Worst Cruise Packing Mistakes

[Sayra]

On the way from Indiana to Florida, we stopped in Georgia. My husband took our overnight bag in to change into shorts. After we got to Florida, we realized that he had left my cosmetics bag in Georgia. I didn't have a toothbrush, hairbrush, make-up, nothing.

 

Luckily, the Target in Fort Lauderdale has a "cosmetics concierge" who gave me a bunch of free samples after we told her what had happened.

[PenguinLife]

My only comment is when it comes to formal wear make sure you pack all the accessory items, (cuff links, dress socks, shoes, etc.)

[Kinkacruiser]

Enjoying the thread and thanks to the OP for something fresh. It helps fine tune one's own packing as well :)

Can't think of any bloopers - maybe that's because I have packing lists.

[amscene1]

My father once packed (by accident) a loaded magazine clip for a gun on a Panama Canal eastbound on celebrity. They called him off the ship to the naughty room and he denied it was his. Luckily they let him back on the ship to continue on his way.

[USNUZULOOSE]

Our biggest mistake is taking too many suitcases and not enough wallets ;).

 

Theo

 

Funny! We had to much wallet and not enough suitcase. We had to buy a huge piece of luggage. :D

[Dan Tanna]

Here's a good tip for packing. If you line your suitcase with a garbage bag. Or buy the XX large ziplock bags and pack your clothes in these, you will never have wet clothes delivered to you again. We were in Long Beach a few years back with torrential rain. It happen right when the bags were being staged to be loaded onto the ship. A lot of fellow cruisers had wet clothes. Our suitcases were soaked, but all clothes were dry.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Dan Tanna

[space cowboy]

Misread the departure date for a flight, had to pack everything in a matter of minutes, and then drive 45 miles to the airport. Only forgot to pack an umbrella not bad for panicked packing.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[cruzisme]

No mistakes that I can think of as I start with a list, line the suitcase with a garbage bag, top it with another bag after packing. Cross pack each other's clothes.

 

My cousins never saw their luggage for their 2 week Transatlantic cruise. They did not have any clothes in their carry on. Only books, food, etc. Plus no meds!

 

Think they learned their lesson as they had to buy everything from undies to makeup. For his prescriptions, I guess they saw the doctor on board.

 

Hope this story will help someone as it happened just this year.

[Roatanfans]

Roatan, I'm sure you were glad to get rid of the bag as quickly as possible. In addition to the contents, I'm sure the bag wasn't worth saving.

 

Was very glad, but since I worked for an airline that flies to Alaska we had lots of fish that travelled. It was amazing how often someone returning from a big fishing trip where they did really well would realize that they could really only fit a few of those giant boxes of vacuum packed fish in their car and or freezer. I was always being given "extra" fish that they just didn't want to bother with!

[BabySarge]

This isn't necessarily a "worst packing mistake" but on a 12 day med cruise my sister and I had 32 pairs of shoes between the two of us with about 25 of those pairs being hers alone. The floor of our interior room closet was completely covered. Not sure if all those shoes were worn or not but we had a great time and still laugh about all those shoes.

[beg3yrs]

I was always being given "extra" fish that they just didn't want to bother with!

 

That's a great benefit of the job. Fresh wild-caught salmon. Yum.

 

Edit: Well, reasonably fresh...

Edited October 7, 2015 by beg3yrs

[CamCruiser]

Not our packing mistake but our cruising friend failed to hold out the pants to her outfit to wear off of the ship. She put her luggage out the night before disembarking and didn't realize her mistake until the morning. We received her frantic call and were running all over the ship trying to find an open shop to sell us something she could cover herself with to walk off the ship. FYI--all shops are closed up tight.

Her desperate plan was to take her husband's jeans and have him walk off in his boxer shorts!

In a stroke of luck, our daughter-in-law had not packed her evening outfit, so had two pairs of pants.

We laugh about it now...

[A.stew12305]

Ah just grow a beard ... assuming you're not talking about shaving your legs ... :eek:

Assuming you like the beardless look, conditioner works really well in my experience. No propellant, so it stays good. I keep a set of bath stuff in my suitcase, because I'm always forgetting razors or contact solution. I forgot my contact case when we went camping once, that sucked. I had to use plastic cups and hope for the best.

