How much to pack?

[bluetardis]

I’m flying in the day before my 14 day cruise to the Caribbean.I have never cruised this long before. I have always packed carry only, but this doesn’t seem possible for this trip. I will be on Princess. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Dock B]

Since you are on Princess, pack as you would for a 7 day cruise…at least that’s what we do when on a lengthy Princess cruise.

 

Princess has passenger laundromats where you can wash a load or 2 of clothes. We will get snacks from the buffet, take clothes to the washer, come back and start one of free movies to watch until it’s time to move the clothes to the dryer.

 

We bring detergent pods & dryer sheets though there are laundry supply vending machines in each laundromat. There is a cost to wash & dry but you just use your medallion to make the purchase of supplies and/or the tokens needed to use the machines. We don’t mind doing a bit of laundry as it gives us time to catch up on a movie we haven’t seen or to just spend time on the balcony together. Other folks do not want to wash their clothes while on vacation and will either bring plenty of clothes, rewear items, hand wash a minimum of items, or have the ship do their laundry (we get free ship’s laundry but prefer to do our own). It’s up to you on how you want to spend your time, of course!

 

We’ve found port days the easiest day to use the laundromat as few are using it. Late at night is also an option, while folks are at dinner and the shows but we want to be at dinner and the shows too!

 

Tip: If you decide to do your own laundry, stop by one of the laundromats early in your cruise, before folks start using it. Buy the number of washer & dryer tokens you’ll need; sometimes the vending machines run out of tokens resulting in you having to try other floors or going down to guest services.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!!

Edited November 17, 2022 by Dock B
Missing punctuation mark; correct a word

[PammyMouse]

Princess has washing machines on a lot of their ships.  I did a little over two weeks with a 21" and a  personal item.  

 

PM 🙂

[bluetardis]

Thank you PammyMouse and Dock B for your info on packing, it really helps me out😁

[crystalspin]

8 hours ago, bluetardis said:

I’m flying in the day before my 14 day cruise to the Caribbean.I have never cruised this long before. I have always packed carry only, but this doesn’t seem possible for this trip. 

I did a 26-day TransAtlantic + Mediterranean (plus travel days) with two carry-ons and two knapsacks (for two people). I did all of the necessary "laundry" with hand-wash in the sink, including one-time-only a pair of my husband's nylon trousers. To be sure, I had nothing but time on the first half of the cruise!

 

This is just to show that it can be done. Not to recommend. I have not and will not do it again! Ship's laundry is NOT that bad a deal. If you have things you simply do not trust to the laundry, the eco-dry-clean is honestly equivalent price to shore-side drycleaning. 

 

If you are going to use ship's laundry, pack for seven days, but send out your first load or bag on the 5th night or 6th morning. Then again on the 10th. This will give you "slack" to get home etc.

[PammyMouse]

Try laundry sheets!  I started using them at home since they were more eco-friendly and they would be  great for longer trips, since they are solids and very compact.  I use Earth Breeze but there are others out there.   I've done quite a few long (3+ weeks) trips where a lot of bag schlepping is required and having just a carry on and personal item is much easier. 

PM

 

[slidergirl]

3 hours ago, PammyMouse said:

Try laundry sheets!  I started using them at home since they were more eco-friendly and they would be  great for longer trips, since they are solids and very compact.  I use Earth Breeze but there are others out there.   I've done quite a few long (3+ weeks) trips where a lot of bag schlepping is required and having just a carry on and personal item is much easier. 

PM

 

I use Tru Earth.  I got a free sample of 6 sheets in my camping subscription box last spring.  Best invention ever for laundry!!!  Used them on my Summer vacation - just slipped them in an envelope and tossed in my bag.  I now even use them at home.  

