You know I love my packing posts. Planning what I am going to pack is one of my favourite things about planning a holiday, whether it is for a week or a month. Regardless of how long I am gone, I will most likely bring the same amount of clothes. Because I am still an overpacker at heart.
Some people do the carry on only thing to bring less crap. I am not one of those people. I like my crap. I do not like checking a bag, having them lose or damage my bag, but I really don't like baggage claim. Seriously. Nothing makes me want to stab my fellow humans more.
So you might think I am being a bit ridiculous with the amount I packed for this cruise, because it is not the 'point' of only using a carry on, well I'm here to say there is no point to only using a carry on. Sure, it could be to be a minimalist and wear less crap, or it could be to plan every outfit so you're not stumped on what to wear on holiday, or it could be a way to force yourself not to shop and buy a bunch of useless stuff. But for me, it's so I can avoid baggage claim. High five.
My motto is - if it fits in a carry on, surely it is not overpacking, right?
So here is everything I packed:
// fitted black dress // long navy lace dress (actual from lulus) // pink maxi dress // colourful striped dress (actual from golden tote) // chevron fit and flare (actual from stitch fix) // blue maxi (actual from lulus) //
// grey casual dress // black romper // floral romper //
// striped tank top // margaritas tank top // champs tank top // grey tee / coke tee //
green tank top // coral tank top // denim shorts // nike shorts //
// polka dot bikini top // coral bikini top // floral bikini top // black bikini bottoms // pink bikini bottoms (mine were actually reversible, but I never ended up wearing them the other way) // one piece (actual was topshop, sold out) // nikes // flip flops (I don't own these exact ones but I wish I did!) // nude pumps // sandals //
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6 dresses for dinners - there were 7 dinners but I ended up wearing 1 of the dresses twice. On a 7 night cruise you 'need' 2 formal outfits, I decided to dress up every night because I just wanted to!
3 cover up / round the pool dresses or rompers - 2 rompers and a throw on dress, this made me feel slightly put together when walking around or grabbing lunch.2 pairs of shorts - one denim pair and one pair of nike active shorts.
Tanks and tees - grabbed a couple of tank tops and tees for shore excursions, lounging around and sleeping.
Swimsuits - a one piece, 3 bikini tops (actual are from Victoria Secret) and 2 bikini bottoms.
I also bought a super awesome floppy hat for the cruise..... and left it at home. So. Not included. Probably for the best, I don't think hats suit me but still. Womp womp.
As usual, things packed but not shown: hair & makeup stuff, underwear and sleep clothes - although, I slept in some of the tank tops shown above. Also, everything is under $50, or it was when I found it.
Here are the 'outfit' photos I took. I didn't take too many, so some things are missing or not shown properly.
So there you have it. I absolutely over packed. But I don't mind - I love over packing but still fitting everything in a carry on, it's like I'm beating the system or something. I wore everything I brought and I don't regret anything or wish I'd changed anything. So, winner winner buffet dinner.
And there you have a super awesome picture of us and our ebags weekender bags - I've mentioned it before, this isn't sponsored in any way shape or form, but these bags are amazing. We took them to NYC, Europe, Disney and now this cruise. They are super comfy (as comfy as an extremely full heavy backpack can be) and they fit in all the overhead bins of all the planes and airlines we've flown with. They are not true backpacker backpacks, so if you want to head off around Europe for 6 months I'd probably suggest something with more support for your back, but because we only carry these around airports and whatnot, no biggie.
They are super sturdy and have lots of pockets and they extend (which I try and avoid, because then it encourages me to take more stuff and they are harder to fit in the overhead bins). Anyway, no kidding, we love them. Mine is always more full than KC's which is super not fair, he thinks I pack too much, I say it's because I carry all the things that we both use, like toiletries and.. a collapsible water bottle.. and other stuff.
Have I convinced you that you can use just a carry on now? Of course, you don't have to. But you can!