How will you change how you pack?

[summer slope]

Since we live in Florida and cruise to and from Port Everglades I usually pack everything but the kitchen sink.😀  BUT....since we had to fly home from Puerto Vallarta from our Rotterdam cruise in March, and had to pay overweight charges, I'm re-thinking my packing.  Wondering how you will change packing.

[Roger88]

I hate caring more than one bag with me. I always travel with a bag that I wont have to give to a luggage section. Its always very comfortable when you live a plane or a cruiser and just take your bag with you right away. I hate waiting for my luggage and I hate it when I see that it has been dropped n stuff. Better to have it with you. its much safer 

[kazu]

We have to fly to any port so we are restricted with flying regulations anyways.

 

and, since we are often doing land trips before or after, we need to have our luggage as manageable as possible.  Not perfect yet, but we sure don't pack everything but the kitchen sink 😉 

 

So, not a lot of changes for us other than getting a bit better at it 😉 

[Oakman58]

The only change we will make is to carry face masks with us.  We already carry more type of sanitizers than you can imagine.

[iancal]

After retirement nine years ago we planned to sell our home and travel for 6-9 months.   The plan included several cruises, condo rentals, road trips, a safari, ferrys, etc.  Europe, Africa,  US, and Costa Rica.   It became apparent to us after speaking with others who traveled extensively that the best way for us to accomplish this was with carry on only.   A basic requirement was luggage that we could each handle physically under any circumstances.  That translated to 20 inch rollers, 8-10KG in weight.  Since that trip we have typically done 2 two month overseas trips per year.  Huge change from a suit most days and frequent business functions.  Until two years ago, we often picked up last minute cruises on those trips. Not so often now though.

 

It was a challenge at first.  Those shoes had to go along with all the creams, jells, whatever.  It has become much easier over time.   We both only take layered, multi use, easy care clothing.  Now, when we shop we find ourselves only looking at this type of product.  DW changed her hair style and color to facilitate travel and easy care. 

 

Now it is the only way we would travel.  We find it to be very liberating.  The only downside is that at about the six or seven week mark DW is becoming tired of the same wardrobe selections!   DW cracked several vertabrae in her back while in Malaysia a few years ago.  She decided that we should keep on with our plans to fly to Australia.   I had to take care of the luggage.  Could not have done it by myself unless  they were both carry on rollers.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 17, 2020 by iancal

[albingirl]

We do carryon.  Once we hit the 4 star level, it changed everything. The only time I won't do a carryon is for a cruise more than 3 weeks.  Obviously, you would get sick of the same clothing for a month. Not that I really care that much.

[TiogaCruiser]

For me, the big change is I’m NOT going to pack. I’m not going anywhere any time soon.🤨

 

And when the time comes it my gear will likely include a tent and sleeping bag.

[ski ww]

The more we travel the less we pack. It seems every cruise we go on we find we bring too much.

[cruisemom42]

I don't try to pack ultra-light, but I do pack so that I can manage my own bag at all times. For me, that's a 22-24" roller bag and either a cross-body purse or a small backpack. Over the years of traveling I've gotten better at limiting shoes and extras, mix and match options, and stopping myself from taking "just in case" items. I only can travel for a max of 3 weeks at a time, often it's more like 2 weeks. So far I have never felt tired of my clothes by the end of it. When I retire, hope to start planning some longer trips.

 

I also always travel with my fully-loaded Kindle (instant entertainment in case of delays or, heaven forbid, quarantines). There's probably not much I'd consider doing differently in the face of COVID-19. 

 

[Tampa Girl]

4 minutes ago, ski ww said:

The more we travel the less we pack. It seems every cruise we go on we find we bring too much.

 

I agree.  I try, but I still continue to overpack.  I fear that the saying about teaching an old dog applies in my case.  However, having paid a $100 fine on AA recently for being 3 lbs. overweight has given me some impetus to reform.

[rkacruiser]

Every cruise, indeed every trip by whatever mode of transportation, I plan to take less and depend more on ship's laundry or a laundromat at a hotel or in a town.  Every cruise and trip, I return home and still wonder:  why did I take all of this stuff?

 

I am better than my first cruise in 1970.  I had 4 pieces of luggage and my traveling companion had 3.  When I picked him up to leave for New York, his landlady said something like "are you fellows planning to supply Patton's Army with clothes?"

[Shmoo here]

2 hours ago, summer slope said:

Wondering how you will change packing.

We pretty much pack the same for a 5 night cruise as we do for a one month one.  In fact, we took a 2 1/2 month RV trip a couple of summers ago, and the clothes packing for that was the same.  Only difference, longer trips I might add an additional outfit or two.

 

I have trip photos from many trips where I'm wearing the same outfits.

 

 

[rkacruiser]

3 minutes ago, Shmoo here said:

I have trip photos from many trips where I'm wearing the same outfits.

 

As do I.  A blue blazer, gray slacks, white shirt with a red striped tie never go out of fashion.  

 

And, who can tell if I am wearing my 2002 tux or my most recently purchased tux?  I still am using the same formal bow ties from 2002.  (Although, I am getting rather tired of them.)