[shredie]

I forgot Tums on a TA. They cost a fortune on the ship. I never forget now.

[TracieABD]

My mom packed 5 pairs of white capris, but no auto-inject needles for her insulin.

 

I packed many pairs of white running socks, but no glasses or contacts (I have a four inch visual field w/o correction).

 

But after getting a cold/flu on a cruise, I will ALWAYS bring my own kleenex and vicks. Cruiseline tissue was invented by the Marquis de Sade.

[Lucky TGO]

This is a great thread. "Hilarious & Unfortunate":D :( This may help you when packing for your next cruise. www.independttraveler.com/packing

 

Tony

[framer]

Father in law failed to pack any underpants, socks, and pants in his suitcase. Thank you Princess for having underpants his size and socks in your onboard store. I had a extra new pair of trousers that fit him somewhat until he could find a Wal-Mart at the 1st port call. DMIL was so :mad: at him having place all those things next to his suitcase for him to pack.

 

Senior Moment....

 

framer

[Lucky TGO]

This is a great thread. "Hilarious & Unfortunate":D :( This may help you when packing for your next cruise. www.independttraveler.com/packing

 

Tony[/quote

So sorry:eek: go to Independent Traveler. com and you will see Packing List.

Tony

[1Shipmate2]

I think i will pack a little of everything in my carry on just in case. A couple of outfits that dont tKe too much room. At least i will be a little prepared. There are some people that can pack a lot in those cases. I will also do the same for my hubby.

[Rootie8715]

But I let my father with what I thought was mild dementia drive me to the airport. While unloading the bags from the back of the truck we realized we were in the wrong place for unloading. I directed him to drive around again to drop our bags. My mother and I were left on the sidewalk with our passports, tickets to Tahiti and a bag of shoes. We went to Tahiti with no clothes.

[Treven]

Was very glad, but since I worked for an airline that flies to Alaska we had lots of fish that travelled. It was amazing how often someone returning from a big fishing trip where they did really well would realize that they could really only fit a few of those giant boxes of vacuum packed fish in their car and or freezer. I was always being given "extra" fish that they just didn't want to bother with!

A number of years ago I lived across a courtyard from a couple with, I'd guess, a ten year old son. The father and son loved to go salmon fishing here in Northern CA - they didn't like the taste, but they loved fishing for salmon. So for the three years they lived there my freezer was packed with salmon; didn't have room for anything else tho. The only thing they asked for as payment was if the fish was a female, I'd give them the eggs.

Edited October 7, 2015 by Treven

[piper28]

I've been there on the not cross-packing the clothes. Our second cruise, wife suggested that we cross-pack some of the clothes just in case something happened. Course, I said no, shouldn't be a problem. Get to Houston, and only 3 of our 4 bags arrive. Naturally, it's the one that had my clothes. Course, this was on a flight where we'd gotten stuck overnight in Chicago, then the chicago to houston flight was running late, so we were cutting it pretty close to get to the port before the ship left. We ended up being about the last people getting on the ship. And of course I had no shorts for a Caribbean cruise. Thankfully, another passenger ended up lending me a pair after hearing our story. Suitcase finally caught up to us on our third port (and the end of the day).

 

Course, headed home, had more flight issues, and ended up getting in a day late doing that. And ended up with only 1 out of 4 bags making it.

[avcruz]

Cruiseline tissue was invented by the Marquis de Sade.

 

 

Ain't that the truth! Either that or it's sandpaper disguised as tissue.

[windsor26]

It seems that most of the gaffs can be attributed to not starting off with a viable and well-thought-out packing list for any travel situation. It requires you to check-mark the things you actually bring or consciously delete those you specifically don't. Virtually impossible to go wrong. Keep a master on your computer, modify and print as needed. Planning is your friend.

 

YES YES AND YES it is the only way to go and DO CROSS PACK

[ccruisequeen]

Pack sore throat meds and lozenges. I went on a week long cruise, nothing for a dry, sore throat, and ended up eating ice cream, drinking milk and cold water and suffering.

 

 

I still cruise for Warm Chocolate Melting Cake (with 2 sugar free ice creams)