Possible Rainy Embarkation Day Question

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Tomorrow is the big day!  I’m going to go with it’s not going to rain since it never rains in California BUT if it is raining, how do they keep the luggage dry?   Does the luggage sit outside in the rain in those metal rack/containers waiting to be loaded onto the ship or do they have a dry area to store the luggage? I’m trying to figure out if I will need to drag my hundred pounds worth of luggage (ok, maybe 75 lbs) onto the ship to keep it dry.

 

 I’m going off topic for a moment... I sat through two lectures with Samantha Brown discussing how to pack in a carry-on size suitcase... and I still don’t get it.  How many tops do you pack for a seven day cruise? How many pairs of pants do you pack for a seven day cruise? Shoes?

[tanzer22pilot]

Probably too late for you now, but in the future get large contractor grade trash bags from your local hardware store.

 

Place the large trash bag in your suitcase.  Place all of your clothes in the bag.  Roll the top down.  Close your suitcase.

 

Also protects your clothes from someone’s checked red wine.

[JF - retired RRT]

3 hours ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

I’m going off topic for a moment... I sat through two lectures with Samantha Brown discussing how to pack in a carry-on size suitcase... and I still don’t get it.  How many tops do you pack for a seven day cruise? How many pairs of pants do you pack for a seven day cruise? Shoes?

Tops/pants...3 or 4 mix n' match. One pair of sandals, one pair of "sport" shoes (wear one, pack the other).

I'm kind of low maintenance as far as clothes go.

[TravelingEA]

It was raining when we left San Pedro in February. There were blue tarps covering the luggage carts. We did not have anything wet.

[Essiesmom]

If they have a luggage hall, they might keep the carts under cover until time to take them onto the ship.  but don't bet on it.  We sailed QM2 from Brooklyn one year, and it was raining.  Moisture came through the zippers, and although I didn't have anything wet, my sister did, and a red shawl ran and stained a white blouse.  We managed to fade it enough to be wearable, but lesson learned...  That was before we started traveling with carryon and backpack only.  EM

[Pam in CA]

I always line my suitcase top and bottom with tall kitchen garbage bags. You can use them during the cruise as laundry bags. Going home, I pack dirty laundry directly in them. When I get home, I just dump the laundry into the laundry basket. Have never had wet clothing or issues. 

[OCruisers]

While most luggage is not "water proof", it is "water resistant".  

We've never had a problem with our clothes inside the luggage getting wet/damp even on rainy embarkation days.    

[Bruin Steve]

9 hours ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

I’m going off topic for a moment... I sat through two lectures with Samantha Brown discussing how to pack in a carry-on size suitcase... and I still don’t get it.  How many tops do you pack for a seven day cruise? How many pairs of pants do you pack for a seven day cruise? Shoes?

 

I am not entirely sure of the methods, but I've never had a suitcase delivered to my cabin wet...even when embarking in the rain...

 

But, since I am tired of reading hundreds of posts on why they removed a chair from my cabin, I thought it might be a good time to jump on the second question here.

 

I have a list...

I wrote this several years ago, so some of it may be a bit dated...And, just a note:  I have seen my list published elsewhere around the internet--without attribution, of course...but with my unique wording and writing style...But here goes--my standard packing list for a seven night cruise:

 

standard packing list

*************************************************
For a seven night cruise:

Men: One small carry-on size rolling bag.
7 pairs undershorts
5 pairs socks (Don't need them for at-sea days)
4 T-Shirts (we'll pick up a few more as souvenirs along the way)
1 pair shorts (They're good for at least a week)...
1 pair long pants (only because they make you wear them in the dining room)
1 pair shoes
1 Swim suit
NO Suit or Tuxedo (Rent it on the ship so you don't have to schlep it all the way there and back)
Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Razor
Camera

