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How to Pack Light for Your Luxury Cruise Adventure

Pack Light

Pack Light

Over the last two years my mantra has been “Pack light. Pack light. Pack light.” I ditched my DSLR camera in favor of a small point-and-shoot, then scaled down further with an iPhone 6. I swapped out my paperbacks (because I could never just take one) for a Kindle. I gave up my clunky laptop in favor of a MacBook Air. And I replaced my trusty Travel Pro with a Traveler’s Choice Sedona 21″ Spinner.

Even so, I’m still often asked how I manage to trot around the globe with only one TSA-approved carry-on bag and a personal item, e.g. handbag. Admittedly, some destinations are easier to pack for than others. Hawaii anyone? Just tuck in a couple of T-shirts, a few wrinkle-free dresses, flip flops and a bathing suit and you’re good to go for at least two weeks.

Pack Light Summer

Viking Cruise

When it came to packing for my 8-day European Viking Cruise earlier this summer, I toyed with the idea of checking a bag for the trip. But in the end, I stuck with my original resolve – to pack light and only take a carry-on bag and personal item, which as it turned out, worked just fine.

Pack Light Viking Cruise

Warm-weather Destinations

To pack light for a value luxury cruise to a warm destination (Let’s skip Antarctica for now), here’s how I make the most of my carry-on bag and personal item – and how you can do it, too:

Travel outfit

  • Long jeans
  • Tank top
  • Long sweater
  • Scarf
  • Closed-toe shoes (also recommended for travel safety), i.e. tennis shoes which doubles as my walking and workout shoes (Travel tip: Wear your heaviest shoes rather than carry the weight in your luggage where they also take up too much room)

REI First Aid Kit

Packing List for 21″ Carry-On Bag

Clothing     

  • Underwear
  • Nightie & robe
  • 4 Dresses
  • 2 pairs of pants
  • Yoga pants & top
  • 3 long-sleeved shirts
  • Light sweater
  • 2 tank tops
  • 8 pairs of sneaker socks
  • Rain jacket
  • 2 pairs of sandals
  • Flipflops
  • Bathing suit

Toiletries 

  • Make-up/remover wipes
  • Flat-iron
  • Contact lenses
  • Hand, body & facial lotion
  • Sunscreen
  • Razor
  • Toothbrush/toothpaste/floss
  • Deodorant
  • Comb & hairbrush
  • Hair ties
  • Q tips
  • Earplugs
  • Small sewing kit
  • Small manicure kit

Accessories

  • Sunhat
  • 3 Scarves
  • Costume jewelry
  • Small handbag
  • Small fold-up umbrella

First-aid Kit

  • Band-aids
  • Sterile gauze pads
  • Neosporin ointment
  • Lip balm
  • Eye drops
  • Antiseptic towelettes
  • Moleskin
  • Tiger balm

Personal Item (Baggallini Bag)

  • Kindle
  • MacBook Air
  • iPhone 6
  • iPod
  • Canon G-16 point-and-shoot
  • Hard drive back up for downloading images
  • 2 – 3 extra memory cards
  • Chargers/cords/extra batteries for first five items on list
  • International plug adapters
  • Notebook/journal and pens
  • Host/destination information
  • Travel documents/passport/driver’s license (Travel Tip: Carry copies of important documents and passport in a separate place, like your carry-on bag)
  • Small amount of cash and credit cards
  • Emergency contact information
  • Snacks: Power bars, dried fruit & nuts, dark chocolate 🙂
  • Vitamins/medications
  • Sunglasses
  • Prescription glasses
  • Business cards

What I Wish I Had Packed

  • Light jacket
  • Small daypack

Q & A

Q: What about shampoo and conditioner? Facial cleanser?
A: Since TSA applies the 3-1-1 Liquids Rule, i.e. each passenger is allowed 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-lock bag limited to 3.4 ounces or less of liquids, creams, gels, aerosols and pastes per container, and most travel carriers and/or destinations provide small toiletries, only carry the liquids you can’t live without.

Q: What if I want to bring home some souvenirs?
A: Remember: think light! Save the heavier souvenirs for shipping home or purchase on-line when you get home. Jewelry made by local artists, small packs of savory spices (like paprika from Hungary), scarves, CDs (Yes, some people still buy these) and sweets from the region all make lovely gifts.

Q: But how can I stay a fashionista with only two pairs of sandals, flipflops and tennis shoes?
A: Whatever you wear, wear with confidence!

Thanks to my host Viking Cruises for the chance to practice packing for a luxury cruise adventure!

In case you missed these previous posts on packing tips, check out:

Favorite Travel Items to Lighten Your Luggage – Part I
Pack Light with Favorite Travel Items – Part II

For more information, visit:
TSA Travel Information

Wander on!

Nancy

What about you, wanderboomers? What else should I add to my list?

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Pack Light with Favorite Travel Items – Part II

Electronics

I received so many helpful responses to the question I posed to fellow travelers, “How do you pack light?” that devoting only one blog post to the topic wasn’t enough to cover everyone’s packing suggestions. So in addition to Favorite Travel Items to Lighten Your Luggage, here are a few more ideas to keep you traveling light:

Electronics

“iPad with separate Bluetooth keyboard (instead of a laptop). Will still tote along a digital point and shoot camera, but to be honest, I could probably get by just using my iPhone 5 (and do, at least for video).” – Dick Jordan, talestoldfromtheroad.

“iPhone – replaces a number of functions, whether or not you have a local SIM card (think cached maps, compass, guidebook, e-book reader). Also, the powerbank to help charge it.” – Chris Backe, oneweirdglobe.

“Laptop, camera, Kindle. That’s it!” – Aleah Phils, solitarywanderer.

“Kindle Paperwhite!” – Christina Pivarnik, enjoypt.

“Portable light for illuminating dishes and beverages in a low light situation. My light fits in the small zipper compartment of my purse, weighs about 3 ounces and is the size of a credit card.” – Linda Kissam, TheWineChixs.

“Olloclip for iPhone. It allows me to skip taking my big camera at certain times.” – Troy Petenbrink, metroweekly.

“A universal charging cord!” – Roger Paige, thefocusedtraveler.

“My 11″ Macbook Air is my number 1 indispensable travel item!” – Keri Reid, skigypsy.

“My iPod so I don’t have to listen to anything I don’t want to on planes. I use Skull Candy headphones. $10-$15 and I can’t hear anything beyond my music…and they come in pretty colors!” – Kristin Kendle, wanderlustandlipstick.

“If possible, going from a laptop to tablet is a very wise choice. I bought a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 in Feb. and although I do need to use the laptop for a few things, I am 96% using the tablet for work. I love it and cant say enough about how it has simplified tasks for me that I used to hate doing.” – Eden Rudin, reallytrulyliving.

Miscellaneous

“Always carry Duct tape- for fixing a crack in a suitcase, wrapping wine bottles so they won’t break, and once I used it to keep a car trunk down that wouldn’t close.” – Debi Lander, bylandersea.

“I’ve had a plastic spork/spoon/knife in my bag for at least 5 years- cost $5.00 at Eddie Bauer, but is unbreakable and comes in handy eating anywhere outside of a restaurant!” – Kelli Mutchler, goneworkabout.

“I always include the Dream Essentials Escape Luxury Sleep Mask. I bought it to travel with but now sleep with it every night. I can’t sleep without it and it’s wonderful eye holes.” – David DiGregorio, stylehiclub.

“I know it sounds weird but I always bring a clipboard. Especially if we have several places in a row that we’re visiting. I keep all the reservation info clipped to it. It’s easy to slip into the back of my bag, next to a magazine or book and Super easy to find when I need it.” – Tiffany Pitts, snickerpants.

“Moleskine notebooks and Fisher pen.” – Nan Devlin, avidtraveler.

Travel Buddies

Spuddy

” Spuddy . . . travel yoga mat.” – Gayle McCarthy.

 

Pirate Monkey

“Pirate Monkey!!” – Amy Trotter.

Wander on!

Nancy

What are your favorite travel items, wanderboomers? How do you pack light?

 

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Favorite Travel Items to Lighten Your Luggage – Part I

Luggage

Lately I’ve been humming the lyrics to that classic Eagles’ hit, “Take It Easy:”

Well, I’m running down the road, trying to loosen my load . . .

No, I don’t have seven men on my mind, but I am looking for ways to lighten my travel load. Gone are the days when I took my first flight from New York to Washington State and brought my entire set of hard-case American Tourister 4-piece luggage with me. I loved that now-vintage blue train case! I miss it, but not enough to spring for another one now on eBay. At least I learned fast. By the end of my graduate school year when I went home to visit, I ditched the luggage in favor of a backpack.

At this stage in my life, I’m looking for moderation. When I’m on the road nowadays, I want more than a backpack but less than a 4-piece luggage set. A duffel bag can get me through a long weekend – without makeup. Otherwise, for the most part, I’m happy to comply with airline rules which limit carry-on baggage to usually one small bag, plus one personal item.

In my ongoing quest to lighten my travel load, I asked several world travelers how they do it. Here are a few of the packing tips I received:

Bags, Sacs & Luggage

“Plastic bags! For dirty washing, wet things, toiletries, sitting on, using to squash things down inside bags, so many uses!” – Jennifer Jain, jenniferslittleworld.

“I always travel with several clear but colored zippered pouches. Most I get very inexpensively at the Asian import stores in our area. Great for sorting cords, batteries and chargers especially. The color coding helps too.” – Elaine Masters, tripwellness.

“Soft mesh assorted size bags to keep suitcase orderly. eBags suit me. Rarely a loose item in my suitcase.” – Christine Tibbetts, TibbettsTravel.

“Compression sac so I can squeeze my clothes into it which leaves room for other goodies.” – Beth Whitman, wanderluster.

“I LOVE my Kelty Ascender. It is a great piece of luggage and can be either a wheelie or a backpack. Durable, compact and all-around fantastic.” – Diana Lauren, dtravelsround.

“I swear by my Briggs and Riley bag — carry-on size and is convertible between a backpack and duffel. Love that bag.” – Lindsay Taub, lindsaytaub.

