When do you start packing??

[GPaLarry]

After nine DCL cruises I have a cobbled together a list of stuff to take, sorted out by destination, weather, length of trip, etc. Door decorations, for me, take some time to prepare weeks ahead of time. Pirate costume and other necessities I put together the day before. Now, I am retired, so I have all day to pack with no job or kids to deter my focus on the water mouse. There are no set rules for when to prepare...it's a gut thing...and you might take clothes that are a size bigger than you wear because the meals are a gut thing, too. Cruise on...

 

[DisLiss]

Definitely not that early! I make a list, and I check the list off, making sure that we have adequate amounts of anything on the list or that we know where everything is, and I ask everyone what clothing items they wish to bring. Then as we hit one week out from the trip, I start holding back laundry from people, taking any clean item that's on their list and setting it aside. But I just set it in a clean basket or hang it in my closet. i don't pack it that early, either.

About 2-3 days before we leave is when I actually pack, and by then everything we need is purchased, laundered, found, gathered, or otherwise accounted for. Then I make a "departure morning" list for items we simply cannot pack until the last second and we deal with that the morning that we are scheduled to leave.

 

[Travel60]

After years of being a serious over-packer, I've finally reformed and can go to warm weather for a week with a roller bag and a tote. Colder weather might require one regular suitcase. But it takes planning. I mentally start right after we book the cruise.

About 10 days out I start putting stuff I think I want to take on the guest room bed. Stack of pants, stack of tops, PJs, swimsuit, workout gear, shoes. I hang 1-2 dresses on door frame. I study it for a few days then start putting some stuff back. For example, I might decide that I'm only taking 1 pair of dressier shoes/sandals, 1 pair of flip flops, 1 pair sneakers. All my pants and dresses must go with one of those. Every pair of pants must go with all or most tops. I usually bring 1-2 sweaters and they must go with dresses and pants. (Capsule wardrobe if you've heard that term).

The day before I pack it all. In the tote I put my meds, my cosmetics, a book, travel documents, etc. I actually pack it the day before then "live" out of it....so I know I didn't forget deodorant or mascara.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

We have well-defined lists that have been scrutinized over the years, one for Alaska, one for the Caribbean, and one for PC. Since we limited ourselves to one carry-on each, it's just what's needed. Also, we use packing cubes to condense a majority of the clothing. Everything is laid out on the guest bed about 2-3 days before we leave.

I don't stress over packing anymore after one of our first cruises (Celebrity) our luggage never arrived from the airline. Surprising how much fun a cruise is when you're not worried about what to wear. (That's why we carry-on everything for the cruise.)

 

[jtntx34]

I pack the night before. I can’t pack earlier. I try, but it doesn’t happen. I usually make a list the day before.

 

[rhinodadz]

Living 45 minutes from Port Canaveral we pack the night before after doing laundry after work. Pretty much the same for non-cruise travel. DW does have a list in an Excel spreadsheet (we're both accountants ) to make sure we don't forget anything. I may have had to buy a bathing suit on the ship once......

 

[bobbiwoz]

I am a sort of last minute packer. DH does it very fast and is way ahead of me.

 

[Auntrosie]

30 days out. I can’t help it. I’m very excited.

 

[Shanon1217]

I am trying out Packtor, a packing list generator, for the first time. You can customize the lists and print them out.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

The START begins long before departure. For my next trip in May2020, it will not be warm temps where I live so just going thru summer clothing that early in the season takes time. And it continues from there. At least 2 weeks prior, I'll start, a little here, a little there.

 

[Afabena]

I'm an organizer/packer. I pack for myself and the two kids. I lay the suitcases out about a month before. Two large hardside suitcases. Everyone gets a "section". Hubby's stays empty until a day or two before. lol. I start tossing things in as we go. Like, if I do laundry and see shorts in the laundry, I'll toss those into that persons section. About a week before I start organizing everyone's section to see what else we need. This was my bedroom floor two weeks before we left.View attachment 447874

I like the cat looking to see if he should lay down in it

 

[ladyofthetramp]

Suitcases out 2 weeks before, so I can start to throw things that I won't wear in the following week early. I pack in earnst a week before, so I have time for the last minute Target run. And like others, I am a deep-clean the house before I go kinda person. I would hate to come home from a DCL cruise to a dirty kitchen floor. LOL

 

[starvenger]

I've mentally packed my stuff about 2 weeks before we go. Around the same time, I make sure the toiletries are in order. Fill the shampoo bottles, make sure the bag o' bandages is ready, etc. If I'm travelling where I know I'll have easy access to a washing machine (like DCL or an airbnb) I'll toss in a few detergent pods (packed in two zip-top bags) and dryer sheets.

