Packing Query

[ybarber]

With the new charges that the airlines have instituted for a 2nd checked bag, I am trying to think of ways to pack more efficiently. Has anyone used the Space Bags for suitcases? I am most concerned about whether or not the TSA's make you open them, thereby 'nixing' any advantage they offered.:eek:

 

Also, are most of you packing your toiletries in your suitcase or just bringing the tiny bottles?:confused:

 

We are going to have to pay extra for one piece, the garmet bag, because DH refuses to fold his suits and Tux into a suitcase!:rolleyes:

 

Any packing info that anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated - Thanks! :)

[hammybee]

I have not used the space bags. My sense is that they allow you to pack more stuff in less space. It seems to me that more stuff weighs more and so perhaps, defeats the purpose.

[gizmo]

If you are checking your bags, one thing to be concerned about when using the space savers is the weight. An extra $25.00 for a second bag is much cheaper than what the airlines charge for an over weight bag.

 

If you are taking the luggage through security, TSA might open your luggage if they see something they want to take a good look at. If they want to examine something that is in one of those bags, yes, they will open it.

[Maryandi]

When weight is not an issue, then space bags are great. However, as stated above, it will not help with weight restrictions at all. Use them or ziplock bags just to keep stuff organized not for luggage weight control.

 

Think Chiffon instead of cotton. Find real lightweight cotton items when going to hot weather not tthe big heavy TShirts, etc. Lighter weight clothing is the answer and less clothing. Don't bring anything that cannot go with something else and that means lighten up on the shoes !! Men's especially.

 

Have several toiletries (in small containers) and medicines, too in the carryon. The rest go in the check in bag.

 

MaryAnn

[dakrewser]

Don't bring anything that cannot go with something else and that means lighten up on the shoes !! Men's especially.

 

Few men travel with more than 2 pair of shoes. DW wears more than that in the course of an afternoon! ;)

[ybarber]

Shoes are the problem for me too - and purses - I have so many cute little purses that I have bought "just for cruising" and all of those beautiful Nina shoes, with the crystals.... where else can I wear them? And then there is the Jewelry.... :rolleyes:

 

The whole problem would be solved if HAL offered luggage pickup for all of their guests (for a fee), like they do for the Grand Voyages.:D

[cage keeper]

We used the space bags in March for our Noordam cruise. We got double the amount of clothing in one large suitcase. We did not fly. This bag was sooooooooo heavy. But it did save a lot of room. Also I did not iron anything because I knew from past experinces that everything would wrinkle in the space bags. We took advantaqge of the 30.00 unlimited pressing service and sent everything out.

[jhannah]

The whole problem would be solved if HAL offered luggage pickup for all of their guests (for a fee), like they do for the Grand Voyages.:D

If you'll Google "luggage shipping" you'll find lots of companies who do this. Just be sitting down when you look at the prices! :eek:

 

I second the warning about space bags. They're great for sweaters and other bulky stuff. But they do mean more weight in a smaller space.

[Nonie]

When I am going on a long cruise - 14 days or more - I usually have two checked bags, one large and 1 garment bag. Considering all the money I am spending for the cruise $25.00 for the extra bag is peanuts - like less than one PG dinner!!!!!! I figure that is the same as the fuel surcharge but with a different name. I just want to have a good time and if the $25 is a must then so be it and I will have a fabulous cruise!!!!:D

[Robin7]

With the new charges that the airlines have instituted for a 2nd checked bag, I am trying to think of ways to pack more efficiently. Has anyone used the Space Bags for suitcases? I am most concerned about whether or not the TSA's make you open them, thereby 'nixing' any advantage they offered.:eek:

 

Also, are most of you packing your toiletries in your suitcase or just bringing the tiny bottles?:confused:

 

I use the space bags on most trips. I hate the idea of TSA pawing through my unmentionables. They also keep my suitcase more organized and make unpacking easier since I put like items in bags together. (Packing is more time consuming, though.) I do have to be careful about weight if I take a lot of them. They saved me when I had to go to France with only a very small suitcase!

 

The only full-size toiletries I take are my hair products (curl spray, root booster, mousse, curl cream) because they don't have them in travel size. I put them in individual gallon size ziplocs and stick them in shoes. They make great shoe trees! My shampoo and conditioner are in my toiletry bag in smaller bottles (also in ziplocs). I don't carry them on.

