Ever pack anything you don't plan on bringing home?

[Lovely other]

I always bring my best undies. But I had to laugh at leaving the old underwear behind. My mom and I went on a 3week bus tour of Europe. We were only allowed one suitcase so we had to put our dirty clothes back in with our clean ones. My mom left her dirty underwear behind everyday. I always wondered what housekeeping thought.

 

I always bring a liquid hand soap with a pump. I hate washing my hands with the little bar of soap. I always put it in a baggy just in case and throw it away at the end. If we plan on hitting the beach I get a noodle at the dollar store and cut it in two pieces. I take half to the beach and leave it there giving it to a child if possible. And then use the other half a different day.

 

what is a noodle ?

[MrsPete]

The last morning of the cruise is always a bit frenzied, so we've decided that it's easier to plan for a "disposable morning":

 

- We pack up everything the night before and close up our suitcases, leaving one wear-it-home outfit (and shoes) on top of the suitcase. We do the look-through-the-drawers-for-what-we-are-leaving thing on the last night so that on the final morning, we don't feel the need to do ANYTHING except leave.

 

- My husband always sleeps in his boxers anyway, so he doesn't leave out anything for his last night's sleep . . . but I bring ONE old nightgown, which I can leave behind.

 

- We bring "just enough" toiletries, and after we've used them on the last morning, we just walk away from the bathroom. We're only abandoning a smidge of shampoo and a couple toothbrushes. I tend not to bother with make-up for the drive home, so that is packed up the night before. My make-up is too expensive to leave behind. We do recognize that this isn't the nicest thing to do to the cabin steward, so we always leave an extra tip for the last minute stuff.

 

The leave-it method makes that last frenzied morning a little nicer.

[SadieN]

what is a noodle ?

 

 

One of those long, cylindrical foam pool toys.

[aussielozzie18]

I was delighted to find a new release book by one of my favourite authors in the onboard library. Obviously, it had been donated by another passenger. It gave me a lot of pleasure to read. And I did return it to be library before the end of the cruise.

[ShakyBeef]

I'm sure many kids and their parents have prayed for you in various religions.

 

 

Aw, how very sweet of you to say. And such a heartwarming thought. Thank you.:o But what I do is such a small thing and at least half-selfish.:o

[NMLady]

...

As to bringing hangers, we always get all we need by asking the steward for more the first time we talk to him. No need to bring them from home.

 

I am one who brings wire hangers. I realize the steward will bring me as many wooden ones as needed but:

 

1. Wire hangers take up less room in the closet.

2. I don't like to bother the steward on busy embarkation day.

3. I have more wire hangers than I know what to do with.

4. My suitcase has half with slots for wire hangers so some shirts/blouses are packed on hangers making transfer into closet easily done. Those hangers are left behind though since those shirts/blouses are dirty so brought home folded.

[SnowshoeCat]

Well, at some point they have to be worn for a last time. I make the cruise the last time. By the way, I throw them away in one of the many plastic bags that you get while shopping on the cruise. The room steward will then know that it was not a mistake to throw them away.

 

Thank you for explaining so succinctly. This is what I do, plastic bag and all.

 

It's not just the room in the suitcase. It's also, for me, the idea of "starting over" when I get home. A vacation is a chance for me to unwind and give myself a fresh start. Throwing out old underwear is sort of symbolic :)

 

 

That's funny, I had this same probblem (including having to break it up into several pieces after they ignored the written message) trying to throw away an old, brittle, broken-up recycle bin. The garbage guys just wouldn't take it!:p

 

Me too.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I am one who brings wire hangers. I realize the steward will bring me as many wooden ones as needed but:

 

1. Wire hangers take up less room in the closet.

2. I don't like to bother the steward on busy embarkation day.

3. I have more wire hangers than I know what to do with.

4. My suitcase has half with slots for wire hangers so some shirts/blouses are packed on hangers making transfer into closet easily done. Those hangers are left behind though since those shirts/blouses are dirty so brought home folded.

 

That makes sense then, I just don't want to make room for hangers in my suitcase. which doesn't have the slots--I like every bit of space for clothes!

 

I also actually don't have many wire hangers anymore, as I prefer other types.

 

We've always gotten a mix of wooden and wire hangers from the stewards. Since it's the only request we make, and we tell him we don't need them right away, I hope it's ok to ask this one thing. We're pretty low maintenance after that.

[Surfguyxxx]

I was very happy to see this thread. I'm doing a TA next month and was planning on doing this exact same thing. Shampoo bottles, shaving mirror, maybe an old clothes steamer; things like that are what I was planning on leaving behind. Thanks for some other great ideas!

[voyagerfl]

LoL, here's one, when I was reading a Rick Steve's book for our Land vacation to Italy, he made the underwear suggestion. Also their is a paper based underwear you can get that is ment to be disposable. We bought some they were not so bad, but not thrilled with buying something with intent on dumping it

[voyagerfl]

Just checked the disposable underwear are 30 pair for $19.99 on Amazon,

[NMLady]

I was very happy to see this thread. I'm doing a TA next month and was planning on doing this exact same thing. Shampoo bottles, shaving mirror, maybe an old clothes steamer; things like that are what I was planning on leaving behind. Thanks for some other great ideas!

 

If the old clothes steamer is electric, don't bother bringing it since it will probably be confiscated as a fire hazard and not returned to you until the last night, when you will have to go get it, waiting in line with others.

[Sue Do-Over]

"Disposable underwear on Amazon"...

 

ALL underwear is disposable... you just throw it away! Grins!

[ShannonSto]

A box of diapers ;-)

 

Seriously, though, I always pack trial size toiletries for myself and the kids so that I don't have to repack them when they are all wet and i'm already bummed that my cruise is almost over.

 

 

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[Laughing Angel]

Just checked the disposable underwear are 30 pair for $19.99 on Amazon,

 

I thought you were talking about Depends, or Tena, or something for incontinence, but those are regular disposable briefs. Cool! I didn't know they made these. Thanks for the clue!

[RN4Nsy]

My late Mom taught me to leave behind old underwear. Once I brought new still in the pkg panties and they were too small! Think girdle! So the old ones are outa there and new ones await at home. P.S. we have also had a terrible time trashing an old trash can!