How soon do you start packing????? weeks ahead of time, or last minute??

[elainekay]

I have a friend who owns 5-6 pairs of white slacks. When she gets off a cruise she washes, presses, and packs them for her next cruise. She knows what she wants to take so she's ready on a moment's notice (well almost).

 

Lynn the Cruiser: When I saw you were from the Pocono area it brought back fond childhood memories. My parents had friends who owned a home at Lake Waullenpaupack [sp]. We spent many happy summers with them. It's a beautiful area.

 

Cruising is the way we enjoy traveling now.

 

Elainekay

[cruiselover57]

I am really getting excited about this cruise, (my 2nd in 6 years), and I started putting clothes in the suitcase months ago, but now that our trip is just weeks away, I am taking it more seriously now.

 

Do any of you start packing early, or just wait until the last minute???

 

I take things in and out of the suitcase all the time, but I will probably do my final packing the night before:eek: , thats just me!

 

I start the packing process about a week before and then during the week, take the time to wash those last minute items. I have a very organized list of items and then I do a table to make sure I have an outfit for each day and the "special occasion" nights - I have been known at times to run out and buy something on the day we were leaving! -- and I don't mean something I forgot like lotion - I mean actual clothes shopping! I guess it gives me a thrill to do that!

[oceanal]

I am packing right now !!!!

Hurray....2 weeks to go...

The perfect time to pack all the things we will not be needing in the next 2 weeks. Then 3-4 days before the rest of the packing takes place....

:D A

[vegangeek]

About a week or two before, I check to see if there's anything I need to shop for (formalwear, shoes, whatever) but the actual putting stuff in the suitcase part of packing I don't do until the day before.

[ChristieDawn]

We never vacation. In fact this is our first REAL vacation that we have ever been on and we've been married for almost 9 years!!!! (We always drive 18 hours to my in-laws and sleep on a blow up mattress) So I am very excited! This cruise is our Honeymoon and my birthday is 2 weeks before we go!

So I really don't know how to pack. I'm scared I'm going to pack too much but worse that I'm not going to pack enough.:eek:

 

We leave next month! :) What I've done so far is laid out outfits to match tops with bottoms and then hung them in one space in my closet. I've made a bag for dry cleaning that I'm planning on taking next week (incase they ruin my dress I'll have time to find another) and I've started to pack bathroom stuff! This week end is the last free time I will have before the cruise so I'm going to wash all of our clothes to get them ready to pack. I guess I need to make a list and hang it in my bathroom and when I pack something I can mark it off my list!:rolleyes:

 

I figure we will pack 1 or 2 garment bags, a large (nice) duffle bag and 2 carry on bags, one for each of us, for a 5 day cruise.

[suezyq50]

I pull out what I might take a month out. Decide what I need to buy, than go from there. I can do that because I have an extra bedroom.

[jamaica71594]

We never vacation. In fact this is our first REAL vacation that we have ever been on and we've been married for almost 9 years!!!! (We always drive 18 hours to my in-laws and sleep on a blow up mattress) So I am very excited! This cruise is our Honeymoon and my birthday is 2 weeks before we go!

So I really don't know how to pack. I'm scared I'm going to pack too much but worse that I'm not going to pack enough.:eek:

 

We leave next month! :) What I've done so far is laid out outfits to match tops with bottoms and then hung them in one space in my closet. I've made a bag for dry cleaning that I'm planning on taking next week (incase they ruin my dress I'll have time to find another) and I've started to pack bathroom stuff! This week end is the last free time I will have before the cruise so I'm going to wash all of our clothes to get them ready to pack. I guess I need to make a list and hang it in my bathroom and when I pack something I can mark it off my list!:rolleyes:

 

I figure we will pack 1 or 2 garment bags, a large (nice) duffle bag and 2 carry on bags, one for each of us, for a 5 day cruise.

 

After this cruise you will definitely vacation again!!! Wow you are taking a lot of stuff. You may not need as much for 5 days, but then that depends on how many times you will change in a course of a day. I am trying to keep my packing to a minimum, and thats due to overpacking on previous trips. Just too much stuff. I just have to see how it goes, but since our cruise is 4 nights, I am keeping it simple, at least I hope!

 

Have fun!!!!!!!!!:D

[Peregrina651]

I hate packing and I always leave it until the last minute--no matter where or how or how long we are going.

 

Hubby makes lists and has all his stuff lined up, ready for me to fit into the suitcase but I'm always the one who is frantic at the last minute. You would think that by now I would have figured it out!

[aprildream]

Do clothes wrinkle more if packed a week before than the night before?

I guess I mean do the wrinkles set in more the longer folded? I am working right up to leaving and it would be easier to pack the weekend before. I wont be flying to the port, only home after the trip. No one seems to address the condition of the clothes if folded so soon.:confused:

[digitalgirl]

You can pack the week before but don't close the suitcase, or set the clothes aside and just put them in the night before. They won't get any more wrinkled than in the dresser.

Take a dewrinkler spray, some people have shared they work wonderfully.

I have all my extras, toiletries and travel gear already in the suitcase. I'll pack the clothes closer to the trip, who knows what size I will be.

[vacation girl 1970]

I made our packing checklists last week, but I won't be packing until the night before. Alot of that stuff I have been wearing, as we have been expereincing 75+ degree days here in Georgia!

[jamaica71594]

I just moved my two bags from the basement to our spare bedroom, to begin the preliminary packing process. I had already starting putting in, taking out months ago, but now It is countdown time!!!:)

[florida cruiser girl]

I need to make that a priority today...to start, I think! I am running out of time!

[scubacindy]

Pensgrl, I don't think it sounds like for two people you are overpacking for 5 days, one duffle can easily contain those things you may not need to put in a garment bag, and depending on the size of a garment bag I have found I sometimes need 2 one for me and one for him. Then in your duffle bag goes the shoes, swimsuits, shorts, t-shirts, underwear, socks etc. We usually both have a carry on with the essentials and a change of clothes just in case our bags do not make it to our cabin before dinner, I usually change from what I am wearing to board hang it up and get casual to hang out on the Lido deck until time for dinner. Then if my bags are not at my room I re-dress in what I wore boarding.

 

I think it sounds like you are heading in the right direction. Right now I am having thoughts about my packing which is just in a planning stage at this time. My cruise is in 6 weeks, we actually will have to plan for 3 additional nights of travel as we drive to Tampa 2 days ahead of the cruise and will take an extra day and night to drive back home. So, I am looking at 10 nights and 11 days to decide on. I am trying to keep mine to a limited amount of bags as my husband won't be with me and I have to carry or move them when no porter is available, like loading the car and getting into the and out of the hotel.

 

I am getting excited and it is hard to not start loading up my luggage. But, as mentioned above our weather has warmed up here in Georgia and some of the clothes I am taking I have been wearing the last few days.

 

Just have fun, with this and you will learn each time what works best and what doesn't.

 

Cindy

[momofmeg]

I actually start packing about a week before-but I am planning what I will take probally for MONTHS ahead-unless I booked the cruise last minute.