What Do You Keep In Your Carry-On Bag?

[Garycruz]

Aside from the basic necessities- first aid, medicine, travel docs, jewelry, money, ID, etc, what other items do you keep in your carry-on bag?

 

DW always feels like she keeps too much stuff in her carry-on bag, both onto the plane and then onto the ship. In addition to the essentials above, her bag contains reading material, CDs/player, sunglasses, toiletries and cosmetics, and who knows what else. :rolleyes:

 

Specifically, she wants to know what others do with items such as shampoo, conditioner and lotion. She carries them on because she is afraid they will spill and ruin the clothes if they are checked. Ziplock bags just don't seem to be reliable enough.

 

Any thoughts?

[snjvacationer]

I always pack my shampoo and such in my luggage in zip lock bags and have never had a problem. I dont even think I am carrying on a carry on since we are cruising out of NY in May and dont think I will need my bathing suit or anything else before I can get to my cabin.

 

Sorry I dont have any good ideas for your DW.

[hdawson]

I also pack a change of clothes for dinner the first nite, incase luggage delivery is late, which only happened once in 18 cruises.

[hstrybuf]

I pack anything of value or anything that I might need before the rest of our luggage arrives.

[caribbean dreams]

I keep my makeup, bathing suit, a change of clothes, a book to read on the plane. i just pack my shampoo ect.. in my suitcase and have never had a problem with it spilling. (knock on wood)

[texancruzer]

HMMMM last cruise I had my carry on (looks like a large purse that matches my luggage) our prescriptions, travel documents and all my confirmations via email for island excursions/car rentals, jewelry, and half the money :D + passport and wallet. Didnt take a book but bought a magazine in the Dallas airport....

 

DH had a black leather bookbag (new for this trip) and he had digital camera, underwater camera, binoculars (for balcony use), crossword puzzle book, lanyards, and misc stuff.

 

Once on the ship he kept wallets/cameras, sunscreen, etc in his bag and I used mine for towels, snorkle equipment and dry clothes (ahhh in zip lock bags of course). This also left a small amt of room for shopping purchases.

 

I alway pack my shampoo etc. in plastic screw on top bottles from the dollar store - in a plastic makeup bag in with my suitcase that has shoes, evening purses etc. but no clothes... never had a problem

 

We always dress so that we can wear to dinner the first night what we board in..... but have gotten our luggage before then so no problem there either.

[sailinglisa]

My carryon holds my medicine, passport, wallet, all my money and credit cards in things other than my wallet, my costume jewelry (don't own any of the real stuff), my digital camera and memory cards and batteries, some of my makeup, my cell phone and a book to read.

 

I pack the rest of my makeup, my hair needs, mirror, and everything else in my checked luggage with my clothes. Sometimes I may wear a swimsuit under the clothes I wear to board in case I want to hit a hot tub or pool.

[trixie54]

This past cruise our suitcases were sent to San Juan by mistake & we flew to Miami; it took 3 days for them to catch up to us, & I was so glad I had followed my carry-on "rule" of bringing necessities for a full 24-hr. period. At least we could swim, have a fresh change of clothing, cosmetics, meds, etc. until we got our bags.

[bobbie0253]

My carry on bag contains:

 

Docs, passports, liscenses, cash, credit cards, reservation and confirmation info, hair clip, sunglasses, asprin, q-tips, bonine, hand sanitizer, kleenex, pen, paper, deck plans for the ship we are sailing on (so I can get a feel for the ship before we board), some makeup, cell phone, car keys, magazines.

 

We also carry on a bag with the laptop and camera gear.

 

We also have learned to pack a small rolling suitcase that we check at the airport, but carry onto the ship. It contains: A change of clothes for dinner, bathing suit, cover up for the pool, curling iron, toothbrushes, sunscreen, and work out clothes so we can hit the gym early.

 

It sounds like a lot, but is pretty easy to manage :)

[Happy ks]

My carry on just isn't large enough for all I want to pack in it plus a change of clothes. I think my bag must be a lot smaller than most peoples. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my luggage never goes on a different trip than I!

 

It also depends on which way we are travelling. If it's the journey home, I don't care. If it's the journey there, we always cross pack with each other, in case one suitcase goes missing.

 

We have, in the past, packed a small carry on with a change of clothes for everyone (family of 4), but we now like to be as unemcumbered on the flight as possible.

[sherry7]

Nice post. I'm in the midst of packing now for our upcoming Radiance cruise, so I'm going to jot some of this down for my packing list. :)

[KLLund]

If you had seen me at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul trying to buy essentials you would understand why my carryon ALWAYS has a change of underwear .. on a 3 week cruise it took my suitcase one week and 5 ports to catch up and the cruise ship had nothing in the way of underwear unless you are a size 0 or soo .

 

Travel docs, passports, reading material and medications ... but for sure underwear.

 

 

Kathy

[MszKitty]

This past cruise our suitcases were sent to San Juan by mistake & we flew to Miami; it took 3 days for them to catch up to us, & I was so glad I had followed my carry-on "rule" of bringing necessities for a full 24-hr. period. At least we could swim, have a fresh change of clothing, cosmetics, meds, etc. until we got our bags.

 

Ditto. A change of clothes for the evening and an extra change of clothes for the next day in case my bags don't make it there....and all my toiletries, hair accessories (hair dryer, curling iron) and makeup. I've had bags delayed on land vacations (both on the vacation and on the trip home) so I just don't take a chance anymore.

