Tips to NOT overpack??

[peachygreen]

The don't take half thing doesn't work for me. I do pack a dress for dinner each night and an outfit for each day with an extra one just in case for DD and I, then a dress shirt for each night for DS with a few pairs of dress pants. We have always used everything that I have packed, other than the emergency outfit sometimes. We take lots of pictures and I scrapbook, so not going to wear the same thing at dinners. Makes it easier to keep the days straight that way for me.

I'm glad I am not the only one who thinks this way.

I also spend very little time at the pool, so I wear my clothes most of the day and want to change for dinner.

In general I try to pack clothes that pack small and light and keep shoes to a minimum.

 

[lbgraves]

I'm glad I am not the only one who thinks this way.

I also spend very little time at the pool, so I wear my clothes most of the day and want to change for dinner.

In general I try to pack clothes that pack small and light and keep shoes to a minimum.

There is a smallish suitcase with shoes for just DD and myself...mainly to match dinner dresses. DH & DS don't need as much room for that. I figure that if it has worked right for us for 9 cruises, I'm sticking with it.

 

[Sur]

I don't pack underware..... that saves me half an ounce and the space of a hanky!

 

[jm106]

I always pack sort of light, I dont need a ton of extra clothes. I was able to pack for WDW, in summer for myself and 2 kids in my carry on- for 9 days (just clothes, shoes and personal products in DH checked bag.)
If I wear a pair of shorts for breakfast then switch to bathing suit I will wear the shorts again but I dont want to save space badly enough to rewear multiple times thru the week, especially in warm climate(nor do laundry unless I have to.)
I will take a cotton skirt that I could wear during the day with a tank and flip flops and still wear in eveing with another top and shoes to save on double tops and bottoms.
I pack 2 pair of shoes, black and tan, covers pretty much everything for me(plus what I walk onto ship in.)

 

[sdflipside]

Also you could always do laundry if you need to.

 

[RMAMom]

We leave Thursday morning and I am really having a hard time packing. We are staying in WDW for 3 days before the cruise and again 4 days after. On top of that the weather is looking chilly for this weekend so now I'm wondering if I should add some long sleeves and jeans in the mix and maybe another light jacket. I'm hopeful that it will warm up sometime during the trip so I don't want to leave warm weather clothes behind either.

 

[jelliott04]

Hi all! We leave in 11 days for our cruise and I am already packing. I see lots of opinions on here that say don't overpack. My question is, how is this possible? I feel like I need TWO outfits for everyday. Since you have to dress in certain clothes for dinner, and then "play" clothes during the day. Please help a chronic overpacker not to overpack

We sailed 7 nights a few weeks ago and we had 8 pieces of luggage.

1) shoes
2) toiletries
3) fish extenders
4) My clothes
5) kids clothes (2 kids)
6) hubby's clothes
7&8) 2 hanging bags for dress clothes

I don't know how I could have whittled it down except for the shoes. I brought WAY too many shoes. You need a pair of flip flops for during the day, a pair of walking around shoes if you go into port and a pair of dressy shoes to wear with all your dinner outfits. 3 pairs and you'll be wearing one when you board.

Jen

 

[PATTERSON PARTY OF 3]

For a 7 night cruise .. My practical advice for men is "shift" your shirts ...
Day 1 (boarding): Shorts 1 and Polo 1 (polo 1 done)

Evening 1: Slacks 1 and Polo 2​

Day 2: Shorts 2 and Polo 2 (polo 2 done)

Evening 2: Slacks 2 and Dress Shirt 1 / suit (assuming formal night, along with a coat / tie)​

Day 3: Shorts 1 Polo 3 (shorts 1 and polo 3 done)

Evening 3: Slacks 3 and Polo 4​

Day 4: Shorts 2 and Polo 4 (shorts 2 and polo 4 done)

Evening 4: Slacks 1 and Polo 5​

Day 5: Shorts 3 and polo 5 (polo 5 done)

Evening 5: Slacks 2 and dress shirt 2 and tie (assume semi formal)​

Day 6: Shorts 4 and polo 6 (polo 6 done)

Evening 6: Slacks 3 and polo 7​

Day 7: Castaway Cay - so swim suit / tee shirt - maybe short 3 and polo 7 back on board before dinner

Evening 7: Slacks 1 and polo 8​

Day 8: (Leave the ship) Shorts 4 and polo 8

so for 7 nights and "two outfits per day" you have ....
Shorts: 4
Slacks: 3
Polo shirts: 8
Dress Shirts: 2
Tee Shirt: 1 for Castaway Cay, maybe a couple of others for daytime around the pool
Couple of swimsuits

instead of
Shorts: 4 to 8
Slacks: 3 to 7
Daytime Shirts: 7
Nighttime Shirts: 5
Dress Shirts: 2

It does not save a lot, but it saves some.

I understand that this is totally unsatisfactory for the fairer sex, but for most guys it will be adequate.

Thank you!! I just printed this out as a package list for DH.

1 down, 2 to go!

 

[Grooovertoo]

let your husband pack and do not look at what he is packing. You will be able to go in one suitcase.

