best way to pack. advice?

[Davechipp74]

any advice on packing for a 17 day panama canal plus 4 days in vegas?

my wife and i are doing the cruise from n.y. to l.a. then flying to vegas, before we have to fly back to n.y.

i very worried about how we should pack(enough clothes for 21 day vaycay, plus in as few bags as possible that weigh under 50lbs)

any advice, tips, or tricks will be great thank you :)

 

 

this is not our first cruise so we are good on all the over the door shoe hanger, power strip, and duct tape stuff that we never need anyway. just clothes stuff please :rolleyes:

[GORDONCHICK]

Two words: ship's laundry!

 

You can either do it by the item or do the laundry special. I wish all lines had the HAL laundry special - all your laundry for $X per day for the entire cabin! It was a wonderful thing on our Alaskan cruise and helped us not to pack the kitchen sink.

[Love.II.Cruise]

What month is your trip?

 

any advice on packing for a 17 day panama canal plus 4 days in vegas?

my wife and i are doing the cruise from n.y. to l.a. then flying to vegas, before we have to fly back to n.y.

i very worried about how we should pack(enough clothes for 21 day vaycay, plus in as few bags as possible that weigh under 50lbs)

any advice, tips, or tricks will be great thank you :)

 

 

this is not our first cruise so we are good on all the over the door shoe hanger, power strip, and duct tape stuff that we never need anyway. just clothes stuff please :rolleyes:

[navybankerteacher]

After you pack everything that comes to mind that you think you might want/need, tthen unpack, put one of everything you packed two or more of back into your closet, and go with what is left. Your original instincts about what things you will need are probably correct -- you just initially pack too many of each item.

[Colorado Kat]

Use the ship's laundry!

 

And minimize the number of shoes!

[pris993]

Pack for a week and wear every 2 or 3 times. No one cares or notices.

 

Try to pack the heavy items i.e., shoes in your carryons.

 

Don't pack miscellaneous items, like toothpaste, sunscreen, etc. buy them when you get to your destination.

[Cruisin' Chick]

A major reason we'll probably stick with Princess is that we can use the self-service laundries onboard. We're trying to do cruises longer than a week and one member of our family is allergic to regular laundry detergent so we can't send her clothes to the ship's laundry.

[Essiesmom]

What month is your trip?

 

Countdown clock shows late April. EM

[Keith1010]

any advice on packing for a 17 day panama canal plus 4 days in vegas?

my wife and i are doing the cruise from n.y. to l.a. then flying to vegas, before we have to fly back to n.y.

i very worried about how we should pack(enough clothes for 21 day vaycay, plus in as few bags as possible that weigh under 50lbs)

any advice, tips, or tricks will be great thank you :)

 

 

this is not our first cruise so we are good on all the over the door shoe hanger, power strip, and duct tape stuff that we never need anyway. just clothes stuff please :rolleyes:

 

Did a 19 day Panama Canal Cruise last November and many other long cruises.

 

You will definitely need to make sure of the laundry on the ship so factor that into your packing decision.

 

Plan to wear items multiple times and pack accordingly.

 

My wife will plan outfits to minimize shoes. So certain outfits she might not take if she can only wear shoes with one outfit.

 

You can do likewise in how you match shirts to pants and even shoes and so forth.

 

Research weather carefully so you take the right items with you. If you arrive before the start of your cruise you can purchase some of the toiletries

on land to minimize cost.

 

Be sure that you each take a carry on bag and a personal bag to minimize checked luggage.

 

Finally, in the scheme of things if you had to take one extra bag the cost for the additional item would really be small in the scheme of things relative to the cost of the trip. So, while it's great to minimize what you take you want to enjoy your cruise so take that into consideration as well.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have also done quite a few long cruises.

 

And we certainly do make use of the ship's laundries.

 

I make computer lists years ago of the outfits that we would need to pack in the suitcases. I take very little shoes - no need for a pair for every outfit. Basic black heels goes a long way.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Use zip lock bags .....

[Love.II.Cruise]

any advice on packing for a 17 day panama canal plus 4 days in vegas?

my wife and i are doing the cruise from n.y. to l.a. then flying to vegas, before we have to fly back to n.y.

i very worried about how we should pack(enough clothes for 21 day vaycay, plus in as few bags as possible that weigh under 50lbs)

any advice, tips, or tricks will be great thank you :)

 

 

this is not our first cruise so we are good on all the over the door shoe hanger, power strip, and duct tape stuff that we never need anyway. just clothes stuff please :rolleyes:

 

Woops! Didn't see your time clock to your cruise. I would carry two small rolly carry-ons with 2 sets of clothes for each of you with a bathing suit (just in case you lose your luggage somewhere) . Also consider the shoes you are wearing on your flight (would you be ok wearing those for the entire trip if you had lost your luggage - maybe some sandals in your carryon is a good idea then).

