Traveling thru Europe after a long cruise with luggage?

[cruisemom42]

Did you have a bad experience with spinner wheels? I'm curious what type of wheels they were, single or double.

My experience was quite positive, so much easier than pulling something 3 feet behind me and the 4 wheels dramatically cut the energy needed to move the bags. We walked with our luggage many places over many types of surfaces including a 1.8km walk in Milan. I had been quite concerned before the trip but now I would never go back to the old 2-wheel style for a heavy case, over 40 lbs.

 

The only time we had to really adjust our method of guiding the bags along by our sides was to cross trolley tracks. I'm short so normally I put the extending handle all the way down and guided the suitcase by the handle on top; when I came to an uneven crack I just gave a slight upward lift, lifting front toward back, more like a tilt with my wrist, on the handle and the bag glided pretty easily.

 

My case has single wheels and I think it performed better than DHs which has double wheels, and he kept his shoulder tote on top (leaning against the extended handle and wrapped the strap over the the extended handle); I usually carried my tote on my shoulder, often with the strap across my chest, so I had less weight on the case and wheels.

 

But both styles are available so to each their own. m--

 

 

I got one of the spinner bags when they first came out. A lot of my travels tend to involve walking fair distances to small hotels over cobblestones, or lugging bags up to the second floor (really third) apartment with no lift, or carrying bags up steep steps into train cars (or up non-working escalators in stations).

 

With my fairly new spinner bag, I was in Barcelona and the taxi driver dropped me off about 4 blocks from my hotel (couldn't drive to it as it was on a pedestrian street). I was having a difficult time with the spinners on the cobblestones. Each time it would hit a crack, it would try to carrom off in a different direction, making it difficult to steer. Finally, as I bumped it over the curb to enter the hotel, one of the spinner wheels cracked.

 

I promptly went back to my sturdy two-wheeled Eagle Creek bags with wheels like these: http://shop.eaglecreek.com/store/ProductImages/details/1194_black_grey_l.jpg

 

A couple of years later I did buy a small spinner carry-on primarily for business travel domestically (airport to taxi to hotel door). I still can't say I really like it much. I don't like the way it can easily move away from you if you take your hand off it when on smooth surfaces (like airport floors) and it's difficult to stack anything on top of one and still have it usable. At least for me. :D

 

I read a lot more complaints on travel forums about the spinners than the two-wheelers, so I am not alone. But perhaps I did speak too strongly -- for some, they work out.

[exbiologist]

Rent a car

[serendipity1499]

If you can't get pared down quite as much as you want, look at a Bag Bungee from Magellan's travel catalog. It straps on to your larger bag and then cinches over a smaller carry-on bag on top of the larger bag. (The photo on the website shows much better than I explained!) I have two and love them. Plus we use medium sized back packs.

 

That Bag Bungee looks like a good idea.. I'm going to order two of them from Travel Smith as they are $2.50 less than Magellan's..

 

http://www.travelsmith.com/ProductSearch2#w=bag%20bungee

 

Thanks for the info..

 

[RMLincoln]

I got one of the spinner bags when they first came out. A lot of my travels tend to involve walking fair distances to small hotels over cobblestones, or lugging bags up to the second floor (really third) apartment with no lift, or carrying bags up steep steps into train cars (or up non-working escalators in stations).

 

With my fairly new spinner bag, I was in Barcelona and the taxi driver dropped me off about 4 blocks from my hotel (couldn't drive to it as it was on a pedestrian street). I was having a difficult time with the spinners on the cobblestones. Each time it would hit a crack, it would try to carrom off in a different direction, making it difficult to steer. Finally, as I bumped it over the curb to enter the hotel, one of the spinner wheels cracked.

 

I promptly went back to my sturdy two-wheeled Eagle Creek bags with wheels like these: http://shop.eaglecreek.com/store/ProductImages/details/1194_black_grey_l.jpg

 

A couple of years later I did buy a small spinner carry-on primarily for business travel domestically (airport to taxi to hotel door). I still can't say I really like it much. I don't like the way it can easily move away from you if you take your hand off it when on smooth surfaces (like airport floors) and it's difficult to stack anything on top of one and still have it usable. At least for me. :D

 

I read a lot more complaints on travel forums about the spinners than the two-wheelers, so I am not alone. But perhaps I did speak too strongly -- for some, they work out.

 

Thank you for the explanation. I was very leery to start out but glad for our positive experience (except next time we'll work harder to find a taxi in Milan, ugh!). Eagle Creek makes an excellent bag and I know there are still many people who prefer that style, and I would think they may be more reliable and longer lasting... a cracked wheel would have been my nightmare! Happy travels, m--

[wander]

One trip to Europe included a week in Italy that included "mandatory" formal wear several evenings. This was followed by a several week tour that was basically a large backpack trip. We mailed all of our dressy stuff home using a firm like UPS or DHL. We had it shipped to a friends house cuz we would not be home yet when it arrived. Other than having to itemize the contents, it was very easy. Yes it was costly (like $100 or so), but worth it for us. In terms of the itemization it was at the level of something like: 5 shirts (male), 2 dresses, 8 par socks, and such.