I also cross pack for the trip out. Going home, doesn't matter.

[sable1]

Yes, we use our rollaboards with everything we need for the cruise. I just don't want to have a checked bag lost before a cruise.

For our 35 day cruise last year, I did check a small backpack type bag that I didn't mind if it was misplaced for a few days. In Sept. we are going to Italy for 3 weeks then sailing from Venice back to Galveston. Have already test packed the rollaboard to make sure everything fits. We just aren't taking formal clothes which cuts down on alot of space. We take wash and wear and wash our things out as we go along. I have found that people are so involved in their own enjoyment of their cruise that they don't notice or care if you are repeating the clothes you wear. And I cruise to enjoy myself, not to impress anyone with how many clothes I have brought. Works for me and makes travelling more stress free. Never any lost luggage.

 

Happy sailing everyone,

Joanne, the chocoholic

[Nliedel]

Bonine, shampoo, Conditioner. Since the explosion of these items on a return from Hawaii. It was a business trip and two suits were ruined. This only has to happen to you one time to change your tune forever. I also bring along my laptop now. I discovered e-books and that's how I haul them around.

 

I take a change of clothes that is decent. Something that I can wear to dinner if the rest of it does not show up. I also pack a swimsuit.

 

That's about it. Oh crud, my iPod. I cannot travel without it.

 

 

 

Jewelry, of course.

[cruisin from florida]

I have a few nice pieces of jewelry. I carry those in my carry-on. We also carry on our laptop. All travel docs. A book to read.

 

We generally try to get into "cruise mode" by wearing resort-style clothes to the port (we don't have to fly) so I don't pack a change of clothes. I can wear what I have on to dinner if I have to. When we took our kids we did have them bring their bathing suits in case they wanted to hit the pool right away. We usally explore the ship, though, so that was unnecessary.

 

I don't worry about toiletries. If they lose those I'll go buy another toothbrush and toothpaste.

[kbt2]

when traveling for a cruise i always take my change of clothes for dinner that night, along with my make-up and always carry my hairspray in my carry on. TOO many times when it was in luggage it all sprayed out due to no air compression in luggage area. :)

[Cathy p]

I go down every isle and see what may help with my packing. Makeup bags are great for putting small items in such as jewelry, film, camera. I also buy the plastic bottles to put shampoo and conditioner in then I put them in the baggie. Every year before vacation, I go to the Dollar Store and I always manage to find something new.

[wrp96]

My carryon contains all my toiletries (but I use travel size bottles), all my medicines, my jewelry, my laptop (if I bring it), a book, some granola bars/peanut butter crackers etc, a swimsuit, a complete change of clothes including one set of clothes that I could wear to dinner every night if I had to, and a set of pajamas of some sort. It sounds like a lot but it all fits into my roll-a-board carry on and a small over the shoulder carry on. I fly and I'm too wary of having a suitcase get lost or delayed for me not to be prepared as it has happened too many times to me. On my way home from my Serenade cruise, I was able to comfortably take a bump and get home the next day knowing that I had my toothbrush, deodorant, and clean clothes to change into. There were several people who had missed their flights that had nothing in their carryons(DFW was shut down for several hours and what flights that did manage to go out were oversold). I saw many of them staring at my bags in longing.

[Garycruz]

Thank you all for the responses. DW feels a bit more secure in the knowledge that she is not the only one who packs everything in a carry-on in case of emergency.

 

Although most people apparently didn't have problems packing spillable products, the few that did only confirms her paranoia and need to continue to pack those items in the carry-on bag, seperate from the clothes.

 

As she likes to say, better safe than sorry. :)

[wrp96]

Everything I pack in my luggage and my carryons goes into ziploc bags, even my clothes, shoes, etc. I get the really large ones to use in my suitcase. It actually helps save space packing and ensures that if something does leak (of mine or anyone elses), everything else is protected. Even then all toiletries are double bagged in some way or the other.

[cozgal]

Like all the others, we also pack an extra days worth of clothing, along with camera, meds etc just in case our bags are delayed...

What I did learn the hard way was to put half of each other's clothing in each bag...Went on a trip...DH had all his clothes and my suitcase was MIA for 2 days. Of course since we have done this , (knock on wood) our bags have always arrived with us!

[westernmom]

I always throw in a deck of cards! It has helped pass hours away when stranded! DH isn't much of a reader and so this helps keep him occupied!

 

One thing I do with shampoo, etc. is to put a piece of plastic wrap on the top before I screw the lids back on then put them in ZipLocks. Takes care of any chances of a spill!

[mared1]

Since Carinival has switched to Dove hair products, I don't pack shampoo anymore in my carry on.

I do take all the usual essentials (medication, makeup, etc)in my carry on as well my swimming suit, change of underwear, camera, binoculars, a book, some prepackaged cheese and crackers or granola bars.

I have a large purse that holds the cruise documents,a deck of cards, and the usual things - billfold, etc.

Since the carry on is on wheels, I do try to pack as much as possible in it so my checked luggage can hold more and not be over weight.

[Nliedel]

Duh! Snack. I always carry a Balance Bar or a Cliff bar in my carry on now. Ever since the parking lot incident I think it's imporant to have something in case of an emergancy.