 

 

Is "personal bag" the term some airlines, or a specific airline, use for the bag which must fit under the seat? If yes, I have not done that.

[kochleffel]

5 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

After reading the whole thread I must admit that I don't know what the OP mean. 

 

Is "personal bag" the term some airlines, or a specific airline, use for the bag which must fit under the seat? If yes, I have not done that.

Yes, under the seat. On the major U.S. airlines, a "personal item" denotes, for example, a purse, briefcase, small backpack, camera bag or diaper bag, or anything of similar size. Generally such a thing can measure up to 35 or 36 linear inches (~90 cm), length+width+height. It can fit under the seat. The low-cost airlines (Ryanair, for example) may have different maximum dimensions and each, inconveniently, seems to require a slightly different shape.

 

A "carry-on bag" is larger, up to about 62 linear inches (~157 cm) and has to be of a shape to fit in an overhead compartment. Most fares on the major airlines include a carry-on bag, but basic economy fares don't, and fares on low-cost airlines don't.

[Lois R]

On 7/22/2021 at 1:11 PM, CruiserBruce said:

Overhead bin space is only charged for the Basic Economy fare class...highly restricted, cheapest fares.

 

I will remember to fly Southwest when I go to Europe next year.

Hi Bruce, thank you. I am in Economy Plus on United for a flight next month going to Seattle. I was only charged for my checked bag.....not my carry on. 

[Lois R]

I sail on my own and have no desire to try and pack everything in a carry on. (that is just me). I am going on a cruise to Alaska next month and will be packing the same way as I always do. One checked bag, one carry on.  But when I go to Alaska I pack totally different than when I go to the Caribbean.

Long sleeves, long pants for daytime......extra warm stuff. 

 

This topic has come up many times over the years. It seems like those who pack only with a carry on feel the need to judge those of us who bring a checked bag.  I am in the category of doing what is best for you......if you want to pack light, go for it, if you over pack? No skin off my back.......not sure why it matters.......

 

Different strokes for different folks🙂