Cruising w/baby, need HELP packing!!!

[MommyMeNDisney]

OhEmGee, packing for me and a baby is proving to be more difficult than I anticipated. I'm trying to fit all our stuff in one suitcase and one carryon bag. I have all DS's clothes/shoes in ziplock bags and my clothes in one large compression bag and I'm still struggling to close the suitcase. Plus, I still have more stuff to pack...including my cameras and all our FE gifts! What the heck was I thinking? I'm not even packing diapers. I'm going to buy them when we get to Orlando. I'm trying my best to downsize some more.

Did you travel with your LOs when they were babies? Any packing tips? Please help! We leave tomorrow!!!

 

[Disneyteachers]

Well, I'd plan to do laundry...that will help. Are you traveling alone is that why you just want one of each type of luggage? If not, I'd def do a backpack (hands free) and then the carry on

 

[Melissa S]

We do laundry and pack clothing of similar colors so you can mix and match pieces. depending on your itinerary you can get away with swimwear and coverup for most of the time (excluding dinner). Just came back from bahamian cruise and we had one suitcase for the three of us and we still had a ton of clothes we didnt wear.

 

[goNDmay9]

Depends on a few things and your goals. Do you need to keep it to 1 suitcase? Are you flying or driving? Parks and Cruise or just cruise?

Like the PP said plan on doing laundry. I traveled with two last year and they had a massive suitcase for just them and we still ended up doing a load. DH and I fit ours in the carryon and then we had a beach bag, the diaper bag and a back pack. Children just seem to require more stuff!!!! We did have diapers and formula though.

If you are going to a hotel first, you can aways send things down or use amazon for anything you are buying new.

And...there is saying that goes - pack half as many clothes and twice as much money!!! On the cruise, the girls mostly wore their bathing suits. And between my mom and myself we ended up buying clothes for them at the parks and ship anyway so we didn't need all the clothes. Bring mostly things that you can mix and match so you can just swap out a top or bottom when needed.

Just make sure you have your passports/birth certificate, chargers, sunscreen, medication, and whatever lovie/paci/blanket they cannot sleep without. Everything else can be purchased or figured out for a few days.

 

[VbChristy]

My son took up a whole suitcase for a week long cruise so I am not much help trying to fit your baby and son in one. Don't forget to check the weight of your bag if you are flying and bring some dishsoap to wash his bottles with. We also brought a bucket and my husband would clean the items in the tub

 

[kiford]

We do laundry and pack clothing of similar colors so you can mix and match pieces. depending on your itinerary you can get away with swimwear and coverup for most of the time (excluding dinner). Just came back from bahamian cruise and we had one suitcase for the three of us and we still had a ton of clothes we didnt wear.

Totally agree. We always pack too many clothes for a Caribbean or Bahamian cruise but we're getting much better. Most of the days is spent in shorts and a simple shirt or bathing suite and nice pants with nicer shirt for dinner. Only for 7 night or longer cruises with a formal and semi-formal night would I pack additional dresses or shoes. You don't even need one new shirt for every day (for dinner) since you might only be wearing it for a couple of hours a day and will be in air conditioning. And as recommended, colour coordinate everything. I find that allows you to reduce by about 30%.

It might be easier to downsize your packing than baby's packing.

Can you send your FE stuff down prior to the cruise and pick up? That's probably taking a lot of space. If not, can you pack all of that into another collapsible or soft-sided bag that you can toss into the suitcase on the way back?

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

I did it!!!!! I fit all our stuff in one suitcase and a carryon bag (kyss bag). I have all our FE gifts in a backpack. YAY!!! My stress level has significantly decreased!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!