How early is too early??

[G&TQ]

How early is too early to start packing??? I cruise in 82 days and I am ready to start packing!!!!!

[Traveler353]

I pack the night before, takes me 20 minutes.

[MrPete]

I pack the morning of; DW packs 1 to 2 weeks in advance. Drives her nuts. Last thing I pack is a shaker of salt.

 

And without fail, she's always forgotten something. Last time it was her underwear.

 

Upon her revelation, I simply pull out my shaker of salt.

[joebat1]

How early is too early to start packing??? I cruise in 82 days and I am ready to start packing!!!!!

 

IMHO, you should have started 8 days ago..... Now you are going to have to hurry ~~!!~~

[CeleBrat]

I'm packing already too, for our April cruise. But--it's really just a bag in the corner of our bedroom that I keep randomly tossing things into as I buy them. (MUST HAVE NEW CLOTHES, of course!)

 

CeleBrat

[Sheffie]

How early is too early to start packing??? I cruise in 82 days and I am ready to start packing!!!!!

 

Crap! I leave the same weekend that you do and I haven't even started! Good grief! I just remembered I have a cruise in between now and then. I probably will miss the ship because I am not ready!!!

[GranthamMommy]

I'm not sailing until June, but I just ordered a few things on-line. When they arrive, I'll start "the box" in our guest room. Then I'll make sure there is room in the guest room closet to put the new clothes.

[Tbay-eh]

Like another poster, I am the night before. If I start too early, I pack and repack because I forget what I have packed - twice the work and three times the stress. I have forgotten more things when I pack ahead than when I pack day of. Each to their own. Like the salt packer I pack hot sauce - never can find the kind I like.

[Duckie26]

I started packing in June.... I leave tomorrow. :D

[yogi2929]

Just gave the kids their list and took down there suitcases for next week's cruise.

[G'ma]

I get out the suitcase and fold everything the night before. I pack the morning I leave. Takes about 20-30 minutes.

 

I take the same things each time, don't take anything "just in case", take only what I KNOW I'll wear/use...and put it all in a 22" roll-on-board.

 

Unpacking on the ship takes about 10 minutes.

[cjackso8]

I leave for Miami in 12 days, and I'm completely packed! (of course minus the toothbrush and whatnot)

 

I made absolutely sure I stuck to what I know I'll need. Suitcase is zipped and ready to go! Now all I have to do is wait. :eek:

[G&TQ]

I love some of your responses.:D:D

 

I have made a list and I will start tossing some stuff in the suitcase as I come across them. There are some thing I will not use between now and then like swim suites, water shoes....

 

I am going to try hard not to buy anything new for this trip if only to prove to DH I can do it.

[Mommyof1]

How early is too early to start packing??? I cruise in 82 days and I am ready to start packing!!!!!

 

That is too funny! You are just excited. I mentally start packing a month or 2 before, but don't really start packing until the week of. I'm obsessive about making packing lists, so if you're not REALLY packing, then I think you're ok. :)

[T. Advisor King]

In my opinion, if you're packing more than a week in advance, it's probably too soon. Of course, it's up to each vacationer to do what he/she wants, but I can't imagine the point or benefit of packing any earlier than about 7 days in advance.

 

If you pack any sooner than that, then surely there are things you'll pack that you'll have to unpack (because you need them). Or there will be too many things that will be on the "can't pack yet" list that it would make the whole exercise a bit of a pointless waste of time.

 

I suppose I could see that if you were going on a shorter (3-4 day) cruise, you would need less and therefore it would be more likely that you could set more of those things aside farther in advance. But on a shorter cruise, do you really need to pack that far in advance -- especially given you'd have fewer things to take?

 

We try to start packing about 4 days in advance. That's when we'd set aside the "equipment"-type stuff (video and still cameras, extension cords, books, games, that sort of stuff). We know we can live without it for 4-5 days. That portion might account for 30-40% of our packing. Then the day before, after all the laundry is up to date, we pack our clothes and just about everything else. That probably accounts for 50-60% of the packing. Then the day of, we pack our last-minute things.

 

If you have a good list, then packing isn't a big deal. We keep an all-purpose travel packing list that works for a week in Hawaii, a business trip, a cruise, or even a camping trip. You just cross off the stuff that doesn't apply and start packing the rest.

[5waldos]

I do almost all my shopping on line so I need to think things through early enough to get things delivered if I realize I need something. And since I have growing boys, that is common. I usually begin a pile of things to pack about 2 weeks in advance, actually pack the day before.

