54 DAYS TO GO . . .

     MONDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2011

     PACKING FOR YOUR CRUISE.  COULD THERE BE ANYTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN, WHAT TO PACK?  THERE ARE TONS OF LISTS OUT THERE AS TO WHAT TO BRING AND CONVERSATIONS ON BOARDS AS TO WHAT'S BEST VS. WHAT'S NOT.  IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO WHAT YOUR WILLING TO BRING.  DOES THE AIRLINE YOU'RE PLANNING ON FLYING CHARGE IF YOUR BAG IS OVER A CERTAIN WEIGHT?  WILL YOU BE BRINGING ENOUGH BAGS TO SPREAD OUT THE WEIGHT OF WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING?  DO YOU MIND HAVING TO BRING EXTRA BAGS, OR HAVING TO CHECK MORE THAN YOU EXPECTED?  CARRY-ON RESTRICTIONS HAVE CHANGED DRASTICALLY, SO YOU'LL HAVE TO PLAN ON THAT AS WELL.  THIS IS REALLY WHERE YOU NEED TO BEGIN.  WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO BRING? 
     ONCE YOU'VE FIGURED OUT WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO KEEP YOUR LUGGAGE AMOUNT DOWN TO, THEN YOU CAN BEGIN YOUR PACKING LIST.  SOME PEOPLE CAN TRAVEL EXTREMELY LIGHT WITHOUT EVEN BLINKING.  UNFORTUNATELY, I'M NOT ONE OF THEM.  I'M A CLOTHES HORSE AND MY SON'S 8, AND JUST AS BAD.  I DON'T NEED SOMEBODY SPECIALS NAME ON MY CLOTHES, I JUST LIKE LOTS OF OPTIONS AND I LIKE THE SAME THING ON VACATION.  SO WHAT I SUGGEST FOR EVERYONE IS TO PLAN OUT EACH DAYS CLOTHES.  LAY THEM OUT.  IF YOU'RE PLANNING ON WEARING PANTS OR SHORTS MORE THAN ONE DAY, YOU'LL KNOW THAT WHEN YOU LAY THEM OUT.  KNOW WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE FOR EACH DAY AND YOU CAN PLAN OUT YOUR OUTFITS AS WELL.  YOU'LL MOST LIKELY NEED A DAYTIME AND NIGHTTIME OUTFIT FOR EACH DAY OF YOUR TRIP.  REMEMBER, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO WEAR PANTS AND COLLARED SHIRTS (SHORT SLEEVE IS OK) TO DINNER.
     YOU MAY NEED A LIGHT JACKET, SWEATER, OR SWEATSHIRT FOR NIGHTS ON DECK.  SNEAKERS, SANDALS, AND DRESS SHOES, SWIMWEAR, WATER, & SUN-PROTECTION, PERSONAL TOILETRIES, LOTS OF SOCKS AND UNDERWEAR, SOMETHING TO SLEEP IN.  YOU CAN SEE HOW IT ADDS UP FAST.  THAT'S WHY LAYING EVERYTHING OUT SO YOU CAN SEE IT, CAN BE A BIG HELP.  A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND THEN DIVIDE IT BY HALF.  SO IF PACKING LIGHT IS ONE OF YOUR CONCERNS, THEN ONCE YOU SEE EVERYTHING YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO GO.  IF OUTFITS AREN'T YOUR CONCERN, THEN TAKING BIGGER PIECES OF CLOTHING OUT OF YOUR PACKING LIST CAN LEAVE MORE ROOM FOR THE SMALLER THINGS (LIKE UNDERWEAR) THAT MOST SEEN TO THINK ARE MUCH MORE VALUABLE.
     IF HOW MUCH YOU BRING FACTORS INTO YOUR PACKING AT ALL, THEN TRY TO BE AS ORGANIZED AND LOGICAL AS POSSIBLE IN ADVANCE.  COOL, LIGHT, AND COMFORTABLE FOR A WARMER CLIMATE MAY FACTOR INTO YOUR CHOICES AS WELL.  EVEN IF YOU'RE A LAST-SECOND HAP-HAZARD PACKER, PLANNING AHEAD FOR YOUR CRUISE MAY PREVENT YOU FROM FORGETTING SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT YOU CAN NOT EVEN FIND ONCE YOUR CRUISE BEGINS.  AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, ASK WHILE YOU CAN, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
     SEE YA REAL SOON!   ºOº