As others have said - pack like you did for your 1 week cruises, just rinse and repeat 😉

 

[Mum2Mercury]

I brought exactly enough on my recent 7-day cruise -- I wanted for nothing, and I used everything I brought.  This includes what I wore for embarkation.  I kept notes so I could do it right again: 

 

- 3 casual dresses

- White jeans & 2 nice blouses to match 

- 3 pairs shorts & 4 cute tops 

- Chambray shirt that could serve as a light jacket

- 2 swim suits & 2 cover ups 

- 1 night gown 

- 1 hat & hair accessories 

- 1 small purse for dinner & 1 small pool bag 

- 1 pair each: tennis shoes, walking sandals, dressy wedges for dinner, and water shoes (if needed for excursions) 

 

If I were doing a 14-day, I'd probably go to 4-5 dresses ... they don't really get dirty at dinner, and they fold down to nothing.  One pair of jeans is enough ... but I'd add 2 more nice blouses for variety.  I'd double the shorts and daytime tops, as they do get sweaty.  And I'd add at least one more swimsuit, but no additional shoes.  I was glad I brought extra hair ties and hair pins, as the wind blew some of mine away.  

 

This would all fit in a medium-sized suitcase and would not require washing clothes mid-trip.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[Wayfairers]

I take what fits in a backpack and a rolling carry on and do laundry regardless of the trip length.  Normally, our trips are several months.  However, the next trip is only a month and mostly in warm weather.  For the cruises (2) in the Caribbean we are taking one backpack each and a small toiletries bag and a briefcase.  On that same trip (not on the cruise ship) we are visiting TN in the winter so taking a small carry on rolling bag with 4 pants, 4 tops, 1 sweatshirt each and a heavier coat.  That bag will stay in the car while we cruise.

[crystalspin]

2 hours ago, Wayfairers said:

I take what fits in a backpack and a rolling carry on and do laundry regardless of the trip length.  Normally, our trips are several months.  However, the next trip is only a month and mostly in warm weather.  

The packing problem with warm/hot/humid climates is that you can't re-wear garments as much -- sometimes not at all! BC they are all sweated up! But I do not pack anymore, just more hand-wash or hotel or cruise laundry. 

[Wayfairers]

1 minute ago, crystalspin said:

The packing problem with warm/hot/humid climates is that you can't re-wear garments as much -- sometimes not at all! BC they are all sweated up! But I do not pack anymore, just more hand-wash or hotel or cruise laundry. 

We have free laundry onboard and on land we do laundry at a hotel or laundromat.  We don’t rewear without laundering even in cold climates.   

[Mum2Mercury]

16 hours ago, crystalspin said:

The packing problem with warm/hot/humid climates is that you can't re-wear garments as much -- sometimes not at all! BC they are all sweated up! But I do not pack anymore, just more hand-wash or hotel or cruise laundry. 

You're not wrong.  My rules: 

- Dinner clothes don't 'specially get dirty /sweaty, so I hang them and wear them again -- either as dinner clothes or as afternoon-clothes after an island stop.   I usually keep dresses hung for the rest of the cruise.  

- I don't get 'specially hot/sweaty walking around the ship, so I hang those things /wear them again -- I only wear shirts twice, but shorts I often wear 2-3 times.  

- I know I'll "ruin" whatever I wear on an island, so I wear something that's already been worn around the ship -- no point in getting sweaty in something "fresh".  Once I've worn those items, they go into the dirty clothes.  

- Being Southern, I wear a lot of light, gauzy blouses.  If necessary I'd wash these out in the sink, but this is a rarity. 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[Keksie]

I guess it depends on how you want to travel.  I am the heavy packer type.  I want all my makeup, a good variety of jewelry and plenty of clothes.  I don't want to do laundry on vacation.  I also want a variety of shoes.  For instance, on our 14-day cruise tour of Alaska we brought 3 large suitcases.  One for me, one for my husband that had our land clothes and one that had cruise specific clothes.  I have found that if we book our air early enough I can get first class tickets which include 2 bags free each for a reasonable price.  To me a vacation is special and I don't want to feel like I am having to scrimp on my clothing selections.