We've got the kids stuff sorted out with about a week to go. Around that time I make a list of things we might consider getting once we're off the plane. Water, wine, etc.

And my wife is the last minute packer, so she puts her stuff in the suitcase and I adjust my stuff to accommodate. I've done 2 week trips on 4 sets of clothes, so no biggie for me.

 

[Dug720]

I usually pack a couple of weeks out - once the laundry is done that covers underwear for the trip plus at home until I get back - other than obvious last minute stuff. It's generally not a huge deal as I'm cruising in the Caribbean in February when I live in NYC - so it's not like I need the stuff I'll be wearing on the cruise for everyday wear. Between teaching and OrangeTheory and just life, I'd rather start early and make sure I have everything I need in the bag rather than rush and end up leaving things and having to pay ship prices for stuff I have at home that in a packing panic didn't make it.

 

[Afabena]

I have 6 days to go and haven’t actually packed a thing! I have been writing things down for weeks (throwaway ponchos, kids swimmies and goggles, magic bands, their surprise ears and auto books, detergent and stain fighters, stuff like that). Then I have a pile on my dresser started for other pairs of ears and the 3 park bags I’m bringing. I’ll start with my kids first as they are the easiest. I pack them by category: day outfits, 1 or 2 nicer outfits, PJs, Swim and the accessories that go with them, Hats, 1 or 2 outfits if it’s cooler, nylon jacket, fleece, shoes. We are not in the summer season anymore so I will also change their clothes around while I pack them.

I will most likely do my clothes the day or two before we leave. I have an idea of what clothes I’m bringing but need to sort out actual outfits. My DH will pack in 30 min like others DH! Glad I’m not alone! But he is in charge of electronics and all those accessories.

I also have to come home to a clean house! So when I’m done packing I will obsessively clean and put away anything I took out but aren’t taking. And I make sure all of my laundry is done!

I also consider all of the last minute errands as part of packing: going to the bank for cash, making sure the car has gas to get to the airport, paying upcoming bills - all that fun stuff that needs to get done before I leave.

For the airplane my kids bring their school backpack and they make a pile of the toys and other items they want to bring. If it fits in their backpack they can bring it. I make them bring books and paper, crayons, markers also. My DH and I carry all of the electronics and I always have a bag of snacks. A large ziplock bag for each kid.

I guess I should get packing! Apparently I have a lot to do! Ha!

 

[MomOTwins]

I pack our fish extenders early, but will probably pack the rest of our stuff the weekend before we go, just so I can make a store run if I am missing anything. I do have a drawer where I stash all the stuff I get on Amazon that I really only use on vacation (e.g., ponchos, swim socks) so that makes it easier.

 

[ludari]

I usually start packing 3 or 4 days before I leave for my trip. I have a specific packing list that I've fine tuned over the years so my packing is pretty easy.

 

[DisneYE]

I'm an organizer/packer. I pack for myself and the two kids. I lay the suitcases out about a month before. Two large hardside suitcases. Everyone gets a "section". Hubby's stays empty until a day or two before. lol. I start tossing things in as we go. Like, if I do laundry and see shorts in the laundry, I'll toss those into that persons section. About a week before I start organizing everyone's section to see what else we need. This was my bedroom floor two weeks before we left.View attachment 447874

I love your cat. Looks like mine. I can't do that with her anymore as she gets stressed out when we pack (she's a smart kitty, she knows suitcases=we're leaving). She once peed in one of the suitcases she was so stressed out, we had to throw away the suitcase. To avoid stressing her out now we only pack the night before leaving and in a room with the door closed.

 

[TestingH2O]

It depends on the trip.

Last summer for our 8 night cruise, I made the lists a few weeks ahead and started packing for DD and I about a week before. Since it was summer, the clothes we were taking were things we already were wearing and I knew they fit. The week before we leave, as I do laundry, I move things we are taking to the guest room rather than putting the clothes away.

For other trips, I start earlier. If we are cruising in the spring, I need to pull out warm weather clothes and see what still fits DD. For Alaska, I had to do the opposite. For Europe we were gone for longer and I had to think carefully about what to wear for visiting churches etc.

 

[ahain]

Our first couple of cruises, we started throwing things into a suitcase at least 2 weeks before departure. Now, we won't even drag the suitcases out until about 3 days before.