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Minimalism when packing for a cruise


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I'm one of those people that used to bring everything but the kitchen sink "just in case" and am trying to cut back on my packing for my upcoming trip.

 

I love reading all the money-saving threads but so many of them are about buying/bringing additional items that only serve one purpose. I thought it would be fun to have a thread to hear from the people that have found awesome items that are good for multiple purposes. Or for other hints to cut back on packing.

 

One tip I got on here years ago was to use the perfume in the gift shop instead of bringing your own.

 

What's your favorite tip?

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  • 2 weeks later...

That is a good idea about the perfume--little things like that add up.

 

I have discovered a pair of cute Croc ballet flats that weigh next to nothing that I can wear with my dresses/skirts for dinner AND they double as water shoes (they float!)

 

I like to collect "samples" of things like eye cream and make up to take. They take up less room than my usual products and the bonus is that I don't have to bring these items home as I usually use them up by the end of the cruise.

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Those that can pack in a carry on or small suitcase - I envy you. For me, I can't even get all my medications and equipment in a small case. Then my camera, yes, I take a real camera. I don't take tons of shoes but I do take things like a clock for the nightstands and big drinking glasses. I drink a lot and those piddly glasses don't work for me. I hate the hair dryer in hotels and on the ship so that comes along. I suppose if I were in your shoes I'd leave that at home. i stopped wearing make up a long time ago. I've been married 40 years. I don't have to impress anyone but him and he's fine with it. I do take a small baggies with miscellaneous bathroom stuff like band aids, neosporin etc.

 

Leave out the shoe organizer, the duct tape, the night light, highlighters, magnets and all the other crap that people insist you need. Take what you would if you were going to your relatives for a week. Geez.

 

I've cut back but I still take what I want to take. I have a LOT more room now that I can't take my alcohol bottles. :D

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It is pretty easy to become a minimalist out of necessity (and cheapness) when flying Spirit :). Onlike most airlines, their weight limit is 40 lb. and I forgo the carry on as they charge for that as well. I just carry a large purse :)

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I can do 5 days in Vegas with the same--with day & evening outfits & several pair of shoes!

 

The key is travel sized toiletries & clothing that can be used more than once. I only need 1 pair of black shorts, 1 pair twill black capris & 1 pair of black dressy pants, with several tops. Plus you change clothes so often you don't need a new top for each day--I usually just need 2 tees to alternate for breakfast with short...then into my swimsuit (so what if it is damp? It will dry in the sun)...then capris until dressing for dinner.

 

Shoes--I have Fit flops that work for walking shoes & pools shoes. Then just a couple pair for evening.

 

I don't need a hair dryer...my phone serves as camera, flashlight, alarm. I don't need a shoe organizer...in 10 cruises there has ALWAYS been enough storage (even the 4 the children have been on with us)

 

I also bring a drinking vessel--I like a covered mug to be sure I hydrate all day. I also bring plenty of meds--found out the hard way how expensive they are on the ship!

 

I DO bring a small thing of duct tape. We have had luggage split at the airport, so the small space it takes up is worth it. And I do like a highlighter to mark the activities I want to be sure not to miss...again, light & easy.

 

We fly so frequently that I have my toiletries basically packed all the time. I could pack very very quickly in short notice if necessary.

 

The next several weeks are mad busy around here...I may be tossing things together the night before we fly out. Luckily we are on SWA & flying in the day before so a bit of overpacking is no issue.

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I think "simplicity" is a better term than "minimalism" to describe the attitude reflected in these posts - a "pack smarter" approach, using things that are multipurpose, planning what to bring so that all goes together. With a little advanced planning, less IS more.

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  • 2 weeks later...

On the last night of the cruise when I am packing to go home, I take notes. I make a list of what I should left home and what I needed more of. This is extremely helpful when I pack for my next cruise. I have learned to bring less makeup, less jewelry and more moisturizer.

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When I start to think about packing for my cruise, I type up a packing list specifically for that cruise. I usually do this about a month before. Then right before I pack, I go through my packing list again and tweak it. I usually take a bunch of things off the list. Once I gather all my stuff to pack, I see how much stuff I have and then eliminate things I really don't need as I'm putting things in my suitcase. All the items I don't take, I've never missed.

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My favorite multi-purpose item is a Pashmina. I use boring black. It is an extra blanket on the plane, an evening wrap, a scarf, and head and shoulder covering if I need it to visit a house of worship. I suppose with the right fabric you could use it as a swim suit cover up.

 

I am not a shoe person, so I can save a lot there. For a cooler weather cruise, I got some really simple (some would say ugly) black walking shoes for everyday that looked fine with jeans and pants but I could wear with my dressy black slacks in the evening for "smart" dinners. Not a fashion plate but my feet were comfy. And since I wear the same black cocktail dress for both formal nights, I can get away with one pair of dressy shoes.

