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What size luggage do you bring?


itmustbeso
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I am going on my first cruise in 2 weeks, and I've decided I would like to buy some quality luggage for the trip.

 

Problem is, I'm a bit overwhelmed by all of the different sizes, specifically for checked luggage. I'm looking at hard case for now, and for example, Samsonite seems to mostly be sticking to 24" and 28" for the pieces I looked at - the former seemed too small when I looked at it in the store, and 28" seemed too big.

 

What are your personal preferences with luggage sizes? Does one piece typically take just your, or multiple people's, belongings? (I'm cruising with my boyfriend.) What if you bring snorkel equipment? (For right now we're thinking just masks and snorkels but that could expand in the future.) Do you fly with it?

 

We will be flying. We're flying Southwest so get 2 checked bags for "free" but don't want to overpack.

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Think about carting it to the airport, through the airport, to the ship etc. I have downgraded dramatically since I have to lug my own luggage. Buy what you can easily manage on your own and then tailor what you take to suit your lugggage. Maybe take snorkelling gear in a backpack as carry On? Enjoy your cruise, it's not a fashion statement so you really don't need that much.

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I pack just for myself, and how much I pack is so dependent not just on how long I'll be gone, but what kind of climate ranges I'm packing for. I have a 30" rolling duffle, a 28" rolling soft-side suitcase, a 22" spinner hard side, and a 21" rolling duffle (which holds more than the 22" spinner). I usually use whichever one fits what I need (usually either the 28" or the 21"), but I have combined the 30" and the 21" for a 3 week combo cruise and road trip.

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A fully packed large 29 or 30 inch suitcase will be too heavy to take on a flight. I find the 24/26 when full is just about at the 50 lb mark.

 

If you aren't flying, you can use what ever size will hold all your stuff.

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I agree that 24" is too small and 28" is too big. That is why we use a 26" bag to check with clothes for both of us in it. We also each have an 18" backpack as a carryon. It has a change of clothes, medication, and any valuables such as ipad and camera.

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For trips of 3 -4 days, we each take a carry on and a small under the seat bag. For longer trips, my DH and I share a hard sided 28" along with our carry on and under the seat. We do bring snorkel equipment. Our fins are oldies but goodies and quite long. The equipment takes up about 1/3 of the large case. We are considering alternatives to the snorkel equipment, such as leaving fins at home or shipping them ahead of time to the hotel.

 

Try ebags. They warranty their own brand. Good stuff

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OP: next time you're in an airport, check out what the airline crews are pulling behind them: two-wheeled Travelpro carry-ons (approx 20"). Skip the spinners on other brands- they will eventually be broken off by baggage handling. For extended trips, use a carry-on of the smallest Travelpro roller and a 28" checked bag -which, loaded, will weigh in between 45-50 lbs.

These items are not cheap. But the better models are guaranteed for life with repair facilities in most major hub cities.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited by Flatbush Flyer
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For trips under a week, we each take a 21 inch, plus a small backpack for carry-on. Longer trips, I've got a 26 inch expandable softsider that works very well. I can get everything I need in it, and have never had to worry about being over weight. DH uses a 24 inch soft sider. If flying, we also each bring a small backpack.

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I tend to travel long trips too. Have a maybe 20 yr. old Samsonite wheelie carryon; only wear only is worn pipings. But I mainly use a large EagleCreek load something. Buy your bags online. Look up discount luggage. Avoid black if you dont want it taken by others with same bag.

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I just bought new luggage for my family. I did a LOT of researching and looking at reviews. For the money this is what we purchased. It's a very nice set and looks like it'll be large enough for all 4 of us.

 

91dyN45lNAL._UX466_.jpg

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0056IQ7Z8/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

The largest suitcase is 30X18X12 (12 is expandable) and the smallest suitcase is 22X15X9 (9 is expandable).

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At the store and see what you are comfortable with. Are you travelering before the cruise? We always take one 22" carry on each and a small personal bag for under the seat that's not a backpack. We don't like spinners because we travel before and after our cruise and they don't do well on rough roads and sidewalks. But if you are just going on a cruise the spinners might be for you. We just take one snorkel and share as one person usually stays on the beach with stuff. We swear by one carry on each and I can use cubes and pack 15 mix and match outfits but this is after years of trial and error. So I'm guessing you should get something bigger.

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A fully packed large 29 or 30 inch suitcase will be too heavy to take on a flight. I find the 24/26 when full is just about at the 50 lb mark.

 

If you aren't flying, you can use what ever size will hold all your stuff.

 

 

We have to fly to catch every ship, and never have a problem with our luggage.

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What are you packing? Figure out your packing mindset. Some will pack for any contingency, others won't bring anything extra.

 

Figure out your toiletries. Do you need to bring full size items? Can you share anything with your travel partner. Can either pack to the size of your case or only bring what'll fit into your case.

 

Here's a thread from the Fashion and Beauty board. It's about packing lighter, but it has good ideas even for those who pack 'heavy'.

Ladies how is this possible? Using carry on only...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2379281

 

I've been traveling almost all my life. Packing is an art, not a science. What works one trip might not work for the next. What works for one might not work for another. Sis swears by SpaceBags, I swear AT Space bags. lol

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For most trips, I do my 22" bag, of which I have many choices (wheeled, no wheels, pack straps, no pack straps). If I am going somewhere I know I am going to make some clothing or shoe purchases (hello Florence!) or I am going for 2 weeks to a winter sports destination or a month-long business trip where I have to dress in suits every single day for 8 hours, I'll bring out my Osprey Sojourn convertible wheelie (it also has pack straps). It is 25x14x14, so it isn't all that much bigger. I am able to lift it into the overheads of trains, haul up flights of stairs in apartments and hotels without lifts, and if I need to, put it on my back to go over unwheelable terrain.