Best advise on the boards yet!! I don't see the problem there....

 

[LoveDisneyx4]

let your husband pack and do not look at what he is packing. You will be able to go in one suitcase.

Reality... remember the only thing you have to have is your passport and credit card. The rest is just extra.

Literally laughed out loud (at work) reading this! I could only imagine what my hubby would pack us!

 

[princesspiglet]

I packed a lot for our first cruise and ended up not even wearing half of it, so the 2nd cruise was substantially lighter. I still have my list! For myself, DH and DD10 I got everything into one hard sided bag and I did laundry once on a sea day. It worked out so much better.

We each took:
2 pairs shorts
3 tshirts
2 dressy shirts (polos for DH)
2 capris or slacks for DH
3 undergarment sets
1 dressy dress used for both formal and semi formal- suit for DH
1 dressy shoe
1 pair closed toe shoes
1 pair flip flops
1 swimsuit cover up
2 swimsuits per person

That's it! Plus our HBA items. We had one checked bag and one carry on. I put everything in color coordinated packing cubes and put each cube in a drawer for easy removal.

Honestly, all our excursions involve water and we also spend a lot of time at the pool on sea days, so we were in swimsuits and cover ups most of the time. I think I wore my shorts maybe twice the whole cruise. DD and I both wore capris and a dressy shirt to dinner every night and DH wore dockers and a polo shirt.

 

[NAB]

We are a family of 4 and take 4 suitcases for a 7 day. One is a suit garment bag.

I found out that after a few cruises I overpacked. Now I usually wear peasent type tops and capris during the day , and don't have to really change out of that for dinner. Maybe put some jewelery on or nicer sandals. Then I have one out fit for semi formal and Formal night.

My husband and son take there suit , formal has a coat , semi formal not just a dress shirt and tie. Other nights they were the dress pants or docker type pants. They don't stay in them long so they can were them for the 5 days with different polo shirts changed out every other day. After dinner we always change back into shorts.

Always thought I needed two outfits a day too but really not so. You are also alowed to wear jeans into the dining rooms now too so on our last few cruises that is what the young kids were wearing. Mine still were on the dresser side but that is just me.

 

[bumbershoot]

Okay, now how do I apply this to Alaska? How much cold-weather stuff should I pack? Snow boots or just hiking boots? Shorts??

Layers layers layers. Remember that it is summer, so it's not going to be actively snowing on you, but since you said you have a glacier excursion you will need *something*. Layers and options!



OP, we overpacked and it was fine. Of course, we had park stuff before and after.

If you are staying at a resort before and after, by the way, they will keep extra bags you might have; POR was happy to keep two of our bags for us. We had a car after the cruise and just went over there to pick it up, easypeasy! Just have to hang on to the Bell Services slip.

If you really want to keep things down, budget for cleaning. Either doing laundry or having them do it for you. We did that on our honeymoon cruise, when we basically took carryons, and it was well worth it. Had some pants and shirts of DH's pressed while on board our recent DCL cruise, and again, well worth it. If we do a longer cruise with DCL we would definitely budget to have things laundered if needed.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

Layers layers layers. Remember that it is summer, so it's not going to be actively snowing on you, but since you said you have a glacier excursion you will need *something*. Layers and options!



OP, we overpacked and it was fine. Of course, we had park stuff before and after.

If you are staying at a resort before and after, by the way, they will keep extra bags you might have; POR was happy to keep two of our bags for us. We had a car after the cruise and just went over there to pick it up, easypeasy! Just have to hang on to the Bell Services slip.

If you really want to keep things down, budget for cleaning. Either doing laundry or having them do it for you. We did that on our honeymoon cruise, when we basically took carryons, and it was well worth it. Had some pants and shirts of DH's pressed while on board our recent DCL cruise, and again, well worth it. If we do a longer cruise with DCL we would definitely budget to have things laundered if needed.

Thanks for reminding me about the parks. We are going to the parks after for 3 nights so we will need some extra stuff other than maybe what we'd wear on cruise. I wasn't even thinking of it honestly!

Thanks for everyone's ideas, they are great.

I read on another thread for the kids clothes to organize them and put them in Ziploc bags labeled with days so each day can easily be pulled out instead of digging through everything. This also helps not overpack because you have only the amount you need. Only tiny kids clothes work for this, but since my girls are 7 and 4 their clothes fit easily into a Ziploc.

 

[Pesky]

This made me LOL. He packs twice as much stuff as I do. For our 3 night cruise, I took 2 suitcases for me, 2 kids and all our FE gifts. He had 1 suitcase to himself and the cases were all the same size!!

OMG, that would be my fear with my DH. He can fill a huge suitcase all by himself and then says "oh, I guess I don't have any room for your stuff." Hmmm, you think?

 

[lovetotraveltx]

I'm a horrible over packer but my dh & dd's are trying to change me this cruise, lol!

My husband is a spiller like a pp so thinking he needs a shirt a day.

Will try to use all these great suggestions, especially about the amount of shoes!

Thanks for the great help!!!!