Chit - Chat for CruisersOpen Forum for non-cruise posts. Please refrain from inflammatory rhetoric that could be considered offensive. We reserve the right to edit or delete for any reason.
It's only three days before we leave for our Alaska cruise on Mercury and I already have two 30" suitcases and 2 suitbags packed. I still haven't packed the carry on luggage.
My wife thinks I should remove some of my "essentials"
Things like:
Leatherman (To fix the ship in case it breaks, or emergency corkscrew)
Shortwave Radio: To listen to Russian radio. (I don't speak Russian)
20X50 Binoculars: (Whale and Glacier watching)
GPS: (In case the Captain gets lost)
Hiking Boots: (Tennis shoes just won't cut it.)
I told her that I would leave the Tux and suit at home and wear my Tuxedo t-shirt to formal and semi-formal nights. I also said that I can pack just one pair of underwear. She has not agreed to these compromises.
Do you think I should leave the "essentials" at home? Or do you have any ideas on how to "lighten the load"?
Take Care;
Mike
(Getting Excited)
Monday Chat Host 7:00 PM Pacific Time
Mike, seems to me you are approaching this totally from a male perspective.
Never heard of a leatherman, but it sounds like a handy little tool, suggest you mention jammed cosmetic jars and zippers.Shortwave radio. Could this not pick up the lastest "soapies" or with luck private mobile phone conversations? Binoculars. Extremely handy for finding any small lost object. GPS. Again never heard of it but assume it is some kind of compass. Your wife may not have my directional problems, but I just added it to my list, for finding way back to cabin. Hiking boots. Are there no cockroaches or spiders on cruise ships? If so, tennis shoes would be totally inadequate.
You sound just like my husband! On our last cruise we took a pocketknife, GPS (global positioning system), we meant to take the binoculars but forgot them, and even though he wanted to bring it, I made him leave the scanner at home. He wanted to listen to the port guys talking to the ship guys while docking the ship (here's a link to marine frequencies to listen to: <http://www.scannerway.8m.com/vhfmarine.html> ). Oh, and I made him leave his cowboy boots at home. This is the first cruise we've managed to take without them! :-)
We always overpack!! But tell your wife this, as long as YOU carry the luggage, you can pack as much as you want! That's the only peace of mind I can come up with when I see my hubby schlepping all of his gadgets with us on the trip. At least I know he'll be lugging all the bags around!
I'm with you guy. Although I am female I would give my left arm for a GPS. What fun. It could replace this guy I married 32 years ago who can't find his way back to bed from the potty during the night
Take it all!! I bought suitcases that expand. What a wonderful invention. AND I was a Girl Scout. You know their motto?? Be prepared. Live it.
Mike:
You have just proven to me that boys will be boys. I agree, take it all!!!! Makes the cruise that much more fun. Besides it will keep you busy and out of your wife's hair (just kidding!) Have a wonderful trip!!! Happy sailing. We will miss you here.
Mary Lou
Thursday Chat Host
Mike,
Hope you back is feeling well these days, cause its going to have quite a work out just getting to the cruise :-) By all means, take it if its going to make you a happy cruiser, you just never know. Be sure to let us know if you really used half of all that equipment??? Have a wonderful time, and please don't forget the camera/cameras! Oh, yea, and tons of film too!
Hey, i'm a female, but I can relate to Mike's problem:
Leatherman: a "must have", along with the duct tape to plug up the leaks. Mike, be sure it has a kinfe thingie to cut off the whatchamallits. (if not, use the emergency corkscrew).
Tsk, tsk, tsk, ladies -- where would a man be without his shortwave? He may THINK he's listening to Russian radio (it's what happens when you use your Leatherman as a corkscrew too often).
Mike, you definitely need the Binoculars. know it will come in handy (hey -- use it to find that little empty space you have in one of those 30" suitcases you'll schlepp around); or to find your wife on shore when she's shopping & you're listening to the Russian version of "As The World Turns."
And please, please, please, take along your GPS; you can only imagine the words of praise you'll receive from the Captain (not to mention the pilots & other crew) for your forsightfulness.
Hiking boots win out in my eyes (just stay away from the feet)
Can understand why you only want 1 pair of underwear; after all, that's what the bathroom sink & shampoo is for right? Your wife should be doubly pleased that you wash them out each nite (we're still talking underwear, right?)
Definitely bring the essentials. As far as lightening the load, leave the books at home.
And don't forget the camera w/the pedestal; the video recorder (you know, the one you've had in the attic for the past 5 years that weighs about 25.32 kg?)
There is another side to your problem, it is not just what you take away, there is all the stuff you have to bring back, especially if you have a female in tow.
I remember many, many moons ago now, I was in the Oriana doing a 14 nighter round the SW Pacific (working). On that trip I had one suitcase. Now on return to Sydney I was due for a holiday and I had arranged for my wife and kids (young at the time, but experienced cruisers) to join the vessel and we would do another 14 nighter as a holiday - see how stupid a bloke can be when he is tired.
She arrived in the morning and boarded by the crew brow, with four suitcases and some carry on baggage. Ok, bad but not too bad. However, things then went off the rails - the dreaded shopping. Not just the dresses and things, but woven raffia baskets, wooden tribal masks, copper plaques, Engraved wooden laundry basket (big) and to top it all off a chiefs rattan chair (also very big). Then there was the small stuff. VCR - Stereo set (like we needed another one) commercial style hairdryer (just don't ask me), plus a heap of other stuff like Sulus and Mumus that just vanished when we got home never to be seen again.I will wear a Sulu when on the beach in Fiji but darned if I am going to wear one down to the shop on a Saturday morning.
Luckily the chap heading Customs that day was an old mate and he just shook his head and gave me a hand to the car. All I bought was a bottle of Glenfiddich and that got broken on the way home.
So I recon that, unless you keep control - right as if that is ever going to happen, you can expect to double the return baggage - Happy sailing old son - in case you couldn't guess, I am at this moment smirking.
Hi again Mike,
Think the added luggage was in order. Noticed Kuki has an article on the home page "packing for Alaska", you may want to read through that, hope that doesn't mean another piece of luggage?? Have fun and Bon Voyage, can't wait to hear ALL about it.
Connect with Facebook
Houston: We have a problem.
Linear Mode