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DW loves to over pack and sometimes I feel like we're the Hockley's boarding the Titanic:eek:. Usually bring two carry-ons, a 28" bag and a garment bag on wheels. Before our next trip we need to find a wheeled garment bag with spinners, the unidirectional wheels are phooey.

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All depends on where we are going and where we are leaving from. For 14+ nt Transatlantics we each check a 30" (generally fly Alaska and get one free) and take as large a carry-on as we can get away with - and check the carry-on free at the gate if they offer. All the critical stuff (meds, valuable, electronics) are in our "personal" item backpacks.

 

For tropical type cruise from Miami (or FLL) we would downsize the big bag and pack lighter. One time we had the brilliant idea to pick up toiletries in Miami and paid a fortune - way more than an extra bag fee. Not so brilliant. But for 7nt warm weather cruise we can mix/match and re-wear and travel with minimal luggage.

 

For upcoming cruise from Seattle we will probably take everything since no air is involved. Pack for every weather contingency as well as some formal items.

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We both travel with 21 inch carry on roller boards. Two high end wheels, good zippers. Take the same bag for a week or three months. Travelling with it now. Plus I have a small backpack for my iPad, eyewear, and a book.

 

MY experience after years of business and pleasure travel is don't make a buy decision based on brand and most especially not on those phoney sales that offer 50-70 percent discounts. Most manufacturers have lower end lines that look like their premium products but are made for the retailers who sell on discount off list. We find that the wheels are a dead give away to product quality. Some look like they would snap off or break at just the sight of a cobbled sidewalk or a careless baggage handler.

Edited by iancal
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We always have pre cruise hotels and post cruise hotels and the shortest cruise we will do is 14 days.

We take four 28 inch soft sided, spinner wheel suitcases. Each weighs about 45 pounds when packed. Even our carry-ons have the spinner wheels.

 

Are you always able to do curbside check-in with that much luggage? If not, how do you do it since IIRC you use a rollator. I doubt you can put all of it on the rollator to push.

 

My husband walks slowly with a cane and cannot pull a wheeled suitcase. He even has difficulty pushing a spinner. This has severely limited what we bring on our cruise since like you we also must do pre and post flight hotels and don't cruise for less than 14 days. Since he can't help with suitcases just his carryon backpack and I am carrying his CPAP and my purse as well as my backpack, one suitcase is all I can handle since, unless we are flying Southwest, there is no curbside check in. I must bring it to the counter. Using a spinner helps but I tried pushing two spinners and it was extremely difficult, even with fastening the CPAP to one of them. So on the next cruise we limited our packing to one spinner and the backpack carryons. I'd love to bring a second suitcase. How do you do it?

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I travel everywhere with a 22" rolling bag, plus a tote/knapsack (depending on the level of dressiness of the trip).

 

Do yourself a favor and learn how to pack efficiently (Solo Traveler blog is a good one); also composing a "travel capsule wardrobe" is very valuable (http://www.theviviennefiles.com is fantastic). Also look up poster Cruise Kitty on this site -- she has some great suggestions for packing for different types of weather.

 

Don't go crazy on buying the most expensive luggage out there (a previous poster mentioned TravelPro -- great suggestion), especially if you check your bags. Tumi and other high-end luggage is to baggage handlers as a red cape is to a bull.

 

Have a great trip!

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  • 2 weeks later...
All depends on where we are going and where we are leaving from. For 14+ nt Transatlantics we each check a 30" (generally fly Alaska and get one free) and take as large a carry-on as we can get away with - and check the carry-on free at the gate if they offer. All the critical stuff (meds, valuable, electronics) are in our "personal" item backpacks.

 

For tropical type cruise from Miami (or FLL) we would downsize the big bag and pack lighter. One time we had the brilliant idea to pick up toiletries in Miami and paid a fortune - way more than an extra bag fee. Not so brilliant. But for 7nt warm weather cruise we can mix/match and re-wear and travel with minimal luggage.

 

For upcoming cruise from Seattle we will probably take everything since no air is involved. Pack for every weather contingency as well as some formal items.

 

Funny. We live in South Florida only 35 min. from Port Everglades, so we do just the opposite.

 

 

I should also mention that we get free laundry and dry cleaning on board - so that allows for fewer clothes..

 

 

Nonetheless, we take bigger suitcases with more "stuff" for Caribbean cruises since all we have to do is roll it from front door to car, and from parking shuttle to terminal (and vice-versa post-cruise). For example, we're sailing for 7 nights later this month with our adult sons and one of their girlfriends. My husband, one son and I are sharing two 24''/25" bags - and we're actually taking clothes for formal nights which we don't always do. We also have a tiny rollaboard with our toiletries, snorkels, etc. and a tote bag with the 5 bottles of wine (1 per person allowed).

 

 

But for our long Transatlantics, Mediterranean and Southeast Asia cruises - usually 16-20 nights - we each only take a 22" rollaboard and a backpack as our personal item. If we're sailing over from here, we'll also have a tote bag with wine.

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