carry-on only and liquids

[NCteacherlovescruising]

I did a "practice pack" using only my carry-on and personal item.  I was quite shocked to find I can fit everything in those two bags for nearly a month in Europe.  However, I don't think I could possibly get all my girly products there in a 1-qt. bag.  (serums, face wash, lotions, cleanser, liquid foundation, cleansing balm, hair products, etc.)  If that would be the only reason to check a bag, what could I easily buy there instead?  Hotel shampoo/conditioner is a no go because my hair is highlighted so I'm very picky about hair products.  Is it easy to find a place for a blow out in Rome and/or Amalfi?  I don't mind leaving my hair products behind if so, because I only wash once per week anyway. However, dips in the Mediterranean will change that.   Now if dh can't do the same, we may check a bag and this won't be an issue.  We will most likely need to buy something cheap to get new purchases home so for the return flight this won't be an issue.

 

Edited to add:  Looking for suggestions for good containers for these products that won't leak

Edited April 30 by NCteacherlovescruising

[buckeye7]

I don't know if you wear contacts, but you are allowed to use 2 quart-sized bags if you bring contact-related products. Sooo.... I use the 2nd bag for a small saline and eye drops, then use several contact lens cases filled with products (face lotion, etc...) I have honestly included a few other liquids in that bag and never been questioned (been doing this for years.)

 

I did just purchase these containers as I saw them recommended on another site. Haven't tried them yet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZB81N4X/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A34U6OVSB8M3KV&psc=1

 

Also, there are nice drug stores all over in Europe with every product you would need! Common brands too.

Edited April 30 by buckeye7

[euro cruiser]

When I was in Rome in November I discovered that my go-to store for all personal care products (and a lot more) for more than twenty years had closed!!  They're putting in yet another restaurant.  

 

Here's what I'd suggest, go through your things and separate out the items that are very specific and hard to find and carry those, then buy the more common items once in Rome.  Unless you are leaking money out of every orifice, don't count on buying anything at all in Amalfi.  The few people who actually live there don't, so what is stocked is for tourists and priced accordingly.

[euro cruiser]

Here are a few of the bigger pharmacies that have websites, maybe page through and see if you can find your brands:

 

Farmacia Centrale | Dott. Di Gioacchino (farmaciacentraledigioacchino.com)

 

Farmacia online autorizzata dal Ministero della Salute - Farmacie Mariani

 

Igiene E Cosmesi (farmaciamacedonio.it)

 

FARMACIA INTERNAZIONALE - Piazza Barberini ROMA (farmaciainternazionaleroma.it)

[NCteacherlovescruising]

7 hours ago, buckeye7 said:

I don't know if you wear contacts, but you are allowed to use 2 quart-sized bags if you bring contact-related products. Sooo.... I use the 2nd bag for a small saline and eye drops, then use several contact lens cases filled with products (face lotion, etc...) I have honestly included a few other liquids in that bag and never been questioned (been doing this for years.)

 

I did just purchase these containers as I saw them recommended on another site. Haven't tried them yet.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZB81N4X/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A34U6OVSB8M3KV&psc=1

 

Also, there are nice drug stores all over in Europe with every product you would need! Common brands too.

 

Thanks for sharing!  I do wear contacts so this is extremely helpful!  Most of my skin care products are on the pricy side so I wouldn’t want to purchase them there and toss them out before coming home. But, toothpaste, cleanser and my husband’s shampoo could easily be purchased anywhere. 
 

I will check out those containers. 
 

4 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

When I was in Rome in November I discovered that my go-to store for all personal care products (and a lot more) for more than twenty years had closed!!  They're putting in yet another restaurant.  

 

 

That must have been terribly disappointing!

 

4 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

Here's what I'd suggest, go through your things and separate out the items that are very specific and hard to find and carry those, then buy the more common items once in Rome.  Unless you are leaking money out of every orifice, don't count on buying anything at all in Amalfi.  The few people who actually live there don't, so what is stocked is for tourists and priced accordingly.

