How have you lightened the load

[cruisegirl1]

We pack light but seem to have everything we need. We still dress for formal night, but I may wear same dress twice. To be honest - unless you wear a ballgown, formal wear fabric is often "pack friendly" Strappy dress shoes can work with the formal dress as well as with pants on casual evenings

 

I stopped worrying about the perfect pair of shoes or handbag for every outfit ( don't tell the fans of the fashion board).

 

I take NO extra outfits for "just in case" I pack what I need and wear what I pack. It is really easy to dress with fewer options and the cabin is less cluttered.

 

Enyoy

 

M

[Rala]

No flames from here either. Same with us. Used to do the formal thing but no longer. Also only 2 or 3 pairs of shoes. We now each bring one 22 inch rolling bag and a personal type one and thats it for 7 days.

 

We just did this for our 7 day on Liberty...no checked baggage. It was so much easier all around and packing up at the end of the cruise was a breeze and since we didn't put any luggage outside the door of the cabin, we just got off the ship when we were ready and went right to the cab stand.

 

For formal nights Dh wore his navy blazer which he wore on the plane, same dress shirt changed after dinner and a different tie. He wore khakis one night and semi-dressy gray slacks the other. Both slacks were worn on casual nights and he did wear jeans the last night. For me, formal was a pair of silky black evening pants with two different sparkly tops and the same shoes which were very neutral and could also be worn with some casual outfits.

 

We wore almost all our casual shorts and tops twice and used the $20 bag of laundry mid-week for undies, socks, etc.

 

Our carry-ons were not bulging at the seams and we had room for a few souvenirs to bring home. I will definitely pack this way again....much less hassle!

[HappiTravels]

Wow Rala, I can only dream to pack like that. I recently went on a 2 night trip to NYC and still packed so much that I had to check my bag. How do you deal with security and toiletries with carry on (with the airline not the cruiseship). That is always my worry.

[cruzincurt]

Rala,

 

I think you nailed it. That's pretty much the same routine we've developed over our cruising experience. First cruise #1 we had 4 suitcases, a carry-on and a garment bag, last cruise #26, two suitcases.

 

We've done a 3 and 4 day with carry-ons but still do two checked bags for 7 or more. We've quit hauling back souvenirs and booze.

[MICHLEV1974]

Great posts. I grabbed some ideas from everyone on this thread.:)

 

I, too, opted for leaving the formals aside this time. So, although I lightened my luggage load, the costs are still the same bcs we are spending the $$ in the specialty restaurants.

 

Everyone has the right idea out here with the mix/match and laundry onboard, and limiting the shoe count. I switched from shoes to flip flops --they weigh very little and I wear my sneakers and gym stuff on the plane. We also have lighter weight bags that we check w/the clothes (duffle bags weigh less than one pound). The bulky stuff and my little necessities and liquids (311 approved) come with me in my carryon (a sturdier bag so it can go in the overhead). All the little trinkets that folks list (bungie, tape, fan, etc) all fit in the carryon. Doesn't take much room at all.

 

Great posts...keep 'em coming!

[cruissett]

When we flew to California for a B2B husband left the jacket home, tie, shirt & dark dress slacks worked fine for formal night. I find that a strappy gown is only 1 piece and not heavy, pair it with the same white or black sandals I wear other nights. All small hair spray, deodorants, etc. Tiny purse just for glasses & license when off the boat.

I do bring a pair of rubber gloves and a little laundry detergent (3x's liquid style) to do a quick rinse of underwear (woolite foams too much), mix & match clothes. Wear something to dinner one night, re-wear again during the day. And we've been on enough cruises that we seldom buy souvenirs.

[griffy]

Did AOS out of San Juan in June and for the first time did the light packing..and still did formal night. Black slacks did triple duty, as did black sandals..Glammed up with sparkly tops and a sparkly sandals clip on, I managed. Also did the mix & match and I sent a couple of pairs of shorts & tops to the laundry which had very reasonable rates. If you are careful and lay-out all your days and outfits on your bed, you can do it. One bag and one carry on per person and there were 10 in our party. No one exceeded and I don't think we would ever go back to packing everything but the kitchen sink. We hated the idea but we loved the results. One of our BEST cruises EVER!!!

[Happy ks]

We pack light but seem to have everything we need. We still dress for formal night, but I may wear same dress twice. To be honest - unless you wear a ballgown, formal wear fabric is often "pack friendly" Strappy dress shoes can work with the formal dress as well as with pants on casual evenings

 

I stopped worrying about the perfect pair of shoes or handbag for every outfit ( don't tell the fans of the fashion board).