Edited May 17, 2020 by rkacruiser

[KirkNC]

I have to wait until we get our luggage from the WC.  Right now it is somewhere off of the Philippines 🥺.

[realnice46]

When it comes to change in packing  I will bring a couple extra books, IPad, masks,hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes and some snacks just in case and definitely extra meds.

[Lady Chew]

We don't do carry-on-only when we fly, but we keep our luggage to whatever we each can manage.  That gets a little less each year but we still check a bag each, occasionally one additional bag if we have snorkel gear or something of that sort … if we're not cruising, we can manage with slightly less, but we still check our bags.

 

From now on we'll be taking an extra 15 days worth of our meds, extra underwear, and face masks.  When we fly, we buy our toiletries after we've arrived.  From now on, we'll be packing some hand sanitizer and buying a lot more when we get to where we're going!!

[slidergirl]

59 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

For me, the big change is I’m NOT going to pack. I’m not going anywhere any time soon.🤨

 

And when the time comes it my gear will likely include a tent and sleeping bag.

 

Right now, my camping gear is sitting in the middle of my living room, waiting patiently to get used.  But, I'm finding that I may overpack - do I take the sunshade or just the tent, do I need the 10 degree bag or the 40 degree bag plus the down throw, do I take the hammock, do I take a big daypack or a lumbar pack, do I need the whole rain suit, do I need the down jacket or just a shell, how many bottles of wine do I need, etc.  I'm only limited to how much I can stuff into the back of my Sportage.    

 

Outside of camping stuff, when I travel it's easy and carry on.  I have to be able to comfortably handle my luggage since I do a lot of multi-modal travel.  It's so much more pleasurable when I'm not limited by what I have with me!

[iancal]

Every time we return from a trip and unpack we take notice of any items that we did not use, or only used a few times.  They get left at home next time in favour of an item(s) that we wished we had taken.  That really helped us the first few trips.   We still do it.  Covid would not change how or what we pack to any degree.

 

 The other benefit for me....I can be packed in 20 minutes to go just about anywhere for however long.  DW likes to start the day before.

Edited May 17, 2020 by iancal

[cruisemom42]

13 minutes ago, iancal said:

 

 The other benefit for me....I can be packed in 20 minutes to go just about anywhere for however long.  DW likes to start the day before.

 

Sure -- the packing itself doesn't take that long...  But all the choices that have to made in advance of packing can take longer.   You know, which two long-sleeved shirts out of the possibly 15 I own will work best with the rest of the things I'm packing?  Will my soft-shell jacket work better than my fleece in the expected weather?

 

Maybe it's more of a female thing. (Or not, I've known several guys who take far longer to pack than me.)

[janmcn]

Learned to pack light, too...24" suitcase for each of us plus 18" European OK carryon. That's max we take. We take a lot of photo/electronic gear, so that pretty much takes up the carryons. Pack the same for a 7-day (actually would probably do that in a carryon now...did it for an Ireland trip of 14 days) as for 45 days. Only change would be to add an extra layer (fleece) if we go north...fits under the raincoat which is a given unless Caribbean which we rarely do anymore. No books, only Kindles and iPads.

[HokiePoq]

1 hour ago, KirkNC said:

I have to wait until we get our luggage from the WC.  Right now it is somewhere off of the Philippines 🥺.

Is this what you had shipped prior to the cruise or everything?    Not good.   Hope it won't be too long before they can dock and ship it.

[summer slope]

I find I take more “just in case” meds as we’ve gotten older. Also I pack a lot of books because I like the feel instead of a kindle. 

[rkacruiser]

25 minutes ago, summer slope said:

I find I take more “just in case” meds as we’ve gotten older. Also I pack a lot of books because I like the feel instead of a kindle. 

 

Absolutely.  I don't want to run out of needed meds and worry if Timbucktu or wherever can replace them.  Whatever books I read, I leave wherever I am:  ships' libraries, hotel's  concierge lounges, etc.  

[pcur]

5 hours ago, summer slope said:

Since we live in Florida and cruise to and from Port Everglades I usually pack everything but the kitchen sink.😀  BUT....since we had to fly home from Puerto Vallarta from our Rotterdam cruise in March, and had to pay overweight charges, I'm re-thinking my packing.  Wondering how you will change packing.

I will add washable masks for the next 2 years.  Otherwise, it's packing as usual.

 

[Dismomx5]

We typically take a medium 24" and a large 27" suitcase for the longer cruises. For the shorter, we leave the medium suitcase at home.  Hubby's carryon is a rollerboard that has his meds (which I will now take an extra 2 weeks with us) , all our electronics/chargers, a change of clothes for him and snacks for the airplane. My "carryon" is a Lug totebag/purse. And simply has my iPad, and all the documents we need. I will be adding the Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer (well, more) and to the large suitcase. Masks will be added to my carryon.

We met someone on the Zuiderdam this winter who had done 2 cruises and was doing a third, along with visiting friends, when we berthed for a total time away of close to 3 months, all in carryons. Impressive.