Have you ONLY used a carry on?

[Young&InLove]

gooood info. like i said i'm gonna try it. i can even buy shampoo, toothpaste, brushes, disposable camera etc, at the port at new orleans and carry it in a tote bag AFTER i get off the plane..

[new salt]

For those of you across the pond planning to use European LCCs I am afraid they are now weighing hand baggage (generally 10 kilos) and checking it in a measuring frame almost routinely. A travel or shooting vest is your friend here. since they have yet to start measuring the weight of your clothing; no doubt that is only a matter of time.

[new salt]

I should have added that for a number of LCCs the latest wheeze is coúnting your handbag, camera or laptop as your carry on even if it is tiny; I recently saw a gate agent at Alicante tell a lady that her small handbag and a very small makeup bag (about 8 inches square and six inches deep) counted as two pieces!

[Springwater21]

we usually fly out of Toronto, Westjet or Air Canada, they always weigh the carry=ons. I have seen people overweight on the carry=ons trying to take out items and put in their probably overweight luggage right at the check in counter..not a pretty sight. It also holds up the line to check in. Just another money grabber by the airlines!

[Jobeth66]

I highly recommend http://www.onebag.com as a resource. He has GREAT ways to cut down on your baggage, even if you can't get down to 1 bag, you'll at least make some headway. :)

 

I have a friend who can't travel by herself for a weekend getaway without checked baggage (and that means checked bag, stuffed-full roll aboard carry-on, and her purse/laptop bag), and she was floored when we came to visit her last month for a long weekend with just 1 carry on, and that was for both my husband and I - we had plenty of room left over in our carry on for souvenirs, etc. when we left, as well.

 

The biggest thing is to *be brutal*. Look at your clothing realistically and for us ladies, while we may love coordinating bags, shoes, and accessories - they're really not necessary. A few pairs of slacks, a couple skirts, and/or a LBD that can be dressed up or down is really all you need, along with one pair of flats or heels and a good pair of walking shoes that you'll wear on the plane.

 

For the guys - wearing your suit jacket on the plane helps free up space, as does renting formal wear on the ship if you plan to do formal night. I'm trying to get hubby to wear his kilt for formal night on our upcoming cruise, and just rent the tux jacket & maybe even shoes on the ship, so we don't have to pack them. His kilt rolls up nicely and no worries about wrinkles. :)

 

Learning to pack *every inch* of available space helps too (like stuffing underwear/socks/stockings inside of shoes or anywhere there is empty space). Space bags help too. As does test-packing. Don't pack for the first time in the hours before you're headed to the airport. That will only stress you out.

[Young&InLove]

JoeBeth66:

Thank you for all the great tips. That website is awesome. I'm hoping it'll all fit. We will most likely be flying on Airtran.. and on their website I did not see anything listed about carry-on weights. Oh well- I'll look harder!

I hope we can do it. But if we can't, I still LOVE the idea of sharing ONE checked bag.. that should be plenty for us.

Thanks again!

[Carolin]

I only travel with a carry on bag. As another poster said, be ruthless with the packing. It's a lot of clothes that you mix and match. I pack for two weeks. Laundry is done between week 1 and week 2. I wear cocktail dresses (light fabrics that don't wrinkle) for dinners and don't hesitate to wear the same dress multiple times. I take only three pairs of shoes . basic black pumps that go with any dress up outfit I wear, flip flops and deck shoes (comfy for walking).

 

My goal is to never pack anything that I "might" wear. Everything in the bag will be worn or it doesn't go.

 

Good luck. It can be done.:D

[Young&InLove]

My goal is to never pack anything that I "might" wear. Everything in the bag will be worn or it doesn't go.

 

Good luck. It can be done.:D

 

I really like this statement :)

I think, just for fun I'm going to try to do it at home sometime when I get a free afternoon. Just to see if I can, and what I have to improve on.

I'm the type of person that packs a TON for the what ifs, what if I need Bendryl, dramamine, tylenol, advil, ibuprofin, band aids, a night light, alarm clock, shoes for this, 2 pair sunglasses.... and I pack for it.

I would rather have everything I need and be overpacked, then to have just a carry on and not need anything the entire trip. If that's something I can master then WOW! I want a carry on and have everything!! :D

[FUN33]

I need one carry one just for my photographic equipment & my laptop.

[Jobeth66]

The other thing to check is when you're flying. Since SW bought AirTran, if it's far enough out the bag fees may not apply. :)

[Jobeth66]

I need one carry one just for my photographic equipment & my laptop.

 

Hubby has a camera bag that fits both his DSLR body & lenses and his laptop. That's his 'personal' item. If for some reason I feel I need to bring a laptop (I usually just use his!) I have a backpack that it fits in as my personal item.

[Young&InLove]

The other thing to check is when you're flying. Since SW bought AirTran, if it's far enough out the bag fees may not apply. :)

 

 

REALLY? We'd be flying next December, 2011.. I had no idea they bought them. Will Airtran still exist, just under different management, or will their flights go to SW now?

[CapeCodCruiser]

I really like this statement :)

I think, just for fun I'm going to try to do it at home sometime when I get a free afternoon. Just to see if I can, and what I have to improve on.

I'm the type of person that packs a TON for the what ifs, what if I need Bendryl, dramamine, tylenol, advil, ibuprofin, band aids, a night light, alarm clock, shoes for this, 2 pair sunglasses.... and I pack for it.

I would rather have everything I need and be overpacked, then to have just a carry on and not need anything the entire trip. If that's something I can master then WOW! I want a carry on and have everything!! :D

 

I pack in 1 carry on & still manage to bring a small med kit - you dont have to take the whole package - esp when the meds come in the little blister packs - just take a few a blister packs of each thing.