[janetlm]

I love some of your responses.:D:D

 

I have made a list and I will start tossing some stuff in the suitcase as I come across them. There are some thing I will not use between now and then like swim suites, water shoes....

 

I am going to try hard not to buy anything new for this trip if only to prove to DH I can do it.

 

 

I love your response. The guys don't get the NEED to shop do they! Mine is only interested in shopping at the woodworking store. Oh gads, another tool!! :eek:

 

I start packing about a month out mentally. Then it begins to get physical about 2 weeks out. I have an excuse though... I pack for DH too...

 

Now, don't get too offended for my sake. I plan our vacations, book them and organize them. But, I get to pick where we go. All he wants to know is when to book vacation. :)

 

He doesn't complain about anything that I plan/obsess over. :rolleyes:

[harlee3]

I start planning 5 months ahead. We make sure the tux is clean. I make sure I can still fit in my formal wear. If not I go on a diet....

Elaine

[marshhawk]

I cleaned out a drawer in the guest room at the beginning of fall. Put in the bathing suits, and ordered some short sets for 1/2 price summer sale and put them in.

When I found buy one get one sales(BOGO) for shampoo and deoderant and toothpaste, I put one each in the drawer, so I don't get caught spending too much the few weeks before the cruise.i I made list after list, crossing more and more off the list, figured what I would wear each evening, and pulled out the dresses and hung them out last Friday(snow day). We cruise in 20? days but are flying out the day before the cruise, so I have one land day to pack for. I also have to work late the night before we fly out, so I need to be packed by the Thursday before we leave.

And we leave the house at 6 a.m. So don't fret. Pack when you want. And don't forget the underwear.:D LOL I know I have done that before. Oh and several times I forgot the jammies.:o:rolleyes:

[moonandsun]

It is never too early. We leave in 52 days and we started packing about 3 months ago. We pack the things we "might forget" like the small fan, power cord, bungee cords, night light, books, etc. Clothes, I will start about a month out. It works for us! :D

[richfret]

I feel your pain. Actually I start a year in advance. I set aside a drawer in my dresser that is used only for new clothes bought during the year that will be used during the cruise. That way when I start to pack, that is the first place I go to.

 

Then about 4 months prior to the cruise, I post 3 signs on the door of our Guest Bed Room. One sign establishes this bed room as CRUISE CENTRAL. That's the official room for packing and storing for the cruise. I also post a sign of "Things we have to take". The 3rd sign is a format I set up of all important things about the ship (Deck Plans, port dates and times, ship details, etc.) and will also be attached to the door of our statement. I know. ............... I know ................. It's kind of sick but I am one of those planner types.

 

We are at 61 days until our cruise and I would have had the suit cases in CRUISE CENTRAL except for the fact that we will be having company visiting us next week and they will be using the room. (We live in Florida so this is not un usual). Once they leave (about 2 hours), I will bring down the suit cases.

 

Then "Let the packing begin!" Now my wife on the other hand views all this with disdain. She can't understand it but after 45 years and 13 cruises, she has learned to live with it. She will begin packing about 2 days before we leave for the cruise. I panic because of this but I realize it works for her. She will close the lid on her suitcase about 20 minutes before we leave for the cruise. Yikes!!!!!! My suitcases will be in the car the nights before.

In any event, both systems work. I just think my system is better.

 

Now if you will excuse me, I was thinking about coming up with another sign establishing "FORE" and "AFT" to be posted on the cabin door so I know which way to go on the ship. I told you I was a planner.

[JanesCruisingBuddy]

DW officially stared packing today, and we are 117 days out.

[DqALEX]

I cruise in 12 days I should start soon. I also still have to print out my tickets, and tape up my luggage tags.

[G&TQ]

This is just going to be a different trip from normal. We are not flying but driving. I just started a new job and vacation time is short this year so we are leaving after I get of of work 6pm on a Wed, one night at my Moms and then a short drive to the port. I will have to rely on DH for most of the actual packing. I will just be placing things in the guest bedroom as I think of them. I already have a drawer with swimsuits and water shoes water wallet lanyards ect, stuff purchased for prior vacations and cruises that are not used at home or often. I am creating a toiletry bag to leave packed as both DH and I will be traveling alot this year on business and this will make everything a lot easier. I am hoping when I get up to just put my makeup in a bag and zip.

Here is to happy cruising...

[reno3]

Can't pack until my shorts and little black dress fit me again:eek:

I have three months to go and joined the local gym two days ago:cool: