Bag for ports/excursions?

[cbrown1007]

What type of bag do you use when you get off the ship at ports? Thinking of something big enough to carry the towels that are provided, so we don't have to carry them? But something that also travels in a suitcase well. I love the Castaway Club bag, but that doesn't fit the towels. We're never prepared, and I want to go ahead and order a bag for our September cruise.

 

[ichoose2believe]

We usually use a backpack. We have found that it holds everything that we need and leaves our hands free so that we aren't juggling a lot of stuff in our arms.

 

[Dug720]

I also use the backpack I have my carry-on stuff in while I'm flying to the port.

 

[MomOTwins]

What type of bag do you use when you get off the ship at ports? Thinking of something big enough to carry the towels that are provided, so we don't have to carry them? But something that also travels in a suitcase well. I love the Castaway Club bag, but that doesn't fit the towels. We're never prepared, and I want to go ahead and order a bag for our September cruise.

I took the castaway tote on our last cruise and it fit the towels just fine. I took each towel and rolled it up into a tube, then stacked them vertically in the bag. We got 6 towels in the tote that way.

Now mind you we basically just used the castaway tote for towels and used the old sling bag that used to be castaway gift for snacks, water bottles, goggles etc.

 

[auntlynne]

It depends on far I’m carrying it and how heavy.

The current CC bag is not small, as @MomOTwins just pointed out. If you have enough people that you need extra bags, does this mean you have more suitcases, too?

Oh yes - how to tote stuff to the beach: Trader Joe’s shopping bags (the fiber ones the same size as their paper bags). Or any similar lightweight shopping bag. Just place them flat in your suitcase before adding your packing cubes.

Most excursions, I use a very light knapsack. Enough to hold phone, charger, ziplock bag with $ and ID (or put it in waterproof swim case (on a lanyard).

I got the CC bag on the last cruise, so only packed it coming home. But I use beach bags inside a suitcase to contain all the lose items that go on the zippered section of a rolling hard-side suitcase.

The knapsack would have been my plane carryon/ personal item. The Trader Joe’s bag could be replaced by a Walmart bag of recycled fiber/cloth. That would also roll up.

There is no color coordination. Or fashion statement.

I attached with a carabiner the KTTW card holder from the CC lanyard to my CC bag to differentiate it from other people’s. Put a piece of paper with name on into the slot.

For size comparison:

 

[Kit Jackson]

I used a small canvas bag that I either rolled up or lay flat to pack (I can't remember which). It was big enough for the towel, sunscreen, and other small items I wanted to take with me. The big was 15 by 14.5 inches.

Something to keep in mind, which is more personal preference than anything else, is whether you would rather have something that you wear on your shoulder or something you are carrying in your hand like a shopping bag.

 

[juxtapose]

I have a large size Seabags that I take that fits 4 towels, waters, sunscreen, snacks, and goggles. I actually use it as my under the seat bag when we fly and just put my normal purse inside of it.

 

[Calantha]

I have a slightly larger beach bag that my SIL decorated that I always bring along. Sometimes we'll use that and the castaway bag (if there are more than 2 of us). Like others, I roll my towels to fit more in.

 

[motherdaughtercruisers]

I use a large-ish beach bag from Amazon that folds flat in my suitcase. It’s very light too. I carry for just me and my Mom, but it would work for more - I pack two beach blankets for us and have more than enough room for 4 towels if not more.

 

[Chrislovesdisney]

We use a backpack for many port excursions but if it’s going to involve sand, I grab a really cheap shoulder bag from a discount store before leaving home. I despise sand, and so if I end up throwing it out at the end of the cruise to avoid sand in suitcases, it’s a win for me.

 

[bakerworld]

We always use the beach bag provided by the cruise as a gift. Never occurred to me to pack a seperate bag.