HOW do I pack husband's suit and my dresses?

"How" do I pack the above stuff so it does NOT get all wrinkled?

I have figured out everything else and I know this should be easy but I am panicking!!!

Maybe I can't figure this out because I am tired and can't think any longer - we leave next week -- any ideas would be appreciated.

I thought of maybe buying a garmet bag and putting all of our hang-up clothes that we don't want wrinkled in it on hangers and then personally "carrying it on" maybe? That way, when we arrive in the cabin, we could simply hang them all at once. Plus, it would allow us to take fewer suitcases.

Any thoughts on this idea? (Can you tell this is our first cruise?) Thanks for any ideas you might have.

Pat

Hi Pat,
Of course I highly recommend a suitbag for the items you are talking about but a little trick I learned is that if you use those plastic bags that the dry cleaning always returns in, you clothes stay almost wrinkle-free! Why i don't know but it does work! We also take a travel steamer with us for any small wrinkles or touch up that sometimes is necessay, mostly for my wifes long gowns as they tend to wrinkle some near the bottom.
Jim

[pamda]

Hi, PNS ...

Garment/suit bags are not very good for long dresses.

I simply pack everything, flat, in suitcases ... on hangers ... with a plastic dry cleaners' bag over each item. There is a little bit of air in each bag and the plastic slides around nicely.

I have NEVER had a wrinkle.

Pamda -- CM First-Time Cruisers Editor

[Mermaid]

I pack like Pamda. Keeping things on a hanger (I double up sometimes) and with a plastic dry cleaning bag over several hanger's worth. Special dresses, easy to wrinkle items get their own bag. Of course, it does help immensely if you take clothing that is not prone to wrinkles, like cotton, linen, etc. naturally all my favorites.

But mainly, I don't worry about a few wrinkles. On my clothes or elsewhere! lol You can unpack quickly with everything already on hangers, let the wrinkles fade away that will, and have fun!

I admit to last minute packing and an extreme case of laziness when I'm on vacation. I have a number of dresses, dressy and otherwise, that simply never wrinkle no matter what you do with them. I take them and never mind the rest. Anything else that gets wrinkled goes to the ship's dry cleaner for pressing. Works for me.

Carole

[Rix]

I go along with Robo's suggestion. We bring a sunbeam portable steamer works great for wrinkles.

[Elaine]

We purchased the longest garment bag we could find. Suites, slacks, jackets, and shorter dresses go in there. I never use the hangers that come with the bag, they take up too much room. I use wire hangers and the ones with the cardboard sleeves for slacks. There is always room for odds and ends in the inner pockets and lower half of bag. Oue bag fares better than other checked luggage going through rigors of travel. Relax and enjoy your cruise.
Elaine

THANKS EVERYONE!!!

now ........ back to packing!!!

One small tip for a wrinkle "emergency" (works better than hanging the item in a steamy bathroom): I found this great spray at my AAA Club travel store. It's called "Wrinkle Free" or something like that. It's in a dark blue, small can & works wonders in a pinch. I once forgot to get a fancy top & skirt ironed prior to formal night. By the time I remembered, it was time to dress & too late to do much about the wrinkles, which were fairly bad. I just sprayed & smoothed for a couple of min. & the difference was amazing! There are brands of similar stuff at the grocery store now, but I haven't used any of them so I don't know if they work as well.

[shanden]

Get them Dry Cleaned or pressed on the Ship. This is what I do for all my dresses