How in the World can you put everything into 1 suitcase???

[CruisenLexie]

You guys are crackin me up. I am still picturing the guy in his tux over his bathing suit with his toothbrush and flip flops. It will give me something to laugh about when I am tearing my hair out trying to pack my next suitcase :D

 

Maybe this will be my next diet....be able to pack all my clothes in one suitcase diet;)

 

Have a great evening everyone!

[daulphin]

i go to lots of places. i always use vaccum space bag. they do good job. i buy at wal-mart for cheap price. I always pack lots of cloths and shoes, da vaccum bag make cloths very skinny so i pack more shoes.

[imlulu]

On our last cruise(5 days) we had 2 suitcases and a rolling garment bag for 4 people. Since we were going to Canada I packed a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt for the 4 of us which took up a lot of space. I also packed a pair of shorts for each day for my dh and boys. They wore them to dinner with a polo shirt. If we had done Caribbean, I would have packed less shorts as they would have only worn to dinner. We tend to wear bathing suits all day in Caribbean.

 

I no longer bring hairdryer, shampoo or toothpaste as the ship has it. If we skipped elegant night, we could have left the rolling garment bag home.

 

Im curious as to what people pack in so many suitcases????

[libby10205]

Think about this!! If Carnival does away with assigned seating and with the relaxed dress.... could you wear your swim suit under your clothes and carry on a tooth brush and box of detergent?

[clackey]

The secret to packing is to utilize each item of clothing for two or three different circumstances. On our last cruise I took 2 T-shirts because I knew that I would be purchasing more in each port. 2 pairs of socks for casual wear and one pair for dress. (Just turn them inside out to get a couple of more days from them.) A pair of dress shoes, sandles and a pair of Tenners. (Designed by a man named Tenner). 3 flowered cruise shirts,( So everyone will know that you are on vacation.) 3 pairs of baggy shorts so you can mix and match with the flowerdy shirts. (Is flowerdy a word?) 1 suit with matching pants and a dress shirt with a gawdy tie(Spongebob is good), and one pair (why do they call them a pair?) of underwear for formal night.

 

This leaves enough room in the luggage for my snorkel bag.:D

 

The only major problem with this scenario is the purchases that are made in each port. We usually have to buy a new piece of luggage for the return home.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

#1 Definitely color coordinate so that everything can mix and match (clothes to shoes, elegant to casual)

 

#2 This!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=790622

 

;)

[Quench]

I am trying to figure out that same exact thing. I have decided to one dress (formal) because I will be celebrating my college gradaution. Two skirts, two paris of capris. ansd about seven shirts. I am onlt bringing a pair of sneakers one pair of flip flops and one pair of dress shoes.

 

I am going to make one enough

 

Congratulations! I was in your shoes last year. My mom gave me a cruise to Bermuda for my graduation. We had so much fun on that cruise.

[queenanneitis]

I have no intention of giving up formal nights! As for packing, I'm going to take what I want and pay the price. I don't overpack but I'm not going to skimp either.

[LAMAX]

My husband and I pack 2 large suitcases and one garment bag. we also have one carryone(for meds etc). This cruise I believe we will bring just the 2 suitcases and pack our formal wear in the suitcase. I'll iron them if iI have to. We limit our shoes to 2 each. formal and sandles.

 

We stick with the large suitcase so we can bring souves back. I'm going to bring a collapsable one in case we need an extra carey on on the way home.

 

I also buy travel size deodeerant, mouthwash etc and just throw them away at the end of the trip. Thats less weight.

 

I wish us all luck.

[Marie51]

I am going to still bring 2 suitcases and pay the airlines for the extra piece of luggage. I don't like it but I'd rather pay the extra $25 than not have my stuff with me.

[DaisyGirl55]

I am lucky to live in Florida near so many ports, but when I do fly to other ports I try to mix and match as much as possible. I will actually (gasp!) wear the same thing more than once during the cruise. My little black dress is made of a jersey-type material that you could almost ball up and it would still look good. No missing formal night for me! (My DH brings a nice jacket, and a couple of dress shirts). One pair of pants, a few tops, and some capris. No more than 2 pair of shorts and 3 tops for the days. Add in my swimwear, one pair of dress shoes and one pair of sandals and I am good to go. I usually wear my jeans and my sneakers on the plane.

 

I can get my stuff in one suitcase, but what is harder is the extra stuff we women tend to take. You know - the make-up, body lotions, perfume, jewelry, hair stuff and so on and so on. That is the only part I miss about flying luggage restrictions is being able to carry my cosmetic bag. I know I can size down my stuff, and for the most part I do - but I can't size down everything!

[farler05]

We're planning to pare down to one large suitcase or two carry-on size & a garment bag. The key is only packing what is really necessary. On previous cruises, we packed 2 outfits for every day, one for the day & one for night. But we found that we didn't wear the majority of the day clothes, we were in our swimsuits. So we're going to pare down to 2-3 pair of shorts & tops for the day. Evening, DH brings 2 pairs of pants & a shirt for each evening, I'm going to bring capris that can be worn with multiple tops & of course 2 dresses. Shoes - we go bare minimum - 1 dress, 1 pair crocs & 1 nice sandal (well for me). We're also going to try to pare down the toiletries, only what we really need & none of the maybes. We're also going to save space by not packing any of the helpful items recommended here. We packed a bunch of stuff & then never used it - over the door shoe holder for toiletries, post-it-notes, power strip & more.

[farler05]

Rick Steves is my hero. I actually took one of his trips back in the late 80's - to Italy. GREAT time. He was the tour leader. He really' date=' really packs that way...and he does it under 21 pounds too.....DANG.

 

I'm not that good....but, no matter where I'm going or how long I'm staying, if it doesn't fit into a 22" roll-on-board and a small carryon.....it's not going with me. And, for cruising, I have kept the weight about 30-35 pounds-no need for any sweaters or sweatshirts, etc.......[/quote']

 

My parents went on the Rick Steves Walking Tour of Europe. It was either 3 or 4 weeks long & they took one backpack, that was it! I figure if they can make it 3-4 weeks with one backpack each, DH & I can make it with 1 large suitcase or 2 carry-ons. :p

[rphx2nc]

Rick Steves is my hero. I actually took one of his trips back in the late 80's - to Italy. GREAT time. He was the tour leader. He really' date=' really packs that way...and he does it under 21 pounds too.....DANG.

 

I'm not that good....but, no matter where I'm going or how long I'm staying, if it doesn't fit into a 22" roll-on-board and a small carryon.....it's not going with me. And, for cruising, I have kept the weight about 30-35 pounds-no need for any sweaters or sweatshirts, etc.......[/quote']

 

My DH is afraid I will leave him for Clark Howard or Rick Steves, both world travelers that only use carry-on baggage. I love them both, he has a right to be worried. I can do a family of 5 for 7 days at Disney in 1 large suitcase. I hope to do this for our 5 day cruise also. We have been over 50 lbs before and had to spread some weight to a backpack.

[poobears]

I purchased new luggage this year strictly for cruising. Our new bags are a combo garment bag/suitcase. That eliminated the need for a seperate garment bag and we can still take our formal wear without folding it.

[mom&me_cruising]

I think the key is not to have a pair of shoes and purse for each outfit. Shoes and purses take up a lot of space!

[jpg1747]

I pack everything I want/need for a 7 day cruise into one 27" bag. All I take on the plane is my purse (with has all the usual stuff plus jewelry, meds and a book). I have 2 changes of clothes per day, including appropriate shoes, plus all the other stuff. I never do laundry and I never wear anything twice (except for shoes). It generally weighs around 35-40 lbs. I chart what I'm going to wear and make a packing list. That way I don't overpack.

[aVASTGrl]

I never travel with more than one suitcase. I've been all over Europe and even moved to England for 6 months...all in one suitcase! (granted, I came back from that with A LOT of extra boxes!).

