Once you travel light, you'll never go back

Once you travel light, you'll never go back

WHO needs words when the pictures say it all. Me and two bags with enough clothes, shoes accessories and items of a personal nature to enjoy three weeks of carefree cruising. Of course the devil is in the details. It was these details that many of my readers requested after a recent column where I stated I could travel so lightly.

Here follows a list of what I took and how I packed. Believe me, once you have travelled light, you'll never go back.

First detail is the size and weight of my bags. I use the same bags for airline flights so it is Air Canada that governs which bags I use. The carry-on allowance is one standard bag (maximum size 23cm x 40cm x 55cm and weight 10kg) and one personal article (shoulder bag in my case) with a maximum size of 16cm x 33cm x 43cm and weight 10 kg.

The easiest outfit to take is the one you wear when boarding and disembarking the ship. This is the one you don't have to pack. I took this opportunity to wear my heaviest sweater and shoes along with a black silk blouse and linen pants.

My cruise on Holland America's Ryndam had five formal nights. Here is what I took to cover all formals. Two skirts (black and dark taupe), black dress pants, long black top, black brocade jacket, two dressy tops (one pink chiffon and the other soft taupe), two wraps (grey and brown), white silk tank top, and two scarves (one dark and the other multi-coloured).

Daytime wear consisted of two pairs of long pants (plus the pair I wore when boarding), two capri length shorts, four short sleeve tops, two long sleeve tops and two over-blouses.

Shoes are always a hassle, so choose them carefully. I took three pairs (sandals, loafers and low heels) plus a pair of light runners. Regular runners take up too much space, so check out the stores for a light pair made for packing.

All my daytime and formal wear fit into the lower section of my main bag. The top netted portion is where I pack all my lingerie and small pieces of clothing. That fills that bag.

I take very little jewelry as I enjoy buying small pieces during my holidays. In my formal wear photo I am wearing a necklace purchased on-board the Ryndam for under $20. The colourful necklace worn in my daywear photo was purchased in Costa Rica from a local family stall for only $4.

My shoulder bag contains shoes, toiletries, two small purses, books and anything else that will fit in.

The side pocket is where I keep the documents I will need for boarding procedures.

Of course I couldn't get away with just this amount of clothing if I didn't use the on-board laundry services. There is a choice of using the laundromat facilities or taking advantage of the ship's laundry services. The latter gives quick service and is not expensive if you consider the overall cost of your cruise.

So, there's the proof in pictures and words.

Now, maybe those skeptics will believe me.