Women: One large suitcase for Casual clothes
One Large Suitcase for Formal clothes
One large duffle bag for shoes
One suitcase for toiletries, cosmetics, creams, shampoo/conditioners, lotions, etc.
One suitcase for purses, accessories, grooming equipment, travel irons, steamers, etc.
One carry-on with hairbrushes, vitamins, pain relievers and other prescriptions, cosmetics that they forgot to put in the suitcase, last minute items needed past packing of other suitcases.
One purse the size of a suitcase filled with all the usual junk: lipstick, chewing gum, mints, keys that she can't even remember what they go to and don't need on the cruise anyway, photos of the kids, credit cards for every department store and shop known to man, even ones no longer in business, gym membership card she never uses, hair pins, loose change, old candy wrappers, mints from the restaurant she ate at a month and a half ago, that bag of peanuts from the flight in on Southwest...and so on ad infinitum...
Specifics:
14 panties (one pair each day plus one for evening)
20 hose or pantyhose (accounts for 7 evenings as at least half or more will run while putting them on)
7 casual skirts and/or Bermuda shorts (something that covers the knees and most of the imagined cellulite)
7 casual blouses or tops...actually, make that 14 as most "outfits" require a top covered by a blouse hanging over it)
[NOTE: One can never be seen wearing the SAME outfit TWICE!!]
7 pairs of "casual" shoes...as each "outfit" must be particularly coordinated with the precisely perfect pair of shoes
5 dressier skirts and/or pairs of slightly dressy slacks for casual evenings
4 formal gowns (Yes, I know that there are only two formal nights, but one won't look exactly right and she'll need to put it back and wear something else...and a second won't fit right anymore by the end of the cruise)
5 more pair of slightly dressy shoes...and...
4 pairs of "formal" shoes (again, each "outfit" must be coordinated with the proper shoes)
[NOTE: All formal gowns and formal shoes MUST be purchased special for the cruise. God forbid someone on the cruise MAY have been at your niece Jessica's wedding in June and has already seen you in that gown!!]
Assorted (meaning at least 10 of each) belts, scarves, etc. A woman needs to "accessorize"...
14 purses (again, must match the "outfit")
At least 70 assorted pieces of Jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins, rings) of various types from diamonds down to cheap costume jewelry (again, the accessories must complement the particular outfit being worn)
6 swimsuits, though she'll never actually make it up to the pool deck...besides, "I can't be seen in public in a swimsuit"
6 "cover-ups"...just in case she braves wearing a swimsuit...
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Eye Shadow
Eyeliner
Blush
Foundation
Lipstick
Lip Gloss
Eyebrow pencil
Nail polish
(At least 4 or 5 shades of each variety of make-up)
Make-up remover
Moisturizer
Face cream
Cold Cream
Anti-wrinkle cream
Body lotion
Cotton Balls
Q-Tips
Razor
Shaving Cream
Tweezers
Hairbrush (at least three varieties)
Suntan lotion
Sunscreen
"Feminine Products" (though most often the item forgotten or not packed enough...just so YOU will have to go running around the streets of Puerto Vallarta or Cabo San Lucas looking for drug stores and trying to explain this to a clerk who only speaks Spanish)
Hairdryer (even though they supply them on the ship--it's a reflex motion...but the excuse is "I don't like theirs")
Curling iron
Iron (even though the ship says they're forbidden..."I NEED it")
Steamer
Sewing Kit (like she's going to actually sew)
Eyeglasses
Sunglasses
Contact Lenses
Contact Lens solution
Advil
Midol
Dramamine
Pepto Bismol
Tums
Rolaids
Campo-Phenique
Pepcid
Metamucil
Any other possible medication for any other real or imagined malady which MAY arise during the course of the cruise--which they obviously don't sell anywhere but here at home...
Hair dye (just in case the roots start showing during the cruise)

And, this is just off the top of my head...I KNOW I'm leaving off lots of stuff...

It's a good thing airlines allow you two fifty pound each pieces of luggage plus a carry on each... ...(Or they used to...maybe now with a small fee!)

