PACKING MEDICATIONS ON A CRUISE

I recently took a cruise on the MSC Poesia and found out that passengers could not buy aspirin or any other over-the-counter medications from the ship store. This was a first for me since all of the other cruise lines I had been on offered aspirin, Imodium or the equivalent, various upset stomach remedies, etc., from their sundry markets. On the Poesia passengers requesting such items had to go to the ship's medical center and see the doctor. When I travel I always pack a few over-the-counter medications including Imodium, Milk of Magnesia tablets, Pepto-Bismol, antibacterial cream and any prescription meds that I happen to be taking. I also carry a weeks supply of antibiotics and a paper prescription for refills. In a small snack bag I pack various bandages and alcohol wipe packets. These items help to make do until I can get to a pharmacy. The best policy for any cruise traveler is to check with the cruise company in advance to see what their policies are.

TRAVELPRO CREW 8 ROLLING BUSINESS TOTE

Spirit airlines is not going to get me down after yesterday's disaster with my Solo carry-on under the seat bag. I will be using the Travelpro Crew 8 Rolling Business Tote for my May transatlantic cruise. The dimensions come in at 13"x16"x8". Spirit requires 16"x14"x12". The tote also complies with Icelandair (the airline I will use on my return flight from London) carry-on requirements that are not to exceed 45 inches for (L+H+W). The bag is a little smaller then the Solo bag which I used for the one week cruise in January so the challenge to get the 36 unique outfits into that tiny space shall be greater. This quest shall be interesting to say the least!

CHECK WITH YOUR AIRLINE FOR THEIR CARRY-ON DIMENSIONS

The Solo bag (above) failed the bin test at Spirit Airlines in Fort Lauderdale, FL today. Boy, was  I sad. Spirits dimensions for the carry-on under seat bags can be no more then 16" x 14" x 12". My Solo bag came in at 16" x 15" x 9". The one inch more in width, made for a $30.00 penalty. So maybe I was really more mad then sad! Make sure you check with your airline for the exact dimensions required for any carry-ons you may wish to take.

WHY I CHOSE A BASE COLOR OF BLACK

I chose black as my base color because it is so vesatile and it comes with a multitude of clothing and accessory options. It goes with all skin shades and today it is acceptable in both warm and cold climates. For years we have heard of the "little black dress" that is a must for all well appointed female wardrobes, well, that is still true. The plain black dress which can be dressed up or down is definetly finding its way into my suitcase. Coordinated with comfortable black dress shoes, pearls and a small black evening bag, I am off to practically any evening function. When it is worn with a multi colored (with a small black interest in the design) pullover top or blouse and I have toned it down for day wear. But get this straight, a black theme wardrobe does not mean I am always wearing black. It means that the clothing I chose will go beautifully with my black shoes, bags, sweaters or wraps that I pack. I am always adding clothing that is colorful and tasteful with that black accent that makes it easy to blend. During my May cruise you will see how this process comes about.    

PACKING CUBES

I don't use packing cubes when I travel but I know lots of people who swear by them. There are many companies that sell them. Eagle Creek has their Pack-it Cube, Magellan sells their Stow-Aways Mesh Cubes, Rick Steves and Athalon also have packing cubes that they market, just to name a few. The cubes help organize what is to be packed and they usually have a mesh side that makes it easy to identify the contents. I prefer to use freezer  and or air/vac bags like those made by Pack-Mate. You can see everything, they manage wet clothing better then a mesh cube and the price is right!

LOOKING FOR LUGGAGE? TRY TRAVELPRO

I am looking at the TravelPro under-the-seat bag for my May transatlantic cruise. That would be the smaller of the two suitcases shown above. Both bags are exceedingly well made, lightweight and easy to navigate. The blue/green color of the bag makes it easier to locate then a plain black bag but I will have a bright red strap and color tags on it to make it even more identifiable.

LAYER, LAYER, LAYER

If Location, location, location is the mantra for real estate then layer, layer, layer is the mantra for the pack light packer. By choosing clothing that coordinates with your wardrobe and that is easy to layer, the packer is open to many outfit selections with a limited amount to pack. In early May I will be leaving on a two week vacation that includes a 12 night transatlantic cruise along with two nights in London. I will be doing this trip with an under the seat bag for most US airlines. The dimensions will be about 15 x 14 x 9 inches. In it will be 36 different outfits that will utilize layering along with all the packing tricks I have learned over the years. In the next few weeks I will be blogging about what I will take and how I plan to pack it. Please join me on this quest via emails or comments on my blog. I would love to hear from you.

WEAR OR PACK A REVERSIBLE BELT

Recently I went to the gift store of a major business hotel. I wanted to see what people usually forgot to pack. Toiletries like toothpaste, toothbrush,deodorant, shaving cream and razors topped the list. When it came to clothing, however, people tend to forget their belts. My solution is to wear it and better yet, make it a reversible belt.

CHECK OUT SPORTS AUTHORITY FOR COLORFUL TEES

For the optimum use of your travel clothes, remember to pack more tops then bottoms. If you are traveling to a beach resort or taking a Caribbean cruise, for example, remember to check out stores like Sports Authority. They carry an incredible assortment of Tees in a variety of fabrics and colors. This week, the  women's Aspire Tees (in the photo above) come with a great price too, only $7.99 each. They are wrinkle resistant and made of 95% cotton and 5% spandex. Men's cotton S.A. Gear  cotton Tees are 3 for $18.00

LUGGAGE & MORE

Yesterday as I was window shopping in Mizner Park, the upscale shopping, dining and entertainment center in Boca Raton, FL, I happened upon Luggage & More. It is new to the park and carries a wide array of travel goodies. With suitcases and bags from luggage leaders like Tumi, Delsey, Samsonite and many more, I was a kid in the"candy" store! Lee Rosenfeld, the District Manager of Luggage & More, could not have been more helpful. He showed me several of his favorite brands and we both agreed that the bright colored Romero Britto bags would (shown above) be the easiest to identify at baggage claim. I doubt a thief would ever snatch a Britto bag when a nondescript black bag could be discreetly lifted.

DAILY CHARTS MAKE PACKING EASIER

Go to my website: http://www.mimipackslight.com/ and print out a Daily Chart before your next trip. The charts are divided into three sections making it easy to plan in advance for what you might be doing on a particular travel day. First fill in your activity(ies) and then fill in what a suitable outfit might be for that activity. Keep in mind that the "pack light" traveler will often use the same jacket, sweater, pants or shoes for numerous outfits. By looking at your perspective trip as it is detailed on paper, you will find it easier to choose the actual clothing you might wear as opposed to the random approach of just pulling clothes from drawers or your closet, and hoping the correct ensembles will appear.

THE ENTERTAINMENT BOOK

Even though there are plenty of sights out there that offer deals on restaurants, travel and retail, I still pick up at least one Entertainment Book each year. It started years ago when my daughter's school was selling them as a fundraiser. After just a few weeks I had recouped my initial investment and the savings just went on from there. The book comes complete with a membership card for fine dining, coupons, 800 phone numbers and websites with discount codes. I regularly use the hotel and rental car discounts and love the added reductions on retail, grocery and hardware stores. By mid-June the price goes down dramatically but there are always specials online so check it out!