“I love my sling bag that is feather-like and holds everything!” – Neala Schwartzberg McCarten, offbeattravel.

“Check out Timbuktu, my husband has one of their black shoulder bags; he’s a ferry commuter and it’s ideal. Casual yet professional.” – Sue Frause, eatplaysleep.

Clothing

Flip Flops

“Flip-flops because they can double as beach shoes and slippers and give you a comfortable alternative after lots of walking~ – Irene S. Levine, moretimetotravel.

“A sarong. One of the most useful items I own.” – Talon Windwalker, 1dad1kid and Cathy Goldner, solo-travelers-alliance.

“The smartest thing I ever did was invest in a strategic, simple, dedicated, travel wardrobe. I pack 3 outfits of three pieces each, all interchangeable. A skort, a tank top, and cardigan = 1. Pants, t-shirt, and light jacket = 2. Skirt, sleeveless tunic, and oversize camp shirt = 3. If I’m going to be traveling longer than 2 weeks, I add an extra pair of pants and a versatile dress. If I’m going somewhere cold I’ll add a pullover sweater and a pair of leggings. This wardrobe “lives” in my packing cubes. I’m basically always packed and just toss in the “log trip” cube or “cold trip cube” if needed.” – Angie Hilbert, wanderlit.

“There’s a company named Icebreaker and they make merino wool products that I can’t live without. I use the layers for skiing and they are incredible (warm, stay dry, and really don’t smell at all) and now they’re also making summer dresses etc for women that are GREAT for travelling because of their “no stink” technology and if you do wash them by hand, they dry in a jiffy! Can’t get enough of their stuff. makes “packing light” do-able.” – Eva Gold, Passports & Pamplemousse.

“RejuvaHealth Compression Leggings . . . Tieks by Gavrieli . . . Scarves.” – Jennifer Dombrowski, jdombstravels.

“Comfy slippers, cozy socks” – Gayle McCarthy.

For more, check out Favorite Items to Lighten Your Luggage – Part II – (Electronics & Miscellaneous) or read about packing light for a luxury trip!

Wander On!

Nancy

What are your favorite travel items to lighten your luggage, wanderboomers? Please share with us here.

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F is for Farmers Market Destinations

HongKongFarmer'sMarketCrossroadFoundationFlickr (300 x 450)

Hong Kong Farmer’s Market – Photo courtesy of Crossroads Foundation – flickr

One of my favorite pursuits when traveling is visiting the local Farmers Markets to get an authentic, sensory feel of my destination.

Here I can discover fresh local produce, sampling and tasting as I saunter along from vendor to vendor, smiling while the farmers compete among themselves for my attention and pocketbook. I can get lost in listening to the music of a foreign language, learn where locals like to eat and how to prepare an evening’s meal from unfamiliar ingredients.

PikePlaceMarketProduce (450 x 338)

Seattle’s Pike Place Market

Even when home in Seattle, I can visit several different neighborhood markets to find unusual teas, melons and spices.

Flower Bouquet at Pike's Place Market (450 x 338)

Seattle’s Pike Place Market

And can I ever leave without purchasing a bouquet of flowers or gifts of indigenous handicrafts? Hardly.

Brazil (450 x 281)

Little Red Riding Hood & Friends from Brazil Farmer’s Market

Not a bad way to spend a few hours . . .

What’s your favorite farmer’s market, Wanderboomers?

 

 

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E is for Exploring Exotic Egypt

SphinxandPyramidwatchsmartflickr (450 x 338)

Photo courtesy of watchsmart – flickr

As the site of my first overseas experience, Egypt holds a special place in my heart. Long before the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, I had been a teacher at the St. Mary’s School in Shoubra, a poor Cairo neighborhood.

CairoMosqueArianZwegers (450 x 307)

Photo courtesy of  Arian Zwegers – flickr

During one kaleidoscopic summer, I traveled the road from Cairo to Alexandria under a canopy of desert stars, explored the marvels of the Sphinx and Pyramids on the Giza Plateau as well as the tombs of the Valley of the Kings. Every day led to new discoveries in customs,  courtesies and culinary delights.

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Photo courtesy of juliegomoll – flickr

The trip was not without its share of challenges, however. While I avoided vendor-offered homemade-flavored drinks and always kept bottled drinking water in the refrigerator where I lived at the orphanage, I still ended up with daily gastrointestinal problems.

Then late one afternoon I entered the kitchen and spotted one of the girls standing at the sink. She looked at me over her shoulder and flashed a beatific smile. My eyes widened when I saw her holding one of my water bottles under the faucet tap, carefully filling it up to the brim. In her quiet way, she had been taking care of me, her respected teacher, by ensuring that my water bottle was always filled. Oops.

KarnakTempleeviljohniusflickr (450 x 338)

Photo courtesy of eviljohnius – flickr

Despite those pesky gastrointestinal problems, exploring the magic of Egypt set the stage for what has become my lifelong love of travel adventures around the world. 5 continents down, two more to go . . .

What about you, wanderboomers? Are you ready to explore the wonders of Egypt?

 

Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
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