Carry on luggage vs checking in

Not trying to change the subject of one carry-on bag but in the same light, in a large group many will want to do different excursions, eat in different restaurants at different times. Some might want to play bingo, some trivia. Much easier to let everyone do their own thing and just get together when it’s convenient. You’ll have plenty of time together.

I am sure that the OP has every detail of their day planned down to the time, location and duration of the rest room breaks. Want to bet that he has ordered identical t-shorts that he is expecting them to wear.

I have traveled w family groups. Our rule is that we do things together if we want to or by ourselves if we want to. We try to eat dinner together if we want to or alone with our significant other if we want to. We try to get together for pre-dinner drinks but sometimes that does not work.

We also rent a house every summer so that the whole family can get together. The rules in the previous paragraph apply here also.

At the end of the cruise we all still like each other and are willing to go on a family trip again.

DON

Perhaps the OP is confused with disembarkation! There is some benefits in all of you carrying your luggage off of the ship if you are all meeting the same transport vehicle. I have cruised many times with just hand luggage, but you need to be an experienced traveller and excellent packer to make this work. I wouldn't recommend first-timers trying it.

If you are concerned about luggage going missing, it's a really rare occurrence, to mitigate this cross pack with your travel companion.

If you are talking about normal sized cases, it would be really difficult to get your cases on the ship yourself , staff/crew do not help with luggage.

if you opt to do it yourself, then you have the difficulty of what to do with luggage while waiting for your rooms. Lots of people like to have lunch in the buffet, it's pretty cramped up there with several thousand people trying to get lunch and you may have many irate passengers berate you if you block up a large area with your luggage.

Come back and let us know why you want everyone to take on their own luggage! We might be able to come up with a better solution.

We only do carry on. Does not matter if it is a seven day cruise or the eight week land trip that we just finished. We will be doing it again in the fall and including at least one cruise. It is definitely not for everyone and like others I am puzzled why anyone wouldeven think they could impose this travel preference on others.

Unless others in your group are milquetoasts, I would be prepared for a few stern MYOB's or suggestions that you can carry on their luggage if you so wish but they are not. It is hardly the best way to start a vacation or foster a friendship.

Do you want to be the husband that has to tell his wife she can't bring an extra blouse or pair of sandals? I've been married long enough to know not to go down that road.

Let them bring what they want. If they ask for advice, give it. After the cruise, have a get together, ask them what the brought that they didn't need/wear/use. Might open their eyes. EM

If you start your planning in this manner you may find that there are fewer people in your group than you anticipated. No one likes a bossy two socks and especially not on a vacation!

I just noticed that OP has not returned, or at least has not posted again.

Do you want to be the husband that has to tell his wife she can't bring an extra blouse or pair of sandals? I've been married long enough to know not to go down that road.

In our house it's 'you bring it, you schlep it'. Been that way since the kids were 2. Obvious exceptions were disposables and equipment

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I don't think a whole group would agree to just bring carry-on luggage. I always bring a checked in suitcase and a carry-on bag. I don't want to have to skimp on what clothes to bring. I like to dress up for dinner some nights and like to have enough clothes, shoes, etc. To me, and probably to some members of your large group, that adds to the enjoyment of the vacation. Just let them do their own thing, realizing that everyone is different. I do the self disembarkation with my suitcase (on wheels) and the carry-on bag on top of the suitcase. I have never had a problem doing it with that amount of luggage.

I just noticed that OP has not returned, or at least has not posted again.

I saw that too, Paul. I don't blame him/her... I feel some of the comments were really out of line. :cool:

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That was always our rule when we started to travel with our children. You pack you carry it. Surprising how less important some things become when it is reduced to that.

Did wonders in preparing us to move to carry on only for business trips and when we retired.

I just noticed that OP has not returned, or at least has not posted again.

Checked in 15 minutes ago, at 1:21pm. EM

That was always our rule when we started to travel with our children. You pack you carry it. Surprising how less important some things become when it is reduced to that.

 

Did wonders in preparing us to move to carry on only for business trips and when we retired.

I have an excuse for our cruise in 2 weeks. The doctor told us that I was specifically not to handle any luggage. So when I made the packing list and decided which suit cases we were going to use I made sure it maxed at six so DH and the kids (DD(19) and DS(22))could each take 2 and I was empty handed. We have 2 rooms and each room gets 1 large and 1 medium suitcase which will be checked and 1 carry-on with wine, electronics, prescriptions, swimsuits, etc for that room. Since we are driving we do not have any luggage restrictions in that regard.

OP is there a specific reason you want them to all take just carry-ons? Travel restrictions, space restrictions, etc? If not, then they I would say let them worry about their own luggage. You really don't want to micromanage these type of things.

While I'm a firm believer in packing light and have no trouble packing in one suitcase (including nice dinner clothes), I wouldn't tell everyone else how to pack.

If they ask, tell them how you prefer to pack, but otherwise assume that adults know what to do.