Unfortunately , I’m not leaking money out of any orifice!  Lol I wasn’t planning on purchasing necessities in Amalfi. We will be in Rome several days prior so we could buy anything left behind there. I was wondering about getting a blow out so I wouldn’t need to bring any liquid hair products. Is that a thing there. On my last couple of cruises I got them so I didn’t have to mess with it. I assume aerosols count as liquids too, like dry shampoo. I’m sure that would be easy to purchase there.  
 

4 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

Here are a few of the bigger pharmacies that have websites, maybe page through and see if you can find your brands:

 

Farmacia Centrale | Dott. Di Gioacchino (farmaciacentraledigioacchino.com)

 

Farmacia online autorizzata dal Ministero della Salute - Farmacie Mariani

 

Igiene E Cosmesi (farmaciamacedonio.it)

 

FARMACIA INTERNAZIONALE - Piazza Barberini ROMA (farmaciainternazionaleroma.it)

Thanks for the links!  I will check them out. 

[euro cruiser]

You shouldn't have a problem finding a salon for a wash and blow out.  If you are staying in a hotel, ask them to recommend someone and make the call for an appointment.

[marazul]

@NCteacherlovescruising

If you use any European products, shop for them there.  Pharmacies usually stock high end beauty products.  Throughout Europe, pharmacies are identified by a green cross sign, usually in neon.  

 

Don't forget to post about your adventures.  

Bon voyage!

[BethesdaSC]

I just returned from Rome, traveled thru Phoenix, Dulles and Rome.  At no time was I asked to remove my liquids from my carry on.  As long as they’re the right size, I wouldn’t worry about the quart size bag.  If you are, use 2 and split between personal item and carry on.  The screener doesn’t know they’re both yours.  My contact solutions were with my glass case and my liquids were all together in a gallon bag but folded.  

[NCteacherlovescruising]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:44 PM, euro cruiser said:

You shouldn't have a problem finding a salon for a wash and blow out.  If you are staying in a hotel, ask them to recommend someone and make the call for an appointment.

Great!  That will eliminate the need for several products. 
 

9 hours ago, marazul said:

@NCteacherlovescruising

If you use any European products, shop for them there.  Pharmacies usually stock high end beauty products.  Throughout Europe, pharmacies are identified by a green cross sign, usually in neon.  

 

I do. My skincare is all Clarins. 
 

9 hours ago, marazul said:

Don't forget to post about your adventures.  

Bon voyage!

 

Will do!

 

8 hours ago, BethesdaSC said:

I just returned from Rome, traveled thru Phoenix, Dulles and Rome.  At no time was I asked to remove my liquids from my carry on.  As long as they’re the right size, I wouldn’t worry about the quart size bag.  If you are, use 2 and split between personal item and carry on.  The screener doesn’t know they’re both yours.  My contact solutions were with my glass case and my liquids were all together in a gallon bag but folded.  

Good idea!

[alserrod]

Hello

You can go to www.amazon.it and check if the product you order is distributed in Italy (or the specific website of another country that you want to check). If you find it on Amazon, you will surely find it in pharmacies, department stores, specialized stores and, as the case may be, even in supermarkets.

It may be sold under a different trade name, it may be different quantities than what you know (and it may be measured in liters and not gallons, for example), etc... but you will surely have it.

[marazul]

12 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

Clarins

For sure they have it. Check out the pharmacies as you walk past them.  Specific items may be available in different stores. Also look for a "profumeria" or perfume store. They also carry beauty supplies. I even think I saw a Sephora somewhere in Rome.

 

Edited May 2 by marazul

[NCteacherlovescruising]

6 hours ago, marazul said:

For sure they have it. Check out the pharmacies as you walk past them.  Specific items may be available in different stores. Also look for a "profumeria" or perfume store. They also carry beauty supplies. I even think I saw a Sephora somewhere in Rome.

 

It's a bit expensive though and I would have the same issue on the return flights.

[euro cruiser]

I don't understand the appeal of carry on only.  Everyone I know who does carry on only will wax on like they've converted to a new religion, evangelizing for the cause.   In decades of traveling my luggage was only lost once, more than twenty years ago, and was delayed a couple of times.  As a percentage of my travel it's miniscule.  

 

There are plenty of times when I have only a carry on size bag but I still check it, because a few minutes of waiting for the luggage to come up is preferable to me than having to deal with it and force it up over my head into storage on the plane (I'm really short).

