Krisbrad1983

Thanks, will also look at them

Hi rose, thanks for your reply. Currently looking at both you suggested. We had to use ours in june (wont name the company) as had a few things go wrong and lets just say i wont be using them again. I like the idea of TID having an app.

Just after some advice on what companies you all use

We go on jewel in feb, hoping its not too bad, thanks for the review

I use a packing app - it's highly personalizable and I can copy last cruise's packing list to the current journey. As I'm packing up my cabin to leave, anything I didn't use (besides something like our mini solar panel or first aid kit, which we bring with the hope of NOT needing them) gets axed off the template list. Using the app to repack the cabin also insures I leave nothing behind.

 

I bring a limited color palette of clothing, a Tide stick and a few Shout wipes for stains, Febreze To Go for second wearings, and if need be plan to take advantage of the laundry service. I have a single LBD (little black dress) that I wear for all formal/chic nights and add one of several brightly-printed scarves and a coordinating pair of ballet flats (Tieks - my favorites - they fold up and pack small, and can go from a port tour to dinner no problem!) to keep it interesting. I doubt the average passenger realizes I wear the same dress 2-3 times a cruise. My other shoes are sturdy walkers (that get worn on the plane) and a pair of flip-flops for the pool/spa/beach. I also carry an extra pair of insoles for the walking shoes. After a long day of walking in port, I just pop out the insoles and hang them in the closet clipped to a pants hanger. The next port day, after the shoes have aired out, I insert the other pair of insoles. It's like having a second whole pair of shoes without the bulk. This saved my bacon on a port-intensive Med cruise where I absolutely did not want to check bags on the plane.

 

My daily clothing choices are almost all performance fabrics - they pack smaller than their non-performance counterparts and wash up easily in the sink in a pinch and hang to dry overnight. My socks are Smartwool and I can rotate between 3 pairs for a two-week holiday and not need to launder.

 

I pack minimal toiletries, and either make a drugstore stop in the departure city or have a box shipped via Amazon Prime to me at our pre-cruise hotel. This is especially important for sunscreen because we go through a lot and the quantities we need won't fit in the TSA-approved zipper bag. It doesn't help that I prefer the spray format and my husband likes the lotion, and that I can't wear the active ingredient Avobenzone on my face so I need a more-expensive mineral formulation for the neck up. It's just more efficient to have all our sunscreen waiting for us at the hotel or go pick it up locally before checking in.

 

For cosmetics, I limit myself to neutrals, choose flight-friendly form factors (stick products rule!) and only bring a single all-in-one palette. Generally I can fit my whole face of makeup into a little cosmetic bag with some careful planning. I always have samples of stuff from makeup and skin care subscription boxes, so I will pack up things like cleansers, moisturizers, primer, mascara, etc. to use, and then toss them out before our flight home. The sample sizes are perfect for travel and I don't feel bad at all about binning them after only a week or two.

 

Electronica is an area that eats up a lot of travel bulk - I do bring a Kindle for reading instead of treeware books, and I don't go anywhere without my tablet and smartphone. It means bringing charging plugs and cables so I've pared that down as much as possible but I can't bring myself (yet) to leave these items at home. I forego high heels, therefore I can pack my iPad - that's my philosophy.

 

 

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Thanks for this post, its really been helpful for me