[grayjay]

Which airport will you be leaving from after your stay in Europe? I'm asking because there might be another solution for you that might work:

After your cruise you might take the shuttle to Amsterdam to stay a night in that beautiful city. I'm sure you'll find a hotel where the concierge will happily keep some of you luggage for you until you return. It's easy to get from Amsterdam airport both back to the US or from the city's train station (Amsterdam Centraal) across Europe by train.

Another thing I would recommend is to travel first class on trains which is much less crowded, much more comfortable and quite often ( especially if you pre-book a ticket) doesn't cost much more. There's special Europe passes both for second or first class service which are not expensive and very flexibile. They even offer senior reductions if you are over 60. If interested go to bahn.de and choose your country - English will pop up. It's a very informative site.

[iancal]

We often do the opposite. Weeks of land travel followed by a cruise. We find that it is a good way to wind down.

 

We find that travelling with carry on only is very convenient when we have air connections or missed air connections. Having them with us gives us more timely options for considering changes in connecting flights. Very few direct European or Australasia flights are available from our city. We are fortunate to have one connection. Sometimes there are two.

Edited January 12, 2016 by iancal

[SurferJoe57]

I've used Luggage Forward, which is the service HAL prefers. (Oddly enough, Princess Cruises does it in-house - though of course it's Fedex that actually ships their bags).

 

http://www.luggageforward.com/

 

You can see what'll it cost; of course overseas will be more, but I found them very reliable and easy to work with.

[TiogaCruiser]

RMLincoln and Iancal-

Thanks for more detail on how to do this. I'm ready for a partial reform in the packing department. I can see myself implementing some of this, but wondering how you handle gym/workout clothes? Am highly partial to cotton and need a clean set of clothes each time I go. (Of all the clothes I packed for my last 7 day cruise the workout wear bloated my suitcase the most).

[iancal]

delete

Edited January 13, 2016 by iancal

[iancal]

We never take any gym/workout clothes or shoes so cannot comment on that.

 

Packing for us is about trade offs, layering, and multiple use items. We know the size of bag we prefer and that is what we limit ourselves to. My 20 inch roller used to be absolutely full to the brim. Now, not so much so there are less wrinkles.

 

Keep in mind that I do not take any suits, jackets, ties, dress shirts, dress shoes etc. Strictly casual clothing.

Edited January 13, 2016 by iancal

[Bamamoose]

Two years ago, my husband and I did a TA from Ft. Lauderdale to Rome and we boarded with 3 suitcases only left with two (one each). Along with the suitcase, we left most of the clothes that we only needed for the cruise such as: bathing suits, flip flops, tennis shoes, shorts, work out clothes, books, etc. We did the unlimited laundry and every item in our suitcases was clean when we left the ship. (We also left some everyday items as at the end of the cruise you have a day or two that you can't use the unlimited laundry because of turn around time.) We continued to throw away items as we traveled thru Italy... old underwear, tops, pants, PJs...so our suitcases continued to lighten. I'm not sure what you use for a carry-on, but we use a backpack (bookbag size) as our carry-ons. When traveling, we wear our backpacks which allows us both hands to handle our suitcase. Truly, I can't image traveling by train with three suitcases and non backpack carry-ons.

 

Another idea: package your toiletry items in two sets of smaller bottles. Use one set aboard the ship and then you'll have the second set for the land portion. (No big bottles!)

 

We also did anytime dining so we ate with different people every night. I didn't have to worry about repeating what I was wearing. My husband rented a tux and shoes just so that he didn't have to carry his "formal night" clothes with him.

 

Just some ideas.

[iancal]

A number of years ago my son and I were travelling through Italy by train. It was the days of the kilometric ticket. You could buy a set price ticket for 3000 kilometres that could be used for more than one person.

 

We still talk about the poor man who boarded the train at Termini. Three daughters and a nagging wife. All with lots of sparkling, new red luggage. He had two carry ons (a laptop computer case-a big one plus a large video camera strapped around his neck).

 

So his job was to wrestle all the luggage, and that of his, DW, and the equally nagging daughers to the back end of the train and place it in the luggage area. Poor man. A 27" and I recall and about 4 or 5 25"ers. We felt so very sorry for him. I think they brought all of the clothes in their respective closets.

 

We were surprised that he even managed to get the luggage off the platform on onto the train prior to departure. The train only stopped for eight minutes or so. He never had a moments peace. If did not seem like much of a vacation for him. If I were him I would have snuck off the train by myself at the next stop.

 

We learned a lesson from that....plus had lots of laughs during the journey as one of them always seemed to want Dad to get up and retrieve one of their bags from the storage area.

Edited January 13, 2016 by iancal

[TiogaCruiser]

Poor guy. If I was him I would have told Queen Bee and the Princesses they had to lug their own.

[iancal]

We had the 'you pack it you carry it' rule.

 

It did the trick for us.

[pollux]

My way, take out the clothing in your closed you have not worn for over a year.

Save your old underwear, shoes.

Leave the dirty once behind, easy travel.

Come home with nothing.