 

I take NO extra outfits for "just in case" I pack what I need and wear what I pack. It is really easy to dress with fewer options and the cabin is less cluttered.

 

Enyoy

 

M

 

Well I 'm a big fan of the fashion board and believe it or not, many women there are also fans of packing light (we give each other good tips) :)

 

We take dark pants and wear them 2-3 times with different shirts for him, tops for me. I stopped taking long gowns and now choose cocktail length dresses. He takes a sports coat, one shirt and 2 ties for formal evenings. We wear the same clothes to disembark that we embarked in, after sending them out to the laundry/dry cleaning. We'll do the same thing for first and last nights dinners.

 

We don't pack unneccessary items, anything that is provided by the ship, with the exception of our own travel sized toiletries.

[Pat.bz]

As we always take b2b or long repositioning cruises (w/ 5 days at either end) bulk and weight are paramount. DH and I each check a 22 inch bag and I start with a small Lesportsac duffle as carryon (DH folds his up for our souvenirs). He takes blk suit plus khaki pants black shoes (walking--uses for all meals as well) plus sports shoes and I take rolled travel knits, chiffon for evening and nice flat black leather sandals (use for all meals) and black Mary Jane Sketchers. Take 2 swimsuits and mix match for 7 days plus various accessories. Take Windbreakers, fleece vests, 2 Kindles, 2 cameras, 2 Ipods, 1 netbook (plus flash drive).

[LisaH]

Less shoes

Less purses

and NO panty hose...the unopened packs used to take up a lot of space.

No hair dryer any longer - use one provided

Hubby rents tux so does not have to pack one

[soulpony]

I now pack light and use the laundry service. For my TA next week on IOS for 13 days I will probably use laundry twice. Saves stress.

 

soulpony

[Mark_K]

I don't. I still take just as much stuff as I always have in the past.

Same here, the $25-30 saved each way by eliminated one bag just doesn't seem like that much in the overall scheme of things.

[hazeleyez3]

Mix and match everything - for day and night. I might wear the same top but different shorts/pants and vice-versa. One of the outfits and shoes will be the one I wear on the plane. We usually fly in the day before so we'll head over to a CVS and get travel size toiletries that will last the trip. The only thing I won't budge on is the formal clothes. I like to have a place to wear my formal dresses, and my husband would rather wear a suit than a tux.

[DCwom]

Just don't take all that junk people have on their important list such as fans, blenders, bungie cords, duct tape, power strips, extension cords, over the door shoe holders, ice coolers, insulated mugs, flats of bottled water, pillows, blow-up pools, laptops, noise machines, backpacks, ....and on and on.

 

Hard to believe people can't survive for a couple of days without all that stuff.

 

It is funny the bulk that people haul along, however given the usefulness of duct tape I do bring it along, but with this trick. I pull a few strips off the roll and stick them to the inside of the suitcase, you never need a whole roll and it always re sticks.

[hazeleyez3]

It is funny the bulk that people haul along, however given the usefulness of duct tape I do bring it along, but with this trick. I pull a few strips off the roll and stick them to the inside of the suitcase, you never need a whole roll and it always re sticks.

 

 

Just an fyi...they sell duct tape in small strips (in something similar to what you see socks and/or pantyhose in) as opposed to a whole roll. I think Target may have some. I have never needed to used duct tape in my life so I can't say for sure that's where I saw it.

[Rala]

Wow Rala, I can only dream to pack like that. I recently went on a 2 night trip to NYC and still packed so much that I had to check my bag. How do you deal with security and toiletries with carry on (with the airline not the cruiseship). That is always my worry.

 

I buy small travel sizes of most everything, put the liquid/gels in the 1 quart bag (one for each of us). Things like blush, mascara are ok as is so they go inthe carryon. I don't wear a ton of make-up, so it's pretty easy. the only thing I couldn't bring was my cologne because I couldn't find a small enough bottle, so I brought a small tube of the same scent of body lotion/cream and I still smelled good!!!

 

I don't know if I could do this for much more than 7 days, but I may give it a try if I am lucky enough to book a longer cruise!!!!