 

My biggest piece of advice is: if it will leak and damage stuff, put it in a ziploc. Even if you think the lid is on tight, the air pressure can cause it to leak. I've been burned by that. And numerous times when I've taken things out of my toiletry bag, they have leaked inside the ziploc.

 

Robin

[gizmo]

My biggest piece of advice is: if it will leak and damage stuff, put it in a ziploc. Even if you think the lid is on tight, the air pressure can cause it to leak. I've been burned by that. And numerous times when I've taken things out of my toiletry bag, they have leaked inside the ziploc.

 

Robin

 

For a couple of things I double up on the zip locks. Stuff happens. :D

[Boytjie]

We used the space bags in March for our Noordam cruise. We got double the amount of clothing in one large suitcase. We did not fly. This bag was sooooooooo heavy. But it did save a lot of room. Also I did not iron anything because I knew from past experinces that everything would wrinkle in the space bags. We took advantaqge of the 30.00 unlimited pressing service and sent everything out.

 

When repacking everything into the space bags on the ship, do you ask the steward for use of a vacuum cleaner? :D

[ybarber]

HA-HA-HA-HA:p

 

Seriously, you roll them up and the air is pushed out.....

 

But, Nonie really made sense in their post, above, saying that if taking an extra bag for $25.00 is going to make the cruise more relaxing and less stressful thereby offering a better experience, just pay the darn $25 and let it go!

 

So I am just gonna bring those extra bags and not sweat the small stuff - its a vacation, after all!

[Rob & Beckys mom]

HA-HA-HA-HA:p

 

Seriously, you roll them up and the air is pushed out.....

 

But, Nonie really made sense in their post, above, saying that if taking an extra bag for $25.00 is going to make the cruise more relaxing and less stressful thereby offering a better experience, just pay the darn $25 and let it go!

 

So I am just gonna bring those extra bags and not sweat the small stuff - its a vacation, after all!

 

I think that is the best idea instead of stressing. I just got tired of lugging all those suitcases around, so I made a plan with just a few colors & it works out beautifully. I take black pants & white pants + tops that go with both, black shorts & white shorts + tops that go with both. Long black dress w/2 jackets for formal nights. I wear everything twice & I am down to one 28" suitcase. The other things like shoes, bathingsuit etc. are just stuck in the corners. I hang everything on wire hangers & cover with dry cleaner bags so I just have to hang things up in the closet to unpack. Works for me:) It also is nice that so many of the polyester blouses look like silk and can be washed.

 

Jan

[Desdemona01]

didn't like the way things wrinkled in the space bags so we bought packing folders and cubes a few trips ago--they are wonderful! Everything stays neat and wrinkle-free and they weigh very little. They also organize your luggage so that if the TSA goes through them they can quickly see what is in each cube/folder without digging through them. I also have purchased several pieces of travel knits--they roll up and go in the cubes and are multi-seasonal. The cubes are great for undies--just put the entire cube in the drawer and you're unpacked! and you don't have to worry as much about what was in the drawer before.....

[Boytjie]

HA-HA-HA-HA:p

 

Seriously, you roll them up and the air is pushed out.....

 

I knew you could do that. :)

 

But, Nonie really made sense in their post, above, saying that if taking an extra bag for $25.00 is going to make the cruise more relaxing and less stressful thereby offering a better experience, just pay the darn $25 and let it go!

 

So I am just gonna bring those extra bags and not sweat the small stuff - its a vacation, after all!

 

I agree! Fuel/gas is so much more expensive, someone's gotta pay the piper.

[CocoKai]

Just take more carry-on. Have the Stewards hang the garment hanger.

 

When planes are late for departures because it took to long to stow all that carry-on, the airlines might get the idea that their extra charge makes no sense. I usually walk on with my purse. With the charge, I'll carry-on a small suitcase and check my one piece.

[ducklovemama]

While we are on the subject about packing lighter Are the shampoo etc. any good on HAL? I also are going on a 14 day cruise.I am going to try to take less this time so I will have more room in my bags for the things that I buy on the islands. I collect the local crafts. I really think that it is a great idea to spend the extra money and have things cleaned on the ship. I think that I read it is about 16.00 a bag on HAL for laundry service. Not too bad.

[colerosebud]

You might want to check with your airlines. We lucked out by booking our flight prior to the end of february so we are exempt from the 1 bag/person. The old baggage allowance is good on our flights. Also the space bags. I have used them and it really saves space in your suitcase, I have found that you might need to press some items.

