World cruise

[Kingfisher500]

First of all thank you to all the wonderful participants of the forum. I have spent hours reading the message boards and could become addicted.

 

Considering taking the very major step of a world cruise and just wondering how much luggage people generally take given there is laundry facilities.

 

Also what do you take that you would not take on a shorter cruise

 

Cruise would most likely be with cunard and probably on the Queen Elizabeth

 

Thank you in advance :)

[Roz]

Kingfisher, there's a whole forum here devoted to World Cruising. The people who post there are probably going to be your best source of information. Welcome to Cruise Critic. Here's the link:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=833

 

Roz

[kitty9]

A lot depends if you're male or female. On Cunard you'll find a much more formal atmosphere than on other lines, with black tie for the men being the dress of the evening on formal nights. It's easier for the men because you basically bring your tuxedo and a couple of shirts that you can have laundered. For women, it means bringing a lot more formal clothing. But, you can lessen the amount of clothes if you plan carefully and learn how to mix and match. I've been on two partial world cruises and for the daytime, I chose a basic color palate where I could mix and match. I packed black, white, beige shorts or slacks and added tops that I could wear with each item. For evening, I had one pair each of black or cream evening slacks and then packed fancy tops/jackets that would go with each. Then I had a basic black long sleeveless dress and accessories that I changed to make the dress look different. I could wear the jackets I wore with the slacks, different colored shawls and various kinds of jewelry.

 

I did all this with two large suitcases.

[Scrapnana]

I did a world voyage on Queen Elizabeth and took three large suitcases and a carry-on. I came home with four. I could have gotten by with less clothing and plan to for my next world cruise. I also took too many shoes!

 

There are two or three washers and usually the same number of dryers on each deck with staterooms (except deck 1). I found I was spending about 3 hours on each load I washed/dried (often there was a wait to get the washer and/or the dryer) and ended up sending my clothes to the ship's laundry for the second half of the cruise. There are far more people who want to use the laundrettes than there are facilities.

 

I know some people who traveled light with only one suitcase (per person) and others who had over a dozen for a couple.

 

Like kitty9, I do lots of mixing and matching with my wardrobe so I don't get tired to wearing the same clothes for four months. (I really thought that this would be a problem but it wasn't.)

 

I can't think of any thing that I took that I would not take on any other cruise.

Edited July 2, 2016 by Scrapnana

[Kingfisher500]

Thank you both for the replies very informative and lots of reading for the weekend☺

[rkacruiser]

Amsterdam Grand World Voyage, 2008 was my World Cruise experience and I was well over-packed with 4 pieces of luggage and a small carry-on.

 

The challenge that I found was planning for sufficient specific toiletry items I prefer unless one wants to take the chance that one will find a suitable product elsewhere during their voyage.

[Keith1010]

My wife and I took on average eight to nine pieces of luggage.

 

For one person likely four pieces.

 

Part of what you take will depend on itinerary. For example if you need closing for both a warm and cold climates that will mean more luggage than if you just need closing for one type of climate.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that after a couple of months it is easy to get tired of what you are wearing if you limit how much you bring with you.

 

Keith

[John Bull]

Hi, and welcome to Cruise Critic,

 

You've posted in the "first time cruisers" forum.

 

Will this be your first taste of cruising ???

 

JB :)

[Kingfisher500]

This would be the first cruise I love the idea of being able to see the world whilst being based in one place (albeit a moving one)

[kitty9]

If I may, seeing this will be your first cruise, I highly recommend taking a short cruise first before committing to a cruise that could be 100 days or more. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who do not like cruising and would never set foot on a cruise ship again. It would be terrible for you to be on a world cruise only to realize that it's not the type of holiday for you.

[Roz]

Agree with Kitty 100%. I would hate to see someone make a huge investment of time and money and then be miserable.

 

Roz

[nztraveller]

When doing longer cruises we tend to take older under clothes and other clothes we are "over" and replace them along the way. This cuts down on luggage that we need to take

[John Bull]

If I may, seeing this will be your first cruise, I highly recommend taking a short cruise first before committing to a cruise that could be 100 days or more. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people who do not like cruising and would never set foot on a cruise ship again. It would be terrible for you to be on a world cruise only to realize that it's not the type of holiday for you.

 

That's the reason I asked.;)

 

Preferably not a 2 - 3 day cruise, they're party cruises or booze cruises with a very different clientele. Perhaps a cheap late-booked week or ten days to the fjords or Baltic, to get the hang of it and see whether it agrees with you.

 

Laundry is usually free or heavily discounted for those on longer cruises, so no need to take too many clothes. And only 150 to 160 pairs of shoes:D

You'll also buy clothes at the ports as you go.

Ladies excel at mixing-and-matching their evening wear, to avoid overload.

Consider taking plenty of supplies that you may not be able to buy along the way, such as your preferred toiletries or unusual batteries.

 

Make sure you know how to remotely download your photos, and do it frequently.

 

Bear in mind that you'll not have the same travelling companions throughout a world cruise - more than half the ship will be folk who've booked a leg or two of the cruise.

 

Check the availability and cost of your travel insurance, and any onerous terms or exclusions. The longer you are away, the more likely something will cut it short - family illness, etc.

 

And if your home will be unoccupied, bear in mind that much of the cover - burglary, water damage etc will cease after about 30 to 40 days unless you make arrangements or pay an extra premium - check your policy.

 

Lots more to think about - and do seriously consider whether a world cruise is the best way to experience your first cruise.

 

JB :)