Best & Worst Packing Tips

[jojo48]

I love the over the door shoe bag idea.

 

My best tip (came from a CC message board) is a travel coffee mug. Great to get up early - go get a cup a coffee - put on the lid and walk around the ship without spilling. I had one on my last cruise and everyone that saw me using it commented on what a great idea it was.

[tray]

Yes, those pop up hampers do look small, but they do hold a lot!! My DD and I shared one in our cabin and my DH and DS shared another one in their cabin and they never got so full they couldn't hold everything. (And my DH is 6'4 and my DS is 6'1 so their clothes are longer and take up much more space!!).

 

You should definitely go for it! That was one of MANY awesome tips I got from previous posters that I was so thankful to have!!!

 

ENJOY!!

[mush71]

Best packing tip: Use 2.5 gallon zip lock bags to pack your clothes. Fold them neatly, put them in the bag, squish the air our and zip. Keeps everything neat, removing the air reduces the wrinkles, and if TSA goes through your luggage no one touches your "stuff" just the bags. Also helps if your luggage gets exposed to rain.

 

Worst: over packing. Unfortunately I am prone to this. Everytime I try to decrease what I bring, but somehow fail.

 

Happy cruising, Kathy

 

This sounds like a great idea. I am packing for 3 and it gets a bit crowded in the suit case. It also makes it easier to go "digging" for an outfit, we won't mess up the others clothes. Thanks for the idea:)

[Bob's Mom]

So, how do you get your blow-up palm tree not to blow off the balcony?

[Dr. Crash]

So' date=' how do you get your blow-up palm tree not to blow off the balcony?[/quote']

 

Duct Tape of course:D heehee..:D

[Bob's Mom]

Oh I'm LOLing so much I'm in tears...good one!

[SV-650-Girl]

I don't know what we would have done w/out it!!!!

[dw64]

I always pack 2 down pillows, disposable camera & my snorkle equipment ( for the carribbean)...and treats for the flight crews & the room stewards.

[ladymacwilly]

I always bring a small, folding, pair of binoculars, (and disposable camera as others mentioned), along with the digital camera. Also SMALL bottles of lotion. It always amazes me to see people carrying around a jug of suntan lotion when carrying a small bottle will do each day on the beach.

The same with toothpaste. I swear, I broke out in laughter when I saw my brothers huge tube of toothpaste for a two week trip. Could have lasted him 6 months. :D

 

Like most of the ladies, knits, separates, and slinky dresses in the same colour scheme. I also always carry a scrunchable hat that fits in my purse, great for that "out of nowhere" rain shower or to avoid too much sun on your face. Also, in my purse, is one sheet of paper with addresses of friends to send postcards to. And, a few rubber bands. Whether for putting up hair in the jacuzzi or securing plastic bags, etc., seems they always come in handy.

 

 

 

....and always, a sense of adventure doused with good humour.

[DroopySails]

Great thread! I'm laughing because half the people want to pare down to absolute essentials, and the other half are adding Christmas tree lights and blow-up palm trees!

 

It's true that women's underwear doesn't take up much room, but my husband and I still pack quick-dry undies for both of us (available at travel clothing companies and outdoor stores). Everyone needs to take a shower before dinner after a hot day on shore, and I'm not packing two changes per day of underwear for two people. These wash out in the sink and dry in a couple of hours.

 

Ditto to the person who packs first-aid and OTC meds. I ditch as much wrapping as possible, so a tiny baggie holds imodium, ibuprofen, pepto bismo pills, neosporin, several sizes of band-aids and hydrocortisone for bug bites. I recently read a post here from someone who couldn't get imodium on a Great Stirrup Cay day (the gift shop's closed in port and the private island doesn't have a drugstore). His wife had a miserable day, and couldn't get any OTC meds without seeing the ship's doctor. So it's always good to have this stuff on hand for port days or the middle of the night.

[Verystormy]

From someone who has to travel a LOT, to save space when packing and to prevent creasing, NEVER fold clothes when packing. Lay them flat and tightly roll them into a tube shape and pack as tightly as possible together. I can usualy get away without having to iron anything this way and it works for everything except suits, for which i use a carrier