[innlady1]

We used the space bags in March for our Noordam cruise. We got double the amount of clothing in one large suitcase. We did not fly. This bag was sooooooooo heavy. But it did save a lot of room. Also I did not iron anything because I knew from past experinces that everything would wrinkle in the space bags. We took advantaqge of the 30.00 unlimited pressing service and sent everything out.

 

We did the same thing on our Noordam cruise...they worked really well, but it certainly added to the weight. We didn't fly, so it wasn't relevant.

 

So, if one has to fly, it would be a problem. Best idea is to just cut down on what you bring. Easier said than done...I know. :rolleyes:

[cage keeper]

When repacking everything into the space bags on the ship, do you ask the steward for use of a vacuum cleaner? :D

 

Yes:D . He was cleaning the room next to us so we pulled him into ours. He was worrird when we asked if we could borrow the vaccum because I think he thought the room wasn't clean enough. So we showed him what we were doing and he was amazed. I wish we had extras because I would have loved to have given him some. He said he picks up souveniers for a year and when he goes home he could really use them.

 

If you fill the bags as much as we do, rolling doesn't really work very well. You really need to track down the vaccum. When we camp we use the other end of the air pump.

[Boytjie]

Just take more carry-on. Have the Stewards hang the garment hanger.

 

And make the flights more miserable! More and more carry-on luggage to overstuff the overhead bins and take away legroom. Do they still hang garment bags in the ariplane cabins? I don't recall seeing that except up front in the expensive seats.

 

When planes are late for departures because it took to long to stow all that carry-on, the airlines might get the idea that their extra charge makes no sense. I usually walk on with my purse. With the charge, I'll carry-on a small suitcase and check my one piece.

 

People have been brining more carry-ons long before the extra fees came about, they do it to avoid luggage delays or non-arrival of luggage.

[REP]

We usually do 10 -16 day cruises - my feeling now with the weight restrictions (the extra $25 is probably money well spent so you don't have the stress of an overweight bag) is that I pack a lot less than I used to - I really don't think anyone notices if I have the same thing on more than once, and my husband takes a dark sports jacket and not a suit - just a pair of dark pants for the formal nights. Also, we use the laundry services more than we used to.

I pack a duffle bag as an extra bag and put the heavy shoes, and non breakables in it. Leaves room and extra weight allowance for the couple of bottles of duty free alcohol on the way home.

Love the casual "elegant" on the Azamara Ships - everyone looks really nice but non of the big heavy stuff has to be packed.

[INSIDERS CABIN]

Ducklovemama--With the weight restrictions, I finally gave up bringing shampoo, conditioner, bath gel and lotion (and bar soap) because the elemis products on HAL are sooo nice.( I usually use aveda.) Still, it's a lot of weight carrying the full- sized toothpaste, deodorant, sunscreen and cosmetics--contact lens stuff too if needed. for a 2 week trip. i hate having to hunt for things like shaving cream at airports so we have standing lists. The onboard laundry-including all you can stuff into the bag--is great and items come back pressed as well, so in go my husband's khakis and polos. That helps a lot on longer trips, especially when we have several days in the port ahead of time, so we are starting the cruise with a load of dirty laundry! Also, except for the photo gallery, no one notices what anyone else wears! I pack my carryon with the items that i cannot do without or cannot easily replace and always include a couple of great fail-safe outfits.We also swap half of our clothes into the other's suitcase, so that each case has about a week's worth of formal, sightseeing, shoes and various levels of dress for each of us. We pretty much have the packing lists down to a science now and tweak the lists depending on urban or sightseeing-intensive-or rugged--or beach. Buy a luggage scale-hook and use it to ibe sure you are not over the weight limits especially if you are traveling within Europe.

[btobey]

You might want to check with your airlines. We lucked out by booking our flight prior to the end of february so we are exempt from the 1 bag/person. The old baggage allowance is good on our flights. Also the space bags. I have used them and it really saves space in your suitcase, I have found that you might need to press some items.

REALLY??? I was wondering about this but thought there was no way it could apply to us. We actually booked our air way back in the fall, and USAirways doesn't start their $25 per 2nd bag fee until May 5th--halfway through our upcoming cruise! :eek: So, I was figuring that DH and I would check 3 bags total (1 suitcase each plus shared garment bag), down 1 bag from our last cruise, which would only cost us $25 on our return trip but nothing on our way to the cruise. However, if we are somehow exempt from this charge because we booked before--or even maybe because the charge doesn't apply when we START our travel--that would be GREAT!

 

Can anyone give me a definitive answer on this?