Thread: I Need Help Packing

Originally Posted by HockeyFan

Here's a little different packing question:

How do you pack for a two week (or longer) cruise? Do you try to take more with you? Do you use the laundry and dry cleaning services on the ship?

I do not want to take too much with me but this is my 1st 14 night cruise and we have three formal nights?

Any suggestions?

Like you, we had to think a bit about a 14nt Panama (Infinity a couple of years ago).

First, be advised that there's quite a lot of space under the M-Class beds that will handle all but the "thickest" of hardside suitcases. If you don't mind schlepping two big ones each, you can make them 'go away' pretty easily. You might have to lift the bed just an inch or two to clear the bedrails, but after that, they're out of your way for the cruise.

I think you'll find that Celebrity's dry cleaning service is not only good, but VERY reasonably priced. In fact, if I have something I want to take with me that needs to go to the dry cleaners, I save myself the extra errand before the cruise and just take it with me to have done on the ship. I can't match their prices locally. So at least on that score, you'll be in very good shape.

On the other hand, the laundry services on the ship are at definitely billed at "hotel prices". If you're accustomed to the prices of having shirts done at a regular laundry, you'll be disappointed . If you want to save a few bucks, take a week's worth of underwear and socks and a travel bottle full of liquid laundry soap and spend an at-sea day doing a bit of wash in the sink. Of course, this only works if you're in a veranda cabin, and preferably, one that has some privacy . We always grab an FV or aft CC on M-Class ships, and just haul the loungers up close to the door. In the Central American heat, it doesn't take long at all to dry things out.

The problem is that you'll be needing two sets of clothes pretty much every day no matter what time of year you do a trans-Canal cruise. It's hot and humid, and your tablemates won't forgive you for wearing your day clothes to dinner -- even on a "casual" night! That adds up to a ton of laundry, and you'll likely just have to bite the bullet on a certain number of shirts. Most synthetic fabrics don't breathe all that well, and that's definitely not what you want in this climate. Too bad, as it's the synthetics that you could sink wash and hang out to dry and have them looking decent afterwards.

Enjoy the trans-Canal trip -- it is still our all time favorite.

Originally Posted by HockeyFan

Thanks for the great packing tips!!!!

One other detail -- irons are technically verboten, but steamers are not. There are a few portable steamers out there that actually produce enough steam to be useful. If I can locate mine, I'll pass along brand since it works better than others I've had/used. You'll get more out of your formal stuff with one of these without resorting to sending them out for pressing (again, very reasonably priced and offered separately from the dry cleaning process, but hey... the martinis aren't free!)

We always have our formal clothes cleaned after the last formal night as its much cheaper than at home and when we get home put in closet and ready for next cruise.

i always pack in my carryon all the toiletries i will need, meds, bathing suit and change of clothes. usually pjs too as we always go a day early then if something happens to our luggage either on the plane or cruise line i am ready for at least a day!

We always over pack but tried to cut down but kept thinking i might want to wear this and not that! But we get in all in one suitcase a piece and a carryon each!

Your really need two sets of undies a day too. In the hot humit climates men will need to defineitely showere and change undies before dinner. And the ladies might want to freshen up too.

This leaves you with a delima. Do you wear your evening undies and undershirt the next day as your day time ones, or put on fresh ones in the morning. This can be a delima, and depending on the laundry situation on your line, you might want to pack extra, or pay for the luandry service.

I think we packed extra, and did a little of both. 4 of us had 8 full suitcases for the 14 day Hawaii cruise. The cases fit inside each-other, and we doubled things up on the closet handgers. A bit of work for me to to get the appropriate clothing out for everyone, but it worked out fine.

Originally Posted by Chudley

Jodi, did you mean to say copies of your passports? Please keep all of that stuff with you. If a bag got lost, whoever found it could take your identity. I read somewhere that you shouldn't even put your real address on the ID cards on your baggage. They suggested using your business address or someone else's who'd be at home. They said crooked baggage handlers take the addresses off of them and sell them. Then your house gets robbed because they know you aren't home. There are getting to be way too many things to worry about anymore.

I started putting our next destination (cruiseship or hotel) along with my cell number on parts of index cards to slip into our luggage tags. If getting off the ship to go straight home, I just put our phone number.

Originally Posted by demodawn

We always have our formal clothes cleaned after the last formal night as its much cheaper than at home and when we get home put in closet and ready for next cruise.

:think: We do the same! Ship are very use to cleaning Formal Clothes so unless you have a great drycleaner at home it's the best and least expensive way to do it!

If we've worn our formal things at home, we often take them with us to have cleaned before we wear them on the ship.