P, E, O, P, L, E - LET'S CONTINUE WITH PREPARATION-
PACKING LISTS/SHIPPING LUGGAGE
|
|
CREATING PACKING LISTS AND SHIPPING LUGGAGE
When you cruise one of the challenges is to strike a balance in not over-packing and taking unnecessary clothing and other items while at the same time ensuring that you have a sufficient amount of clothing to wear off and on the ship and in various weather conditions.
We begin the process by looking up historical temperature highs and lows for each location we are visiting specific to the time of year of the cruise. We recognize that these are only averages and that the actual temperature can vary quite a bit from the averages but this does serve as a good starting point for our research. We consider not only the temperature but average rainfall as well and other weather conditions. We keep this information on a spread sheet.
We also consider on-board ship attire requirements including even attire and most cruise lines will let you know specifics about your voyage in terms of attire as well as recommendations as to what type of clothing is appropriate.
Sometimes, we have sailed long voyages where both warm and cold weather clothing is required making packing a little more challenging.
We also factor in other requirements that might be specific to the port city we are visiting such as the need to cover up in Churches in Italy or attire that might be appropriate when visiting say a mosque in Turkey or visiting selected countries in the Middle East.
To minimize requirements, we consider being able to wear different tops with the same bottoms. We also realize that we can wear the same item in the evening more than once and on many cruise ships self service laundry washing machines and dryers are provided so that clothes can be washed and that other services for a fee are required such as pressing and dry cleaning services.
We have learned the importance of having the right type of clothing when we are in port. We learned this the hard year many years ago when on a full-day tour in Iceland. It was both cold, very windy and raining. With the wind and the rain it felt even cooler than the actual temperature. We were not as prepared as we might have been such as not having a water proof jacket with hood and waterproof pants. As a result, we are not as comfortable on the tour as we could have been. Likewise, in places that it is very hot we want to ensure we are wearing light weather clothing and a hat along with sun glasses and plenty of sun tan lotion.
We recommend preparing a list of all items that you will require to help in this effort.
As part of your packing list be sure to consider not only prescription drugs but also over-the- counter drugs should you become ill during the cruise. Even coming prepared for a common cold is a good idea. We also recommend creating your own first-aid kit to take with you in port.
Most people take their luggage with them when they travel but we did want to mention an alternative that is gaining more and more popularity with each passing year. This is to use a luggage delivery service which could be used to send luggage from home to cruise ship or to pre cruise Hotel and to send luggage from the ship back home. The positive to these services is that you don't have to have all the luggage with you and it might reduce the size vehicle that you require. On the other hand it will add costs to your travel budget. The costs will vary based on shipping distance and whether the luggage is being sent domestically or internationally.
There are many companies that provide this service and each one has Web sites that typically answer most if not all of your questions and you can obtain a quote from them either via their Web site or by telephoning their customer service representatives.
Some of the more popular companies include:
Luggage Concierge
Luggage Free
Luggage Forward
Within the USA, some people make their own arrangements with the carrier such as with UPS, Parcel Post and Federal Express. For international shipping some people will go to DHL directly. An advantage of a luggage service is that they have the expertise to guide and track the shipment for you and should something go wrong they know how to cut through red tape.
Next we will discuss local currency requirements as well as ATM and Credit Cards.
We begin the process by looking up historical temperature highs and lows for each location we are visiting specific to the time of year of the cruise. We recognize that these are only averages and that the actual temperature can vary quite a bit from the averages but this does serve as a good starting point for our research. We consider not only the temperature but average rainfall as well and other weather conditions. We keep this information on a spread sheet.
We also consider on-board ship attire requirements including even attire and most cruise lines will let you know specifics about your voyage in terms of attire as well as recommendations as to what type of clothing is appropriate.
Sometimes, we have sailed long voyages where both warm and cold weather clothing is required making packing a little more challenging.
We also factor in other requirements that might be specific to the port city we are visiting such as the need to cover up in Churches in Italy or attire that might be appropriate when visiting say a mosque in Turkey or visiting selected countries in the Middle East.
To minimize requirements, we consider being able to wear different tops with the same bottoms. We also realize that we can wear the same item in the evening more than once and on many cruise ships self service laundry washing machines and dryers are provided so that clothes can be washed and that other services for a fee are required such as pressing and dry cleaning services.
We have learned the importance of having the right type of clothing when we are in port. We learned this the hard year many years ago when on a full-day tour in Iceland. It was both cold, very windy and raining. With the wind and the rain it felt even cooler than the actual temperature. We were not as prepared as we might have been such as not having a water proof jacket with hood and waterproof pants. As a result, we are not as comfortable on the tour as we could have been. Likewise, in places that it is very hot we want to ensure we are wearing light weather clothing and a hat along with sun glasses and plenty of sun tan lotion.
We recommend preparing a list of all items that you will require to help in this effort.
As part of your packing list be sure to consider not only prescription drugs but also over-the- counter drugs should you become ill during the cruise. Even coming prepared for a common cold is a good idea. We also recommend creating your own first-aid kit to take with you in port.
Most people take their luggage with them when they travel but we did want to mention an alternative that is gaining more and more popularity with each passing year. This is to use a luggage delivery service which could be used to send luggage from home to cruise ship or to pre cruise Hotel and to send luggage from the ship back home. The positive to these services is that you don't have to have all the luggage with you and it might reduce the size vehicle that you require. On the other hand it will add costs to your travel budget. The costs will vary based on shipping distance and whether the luggage is being sent domestically or internationally.
There are many companies that provide this service and each one has Web sites that typically answer most if not all of your questions and you can obtain a quote from them either via their Web site or by telephoning their customer service representatives.
Some of the more popular companies include:
Luggage Concierge
Luggage Free
Luggage Forward
Within the USA, some people make their own arrangements with the carrier such as with UPS, Parcel Post and Federal Express. For international shipping some people will go to DHL directly. An advantage of a luggage service is that they have the expertise to guide and track the shipment for you and should something go wrong they know how to cut through red tape.
Next we will discuss local currency requirements as well as ATM and Credit Cards.
