How far in advance do you start staging for your cruise?

[iancal]

We each pack our own. DW starts 7-10 days in advance. I do it the night before if we have an early flight or the morning of departure if we have an afternoon flight.

[mamaofami]

By "staging" I presume you mean gathering the "things" that will be needed on the trip, and setting them in a place so they'll be ready for packing.

 

When the notice comes in that my documents are ready, I bring out the folder for that cruise. When I think of it, I add the passport to that pile, and that builds over time.

I usually have the suitcases brought up 10-days to 2-weeks, before, depending on when I can get help with that. Mentally, I start packing during this entire period. Then, I pack one or two weekends before I leave, depending on the day of the week I depart.

 

My suitcases were brought up yesterday, and I plan to pack this weekend. I know exactly what I will be taking, so packing is simply a matter of putting the things in the bags.

I leave next Thursday, so all is under control.

 

Ruth, have a wonderful cruise.

[mamaofami]

I've booked air and hotel for my January cruise.

 

I keep a list in my computer for clothing, meds, and various other necessities and start gathering everything but the clothing about two weeks before.

 

The clothing gets worked out on the computer and in my head, and packed several days prior to leaving.

 

On my cruise last January, the ship was so cold I had to buy a sweatshirt. Ditto in June. Now, I'll just pack one, even if going to the Caribbean.

[patwell]

We are almost at final payment ( actually 2 final payments by next week), so now I begin in earnest going through old packing lists and making new ones based on them. SInce we are repeating our Dec Noordam cruise from last year the list part will be easy.:D Ditto for most of the wardrobe choices. :D And since we can drive to the cruise all I needed to do in advance is excursions and they are done and Pinnacle nights booked.

 

However we will be spending a couple of weeks pre cruise at our Florida beach house and that will require some different things in a separate suitcase. So I"ll pack earlier than normal. Usually I do the cruise packing 5 days ahead.....now the stuff, save formal wear which I'll hang out, will be packed for a couple of weeks. Hello laundry steaming onboard the first day!:D

 

We've been on the road so much this summer that the suitcases have never gotten back into the closet storage! So I"m ready to go by end of October for Noordam and in 2 weeks for OBX.

 

Cheers, Penny

 

Penny’s “Affair to Remember” QM2 Review Dec. 2006

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 10,2007...QM2 to the Caribbean again

October 16,2008...QM2 transatlantic in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage.

December 9, 2008...QM2...back to the Caribbean

July 30, 2009....QM2....transatlantic again...

August 7, 2009....QM2... “home” to Norway

Feb. 7, 2010....Emerald Princess to the Caribbean

Aug 14, 2010...QM2... return to Norway, all the way to the top!

Aug 22, 2011...Diamond Princess....North to Alaska!!

Dec 2,2011...Noordam to the Caribbean...outstanding! http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1544173

2012...Assorted land trips in my own stunning country

Oct 2012....OBX

2012...Booked on the lovely Noordam again

[RuthC]

Have a great cruise, Ruth. May the sun shine the entire time. :)

 

Ruth, have a wonderful cruise.

Thanks Gail and Carol. It's a "milestone birthday" for a girlfriend who cruises a lot, but has never been to Alaska. There's a large group of us all going to help her celebrate.

[trikeman]

As soon as I book a Cruise I take care of hotels, air fare and car rentals. Then the excursions when available. As far as packing goes, I don't do it at all. DW says if she let me pack I'd have a swim suit, t-shirts and jeans, and probably not enough of any of it.:rolleyes: