OK, who is really good at packing, can you come and do mine please?

[Easy]

I have always been crap at it, but I have to spend the next 2 days ironing and packing everything for our cruise, including formal clothes, evening dresses and loads of stuff for ds.

DH usually does the actual packing, but he's working away. I had hoped my meticulous cleaning lady would help, but she's on holiday herself this week (Bl??dy inconsiderate I call it).

Any hints gratefully accepted, including keep telling me to get off here and GET ON WITH IT !!

Get tissue paper. I think it's supposed to be acid free? but who cares. For me, it makes a hideous chore seem like I'm off on a flying boat in the 30s. Spend loads of time on your own things and sling all of ds's stuff into a holdall.

Play lovely music.

Hang on, won't they have a laundry service on the boat? shove it all in and get it ironed on board?

yes I can see me getting several of dh's shirts pressed aboard. I'm fully intending getting teeshirts and stuff laundered while we're sailing too.

I can't believe that, as well as having a laundry service, the ship also has a laundrette. Who spends money going on a cruise, to then sit watching their smalls going round in a washer.

I bought 15 new pairs of knickers yesterday!!

wayhay!

also possibly a time to use up those paper knickers from the postnatal ward??

no volunteers then?

if you put clothes in zip-lock bags they are very easy to pack as they slide around

And are easy to find

roll stuff up as well

Don't put all items for same person in one case. My dad went on a cruise and his case didn't get there in time so it took a few days to catch up with him - he had to buy a few t- shirts and u/wear on board to get by in the meantime !

Lizs, how do they lose your case on a cruise?

Are you flying to the ship or going from southampton?

from s'hampton. One of the reasons we choose a cruise is so that we don't have to hang around airports with a bored ds.

so your case won't get lost then

Unless it doesn't get loaded

Or do you carry it onboard?

Definately do NOT carry it onboard !!!

As I understand it, we drive up to the terminal, someone unloads our luggage, someone else takes the car away for us, and we just have to deal with ourselves to check in.

Cases should be in our cabin within a couple of hours.

I didn't think so but if you loose contact with your case before getting in your cabin then deffo pack clothes in different cases

Otherwise it may go AWOL

Prob not but IMHO I wouldn't risk it

Ah my dad had to fly to the ship, hence how it got mislaid. My mum has cruised from Southampton and you still have to Check In and your luggage appears in your cabin later.

lucky you, I love cruising. It would be so nice to be going off on a cruise now. I've always found a suit carrier is useful, for formal wear suits and dresses etc - and easy to pack as you can leave things on their hangers (or consolidate onto a few hangers) and stick them in the bag - no folding. If dresses are too long I stick the ends into an old dry cleaning bag/polythene and then bend them over to fit, and they come out without any creases. Easy to unpack in the cabin too; just remember to bring all your hangers home.

The other thing is that, as you say, you check bags in and it appears in your cabin later. Sometimes it is a couple of hours but sometimes it can be after supper. So make sure you have anything you might want before supper in your carry on bag - eg a swimsuit each, medicines, couple of toys for ds, spare top etc.

happy cruising! hope you have a great holiday.