How early do you pack?

[geocruiser]

I didn't know that. :)

Thank you!

 

I see you were on Golden Princess they have them on the decks that I just look at. It comes in real handy. Check out the deck plans, you will see lots of them.

[lovevacadays]

I start packing about 3-7 days before my cruise. I can't wait until the last minute but I don't pack that far in advance.

[cherrypop]

I never iron my husbands shirts, but I used to and found by the time we travelled for 10 hours they were wrinkled again. Now we are Elite so I send them out for ironing. When we sail on NCL I too send them out for ironing as on the first day its half price. Years ago I spent a half of a day when I got onboard ironing and I thought, hey I am on vacation why am I ironing so now it's sent out. I start packing or at least putting stuff out a week before we leave.

 

Cherie

[golfb4cruzing]

Some items never leave the suitcases. Hats, snorkel gear, bug sprays, various things.

[Musky Ike]

I start packing about 3-7 days before my cruise. I can't wait until the last minute but I don't pack that far in advance.

 

Same here, now that we have some experience.

[tamsocal]

Do you pack early or just last minute? I'm wondering if I'm the only one that starts months in advance.

I like to pack a month out for long trips- helps me take stuff out of the suitcase vs add more in typically,

 

I don't typically pack over a month- pack a month out and get it done that day with only minor additions or deletions atfter that- drives me nuts to pack over a 4 week or more period

[Cruise Raider]

Do you pack early or just last minute? I'm wondering if I'm the only one that starts months in advance.

 

Because we like to cruise a lot, it's rare that I don't have a bag packed for 'just in case' last minute deal that pops up. :D

[cortne]

I started planning a month or so before so that I would buy any missing items. Then lay them out in our guest room to narrow down the selections. Somethings you just cannot back in advance because you use them so much in your week to week normal life

[Funkat]

I have saved a master packing list on a Word doc. Once I book a trip, I then tweak the list depending on duration & climate of our planned trip, then save that list on my desktop under the trip name. The list is broken down into 1.what goes in our checked luggage & 2,what needs to be in carryons/personal items ((ie meds, chargers, passports, boarding passes, etc &.a change of clothes)

 

We usually start laying our clothes out on a bed & toiletry items on a small table in an extra bedroom the week before our trip. I print out a copy of the packing list & highlight each item as it's put aside. This alerts me as to what I have left to gather or buy for the trip.

 

A day or two before, I then roll & put into packing cubes everything that we plan to pack. On my printed list, I mark off everything as it is packed to make certain that nothing gets left out. I pack 1/2 of my & 1/2 of my DH items in each of two 28" spinners with our 20" carryons nestled inside each large suitcase. By nestling the 20" cases, we have empty cases & plenty of room to bring stuff back. And by packing 1/2 of each of our clothes in each suitcase, we each have clothes in the event that one case is lost or delayed. (At least, that's what I try to do. For our May Alaska Cruisetour, all the layers that I had packed put our luggage over the weight limit so I had to use one of the 20" carryons for clothes.)

 

Once packed, I then weigh each case to make certain it does not exceed the 50 lb limit. I usually have to take out a few items or transfer them to get to the weight limit. I also pack our luggage scale with extra batteries so as to weigh the luggage again before our flights back home.

[Cairn Mom]

Lol- I think about what is needed and I buy it over time. For example, we bought rain pants last month for next month's cruise to Alaska. However, I don't actually pack until a few days before the trip. I keep up with the weather forecast for my destination and revise as necessary. Invariably, I overpack lol.

 

 

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[harrodsfan]

I have a list that I print out and cross out items that are not needed for my next cruise.

 

I start pulling out items about a week in advance. I separate into "must bring" and "want to bring" piles.

 

About 4-5 days before leaving, I start packing my cubes, starting with "unmentionables" and then the must haves.

 

Two days before leaving, I finish packing my cubes and add in some of the "want to bring" items if there's room in the cubes. I also organize toiletries, medications, etc.

 

The day before leaving, I pull out my suitcase and pack the cubes, toiletries, etc. It usually doesn't take long.

 

I try to be organized as I know that almost always, something will come up that needs my attention that last day that I hadn't planned for.

 

Boy isn't that the truth. If I waited till the last minute I wouldn't travel because something always comes up at the last minute that needs my attention.

 

I sorted toiletries today for a trip in October. I plan options for each day and for a variety of weather. Everything coordinates... every top can go with every bottom. I too use a clothing rack. I use packing cubes and folders and every imaginable aid I can find. I travel with a hanging garment bag and a suitcase. I do not ever carry on everything but everything with any value is in my carry on.

I love styling everything. I love packing.. sorting luggage..

But unpacking not so much.

[CKM]

I have a "check off cruise packing list" that I use every cruise ( just print one for each cruise) . I used to begin about a month ahead gathering clothes but that was when I worked. Now the week before I gather clothes and pack it in suitcases the night before we leave.

Decided if I forget something, I just do without, make do or buy it in port.[emoji6]

 

 

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[debcip]

Oy. I too have an all-purpose list that I work from. I rarely start early and am almost always packing until 1 am. It's partially because I hate it and allow myself to get distracted. Jewelry takes me forever. I wish I had a better system and packed less.

[rdsqrl]

Oy. I too have an all-purpose list that I work from. I rarely start early and am almost always packing until 1 am. It's partially because I hate it and allow myself to get distracted. Jewelry takes me forever. I wish I had a better system and packed less.

I think what has really helped me be more organized and pack less is not so much the packing list itself but the first list I do, which is the day-by-day "what I'm wearing" list. That way, I can literally map out each outfit from lingerie to the last bangle on my wrist. Once that list is done, then moving those items onto a detailed packing list makes it easy -- I pack every single thing on the packing list and nothing that's not and I can rest easy because I know I'll have everything I need. And packing goes a lot faster, which I find is key to avoiding the distractions from this not-so-fun task. Hope this idea helps you, too . . .

[Sea Hag]

I do all the packing the day before we leave. It takes me less than 1/2 hour. We're light packers.

[cflutist]

I have a list that I work from for warm or cool weather destinations that I seriously start on two weeks in advance of sailing.

However, we have been collecting things in one of our bags for a December 2018 cruise to Antarctica on the Silversea Cloud expedition ship. A destination that is colder than Longyearbyen Norway above the Arctic Circle that we visited in July on the Pacific Princess.

[Barnkitty]

Oh, I start way early too--- with a spreadsheet where I list which item, appropriate lingerie for that item, shoes, , etc... so I can color block, mix and match...and most important remember everything!!

 

My husband and son (son is 37) start packing the night before. Washing machine is going full blast, son is trying to stick things in my suitcase... there's a lot of "did you get me..."

 

So funny. But in 25 years of cruising, I have never forgotten anything except sunglasses, whereas, they have been known to hit kmart on every Caribbean island!!

[Shadow9612]

... to start laying things out to (try) to make sure we don't forget anything.

I'm always so worried I'll forget something! 😁

 

She thinks I'm really crazy for spending so much time on CC and thinking about cruising. ;)

Phew!! I was starting to wonder if I'm on cc thinking about cruising too much!! Glad I'm not alone!

[Coffeeluvr05]

I have no idea how anyone packs weeks or months ahead. How many closets of clothing do you have that you are able to pack a week or more of clothing and not miss those items in the subsequent weeks or months? I'm amazed at those who can accomplish this. Seriously, kudos to you!

 

I pack the day before I leave. I do start gathering items I won't need while they sit waiting to be packed.