travel light or fully prepared

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Originally Posted by Spoony

I normally travel with only a smallish backpack. I'm going skiing in British Columbia, Canada this January and am trying to figure out how to pack my ski boots, poles, and skis into my backpack. :help:

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Well I don't think you'll be able to do that with out folding skiis :-)! What I have done is wrap my skiis and poles with my ski outfit and put all of my clothes that I can fit into a ski bag with my skiisto protect them and check them. I take my ski boots, helmet and toiletries and anything else I need as a carry on. You may also check out just renting a ski package once you get to the resort and just do a carry on with your clothes (and depending on your ski outfit you can even wear it on the flight). It might be cheaper to do that then do pay extra for a checked bag.

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Originally Posted by Spoony

I normally travel with only a smallish backpack. I'm going skiing in British Columbia, Canada this January and am trying to figure out how to pack my ski boots, poles, and skis into my backpack. :help:

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I have a back country pack made to strap skis on when climbing then unhook them and and hook the snow shoes on when you ski down. Its a telemark set up so the boots do double duty. Standard downhill skiing just isn't a sport that lends itself to traveling light. If you still want to get by with just a carry on let FedEx do all the heavy lifting. Most hotels won't mind if you ship something ahead of your stay.

I think I agree with Gregg, ship your larger items ahead of time if you can be without them at home. I know you would rather use your own equipment, but additionally look at rentals. Not only do the resorts themselves offer rentals, but often there will be a nearby ski shop that rents equipment at a lesser cost.

As for the op - i always travel light. I have been known to go for two weeks on a motorcycle with just enough to fit in a small roll bag. As long as I have dry clothes, it doesn't matter to me if I am re-wearing things over and over. Bathing suit, two short sleeve tops, two jeans, one light jacket and workout shorts and shirt get me through almost all trips that are non-business travel.

Now, for the last cruise we went on , I definitely over packed. Too many formal nights - I brought four (!) elegant dresses. (one had a cranky zipper, but wanted it for photo ops). Dh had a suit with multiple shirt/tie combos. Then, the casual daywear. Oy! The bags were too heavy...

With all the surcharges, I am surprised more people don't travel as light as us. When I fly I can get by with just a backpack for a week's trip. When it starts costing me money, I take heed... Another tip I have learned - you may need to pay for a bag to go somewhere, but on that trip pack all your "disposable" clothing. As you wear items that you aren't totally in love with, either throw them away or donate. You can return with much fewer clothing items, maybe even donating your bag.

Never been on a cruise. We are thinking of one in a few years. So here is my question ..... I don't do formal. Especially on my vacation. Is this optional? Are there casual dining options on the formal nights?

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Are there casual dining options on the formal nights?

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Depends on the cruise line, but in general I would say yes. There is usually /something/ you can eat for dinner. There are also some cruiselines that don't have formal nights at all, but when I last researched these several years ago, these were all on the pricey end. I found that rather ironic- that the people with lots of money opted not to dress up, but the people who were less well off did dress up.

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Originally Posted by Tammy

Are there casual dining options on the formal nights?

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Tammy, as was stated, yes - there are other options. There seems to always be a buffet of something available, often the same foods as in the dining room. Then, there are the specialty grills - hamburgers and fries here, pizza there, etc. Sort of like little mall stands of food items at sea. Most cruise lines also offer room service, some 24 hours and others during peak times only. The menu varies with the cruise line, I believe, since we have cruised with Holland America and all menu items were available for room service and it was 24 hour, whereas Carnival (our most recent cruise) offered an abbreviated menu of sandwiches and such during 5am to 11pm.

I am a big fan of the cruise as vacation... unpack once, travel to various countries and get a taste of the local flavor, then back on board to the same bed every night. Never ending food, entertainment or leisure opportunities and much cheaper than any fly/hotel/restaurant meal adventure of similar time frame.

Cool. I hate organized frivolity with strangers. Being forced into formal clothing makes it even worse. I hope I'm not too introverted to enjoy a cruise.

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Originally Posted by Tammy

I hope I'm not too introverted to enjoy a cruise.

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You're not. I'm not, and if I'm not... :D

You do need to choose your cruise carefully. Some lines have a reputation for more partying; others for being more formal. Cruises on Disney's line are guaranteed to attract lots of families. Larger ships let you be more anonymous.

I've been on four cruises on three different cruise lines, and I've always found plenty of things to do that did not rely on the madding crowd. You can always just sit on a lounge chair or deckside and read or listen to a personal stereo or stare off into the sea or the night. Many ships have libraries. Some of the entertainment lets you be perfectly anonymous; come and go when you want. The spas in some ships are open to people who are in expensive-enough cabins or have some facilities available to everyone at no charge. Some cruise lines allow you to sit by yourself or choose your tablemates for dinner (so you don't feel like you're at a wedding every night). It's very possible to have a great cruise experience even if you're never the life of the party.