 

If you plan to bring alcohol in your luggage (and drink it on the ship) - that means that space will be free for you to use for any purchases you make on your cruise. You should be under the 50lbs when you return. If you pack 50lbs and buy stuff plus bring back the same 50lbs, you may have problems at the airport if your luggage is overweight (they will charge you more).

 

I'd pack about 4 outfits for each of you in your luggage, plus formalwear if you plan to go to the formal evenings. I'd also pack a very light jacket for the days at see from LA (it could be cold outside in the evenings up on deck). Use the ships facility for laundry (either laundry room - or send it out). Some cruise ships also discount to have your clothes cleaned on the last day (which would mean your clothes would be set for Vegas).

 

As for Vegas - it's gonna be hot! I lived there many years. I don't go back to see family in the summer. But, if you plan to stay indoors all day gambling and/or just walking through hotels and casinos to see exhibits, then you should stay cool. If you plan to see a show in Vegas and do a fancy dinner, then you can use one of the formalwear you used on the cruise for this.

[Davechipp74]

thank you for youre great replies :D

[griffy116]

1. Use Zip-locks instead of all the fancy containers, etc. Snack size for jewelry, sandwich size for undies, etc., etc.

2. Use a color that can be mixed and matched. It eliminates the number of shoes and makes it easy to put a different t-shirt or top with a pair of pants already worn multiple times to make a different outfit. I use black and tans.

3. Use the ship's hair-dryer if at all possible to eliminate the need to pack one. They are heavy and take up valuable space.

4. Take travel sized/individual packs of OTC meds, not a complete package.

5. Don't bother carrying a travel-size detergent to wash out small items. If you need to hand wash something in the bathroom sink, use the "mystery gel" in the dispenser.

6. Wear layered clothing on the plane, along with the heaviest, bulkiest shoes (athletic shoes). This gets a few items of clothing to the destination without the weight and bulk in the suitcase.

7. Take lightweight clothing that doesn't wrinkle easily.

8. Use the special offered on the ship for laundry service.

 

No one is going to notice if you wear the same slacks with a different top so wearing the slacks or shorts more than once will work. The exception: Don't scrimp on underwear.

[DBKK]

Take things with you that you don't have to bring back - old tshirts, old towels, shoes, etc. Wear them on the cruise, then leave them - that way you have room for your goodies you pick up on the cruise. Same with toiletries.

[Sea Breeze]

Roll your clothes and pack them.. I first packed the same amount and my case would hardly shut. Then I rolled the clothes and they fit with room to spare. The wrinkles were few and far between as they were packed so tightly. I was truly amazed at the difference.

 

Then I pack a pillow case or trash bag for dirty clothes to take to wash at some point..

 

good luck and have fun on your trip

[dreamindessert]

I've been researching and researching packing and re-packing. to me... packing light (therefore less) is the way to go. You will be on the move and probably don't wish to lug around heavy luggage bags.

 

I was watching the "packing light" videos and they show you how to pack 16 garments into a 22" carry on bag. If you look at how much he can get into a carry on, it really makes you think about how much you can get into a large checked bag... or how much you really need.

 

He explains how many outfits you get with the 16 garments and what you can live without for weeks at a time. I'm only travelling for 2 weeks and after watching his video and really combing through what I'm taking... I've cut my luggage in half. So I'll be half as heavy. More room to bring stuff home :D

 

http://www.packinglight.net/

 

Plus you can get cheap (maybe even free) alternatives to how this guy packs (becuase some of the products he's just trying to sell and we frankly don't need them)

[NorthCarolinaBelle]

Don't forget when you're paring down that you may not be able to wear clothes more than once because if it's hot you'll be sweating in them! I made this mistake once when traveling to Key West and the Bahamas. There were days when I would come in from site-seeing and have to completely change clothes.:eek:

[fleckle]

any advice on packing for a 17 day panama canal plus 4 days in vegas?

my wife and i are doing the cruise from n.y. to l.a. then flying to vegas, before we have to fly back to n.y.

i very worried about how we should pack(enough clothes for 21 day vaycay, plus in as few bags as possible that weigh under 50lbs)

any advice, tips, or tricks will be great thank you :)

We find it very easy to do because we don't pack more than 7 days of clothing, no matter how long the trip. Instead we make good use of the ship's laundry and dry cleaning services.

 

Any article of clothing that we are not willing to send out to be laundered or dry cleaned gets left behind at home.