Still En Route to Fremantle, Australia

As we continue our voyage to Australia, the Queen Elizabeth is following the Great Circle track, passing over the Naturaliste Plateau, which covers approximately 34,750 square miles. From what I understand, when following the Great Circle track, the navigator adjusts the course of the ship by one degree (or minute, not sure of the correct navigational term) at set intervals to allow for the curvature of the earth.

The seas are a bit choppy, and as we look out from the back deck, we can see the ship swerve and then get pulled back onto course. That, along with the shifting from side to side by the waves, makes for a lot of movement. We’ve gotten good at dancing from side to side as we walk throughout the ship.

Packing for a Long Voyage

Before we sailed, people frequently asked us how were we going to pack for such a long voyage (121 days). So for those who are just curious and those planning to take a long voyage some day, here is my take on packing for four months. I’m definitely no expert when it comes to packing, but this is what has worked (somewhat) for us.

Cunard places no limit on the amount of luggage you can take onboard (only that each case must not weigh more than 50 pounds or so to protect their crew). A U-Haul could pull up at the pier, and the crew would load the content onto the ship without batting an eye. The problem arises when you have to fly to a port and are limited on the number of cases you can take on a plane without being charged a fortune for additional cases.

Some airlines will charge $100 to $200 for each additional case over the number allowed. Make sure you check the allowance of the airline you fly with. Two of our tablemates assumed they were allowed two cases each and ended up paying a fortune for two extra cases.

Some people use the service provided by Cunard to have an additional case picked up at their home and delivered to the ship. It can be about $250 per case, probably depending on where you live. That might be worth it to people who are unable to deal with numerous cases during their travels to a port.

One passenger told us the story of some people they met who would reach the port they were sailing from, buy a lot of what they needed, and then donate the extras at the end of the voyage before flying home. They said it was cheaper than paying for extra cases. We’ve also heard the story of the people who rented the cabin next to them to store all the items they brought with them—an expensive way to store their belongings. But if they brought a lot of things overseas, it might have ended up being cheaper than shipping them home.

On our flight to London, we were each able to check two cases and take one carry-on case and a computer bag into the cabin. (With the help of lots of air mile points, we flew Premium Economy, which enabled us to check two cases each; otherwise, it would have been one each.) Based on that limit, we selected the clothes and other items to take with us carefully.

So how did we pack for a four-month voyage, keeping in mind that we would also have limited storage in the cabin? It got a little complicated because we needed formal, informal, and casual clothing for both warmer and cooler climates. We wanted to take enough so that we wouldn’t get sick of wearing the same items over and over.

We tried to pack carefully by color coordinating items that could be worn in different combinations or made more formal by adding a jacket, scarves, shawls, or jewelry. I started with daytime and evening clothing with base colors of black, tan, white, and red. From there I added tops of turquoise, red, white, black, etc. Also, it helps to limit the number of items with patterns and go with solid colors. They are more versatile.

On formal nights, you see lots of black, which can be dressed up with glitzy jewelry, brighter scarves, shawls, etc. A long black skirt or dress pants are very versatile, especially ones that are microfiber or knit that won’t wrinkle. They can be worn over and over with different tops of various colors. This trip I’ve packed fewer formal outfits than I usually do and have done quite well with what I’ve brought. A good rule of thumb: take half the clothing you think you need and twice the amount of underwear.

A word about dress shoes for evening: bring a comfortable pair. The dining room, theater, and other public rooms are quite a distance apart. You’ll be glad you have some comfortable dress/evening shoes, especially when the ship is swaying back and forth.

As I’ve mentioned before, some of the places we’ve visited have been colder than expected, so we were glad we brought windbreakers and sweaters (to layer). Also, parts of the ship have been quite cool, so I’ve needed a sweater or shawl most days. It’s been quite windy on the deck, so we’ve found having a sweater or jacket useful.