 

I plan on wearing most things at least twice - nice tops for dinner don't get that dirty unless I spill. I try to find things I can hand wash or am not worried about if I need to send to a ships laundry.

 

An electronic reader - kindle or nook or whatever - is great if you are a big reader. You can download many travel books and guides on them too. I found our local library had several travel books available for free use during our last trip. Much easier than lugging a small library along.

 

We used to take a multi station power strip to help with charging all the electronics. Now that most of our electronics charge with USB type chargers, we plan on taking a multi-port charging station.

 

Weirdest tip. On a Caribbean cruise my sister and I found all the water and sun really dried our hair. In desperation we used mayonnaise packets from the buffet for a deep conditioning treatment.

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No matter what kind of trip we take, or where we go, or how long we are gone, we always take the same thing:

 

A rollerboard carry-on and a day pack.

 

We've done a lot of standby travel where checked bags limit your options, so we've just gotten used to traveling light.

 

Of course, I've become an expert in "sink laundry."

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HaHa..... see what happens when you drink and read CC. I have read this thread before but THIS time I read: Muslim when packing for a cruise. Now I admit there are MANY titles I misread but thought I'd laugh out loud at myself this time. This is minor to some of my mis-reading titles. Is it old age, drinking, late at night or just being a moron?

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I think some folks probably mean efficiency more so than minimalism. Packing cubes are a most. It's so efficient at making use of luggage space that I've read of people going on 10 day cruises with a carry on, husband/wife using 1 suitcase, etc. Also makes things much easier to retrieve and put back in the event of a random search. Airports and hauling luggage around is probably the biggest stress of a vacation, so why not make things efficient and easier for yourself right?

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For a cruise - one roll-on suitcase each, one small bag that will fit on top of the roll-on + back-pack for meds, valuables and credentials. Easy self-disembarkation. We laugh at those that struggle with a lot of baggage. We did one trip to Italy for two weeks and one to Spain for two weeks with carry-ons (BTW one week was in a clothing optional resort). For a cruise I have a silk sport jacket that doesn't crease for "formal" nights. Other nights - Dockers & a golf shirt. For my wife - pants & a blouse (dressy one for formal nights). Did one week at Club Orient (clothing optional) with one carry-on for the two of us + a back-packs.

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  • 2 weeks later...
That is a good idea about the perfume--little things like that add up.

 

I have discovered a pair of cute Croc ballet flats that weigh next to nothing that I can wear with my dresses/skirts for dinner AND they double as water shoes (they float!)

 

I like to collect "samples" of things like eye cream and make up to take. They take up less room than my usual products and the bonus is that I don't have to bring these items home as I usually use them up by the end of the cruise.

 

I collect those too but when it comes time to pack I'm nervous about trying something new on my sensitive skin. Recently I found that Neutrogena Norwegian formula cream works well on chapped and sunburned faces as well as hands, and can even help heal small cuts. The 2 oz standard size bottle is fairly travel friendly but I found a .5 oz tube on minimus.biz and now I take one of those pretty much everywhere I go, traveling or at home.

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Those that can pack in a carry on or small suitcase - I envy you. For me, I can't even get all my medications and equipment in a small case. Then my camera, yes, I take a real camera. I don't take tons of shoes but I do take things like a clock for the nightstands and big drinking glasses. I drink a lot and those piddly glasses don't work for me. I hate the hair dryer in hotels and on the ship so that comes along. I suppose if I were in your shoes I'd leave that at home. i stopped wearing make up a long time ago. I've been married 40 years. I don't have to impress anyone but him and he's fine with it. I do take a small baggies with miscellaneous bathroom stuff like band aids, neosporin etc.

 

Leave out the shoe organizer, the duct tape, the night light, highlighters, magnets and all the other crap that people insist you need. Take what you would if you were going to your relatives for a week. Geez.

 

I've cut back but I still take what I want to take. I have a LOT more room now that I can't take my alcohol bottles. :D

 

My first cruise as an adult I took just about everything people said I needed because I just didn't know. Every cruise since then I leave more items off the list. We are going to bring some magnetic hooks for our lanyards (misplaced them a couple times last year) and a battery operated tealight for a nightlight. And other than clothes and toiletries that is it.

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On the last night of the cruise when I am packing to go home, I take notes. I make a list of what I should left home and what I needed more of. This is extremely helpful when I pack for my next cruise. I have learned to bring less makeup, less jewelry and more moisturizer.

 

I take my packing list on the trip and cross off everything that did not get used. Then when I'm back at home I update my master list.