All of YOUR stuff can go in your carry-on, while hers MAY neatly fit into four pieces of luggage plus her carry-on...

Even with the extensive packing, know that there are simply things not accounted for which now MUST be acquired in port...Besides, some of these ports are just great "shopping towns" ...After all, how important are a bunch of old churches and museums when each port has so many nice stores?

 

 

[jwattle]

R

16 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

 

I am not entirely sure of the methods, but I've never had a suitcase delivered to my cabin wet...even when embarking in the rain...

 

But, since I am tired of reading hundreds of posts on why they removed a chair from my cabin, I thought it might be a good time to jump on the second question here.

 

I have a list...

I wrote this several years ago, so some of it may be a bit dated...And, just a note:  I have seen my list published elsewhere around the internet--without attribution, of course...but with my unique wording and writing style...But here goes--my standard packing list for a seven night cruise:

 

standard packing list

 

*************************************************
For a seven night cruise:

Men: One small carry-on size rolling bag.
7 pairs undershorts
5 pairs socks (Don't need them for at-sea days)
4 T-Shirts (we'll pick up a few more as souvenirs along the way)
1 pair shorts (They're good for at least a week)...
1 pair long pants (only because they make you wear them in the dining room)
1 pair shoes
1 Swim suit
NO Suit or Tuxedo (Rent it on the ship so you don't have to schlep it all the way there and back)
Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Razor
Camera

Women: One large suitcase for Casual clothes
One Large Suitcase for Formal clothes
One large duffle bag for shoes
One suitcase for toiletries, cosmetics, creams, shampoo/conditioners, lotions, etc.
One suitcase for purses, accessories, grooming equipment, travel irons, steamers, etc.
One carry-on with hairbrushes, vitamins, pain relievers and other prescriptions, cosmetics that they forgot to put in the suitcase, last minute items needed past packing of other suitcases.
One purse the size of a suitcase filled with all the usual junk: lipstick, chewing gum, mints, keys that she can't even remember what they go to and don't need on the cruise anyway, photos of the kids, credit cards for every department store and shop known to man, even ones no longer in business, gym membership card she never uses, hair pins, loose change, old candy wrappers, mints from the restaurant she ate at a month and a half ago, that bag of peanuts from the flight in on Southwest...and so on ad infinitum...
Specifics:
14 panties (one pair each day plus one for evening)
20 hose or pantyhose (accounts for 7 evenings as at least half or more will run while putting them on)
7 casual skirts and/or Bermuda shorts (something that covers the knees and most of the imagined cellulite)
7 casual blouses or tops...actually, make that 14 as most "outfits" require a top covered by a blouse hanging over it)
[NOTE: One can never be seen wearing the SAME outfit TWICE!!]
7 pairs of "casual" shoes...as each "outfit" must be particularly coordinated with the precisely perfect pair of shoes
5 dressier skirts and/or pairs of slightly dressy slacks for casual evenings
4 formal gowns (Yes, I know that there are only two formal nights, but one won't look exactly right and she'll need to put it back and wear something else...and a second won't fit right anymore by the end of the cruise)
5 more pair of slightly dressy shoes...and...
4 pairs of "formal" shoes (again, each "outfit" must be coordinated with the proper shoes)
[NOTE: All formal gowns and formal shoes MUST be purchased special for the cruise. God forbid someone on the cruise MAY have been at your niece Jessica's wedding in June and has already seen you in that gown!!]
Assorted (meaning at least 10 of each) belts, scarves, etc. A woman needs to "accessorize"...
14 purses (again, must match the "outfit")
At least 70 assorted pieces of Jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins, rings) of various types from diamonds down to cheap costume jewelry (again, the accessories must complement the particular outfit being worn)
6 swimsuits, though she'll never actually make it up to the pool deck...besides, "I can't be seen in public in a swimsuit"
6 "cover-ups"...just in case she braves wearing a swimsuit...
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Eye Shadow
Eyeliner
Blush
Foundation
Lipstick
Lip Gloss
Eyebrow pencil
Nail polish
(At least 4 or 5 shades of each variety of make-up)
Make-up remover
Moisturizer
Face cream
Cold Cream
Anti-wrinkle cream
Body lotion
Cotton Balls
Q-Tips
Razor
Shaving Cream
Tweezers
Hairbrush (at least three varieties)
Suntan lotion
Sunscreen
"Feminine Products" (though most often the item forgotten or not packed enough...just so YOU will have to go running around the streets of Puerto Vallarta or Cabo San Lucas looking for drug stores and trying to explain this to a clerk who only speaks Spanish)
Hairdryer (even though they supply them on the ship--it's a reflex motion...but the excuse is "I don't like theirs")
Curling iron
Iron (even though the ship says they're forbidden..."I NEED it")
Steamer
Sewing Kit (like she's going to actually sew)
Eyeglasses
Sunglasses
Contact Lenses
Contact Lens solution
Advil
Midol
Dramamine
Pepto Bismol
Tums
Rolaids
Campo-Phenique
Pepcid
Metamucil
Any other possible medication for any other real or imagined malady which MAY arise during the course of the cruise--which they obviously don't sell anywhere but here at home...
Hair dye (just in case the roots start showing during the cruise)

