Can we carry on our luggage

[voyager70]

2 hours ago, Swank Pad G said:

You are my hero, I've been wanting to pack that way but always end up with another suitcase besides a carry on. I would love to see a detailed list of what you take and how you pack. Rolled up shirts?

 

I tried rolling up my dress shirts one time as I heard they will not wrinkle this way and it saves a lot of space.  Wrong.  They were a hot wrinkled mess.  Now I pack them in dry cleaning bags.  Yes, it's a pain & takes up a lot more space but I can't wear a wrinkled shirt to dinner.  I've pretty much given up on learning to pack light!

 

[Desert Cruizers]

Mens dress shirts I wouldn't roll. but I would fold them as they should be and place in a medium size packing cube to protect them. When my husband & I packed for our 18 day trip to Copenhagen plus 15 day cruise, he had a couple jackets for Formal night and change of pants, shoes, socks, t shirts, toiletries all went into the 22 inch Delsey, plus med jacket & sweathirt for Iceland Ports I will roll my evening slacks/skirt and day blouses and place in individual packing cubes. Tor this trip it included levies. I packed his suitcase for the first time, since he didn't want to figure out how to get it all in the suitcase. of course our personal items are included.

Ladies packing

5 to 6 evening slacks or skirt. I will lay out on bed and match with 2 to 3 blouses that will go with each. ( 1 weeks worth then repeat the 2nd week ) My daily clothes will be done the same

Shoes: Pair of walking shoes/tennis shoes, flats depending on weather conditions, 2/3 pair evening shoes for dinner

Light to med jacket or sweaters . I also pack a couple ponchos for rainy days. Plus my make up.

 

I like the packing cubes because I don't have to pull everything out to get certain items. I just pull out the particular cube holding blouses, pants or slacks.

 

 

 

[travellovers2]

Our next cruise will be #36 and we make Diamond on the Oasis of the Seas, so it's special for us and we do not want it ruined by a broken suitcase. 😉  So we will plan to take a 19" and a 21" plus two carry on that fit right on top. Hopefully the 21"  will fit, but we will be ready with the tag on it. Thank you for all your replies and recommendations. 👍

 

[brillohead]

12 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

It also has something to do with more and more people trying to get off early with self help and not waiting for a later time with luggage service.

No, it does not. 

If all those people were getting off with their assigned number, it wouldn't go any faster.  XXXX number of passengers trying to go through Y number of Customs lane is where the back-up occurs.  

You may ASSOCIATE the line with people doing self-assist because you see people in line with luggage, but it's not the luggage that is the cause of the problem.  Luggage does not slow people down. The backup is always due to more people than available Customs lanes.

[Saab4444]

22 minutes ago, brillohead said:

No, it does not. 

If all those people were getting off with their assigned number, it wouldn't go any faster.  XXXX number of passengers trying to go through Y number of Customs lane is where the back-up occurs.  

You may ASSOCIATE the line with people doing self-assist because you see people in line with luggage, but it's not the luggage that is the cause of the problem.  Luggage does not slow people down. The backup is always due to more people than available Customs lanes.

Lines due to limited Customs agent that go back troughout the ship before debarkation has even started? No. In the old days most people would not have even been called to go off that early and therefore would not stand in line from 6-7 am.

[Merion_Mom]

6 hours ago, travellovers2 said:

Our next cruise will be #36 and we make Diamond on the Oasis of the Seas, so it's special for us and we do not want it ruined by a broken suitcase. 😉  So we will plan to take a 19" and a 21" plus two carry on that fit right on top. Hopefully the 21"  will fit, but we will be ready with the tag on it. Thank you for all your replies and recommendations. 👍

 

a 21" suitcase will definitely fit through the scanners

[brillohead]

9 minutes ago, Saab4444 said:

Lines due to limited Customs agent that go back troughout the ship before debarkation has even started? No. In the old days most people would not have even been called to go off that early and therefore would not stand in line from 6-7 am.

What is the difference between standing in line or sitting in a lounge until your number is ready?  

The bottleneck is caused by number of passengers and number of available customs agents.  If the self-assist people sat in the theater waiting for their number to be called, the last person would get off the ship at the exact same time.  

You can only fit 5000 people through 6 Customs lines in a certain period of time.  Whether they are standing while they wait or whether they are sitting while they wait has nothing to do with it.  

[travellovers2]

To speed up your time to go through customs: Join the GOES (Global Entry) program that you can use to enter the US and cross by land to Canada and Mexico. You pay for 5 years at a time.  You go to the kiosk at airports and you go through a dedicated booth at cruise terminals. For cruises and land crossings through Canada and Mexico you get a card. At the airport you use your passport. It has saved us a lot of time!