Lady

I asked a similar question in the fall about LeHavre, but we've changed the port we are sailing out of. We have a piece of luggage with our "cruise clothes" we don't want to drag through Italy and France between trans-Atlantic crossings. We'd like to find a place in Paris to store it for about 2 months. Any ideas?

MmePerdu

I'd contact the hotel or other accommodation where you'll be saying in Paris. I wouldn't expect them to keep your things free of charge for so long but, if they have storage space, I'd offer payment for their help. You never know, if your stay will be for a substantial number of days with them and they have space, they may not charge you. It's the obvious place to start.

Lady

I'm not sure we're staying the night on our way going. Just on the way back.

MmePerdu

I'd ask anyway. If you have a reservation, you're a guest and it doesn't hurt to ask. I sometimes use that as a final deciding factor for choosing a place to stay.

historytraveler

I'm not sure a hotel would accept the responsibility of storing luggage for that long. Not an expert on this but you may find the best and only alternative would be to ship it home. I don't know which cruise company you are traveling with but several years ago, when went home on the Queen Mary, we had our clothes ( for the cruise...all that formal attire for dinner etc. ) shipped over through Cunard, and it was in our cabin when we disembarked from Portsmouth. It was expensive but it was the best option. Check with your cruise line to see if they offer such service.

MmePerdu

It sounds as if you have 2 crossings, one going and one home. I did one, also the QM2, and packed knowing I'd be "dragging" the extra things for the ship with me for 6 weeks or so. If you choose carefully, I believe you can have plenty to wear of the mix & match variety, shoes that go with everything, and not be burdened with a steamer trunk.

Maybe historytraveler is on to something and you could store your bag with Cunard, or whoever owns your ship.

janisj

I'd pack lighter but also follow up on historytraveler's suggestion.

There is no reason one has to take a huge amount of luggage just because one can. For the formal/dressy nights think separates - black skirt or maybe palazzo-type pants and a couple of posh tops. A dinner or suit jacket doesn't take up any more space than a sports coat.

I could do it in a carry on (and have on an Alaska cruise), but that would be a tall task for many. However a 24 incher and a small carry on or back pack each should be more than enough.

If you simply can't manage that -- ht's idea shipping it to the cruise line may be your best option.

historytraveler

My biggest mistake in taking the Queen Mary from England to New York was to adhere to the ships recommendations regarding dress. I bought several outfits for dinner wear spending a great deal of money, things I have never worn since. I was simply trying to follow their guidelines. While I was very well-dressed, I could've managed very well with what was already in my closet. So, my advice is the same as janisj's. You can manage very well with something simple like a pair of black pants and/ or skirt and a couple of dressy tops. A silk shirt that can be dressed up with jewelry works great. That's really all you need and you'll be just fine.

MmePerdu

On the QM2 I met people who seem to live to cruise and do multiple sailings a year. It's what they do and have wardrobes that match their enthusiasm. But there are also those like me who dress well but use the "variations on a theme" approach as above. There are many ways to dress up simple classic separates and no one will notice that you wore the same black pants with a different top and jewelry or a see-through jacket over a sleeveless shell night before last. Things that take up very little space and weigh next to nothing.

If a vast wardrobe is part of the fun for you, you'll find a way, but if the thought is burdensome, there are simple ways to keep it simple.

Sarastro

For storing luggage in Paris, you might try:

http://www.bluemarble.org/ParisLuggage.html
http://www.city-locker.com/

Most train stations in Paris will store luggage as well but only for much shorter time frames that what you´re asking about.

kerouac

There are plenty of self-storage companies operating in Paris. I'm sure the smallest size would not be outrageously expensive.

http://www.shurgard.fr/en/self-storage-in-France/Paris

http://www.boxstockages.com/16-locker

Lady

These are great ideas. Will be looking at those links y'all posted. We've done this before, traveling over and back on the Queen and White Star has stored the bag for us in Southampton, but we are taking a different line going over and not going as far as Southampton this time.

I know I could dress differently.....a pair of evening pants and different tops, but we both love dressing up and I have the clothes and DH looks awesome in his tux and there is never anywhere here to do all that. And this is the first time we've had to come up with a different option for storage.

Thanks for all the ideas. Love all the help I can find here. Awesome!