And, this is just off the top of my head...I KNOW I'm leaving off lots of stuff...

It's a good thing airlines allow you two fifty pound each pieces of luggage plus a carry on each... ...(Or they used to...maybe now with a small fee!)

All of YOUR stuff can go in your carry-on, while hers MAY neatly fit into four pieces of luggage plus her carry-on...

Even with the extensive packing, know that there are simply things not accounted for which now MUST be acquired in port...Besides, some of these ports are just great "shopping towns" ...After all, how important are a bunch of old churches and museums when each port has so many nice stores?

 

 

 

 

 

We need to cruise with y'all, so that when I forget anything...

[Oscar13]

Needed a good chuckle this morning.  Well done.

 

[wheezedr]

1 hour ago, Oscar13 said:

Needed a good chuckle this morning.  Well done.

 

Oh , I thought he was being realistic. LOL.  

 

We used to travel  with a couple, they split, where the DW would take 3 suitcases for a weekend in Tahoe.  One was literally full of shoes so she could cover every option for color, time of day or changes in the weather.

[Papa Yoda]

 

 

[Cyn874]

8 hours ago, Bruin Steve said:

 

 

 

standard packing list

 

Women: 
 

(All the things)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guilty.

Edited March 11, 2019 by Cyn874

[chinita415]

I like the garbage bag idea! Have had case get wet on flights back to SFO.

 

A little rain is better than completely soaked. This happened in Miami on our cruise to Cuba. A whole luggage cart fell in the water when we were walking on the gangway.  They fished some out but some were under the ship. There was a guy walking with us who saw his own case.😱

[MsSoCalCruiser]

13 minutes ago, chinita415 said:

I like the garbage bag idea! Have had case get wet on flights back to SFO.

 

A little rain is better than completely soaked. This happened in Miami on our cruise to Cuba. A whole luggage cart fell in the water when we were walking on the gangway.  They fished some out but some were under the ship. There was a guy walking with us who saw his own case.😱

That’s terrible!  I wonder what they did for the people with no clothes?   I have two hairdryers with me today and that would be awful to have them end up in the sea. 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

13 hours ago, Pam in CA said:

I always line my suitcase top and bottom with tall kitchen garbage bags. You can use them during the cruise as laundry bags. Going home, I pack dirty laundry directly in them. When I get home, I just dump the laundry into the laundry basket. Have never had wet clothing or issues. 