[Shak]

Over time I have replaced most of my heavy, bulky cotton garments with materials that hikers and backpacker use especially for daytime and shore excursions. Many of these fabrics are very light, easy to clean, and wrinkle resistant. A couple of brand names I have and love are Columbia and ExOfficio. I also use athletic/golf t-shirts and polo type shirts that are light and like the hiking wear they wick away moisture to keep you cooler in hot weather. An added benefit of this clothing is you can easily wash them in the sink when dirty and after rolling them in a towel to remove excess water this clothing will be dry by morning. Yes I know you are on vacation but it really does not take a lot of effort to do so. You will also have less laundry to do when you get home. I am a big advocate of folders and cubes I roll most the t-shirts and polo’s and place them in cubes. I also roll some t-shirt, shorts, and bathing suits and fill the cavities of the handle hardware in my luggage. I use folders for my hiking and dress shirts, and my pants. On a recent 16 day land and sea trip I packed 3 pairs of shoes including hiking boots, a digital SLR camera, case, and extra lens, as well as enough clothing in a 25 inch checked bag, a 20 inch carry on, and a personal bag. I got 47 pounds in the checked bag without undoing the expansion zipper too. Everything was wrinkle free as well.

Shak

[ccletzgo]

I have changed my packing 100%. I also invested in Hey's super light weight luggage. We can do a cruise with just 2, 30 inch suit cases now. No more wardrobe bag. No more medium size bags. (26 inch) No duffel bags, etc.

 

Just two carry on's and two 30 inchers. DH does a LOT less complaining about the load now and we don't need a cart, or a porter. The large bags are 4 wheel spinners, so you can push them along so easy.

 

 

Its all the funny extras that I stopped packing. This beach bag and that beach bag. Forget all the differant SPF numbers. one bottle of 15 is fine.

No over the door shoe thingy, and I dont take differant jewelry for every outfit like I used too. We can share a can of shaving cream. Do I really need a pink can, just because its for women? :rolleyes: No more Cam-corder. LOL that old big thing. Little camera does it all now. Also take a little net- book now instead of the bigger, heavier laptop..

 

I used to take everything but the kitchen sink. :eek: We used to use 4 pieces of luggage and 2 carry on's.

[we like it hot]

We are getting much better at packing also. I love the eagle creek cubes and 18" pack it folders. We used them for the first time on our last trip. The 18" fits perfectly in a carryon. We were able to pack enough for the 2 of us, including tuxedo using one large suitcase and 2 carryons. I know we could do better if we tryed. I am still proud that we had enough room left over for booze and gifts to bring home.

[Kaboochi]

Doing a 3 nighter this weekend, and due to scheduling issues, I'm flying in same day, which is something I don't usually do, so I'm not checking a bag.

Because of that, and because it's just a 3 nighter, I'm determined to limit myself to just a medium sized, zip-top tote bag. Anything that isn't essential just won't get packed for this cruise. (So no work-out wear on this one, LOL)........A couple of dresses that are the kind you can roll in a ball to pack and they don't wrinkle, plus a pair of sandals for evening, a pair of shorts, a t-shirt/tank top or two, 1 bathing suit and cover up, a VERY minimal makeup/toiletry bag...that, plus what I actually wear on the plane is about it!

I'd love to live close enough to a port to do a long weekend cruise. Enjoy!

[brmoqueen]

I had gotten this idea from one of the boards here on CC...

 

I bought "Onesoles" shoes.....it's one base with various toppers....I have casual topper, formal topper, and two toppers for other dinner nights.....Other than my sneakers these are the only other shoe I take...Cut out taking 3 other pairs....

[cryscruiser]

I'm a terrible suitcase packer. So, I do just as always, open the closet and everything that is in it goes into the suitcases.

[Roadtripster]

We are doing a 2 week + land/cruise to Europe/Mediteranean. Taking a carry on and a shoulder bag. Don't plan on doing laundry unless I have to.

 

I only wear dresses to dinner. No matter what the dress code is for the night. One dress is less to pack than a pair of pants and a top. Only one pair of dress shoes that all the dresses match with.

 

Very little day casual clothes as I can mix and match those plus anything new I would buy.

 

Don't pack pajamas. I just wear a tank top and shorts that I can also use as a day set if need be after washing.

 

Very little extras as in cosmetics/hair stuff.

[Tucker in Texas]

Yes, it is a shame that Southwest doesn't fly to all cruise ports. But I so love their new commercials - espicially the one where they point to the luggage hole and say "Pay to fly there?". Some smart business by not following the other airlines and then creating a great advertising campaign.

 

I liked the ad where if "your suitcase wants to bring his little friend to keep him company, that's another fee."

 

I find that my low heeled dress shoes fit nicely inside my husband's size 12 wing tips.

 

Tucker in Texas

[zebra36]

Now that the dress seems to be more casual I no longer pack a sport coat and attending attire for those now defunct semi-formal nights in the dining room.