Being too ready

[ArkansasFish]

Do you all find that a trip is more fun if you are not too ready?

Yes, it is nice to have everything you need but I find that I have more fun when I don't have what I need. This last trip, we never unpacked in our room so we did not need much of anything. I stayed in my swimsuit almost all week so I did not even need many clothes. Over-slept through a bunch of stuff I regret but I just wanted to relax.

Does anyone have a minimun list of stuff to take that is real short?

[afrayedknot]

I don't have a minimum list but I know what you mean about being

"too ready."

The first few cruises I took I was so afraid of being without

something and totally overpacked.

Now I really plan what I'll take, make clothes do double or triple duty.

Less to pack, unpack on the ship, pack to go home, unpack at home.

Who needs it? I find taking too much stuff stressful.

I start early making preparations for being gone and packing.

I look in my closet and set some clothes aside to take, figure out if

I need to purchase anything.

I keep track of the weather and make adjustments as necessary.

I have a list so I don't feel like I am forgetting anything.

But I always adjust the list to each particular cruise.

A week before I leave for the cruise I pack everything else

and then leave it be.

The day before I leave I put my clothing in (I put clothing in layers

on wire hangers in a small rolling garment bag, hang them up in the closet

as is- so easy)

I try to relax as much as possible the week before and have as much

done as possible ahead of time. If you can do this and not keep thinking there must be something you forgot or think if you keep obsessing about it, it'll be a better cruise then you're way ahead of the game.

And there's never enough time to do all the things I'd like to do on the cruise so why stress about the things you don't do and enjoy the things you do?:p

[Happy ks]

But we always come home with some clean clothes. We could be ready to leave for any trip in a couple of hours. I always replenish our carry on with fresh supplies when we return from a trip, so we are good to go at the next opportunity. I don't go for all the extra junk you read here on the message boards, one would think they needed enough in case they were stranded on a desert isle.

 

I always pack more bathing suits than shorts outfits. Next cruise, I will only pack one coverup for the whole lot of them. My biggest downfall is evening clothes, I love to dress up, so does DH. We have, at least, started to not take a different dress/shoes/shirt/tie for every night. I have also started collecting mix and match coordinating pieces, rather than dresses. My goal is to be able to pack for a cruise (any duration) in one rollaboard and carry on per person.

 

It would be heaven to be able to go on a cruise at the last minute, our work schedules just won't allow it. So, unfortunately, we have to plan well in advance. Answering part of your question, no, I don't like to not have what I need already packed, I always find it takes away from the vacation if you have to hunt down an item. Since my carry on is always packed, I have a little bit of lifes necessities already there. But, I do not pack what is not a necessity, such as post its, highlighter pens, duct tape, thermos cups, bungie cords, address labels etc... We also do not buy souvenirs to cart home, other than maybe one photo. We actually like to have stuff shipped home so we don't have to carry it.

 

My short list would be:

 

Camera and film (or memory)

Toiletries

Plenty of sunscreen

Makeup (the bare minimum)

Shaving kit

Small med case (pain killer, stomach aid, cold relief and any scripts, bandaids)

hair dryer (sorry, have to take my own)

 

Female:

3 bathing suits/1 cover up (pareo, or some call it a sarong)

one long skirt

one long pair of pants

4 dressy tops

3 casual tops

one sundress

two shorts outfits

underwear for the whole week (you do not save packing space here)

pajamas

jewelry

shoes, one dressy pair, one casul night time pair, flip flops and sneakers

2 pair socks

 

Male:

3 bathing suits/2 t-shirt

1 dark suit

2 pair slacks (one dressy, one casual)

one dressy white shirt

one other color shirt

2 collared casual shirts

ties

3 pair shorts

4 casual shirts

underwear

dress socks

2 pair regular socks

underwear for the whole week

shoes, one dressy, one casual, flip flops and sneakers

 

I would not have a problem with just relaxing and sleeping on a cruise, as long as I don't miss dinner, that is my favorite time.