I guess the key is to always pack half of what you THINK you need. Mix and match, and a pair of black shoes should go nicely with multiple "dressy" outfits. I also use the vacuum spacesaver bags...that helps a lot, and makes it easy to pack formalwear.

[poochierebelbear]

You all have shared really good info for packing. Thank you to the person that mentioned Rick Stevens site. Awesome! I have a Kenneth Cole rolling Garment Suitcase that I will be taking as well as a small carryon. I could get stuff into one suitcase but my other concern is having room to pack souveniers and my water that I plan to purchase and bring on the cruise. So, for that reason, I'll be bringing my carryon. But, one never knows. When it all boils down to me packing, I may not need my carryon. I may just bring a lightweight bag and when I get to Miami, put my water in it. I've taken good notes especially regarding formal night. I'll have a nice elegant black skirt and I already have one nice top to wear, but I'll go buy another one (on sale of course). I can use the same shoes and accessories too.

Erica

[Odoyal Rulez]

You should probably hit an all you can eat chinese buffet, then come back and have someone sit on it while you zip it.

[SEA SOUNDS]

Thank you everyone who has contributed to this thread whether it be packing 2-3 suitcases or only 1. I found it interesting how some of you pack light. I find that many of the items I bring with me do not get worn, so I definitely have to downsize this time.

Some people roll their items and some use the bags. I guess I am going to start looking for some light weight knits that I can mix and match. I hear they pack very well and do not get wrinkled.

I am looking for another carryon, so can anyone recommend one to me?? I don't want to pay tons of money because they get worn and usually don't last me more than a few years.

Once again, keep the ideas coming and thanks for all the suggestions...

[seattlejen]

[quote name='SEA SOUNDS']Thank you everyone who has contributed to this thread whether it be packing 2-3 suitcases or only 1. I found it interesting how some of you pack light. I find that many of the items I bring with me do not get worn, so I definitely have to downsize this time.

Some people roll their items and some use the bags. I guess I am going to start looking for some light weight knits that I can mix and match. I hear they pack very well and do not get wrinkled.

I am looking for another carryon, so can anyone recommend one to me?? I don't want to pay tons of money because they get worn and usually don't last me more than a few years.

Once again, keep the ideas coming and thanks for all the suggestions...[/quote]

Kirkland Signature @ Costco, they last very well & like everything else Costco sells if you ever have a problem with it Costco stands behind it and will make you happy :)

[mj]

For the Liberty cruise, I am going to downsize to 1 suitcase. That may mean washing some clothes midweek, but with the new fees on luggage, I don't want to pay US Air $80.

[nybumpkin]

My oldest son just returned from a 2-week group tour of China(!) His group limited him to one suitcase weighing under 44 pounds and one carry-on weighing under 11 pounds, so he brought one of our medium-sized suitcases and his backpack. He was also required have jacket-and-tie for two meetings and a dinner, business casual for two additional meetings, and casual wear for the remaining time. We suggested he wear a polo, khakis, his jacket and his dress shoes to travel (not particularly comfortable when you're in transit for more than 24 hours and he ditched the jacket fairly quickly:eek:); he brought an additional pair of khakis, 2 polo shirts, two button-down shirts, several tees, one pair of jeans, and 2 pairs of shorts. He had socks and underwear for 7 days. He had travel detergent to do laundry in his hotel room, but the hotel had a deal on day 7 to do his laundry for him so he went with the hotel deal. All told, he had all the clothes he needed and still had plenty of room to bring home some very nice souvenirs (including the oolong tea I requested:)). Even with limited packing, there were a couple of items that he didn't wear.

When we have to fly for a cruise, we just bite the bullet and plan on doing laundry midway through vacation. Yes it's vacation, but we really don't find it that disruptive - while the laundry's going, DH is sitting out on our balcony reading a book and listening to his I-pod. We're not sitting right next to the washing machine.

[poochierebelbear]

[quote name='mj']For the Liberty cruise, I am going to downsize to 1 suitcase. That may mean washing some clothes midweek, but with the new fees on luggage, I don't want to pay US Air $80.[/quote]

I guess that would indeed be one good way of breaking a person from packing too much.