Packing for a ceuise, how early is too early?

[LizzieB86]

I might be slightly obsessed, but I start packing at least 2 weeks out. I put whatever occurs to me into my suitcase, then one or two days out I'll edit (a little) :). Does anyone else share my pastime?;)

[Haoie]

2 weeks out isn't early at all! 2 months - that's a bit more like it.

[Mary229]

I like long cruises so I start my list way out. At 2 weeks the guest room is completely taken over. I have traveled on business for years and it doesn't get any quicker for me with experience

[teknoge3k]

We have a few people in our roll call for our May cruise that's already started packing, lol!!

 

I will pack about 2 or 3 nights prior to leaving.

[elainemasey61]

Sailing in June. Already putting odds and ends aside.

 

 

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[AmazedByCruising]

I might be slightly obsessed, but I start packing at least 2 weeks out. I put whatever occurs to me into my suitcase, then one or two days out I'll edit (a little) :). Does anyone else share my pastime?;)

 

I'd spend some serious time packing when all essentials for surviving 2 weeks in the mountains should fit in a backpack. For a cruise? Not so much.

 

The night before my last (13 night) cruise, I decided which books to take, and a week before I bought a power strip as during a previous cruise switching chargers became a daily chore.

On embarkation day it took about 20 minutes. I was zipping up the suitcase when the taxi driver rang.

[obnurse]

It's never too early for us. We lay things out in our guest room, where it's out of the way. As I think of things I put them in there. It's a more leisurely task and it's fun to anticipate the trip

[GTO-Girl]

I never even get the suitcase out until two days prior. I make sure all our clothes are clean then I print out my packing list that I perfected long ago.....and pack in one afternoon.

 

Once that suitcase is packed I am ready to go!!! My husband can only take two days of listening to me in full cruise mode.....:D:D:D:D

 

Happy sailing everybody!!!

[slidergirl]

It doesn't matter what kind of vacation I am taking. I'm a last day packer. Now, I do use Siri to make a note of something if it comes to my brain so I don't forget. Like - "hey Siri, add <something> to my packing list." Siri is useful that way - I can be standing at the Front Desk at work and something comes to mind to take - I just tell Siri. It is usually something that is specific to that trip, since my "travel pantry" (it's really a shallow closet with shelves in my bedroom) has everything that I take on trips. That last day, I go through the list Siri has kept for me, grab what I do want from that list, open the pantry, take out the location-specific stuff, and then do the clothes. I don't have vacation/cruise-specific clothes, so I just take what I want from my regular collection.

[bury me at sea]

I do most of the packing the day before we leave. Finish up early the next morning and jump in the car.

[msmayor]

I start pulling the vacation wear out about 4 weeks before...it all goes in the guest bedroom laid out on the bed or hanging around the room. Every couple of days or if I'm putting something in there I know I'll need, I edit the items down. Night before we fly out whatever is left goes in the suitcases.

[OCruisers]

Two weeks is not too early to begin to "stack" before you actually make the final decision on what you're going to "pack"! ;)

[mom says]

Two or 3 weeks before we leave I'll check and update my packing list and go thru my wardrobe so I can make any necessary purchases. But I don't pack until the day before. I don't want things cluttering up the guest room when it may be needed. I've found that with a good packing list, there's no need to have things lying around.

[NMLady]

I might be slightly obsessed, but I start packing at least 2 weeks out. I put whatever occurs to me into my suitcase, then one or two days out I'll edit (a little) :). Does anyone else share my pastime?;)

 

I don't start actually packing until about three days before a cruise.

HOWEVER, the day I book the cruise I start my packing list, adding/subtracting, tweaking it as weeks/months go by.

[fire&teacher]

I follow the same routine as you for preparing for a cruise. I am a big organizer.

[cb at sea]

I start getting stuff together about 1 week out.....(maybe sooner, ,if the clothes I'm taking are "out of season")...but I don't actually PACK until the night before we leave, or everything gets too creased!

[BDRebel]

I start packing the night before I leave. Never had a problem with doing it this way, and I don't have a loaded suitcase getting in my way for the days (or weeks) prior to the cruise.

[Warm Breezes]

I'm usually about a week out when I start. I was laughing at my DD last weekend though. We are renting a house in May in Orlando for a week and she had her suitcase out and was starting to pack for that vacation already. She was on Spring Break from college and spending it at home....I think she was wishing she was elsewhere:D.

[SbbquilterUT]

I have a full set of toiletries always set aside in the 22" bag along with chargers, one folding tote and travel alarm clock. Adding clothes is the night before we fly but clothes are sequestered in the guest room about a week in advance so I can verify they will fit and decide what does not need to go.

[Strophic]

I don't consider packing two weeks out to be early. I wish my boyfriend packed that far in advance! He tried to pack everything the night of and ended up forgetting his dress pants :P

[griffy116]

I have a spare closet where most of the things that go on a cruise are kept. A few weeks before the cruise, as an outfit is worn and washed that will be going on the cruise, it goes into the closet. I have toiletries that I've picked up and they go into a plastic shoe box in the closet. About 4 days prior to the cruise, I start to fold the clothes and stack them on the spare bed, going down a list I've made of the clothes that will be going with me. I pack the night before, if possible, depending on travel times and arrangements. As I get ready that morning, I toss the last few items (cosmetics, cell phone, medications,etc) into my tote bag.

[138east]

I also have a cruise closet! This helps me isolate the odds and ends I don't want to lose like my collection of European adaptor plugs, my laminated European city maps, cold weather cruise gear (for winter from NY, Iceland, Alaska), small toiletry collection, etc etc. I hate repurchasing a specialized item I know I have but can't find. I do two carry on bags only, so every inch of luggage space has to count.

[calliopecruiser]

I might be slightly obsessed, but I start packing at least 2 weeks out. I put whatever occurs to me into my suitcase, then one or two days out I'll edit (a little) :). Does anyone else share my pastime?;)

Not me......I'll probably pack the morning of the day of my flight. Maybe the night before.

 

I do start gathering non-clothing things that I wouldn't normally think of (that I need for travel) a month or so early.....things like the extra memory cards for my camera, my small power bar, my passport, my noise-cancelling headphones for the plane. Those get thrown into a tote over several weeks as I think of them, and they I will integrate them into my packing when I get around to packing.

[iancal]

The night before if we have an early flight. If it is afternoon flight, then the morning of. DW starts one day earlier.

 

We find that we don't forget items and don't pack things that we do not need. It helps that we we are down to carry on roller boards now. It took years of business and pleasure travel to get down to this.

[Pier290]

26 days out and I started packing last week!! 🏝🌊🛳🍹🐋🌞💜

 

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