In packing, what usually loads us down are all the just-in-case items we tend to pack (medicines for a wide variety of maladies (including seasickness), insect repellent, sewing kits, extra toiletries, batteries, rain gear, etc.). One of the ship’s shops has a limited number of toiletries and medicines, but you may not find what you need there, so pack those items you especially don’t want to run out of. Note: Don’t pack any extra toiletries in your carry-on cases. They will be confiscated unless under a certain size.

What we didn’t bring but would find handy are a couple of plastic refillable bottles to take on shore with us. You aren’t always at a place on shore where you can get something to drink. Next stop we’ll look for some. Some places don’t allow you to take any food (especially fruitl) or water ashore, unless the water is in a sealed bottle.

People post recommended packing lists online. We studied them and decided not to take the recommended duct tape, super glue, power strips, smuggled alcohol, etc. We did follow the recommendation to take an over-the-door hanger with pockets for shoes and miscellaneous items; metal hangers to replace some of the wooden hangers provided by the cruise line, which take up a lot of closet space; magnets with clips, which enable us to mount things on the wall (family photos, calendar, daily schedule, trip itinerary, etc.). A multi-plug adapter enables us to plug in more than one item at a time.

The over-the-door hanger gives us extra space to store items that would ordinarily clutter a small cabin (sunglasses, cameras, books, recharging cords, etc.). It really holds a lot. We ended up hanging it from two coat hooks on the wall instead of on a closet door (using plastic slip cords) because I missed packing the metal over-the-door holders. It worked out better than on the door.

Photo

I always pack small items in shallow empty candy boxes, greeting card boxes, and other small boxes. After I’ve unpacked them, I separate the box lids and bottoms and put them open side up into drawers. They make excellent drawer dividers for storing things like pens, jewelry, makeup, and other things that would quickly become a mess in a drawer. At the end of our trip, I simply discard them and know that the ship will recycle the cardboard.

Pop-up net clothes hampers are a great way to store dirty clothes and fit nicely into the bottom of one of the closets. Bed, Bath, and Beyond carry them in sets of two (black and white). Since they come equipped with handles, they can also be used to carry clothes to the launderette.

Speaking of laundry, the launderette can be one of the most stressful places on the ship. It is a small, hot area, and the washers/dryers are the most sought after things on the ship. We’ve heard stories about fights breaking out in the launderette, but we haven’t come across any yet. Each deck has only three washers, three dryers, and one ironing board for hundreds of passengers. Everyone thinks that early in the morning is the best time to do laundry, so everyone is there at the same time. We’ve found the best time is when people at first seating are having dinner and the people at the second seating are getting ready. Don’t tell anyone.

Detergent pods are available for free, but since some people take them back to their cabins to do hand washing, they sometimes aren’t available. So check before loading your laundry into a washer to make sure one is available.

Another consideration when packing is storing what you’ve brought in the cabin. Our cabin on the Queen Elizabeth has three large closets (one for full-length clothes, and two divided top and bottom for shorter clothes such as folded trousers, shirts, etc.). One of the closets has three deep shelves at the top with a safe on one shelf.

The desk has two small drawers (one holds a hairdryer), and the two bedside cabinets have three small drawers in each, which don’t hold much more than some underwear. Two large drawers are under the bed. Suitcases fit under the bed, and if you still need extra storage space, you can store items in the cases and pull them out as needed. If you don’t need the cases, the cabin attendant will arrange to have them stored.

Storage Drawers

As for bringing bottles of alcohol onboard, there is really no need to (and why risk having one break in your luggage). You can buy bottles on board at duty free prices and enjoy a drink in your cabin if you want. In fact, Cunard occasionally sends reminders to the cabin that specials on various brands are available. Bring a corkscrew if you plan to buy wine on shore.

Make sure you bring rechargers for all electronic items you bring with you. We once did a trip without the recharger for the camera battery and spent lots of time in various ports trying to buy one.

One final word: make a list and check it twice. Even as carefully as we planned, we still forgot items. And if you are traveling with a spouse, give them a checklist and suggestions. They will tell you that they’ve packed everything and will discover later that they haven’t. It’s the same gender that won’t ask directions.

A Rainbow at Sea