 

My friend brought a complete set of different jewelry for every night on our six day cruise last year. necklaces, bracelets, dangly earrings.... she looked super nice but it took a large ziplock to hold it all. I brought two pairs of earrings that fit in a tiny pill box. LOL

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My favorite multi-purpose item is a Pashmina. I use boring black. It is an extra blanket on the plane, an evening wrap, a scarf, and head and shoulder covering if I need it to visit a house of worship. I suppose with the right fabric you could use it as a swim suit cover up.

 

I am not a shoe person, so I can save a lot there. For a cooler weather cruise, I got some really simple (some would say ugly) black walking shoes for everyday that looked fine with jeans and pants but I could wear with my dressy black slacks in the evening for "smart" dinners. Not a fashion plate but my feet were comfy. And since I wear the same black cocktail dress for both formal nights, I can get away with one pair of dressy shoes.

 

I plan on wearing most things at least twice - nice tops for dinner don't get that dirty unless I spill. I try to find things I can hand wash or am not worried about if I need to send to a ships laundry.

 

An electronic reader - kindle or nook or whatever - is great if you are a big reader. You can download many travel books and guides on them too. I found our local library had several travel books available for free use during our last trip. Much easier than lugging a small library along.

 

We used to take a multi station power strip to help with charging all the electronics. Now that most of our electronics charge with USB type chargers, we plan on taking a multi-port charging station.

 

Weirdest tip. On a Caribbean cruise my sister and I found all the water and sun really dried our hair. In desperation we used mayonnaise packets from the buffet for a deep conditioning treatment.

 

I have a couple of boring black Pashminas too and take one every time I fly somewhere - so handy! And I have cut way back on my shoes - tennies for traveling plus any activites where we will be doing substantial walking, one pair of black sandals dressy enough for dinner, and a pair of black Nike gel flip-flops for the rest of the time.

 

and I love the tip about the mayonnaise!

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HaHa..... see what happens when you drink and read CC. I have read this thread before but THIS time I read: Muslim when packing for a cruise. Now I admit there are MANY titles I misread but thought I'd laugh out loud at myself this time. This is minor to some of my mis-reading titles. Is it old age, drinking, late at night or just being a moron?

 

LOL that's pretty funny!

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I think some folks probably mean efficiency more so than minimalism. Packing cubes are a most. It's so efficient at making use of luggage space that I've read of people going on 10 day cruises with a carry on, husband/wife using 1 suitcase, etc. Also makes things much easier to retrieve and put back in the event of a random search. Airports and hauling luggage around is probably the biggest stress of a vacation, so why not make things efficient and easier for yourself right?

 

I still can't bring myself to pay for good packing cubes but I did find some "sweater storage bags" at $ Tree 2 for a buck. Each bag can hold several tops or pairs of shorts or a couple of pairs of pants. It makes it easy to pack things together either an outfit in a bag or similar items all together. This really saves me a lot of time when I get to my destination and can unpack in much less time than when everything is "loose" in the suitcase.

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I have to agree with everyone on the packing list getting shorter and shorter every time I cruise.

 

Here's a trick I adopted from another poster == I use 4 packing cubes and 6 travel sized space bags (press the air out).

 

I pack my first 3 full outfits (including unders and nightgowns) in 3 space bags (press air out) and put all 3 into the biggest packing cube.

 

I use my other 2 packing cubes to pack the mix/match pieces that go with the first 3 full outfits.

 

The final packing cube I use for shoes/sandals/flip flops.

 

My little carry on bag (doubles as my beach bag) has all my toiletries/jewelry/meds/cash, etc....

 

I hope this helps others try to pack less or 'down'...hahaha

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I enjoy the 'proud' light packers. Pack light if you want and less clothes and more money works but.... Some of us like having choices for clothes and jewelry I won't were ugly just cause it's easy and I won't give up make up even though I don't need it and husband doesn't mind. I style my hair - enjoy dressing up and have fun doing it.

Travel in one bag if you like -- I'll take more thanks - I you can usually spot the 'one baggers' by their shoes and outfits LOL

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I enjoy the 'proud' light packers. Pack light if you want and less clothes and more money works but.... Some of us like having choices for clothes and jewelry I won't were ugly just cause it's easy and I won't give up make up even though I don't need it and husband doesn't mind. I style my hair - enjoy dressing up and have fun doing it.

 

Travel in one bag if you like -- I'll take more thanks - I you can usually spot the 'one baggers' by their shoes and outfits LOL

 

 

Not sure why you felt the need to contribute to this thread at all. Take as much or as little as you want. But you don't have to make snide comments about people that like to travel differently from you.

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