In Europe most days you need a coat so older clothing will not be seen.

[cruisemom42]

I am willing to bring limited clothes with me, but could never bring old clothes or clothes I should throw away to wear on a trip! :eek:

 

I find a few really good basic pieces go a long way, and it is possible to feel stylish with, say, good black pants and a basic black silk or cotton knit top that you can dress up or down (similar to a little black dress).

[Marigold252]

That Bag Bungee looks like a good idea.. I'm going to order two of them from Travel Smith as they are $2.50 less than Magellan's..

 

http://www.travelsmith.com/ProductSearch2#w=bag%20bungee

 

Thanks for the info..

 

 

We use the bag bungee (purchased on sale at Eddie Bauer) to attach DH's small wheeled carry-on to a larger checked bag. Great product! My tote has a zippered pocket on the back that allows you to slip it over the handle of a wheeled bag. We are in our 70's and still active travelers, and are always looking for products that cut down on weight since our rule is we have to be able to handle our luggage ourselves. Our new spinner cases weigh much less than our old ones and are much easier to maneuver. And as many previous posters have stated, look for light weight clothing that can be layered and stick to a simple color scheme.

[RDC1]

RMLincoln and Iancal-

Thanks for more detail on how to do this. I'm ready for a partial reform in the packing department. I can see myself implementing some of this, but wondering how you handle gym/workout clothes? Am highly partial to cotton and need a clean set of clothes each time I go. (Of all the clothes I packed for my last 7 day cruise the workout wear bloated my suitcase the most).

 

If you absolutely require a fresh set. Take 2 and hand wash after you use it. It will generally dry overnight. The reason why I say 2. Is even if for some reason you cannot wash or it takes longer to dry you gave the other. Absolutely no reason you need more then 2.

[pv girl]

I am willing to bring limited clothes with me, but could never bring old clothes or clothes I should throw away to wear on a trip! :eek:

.

 

I agree. I don't want to travel around Europe looking like a bag lady. Americans get enough bad rap. I always try to represent our country and myself in a good light. And Momma always told me to have nice clean underwear on in case I had to go to the hospital.

[melodyesch]

My DH and I did a long trip with 1 medium suitcase each plus a small backpack. We had mix and match nice clothes for dinners on the ship. But after doing more looking at hand washable clothing, we realized that even those medium sized suitcases were too much and we've vastly reduced our luggage to be a 22 inch roller and small backpack each. We would never go back.

 

I felt sorry for a couple we met in the train station in Paris. We were all on our way to the Normandy area. They each had a HUGE suitcase and large hand-held carry on. In addition, the man had a medium sized suitcase strapped to his larger one. We saw them again at our hotel in Normandy, finally dragging in from walking from the train station. They were so frazzled. We never want to be those people.

 

So if you can't condense, definitely send all of your cruise wear back home after the cruise part.

[iancal]

Exactly!

 

The first time DW went down to carry was hard and she was not certain if she could do it.

 

Less than a week into our trip we saw some folks like you mentioned...absolutely burdened down with so much. DW just looked at me and said she felt so good that she had gone down.

 

I believe that it changes your perspective on travelling.

Edited January 15, 2016 by iancal

[Lovely other]

Having spent the last year on countless flights to various locations for filming I can highly recommend a case that you can wheel at your side rather than the ones that you drag behind you ...if they're ultralight they pretty much move along alone. I can't believe i spent 12 months dragging my case through countless bus and train stations as well as airports (usually cursing the wobbly wheel on mine as i went) before a last minute overpacking emergency drove me to purchase another case ...never again.

 

Also if you do have to ship anything home shop around for quotes. We had to send back two crates from Northern Ireland last month and prices varied enormously for the same services ...

 

enjoy your travels x

[Jameseric]

...and said she felt so good that she had gone down. I believe that it changes your perspective on travelling.

 

Indeed, for us it's an entirely welcome sense of freedom. Freedom, I mean, from needing to be waited upon, from having to be being assisted with ordinary stuff. Mobility without self-inflicted pain of heaped luggage.. The upcoming TA is going to be a test. Nearly half of our vacation on the Eurodam at the start, bracketed at the other end of the month by a Rhine cruise. Cool, but it's those days between I am uneasy about: is the inconvenience trundling around with even one actual 24" suitcase going to be acceptable to us over the course of those in-between sites? After the seductive ease of Packing Heavy for the cruise parts? Wish the answer were more automatic.

[iancal]

We made a choice. For us it was fairly straightforward. Packing light for longer independent land travels or packing the same for a few nights of cruising. Cruises lost-more particularly formal nights. They were not that special to us, as each cruise passed they seemed more artificial, and frankly they just were not special to us any more.

 

So we made the choice that suits us best. Not for everyone. We tend to be very flexible people...probably a refection of the nature of our employment and the industry in which I worked. This will not work for everyone and that is fine. But there are numerous cruise lines that recognize these changes, some of which are demographic, and are making significant efforts to attract this business as well as retain their traditional base. Unfortunately HAL has fallen well behind the completion in this regard.

Edited January 16, 2016 by iancal