 I followed your suggestion and I lined my suitcase with the tall kitchen garbage bags. Luckily it didn’t rain! 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

20 hours ago, tanzer22pilot said:

Probably too late for you now, but in the future get large contractor grade trash bags from your local hardware store.

 

Place the large trash bag in your suitcase.  Place all of your clothes in the bag.  Roll the top down.  Close your suitcase.

 

Also protects your clothes from someone’s checked red wine.

Great suggestion. Did someones red wine soak your suitcase? 

[Pam in CA]

16 minutes ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

 I followed your suggestion and I lined my suitcase with the tall kitchen garbage bags. Luckily it didn’t rain! 

Murphy’s Law. 🙂 Have a great cruise. 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

1 minute ago, Pam in CA said:

Murphy’s Law. 🙂 Have a great cruise. 

Thank you Pam!

[donaldsc]

1 hour ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

That’s terrible!  I wonder what they did for the people with no clothes?   I have two hairdryers with me today and that would be awful to have them end up in the sea. 

 

It may be a female thing but why would you need 2 hair dryers especially as they have one in the cabin?

 

DON

[MsSoCalCruiser]

38 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

It may be a female thing but why would you need 2 hair dryers especially as they have one in the cabin?

 

DON

 One is a diffuser for curly hair and the other straightens 😂

[Ombud]

18 hours ago, Bruin Steve said:

 

I am not entirely sure of the methods, but I've never had a suitcase delivered to my cabin wet...even when embarking in the rain...

 

But, since I am tired of reading hundreds of posts on why they removed a chair from my cabin, I thought it might be a good time to jump on the second question here.

 

I have a list...

I wrote this several years ago, so some of it may be a bit dated...And, just a note:  I have seen my list published elsewhere around the internet--without attribution, of course...but with my unique wording and writing style...But here goes--my standard packing list for a seven night cruise:

 

standard packing list

 

*************************************************
For a seven night cruise:

Men: One small carry-on size rolling bag.
7 pairs undershorts
5 pairs socks (Don't need them for at-sea days)
4 T-Shirts (we'll pick up a few more as souvenirs along the way)
1 pair shorts (They're good for at least a week)...
1 pair long pants (only because they make you wear them in the dining room)
1 pair shoes
1 Swim suit
NO Suit or Tuxedo (Rent it on the ship so you don't have to schlep it all the way there and back)
Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Razor
Camera

