I'm a minimalist packer and only take carry-on luggage. I start packing 2-3 days before a trip. I fold all my clothes and put them in neat little piles by type. Then I can just put them into my "backpack through Europe" backpack which fits into an overhead compartment and has the same capacity as those rolling luggage things. My on-plane entertainment (laptop/knitting) fits into my LL Bean backpack.

For a week long trip, I'll take a nightdress, sufficient underclothing, a top for each day, a dress or dressy top if I need it, a pair of jeans and a pair of shoes. If it's cold, one sweater and one jacket.

The only time I drag out the big suitcase is when I'm going to an Indian wedding and even then, it holds both mine and my husband's clothes.

It is entirely possible that this forum may have broken my formula and I will feel compelled to bring multiple pairs of shoes and non-jean outfits on my next trip, pushing me into the realm of the bag checkers.

I'm generally a major overpacker however I thankfully don't fly so I'm only limited to what I can fit in the car! My 2 last trips where a week camping and a week at my cousin's. For the week at my cousin's I took a huge case (think 2 weeks holiday) and flung in random things (I hate packing with a passion) I ended up frustratingly wishing I bought x y z to go with what I'd got. For the camping trip I packed in outfits so even though I didn't know what we were doing on any given day I at least had the pieces to an outfit x

Absolutely pack from a list. I'm weather sensitive ( a big wuss) and I plan around this - how not to swelter, how not to tense up with cold/a.c. But I pack very minimally. I keep in mind that I will probably have to carry this at some point and, who knows, maybe for blocks or up and down stairs. I use a very small suitcase I can sling on my shoulder.

I'm a planner (I plan out my outfits for each day) and a light packer (I typically take a carry-on only, if I can get away with it).

I am a pre-planner and minimalist packer for trips. For work trips, I refuse to pack more than a carry-on for trips under a week. And I wear my suit on the plane since it is usually the bulkiest and hardest to iron after packed item. I limit the shoes to 2 pairs which also helps a lot.

For personal trips, I try out my outfits in advance with the goal to mix and match as much as possible. I also switch from blazers and wovens to more knits and cardigans which can roll up smaller in size. And I am prone to packing items that are getting old or falling out of favor. This way if my luggage is lost, I am not too upset to have lost wardrobe favorites.

Step one: Plan for itinerary.

Step two: Eliminate duplicates (e.g. take out one pair of jeans if you'd packed another pair that can interchange decently)

Step three: Mitigate potential disaster (rain, unexpected fancy event, unexpected heatwave, unexpected baby vomit...)

Step four: stuff shoes with emergency Powerbars.

Step five: double the socks (walking a lot = foot sweat. foot sweat = gross socks that I will need to change more often than normal).

Step six: stand on top of carryon bag and have the hubs zip it closed for me.

HAVE A WONDERFUL CRUISE!

I too am a serious strategic remixer when traveling. I hate checking bags and even when we do, I still want to handle as few bags as possible. I like think of a kind of master packer since I like to utilize to the max every single ounce when traveling to India, while taking enough outfits to last me 2 weeks and trying to take home as many gifts as possible. I haven't tried making actual physical lists but I mentally sort through my options and tend to use everything I pack.

Have a lovely trip Mary!

I LOVE packing for a vacation! I don't make an actual list, but I do take pleasure in carefully choosing outfits and footwear for the trip. I try to pick tops that will go with more than one bottom, so I have more mix-and-match options. The one thing I find difficult, however, is packing for a vacation where you're not sure what the weather's going to be like. Many of my vacations have involved going to England, and as all you Brits know, the weather there can be, ah, shall we say, variable. I've had trips to England in July where it rained for the whole month, and trips in May where it was gloriously sunny and warm. Hard to know what to bring!

I hate unpacking, though. Sometimes the suitcase sits in my room for a week before I unpack it.

Have a delightful cruise, and have fun packing!

What Jonesy said! I make sure I have appropriate clothing for whatever activities I'll be doing, and pack very lightly. So does my husband. For a week long trip to Hawaii, we packed one luggage bag (and not a giant one, the size one up from carry-on size) between us. If it's a short weekend trip, usually just a backpack between us. Of course, taking the long motorcycle trips has _really_ taught me how to pack lightly For the LA trip coming up, I expect one carry-on or possibly a backpack.

Hope you have an awesome trip, Mary