Check with your airline before packing, to determine the current limitations on bag number, size, and weight. Specific limits vary with different airlines, fare categories, and itineraries. Be prepared to pay baggage fees.
Before packing any clothes make up a daily clothing plan list. Decide for each day and activity of the cruise, what you will wear, with what, and when. Then only pack those items. This helps to avoid over packing. Be sure to pack your list and stick to your plan as much as possible.
If you are staying in a hotel pre-cruise, you will want to pack all your pre-cruise clothing and needs in a separate bag or at the top of your suitcase. It took ages to pack that bag; you don’t want to unpack and repack it at the hotel, just to find your swimsuit is at the bottom.
For couples traveling together, do not pack “His” and “Her” bags. Always pack your suitcase mixed, with both his and her clothing in each one; and making sure you pack complete outfits in each case. That way if one of the bags doesn’t show up, you will both have something to wear.
Attach brightly colored ribbons, pompoms, or luggage straps to your suitcases to help identify them in the baggage claim area at the airport and at debarkation.
Pack all hanging items in dry cleaner bags to prevent wrinkles.
Place fabric softener sheets between garments, as you pack to keep clothing smelling fresh. And don’t toss them once you unpack. They come in handy if you make use of the laundry facilities that are available on some ships.
Have lots of zip lock baggies (gallon size) available as you pack. The list for them keeps growing:
- Pack all liquid and aerosol containers in zip lock baggies to prevent leaking or dispensing on your packed clothing.
- Put tube-type containers (i.e. Toothpaste, salves, etc) additionally inside something crush proof.
- Pack loose, smaller items of clothing (panties, bras, hose, etc) in zip lock baggies to make re-packing after inspections quicker. Also keeps inspectors from touching your under garments.
- Entire outfits can be packed in the larger zip lock bags. Lay out your complete outfits (like one pair shorts, top, under clothing) and bag them, one outfit per bag. Keeps things totally organized. Makes packing and unpacking quick and easy.
- Be certain to compress all the air out of the bags before zipping them closed, to decrease the room they take in your bag.
- Reuse those bags for the trip home. Especially handy for repacking a damp swimsuit.
- Have some fresh baggies with you also. I frequently bring a few cookies or some bakery items back to the cabin from the buffet. I store these in a fresh baggie and enjoy them with coffee on the verandah the next morning. It makes a nice change from the usual Danish and croissants that are the only pastry available on the room service menu.
- A pop up mesh hamper is a must for me. It folds flat in the bottom of my suitcase and make a great storage for dirty clothes until time to repack.