Haven't seen this thread in a while, so I thought I'd bump with a new "master" tip for super-organizers. This tip will help you easily move your clothes from your closet to the suitcase to your cabin closet with minimal effort after the initial setup.
This tip is most definitely not for everyone. For the parent like me, though, who does not want to spend the first day unpacking or each subsequent day arguing, it is invaluable!
1. Go to Costco and buy 1-2 boxes of 50 black slimline hangers for just under $20 a box. They are awesome hangers, and you won't regret the investment. The hangers may be at Costco.com as well, or are available for much more at Target or Bed Bath & Beyond. The box says "Ultra thin, velvety smooth space saving hangers," which SHOULD say it all, but I'm going to add one more detail: Nothing slips off these hangers! Note that 50 of these are in a box that is about 7" thick, including the corrugated cardboard surrounding them. [If this isn't in your budget, just use your own hangers, or (gasp!) wire hangers. Your stuff might slip around a bit, but the tip still works.]
You'll need 8-10 hangers per person for a 7-day cruise, unless you love/hate to change clothes. Keep in mind that these hangers are not sized for very young children, but they work well for my 7yo son's clothes. For younger kids, the Ziplock bag mentioned before is a better choice. Use gallon size for kids 2 and under, and 2-gallon size for kids 2-5. I reused mine for years.
2. Pick your outfits for each day, then hang each outfit on a single hanger. Start with your unmentionables* if you're adding them to the hanger. Fold the pants/skirts a single time the long way, then drape them over the bottom part of the hanger. Top with the shirt(s) and button/zip it if necessary. Make an extra hanger with a backup casual outfit, because you never know!
3. Now it's time to make hangtags for each hanger. Pick up a deck of multi-colored 3"x5" index cards. Fold one end backwards about 1" to make it a 3"x4" card, then fold it back flat. In the center of the fold, cut or (scrapbook tool alert!) punch a 1/2" circle. Under the circle on the larger part of the card, write something descriptive like:
Dyanne
Day 2/Sunday
Daytime
Slip this onto your hanger using the hole you punched/cut. You can use the different colors of cards however you like: one color per person, a different color for each day, or just random. You could also decorate with stickers for kids, or add a little note about which shoes are assigned to the outfit.
4. Now put the outfits in day order. My kids don't want their clothes to touch, so I do them by person, THEN by day. Make sure they're hanging nicely and the sleeves are all loosely hanging as well.
5. Here's the key to success. Look carefully at how deep your suitcase is, and grab a stack of filled hangers about 3/4 of that depth. Lay them in the suitcase with the hangers near one end. Let the pants drape over the other end for now! Lay something plastic (a clear garbage bag works well and doubles as a laundry bag for the way home) over the top, then fold the pants once to fit them inside the suitcase. (Repeat the plastic/fold if you have a smallish suitcase.) Fill the rest of the suitcase with unmentionables*, then zip it up.
You'll be happy because you can use a larger suitcase and not need to pay the fee for extra weight. The hangers are pretty light and end up leaving a bit of extra space that also contributes to lower weight.
6. When you get your bags in your room, open them up, unpack the unmentionables into drawers, and grab the hangers. Hang them back up in order, give the bags to your room steward to store for the duration, and HEAD TO THE SAIL AWAY PARTY!
*Unmentionables can also be packed onto the hangers. Lay them in as thin a layer as possible, then hang your single-long-folded pants/skirt on top. The velvet on the hangers will keep things from slipping off! If you're hanging socks, make sure you separate them and hang them flat over the hanger so they don't leave a bulky spot.
Because the hangers are labeled, it's SO easy for kids to pull their outfits each day!
