vacuum for space saver bags?

[CrystalS]

I had thought about getting some of those bags that once you put your clothes into, you use a vacuum to suck out the air and they squish down....

...but does the ship have the type of vacuums with the hose end so that I could "re-suck" the air out when its time to pack up again after the cruise?
What about at our hotel in LA (the carousel inn).

Should we take the chance and hope that there is something we can use (but if there isn't then we have more "stuff" than we do luggage space), or should we just pack normally?

 

[sinnika]

I had thought about getting some of those bags that once you put your clothes into, you use a vacuum to suck out the air and they squish down....

...but does the ship have the type of vacuums with the hose end so that I could "re-suck" the air out when its time to pack up again after the cruise?
What about at our hotel in LA (the carousel inn).

Should we take the chance and hope that there is something we can use (but if there isn't then we have more "stuff" than we do luggage space), or should we just pack normally?

They sell ones that don't require a vaccuum. You put your clothes in them, zip up and roll - it pushes all the air out thru one way valves. They work great! I use them for the return trip for dirty clothes! Use my ebags for packing clean clothes!

 

[Aurora's Mommy]

Don't know, but don't forget they might be smaller, but they still weigh the same! Probably OK if you have a smaller suitcase, but if it is large, and you are flying, they charge for overweight.

We have a large suitcase, but I have to be careful how I pack or it goes over 50 pds easily. On the way to WDW once I had it at 48 pds. On the way back, I thought I put the same things in, but it came up 52 pds. at the airport! Luckily, the guy let us slide.

 

[Anal Annie]

We use the simple air compression bags that don't require using a vacuum. You just roll / squeeze the air out. I think they make a mess out of my nicely pressed clothes tho so we use packing cubes & folders for our clean clothes & then condense the dirty laundry into the compression bags. I bought a set of 3 sizes at Bed, Bath & Beyond at some point but I've seen them in other places too (Wal-Mart or Target maybe)?!

Note - they can get very heavy very quickly & it can throw your weight limit off before you know it!!

 

[Kaleigh]

I did this on my recent cruise and used both the kind you roll and the kind you vaccuum. My kind room steward was in the hall when I was packing (he always seemed to be around) and allowed me to use his vaccuum to suck the air out of that one. Don't know if you can count on being that lucky, but the roll up kinds work great too.

 

[WicketsMom]

We also use the travel kind that you don't have to have a vacuum for. I have also fund that the giant Zip-Lock bags will work too, you just zip them almost closed then roll up and zip (and they are much cheaper).

We also have a hand-held travel luggage scale that we carry to weigh all of our luggage that keeps us from having to shift things at the check-in counter if something is overweight. (We normally have scuba or snow-ski gear when we are traveling and are always pushing the weight limits.)