MikiSunshine

My girlfriend and I are taking a repositioning cruise to Europe in late April/early May and could use some advice on what to bring. Most especially on what clothing to bring. We'll have day trips in The Azores; Cork, Ireland; Paris; and London with two additional nights in London before flying back to Miami.

We're slightly over 50 and one of us is slightly disabled. There will be 3 formal nights on the cruise and we'd like to pack as light as possible. Any help/tips will be appreciated.

Miki

qwovadis

Hey Miki congrats on your trip. onebag.com great tips for you. Have done 2 last with Cunard can get rough transdermscop.com
a must for me for TA and Antartic especially.One nice sport or suit jacket with 2 different pairs of nice slacks a tie or 2 does fine for most for formal night there is no pressure.Rain Jacket with hood saved my bacon several times as has independent trip cover. quotewright.com

Happy Trails!

AAFrequentFlyer

I did 2 in my lifetime and neither one was rough. In fact a 2 week crossing from Barcelona to Ft.Lauderdale, the Atlantic was as smooth as baby's behind and the temps were very warm and that was at the end of Sep and early Oct.

The first one was about 40 years ago through Northern Atlantic in June on what today would be considered a very small ship. No issues either.

That said, you can't predict what will happen on your cruise, so bring at least one change of warm or layered clothes and be prepared with pills for seasickness if you are prone to that.

Have a great cruise!

MikiSunshine

I've checked the average temps for transatlantic cruises so I expect it will be chilly, if not cold. Though we dould get lucky and get a warm front.

Perhaps I should also mention I'm a woman. A nice sport coat or jacket with a couple of pairs of pants and a tie won't cut it for me. But thanks for the onebag.com link. I think we females have a tendency to bring too many clothes. Never having been on a trip this long, I do not want to be burdened with too much luggage. Aboard ship, no problem. But the stuff has to fly back and that could get costly. I also have to consider the makeup, hair products, jewelry and other accessories. Sometimes it's not so much fun being a woman. LOL wish we could take a cruise back instead of flying. Add a disability so the need to bring my mobility scooter and cane and I almost (almost) want to call it off.

As for the crossing, I know I get sea sick so will be bringing meclizine with me on my doctors recommendation. I think I shall go make a packing list now and dry run getting it all packed up. Hopefully I can keep it down to one big bag and a carry on.

Cathinjoetown

Miki,

I just yesterday got off a transatlantic crossing, NYC to Southampton, on Cunard's Queen Victoria.

That ship was fairly formal but I felt fine in black velvet and black silk trousers with dressy jackets and tops. We were upgraded to the Queen's Grill where there were many women much more beautifully dressed but many dressed as simply as I was.

Based only on my experience on the Queen Victoria, I noticed several mobility scooters and many people with canes, including myself on our one really pitchy day. Both the airline and cruise line should wisk away your scooter without trouble on your part. The ship may let your board on it or will provide a wheel chair.

The ship was very warm, I brought several cashmere sweaters which were light but almost too hot in the public areas. As usual I packed many more tops than I wore. The ship had onboard laundrettes and dry cleaning service. Our ship steered a course due east from New York so we were south of the Azores before then heading north which probably accounted in part for the warmth. Or, the ship may be kept warm for old farts like me but as I still get hot flashes, I would have preferred to cooler.

The airline 50 lb weight limit is a challenge. Our crossing was a return for us but on the way over to the States we flew Virgin Atlantic premium economy which allows two checked bags per person. We had three checked bags between us.

Hope you stick to your plans, we had a great time. I hear very good things about Celebrity.

MikiSunshine

Cathinjoetown, thank you so much for your insight. I was worried it might be too cold, but I suppose they do keep it warm in the enclosed areas. Hot flases can be bothersome, can't they? LOL

I'm not much of one for closed toed shoes, the bother my feet. Are sandals going to be a problem? I'm thinkinq of bringing 4-5 dressy tops, two black skirts, one gown, 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of gauze pants (1 blk, 1 wht), 5-6 casual tees and 2-4 lightweight sweaters. Various scarves, umbrella, jewelry, hair products, makeup, prescriptions, 3 hats, and a raincoat. Am I missing anything? Like I will continue to say I really don't want to overpack but heck, I'm a woman. I needs my stuff!

I have a packing list that I've been using for years. It reminds me to take the essential items, but not specifics. However, none of my trips has lasts longer than 5 days. What am I forgetting? And am I overpacking?

Sassafrass

At the time you are going, and the ports you are going to, I think you will not need the gauze pants; it will not be warm enough for them, except maybe in Paris and I would take only the black if at all. Were the two skirts long, for evening? If so, you need only one. Three dressy tops, 4-5 tees and two sweaters will be more than enough. That should help lighten the load. Most of the day on the ship, you will see people wearing kaki pants or jeans. with simple shirts or tees, some sweatshirts. If you enjoy walking out on the deck in the evening, you might need a light weight jacket/windbreaker or a nice shawl. You can always pick something up in Cork (or Paris) if you really need it, though I doubt you will.

Cathinjoetown

Agree with Sass, while you see a bit of everything, day wear for the most part is very casual.

I think you are taking a good mix, probably a few more items than I would but hey, it's your time to shine!

MikiSunshine

Sassafras, just this for a 13 night cruise? We've got three formal nights and both my friend and I like to dress up for dinner anyway. I don't have khakis and the gauze pants are very comfortable for me so I will be bringing them to wear on the ship. I know I shouldn't but worry about the cost of laundry. Yes, the skirts are long so you're right, I only need one.

Thanks so much for the advice. It's easing my mind a little and alleviating some of the anxiousness I had about the difficulties of traveling. Now to only pray I can get it all into one large bag and a carry on. LOL

Sassafrass

Miki, yes, that is pretty much what I take for a two week cruise. However, we don't dress up every night, and often skip at least one of the formal nights. If the weather is lovely, I like to get dinner and sit outside on the deck somewhere watching the sunset, rather than in the dinning room.

Last cruise, I took
One pair of dressy black jersy pants
Three dressy tops
One long floral, sleeveless jersey dress
Two light weight pashima scarves - two different colors
One dressy little black bolero style sweater
Two pairs of jeans
One pair of Kakis
Four tee shirts (long sleeves)
One nice pullover sweater
One pair of dressy sandals
One sunhat
One small evening bag

The scarves and sweater could be worn over all the dressy tops or with the dress, so that gave me about eight different looks.
I wore a pair of jeans, shirt and windbreaker on the flight to get to the ship. All done.

You might want more things since you like to dress up a bit more, and as Cathinjoetown said, it is your trip. You should do what will help you enjoy it the most. We have a dear friend who cruises a lot, six months of the year at least. Getting dressed for dinner is a highlight of cruising for him. He owns several tuedos, doesn't care if he has to pay extra to ship them, and wouldn't be caught dead in rental clothes. We haven't admitted to him that DH has never worn a tux on a cruise.

Some ships have DIY laundrymats. Otherwise, you can wash a few things in the sink and hang in your shower to dry. The right materials help with that.