 

If you'd only have an issue with the liquids on the return, couldn't you check the bag for that flight only?

[marazul]

@NCteacherlovescruising

Do you still have a flight to Madrid, then a flight BCN-FCO, or are you flying directly to FCO? We were talking a while back about complicated flight itineraries. I forget what you decided to do.

 

If directly to FCO, even changing flights in the US, I would agree on checking, especially when you are going to be six days in Rome after the flight. They will get the bags to you at the hotel. My only concern would be if we had tight connections or if we were moving to a different location or ship the next day. Going home we always check the suitcases.  

 

Having said all of that, we just flew to Florida.  We checked two identical bags at the same time.  One went on our flight, the other one went on the following flight, so we had to sit at the airport to wait for it. Go figure. (Other than that, we have never had any problems checking bags.) 

 

Make sure you put airtags in your bags whether you check them or not.

 

The Clarins would probably be cheaper in Europe than here.  Check the prices as suggested above in amazon.it.

 

[NCteacherlovescruising]

32 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

I don't understand the appeal of carry on only.  Everyone I know who does carry on only will wax on like they've converted to a new religion, evangelizing for the cause.   In decades of traveling my luggage was only lost once, more than twenty years ago, and was delayed a couple of times.  As a percentage of my travel it's miniscule.  

 

Seems easier than dealing with luggage with all the moving around we will be doing. Also, don’t really want to wait around the airport for it or risk losing it. Also, we would have to pay for the extra bag on our flight to Athens. 

32 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

There are plenty of times when I have only a carry on size bag but I still check it, because a few minutes of waiting for the luggage to come up is preferable to me than having to deal with it and force it up over my head into storage on the plane (I'm really short).

 

 

I’m tall, and my husband will be traveling with me, so lifting my bag won’t be an issue. 
 

32 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

If you'd only have an issue with the liquids on the return, couldn't you check the bag for that flight only?

 

Yes and more than likely we will have a checked bag on the return home for all my purchases. Lol

 

6 minutes ago, marazul said:

@NCteacherlovescruising

Do you still have a flight to Madrid, then a flight BCN-FCO, or are you flying directly to FCO? We were talking a while back about complicated flight itineraries. I forget what you decided to do.

 

We are flying from Clt-JFK, JFK-FCO with a 7 hour layover. We have lounge access with our credit card so it shouldn’t be too bad. 
 

6 minutes ago, marazul said:

If directly to FCO, even changing flights in the US, I would agree on checking, especially when you are going to be six days in Rome after the flight. They will get the bags to you at the hotel. My only concern would be if we had tight connections or if we were moving to a different location or ship the next day. Going home we always check the suitcases.  

 

Having said all of that, we just flew to Florida.  We checked two identical bags at the same time.  One went on our flight, the other one went on the following flight, so we had to sit at the airport to wait for it. Go figure. (Other than that, we have never had any problems checking bags.) 

 

Make sure you put airtags in your bags whether you check them or not.

 

The Clarins would probably be cheaper in Europe than here.  Check the prices as suggested above in amazon.it.

 

We have 4 AirTags for the bags we’re planning on taking and will buy more if needed. I will check out the price of Clarins there. I use several of their products. 

[schmoopie17]

18 hours ago, euro cruiser said:

I don't understand the appeal of carry on only. 

We always check our bags, but on our upcoming September cruise (r/t Rome) we're doing carry-on only. We will have a tight departure time out of FCO going home, so we don't want to have a later debark time and then have to wait to get our bags in the pick-up area after debarking the ship. Also don't want to drag two giant suitcases, plus other stuff, down four flights of stairs, (elevators will be packed to the gills) since we're doing self-debark to get to our private transport to FCO as soon as possible.

 

Also don't want to have to waste time checking bags at FCO...rumor has it it can add a significant amount of time at FCO. Plus, checked bags = fees.

 

So, in this instance, carry-on is the way to go. Although Mrs. Schmoopie is already fretting about not having enough room for all of her "stuff". Plus, we have bulkhead seats reserved both ways, which limits our onboard storage options. But I assume we'll somehow manage.

 

Edited May 3 by schmoopie17