 

We also have a very small travel clock - there are no clocks in the cabins but you can schedule wake up calls with the cabin phone.

 

I look at everything I think I might want or need and try to figure out if I can make it smaller.

[Young&InLove]

I look at everything I think I might want or need and try to figure out if I can make it smaller.

 

 

Gooood plan. I also made a packing list and realized I can buy small stuff once I get to NOLA, put it in a duffel, and throw it away after the week. I don't sweat the small stuff like throwing away a toothbrush!

[Jobeth66]

REALLY? We'd be flying next December, 2011.. I had no idea they bought them. Will Airtran still exist, just under different management, or will their flights go to SW now?

 

AirTran will no longer exist - everything will be rebranded to SouthWest. I'm willing to bet that by 2011 your luggage fee issue will be moot. The bigger concern is whether your route will be one that SouthWest continues (you don't say where you'd be flying from).

[Twickenham]

I'm the type of person that packs a TON for the what ifs, what if I need Bendryl, dramamine, tylenol, advil, ibuprofin, band aids, a night light, alarm clock, shoes for this, 2 pair sunglasses.... and I pack for it.

 

Remember, you're travelling on a well-stocked cruise ship to developed ports of call. If you need something, you most likely can purchase it during your travels (and this is from experience, having spent quality time shopping for cold remedies for my mother on our last cruise...)

[Young&InLove]

true! On our most recent cruise in august I actually felt seasick for a day.. and that's never happened. I was so caught off guard. But I did just go to the shop and buy some bracelet things (that didn't work by the way!)

And woo hoo for Southwest taking over! Hopeful free baggage!!! That would make me so happy!

And flying from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. There's no non stop flights but SW does depart from Pgh pretty often.

[Jobeth66]

true! On our most recent cruise in august I actually felt seasick for a day.. and that's never happened. I was so caught off guard. But I did just go to the shop and buy some bracelet things (that didn't work by the way!)

And woo hoo for Southwest taking over! Hopeful free baggage!!! That would make me so happy!

And flying from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. There's no non stop flights but SW does depart from Pgh pretty often.

 

If you're flying from PGH, is C-bus an option? I know it's a 3 hour drive, but for me, if the savings are there, it'd be worth it!

 

When we went to Ireland in May, we drove up to Long Island and flew out of JFK because it was $400PP cheaper than flying out of Philly or Newark.

[Young&InLove]

If you're flying from PGH, is C-bus an option?quote]

We thought about it. But.. we would be forced to pay for parking for the week, andd we're going December 17 - December 24... the weather is WAYYY too unpredictable up here up north.. I don't want to take any chances with driving.

And it'll be Christmas Eve, we'll want to get home as soon as possible! Get sleep before santa comes ;)

So driving is an option still.. but very unlikely simply due to the unknown weather variables.

That's why were also trying to find a connecting flight in Tampa Bay or Nashville instead of Baltimore, Cleveland.. as they are MUCH worse with weather...

But it's still a possibility.. I think :)

[sjcruiser]

Just finished sorting the summer clothes, packing them away, and leaving out what we're taking on our January cruise. We thought we could get away with a large garment bag, and a carryon, but thats not going to work. I pulled out the rolling duffel bags, and everything fits inside them (2), but we still may take either a large garment bag, or a carryon. We chose SW because they dont have the baggage fees also, and Airtran is no cheaper going from PHL to FLL, especially with the changing flights in ATL. I'll probably go through the bags again, at least twice before the end of the year, to mix and match and pull somethings out (and put somethings in). The one thing I wont do is take a pair of shoes for every outfit. No ones looking at my feet anyway, so I'm going to keep it simple this time with two pairs of tennis shoes (one black and one white), a pair of balck dress shoes and a pair of flip flops.

[Young&InLove]

sj cruiser:

seems like you've got it under control really great! you're off to a good start.!

[dane225]

I wish that we could get away with just a carryon!! I have a suggestion that I did not see posted, but I could have missed it. You can also wash some clothes while you are on the ship in the laundry area. That way you could cut back on the amount of clothes you have to pack. I am going to try to bring less on this upcoming cruise. I have been on many cruises and still have to pack so much stuff!!!

[Young&InLove]

I wish that we could get away with just a carryon!! I have a suggestion that I did not see posted, but I could have missed it. You can also wash some clothes while you are on the ship in the laundry area. That way you could cut back on the amount of clothes you have to pack. I am going to try to bring less on this upcoming cruise. I have been on many cruises and still have to pack so much stuff!!!

 

 

I looked on the RCCL website and they said they do not offer laundry services. I imagine I was reading while half asleep.. has anyone done laundry on RCCL? Prices?

[operafan]

I looked on the RCCL website and they said they do not offer laundry services. I imagine I was reading while half asleep.. has anyone done laundry on RCCL? Prices?

 

They don't have self service laundries but they do have a laundry service.

[Young&InLove]

Hmmm.. it's something worth looking into. If SW doesn't change it and I still have to pay for luggage then we'll see. Buttttt.. if I get 2 free bags of checked luggage I won't sweat it too much.

I'm sure laundry for a few tshirts is MUCH cheaper than baggage fees ;)

But. The disadvantages for taking 2 checked bags are possible lost luggage, having to go pick it up after the flight instead of just leaving w. the carry on.. etc..

so yes.. even if there are no baggage fees i will most likely try to cram everything into one carry on and one personal item. but i won't sweat it as much :)

thanks!