Women: One large suitcase for Casual clothes
One Large Suitcase for Formal clothes
One large duffle bag for shoes
One suitcase for toiletries, cosmetics, creams, shampoo/conditioners, lotions, etc.
One suitcase for purses, accessories, grooming equipment, travel irons, steamers, etc.
One carry-on with hairbrushes, vitamins, pain relievers and other prescriptions, cosmetics that they forgot to put in the suitcase, last minute items needed past packing of other suitcases.
One purse the size of a suitcase filled with all the usual junk: lipstick, chewing gum, mints, keys that she can't even remember what they go to and don't need on the cruise anyway, photos of the kids, credit cards for every department store and shop known to man, even ones no longer in business, gym membership card she never uses, hair pins, loose change, old candy wrappers, mints from the restaurant she ate at a month and a half ago, that bag of peanuts from the flight in on Southwest...and so on ad infinitum...
Specifics:
14 panties (one pair each day plus one for evening)
20 hose or pantyhose (accounts for 7 evenings as at least half or more will run while putting them on)
7 casual skirts and/or Bermuda shorts (something that covers the knees and most of the imagined cellulite)
7 casual blouses or tops...actually, make that 14 as most "outfits" require a top covered by a blouse hanging over it)
[NOTE: One can never be seen wearing the SAME outfit TWICE!!]
7 pairs of "casual" shoes...as each "outfit" must be particularly coordinated with the precisely perfect pair of shoes
5 dressier skirts and/or pairs of slightly dressy slacks for casual evenings
4 formal gowns (Yes, I know that there are only two formal nights, but one won't look exactly right and she'll need to put it back and wear something else...and a second won't fit right anymore by the end of the cruise)
5 more pair of slightly dressy shoes...and...
4 pairs of "formal" shoes (again, each "outfit" must be coordinated with the proper shoes)
[NOTE: All formal gowns and formal shoes MUST be purchased special for the cruise. God forbid someone on the cruise MAY have been at your niece Jessica's wedding in June and has already seen you in that gown!!]
Assorted (meaning at least 10 of each) belts, scarves, etc. A woman needs to "accessorize"...
14 purses (again, must match the "outfit")
At least 70 assorted pieces of Jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins, rings) of various types from diamonds down to cheap costume jewelry (again, the accessories must complement the particular outfit being worn)
6 swimsuits, though she'll never actually make it up to the pool deck...besides, "I can't be seen in public in a swimsuit"
6 "cover-ups"...just in case she braves wearing a swimsuit...
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Eye Shadow
Eyeliner
Blush
Foundation
Lipstick
Lip Gloss
Eyebrow pencil
Nail polish
(At least 4 or 5 shades of each variety of make-up)
Make-up remover
Moisturizer
Face cream
Cold Cream
Anti-wrinkle cream
Body lotion
Cotton Balls
Q-Tips
Razor
Shaving Cream
Tweezers
Hairbrush (at least three varieties)
Suntan lotion
Sunscreen
"Feminine Products" (though most often the item forgotten or not packed enough...just so YOU will have to go running around the streets of Puerto Vallarta or Cabo San Lucas looking for drug stores and trying to explain this to a clerk who only speaks Spanish)
Hairdryer (even though they supply them on the ship--it's a reflex motion...but the excuse is "I don't like theirs")
Curling iron
Iron (even though the ship says they're forbidden..."I NEED it")
Steamer
Sewing Kit (like she's going to actually sew)
Eyeglasses
Sunglasses
Contact Lenses
Contact Lens solution
Advil
Midol
Dramamine
Pepto Bismol
Tums
Rolaids
Campo-Phenique
Pepcid
Metamucil
Any other possible medication for any other real or imagined malady which MAY arise during the course of the cruise--which they obviously don't sell anywhere but here at home...
Hair dye (just in case the roots start showing during the cruise)

And, this is just off the top of my head...I KNOW I'm leaving off lots of stuff...

It's a good thing airlines allow you two fifty pound each pieces of luggage plus a carry on each... ...(Or they used to...maybe now with a small fee!)

All of YOUR stuff can go in your carry-on, while hers MAY neatly fit into four pieces of luggage plus her carry-on...

Even with the extensive packing, know that there are simply things not accounted for which now MUST be acquired in port...Besides, some of these ports are just great "shopping towns" ...After all, how important are a bunch of old churches and museums when each port has so many nice stores?

OMG you pack a lot! I only pack a carryon for a 14 night cruise. Typically 25 pounds

 

Added: now I get it LOL 🤣

Edited March 11, 2019 by Ombud

[JF - retired RRT]

7 hours ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

That’s terrible!  I wonder what they did for the people with no clothes?   I have two hairdryers with me today and that would be awful to have them end up in the sea. 

I have the answer to that one. Same thing happened to us when we boarded in San Pedro a couple of years ago.

Passenger Services told us to send all the clothes to the laundry with the receipt marked "EXPRESS" (IIRC). The cruise was a 15 day to HI. It was 4 days before our clothes came back.

Repeated trips to PS did not get our clothes back to us any faster. No offers to go shopping in the stores on the ship's dime. So we wore the same clothes for 4 days and washed our socks and undies in the sink.

[tourismtessy]

I use a large contractor trash bag as well to line my suitcase.  One thing I do different is cut it down each side so it lays open when packing my clothes.  Then I just lay the other side over the top and tuck in the sides and top.  Works great.  I keep this cut bag in my suitcase for all trips (just in case).