Packing for the Land Tour and the Princess Cruise
As you will read, we covered a lot of territory in our 2
hour Irish Coffee and Tea last month. I hope you too will treat yourself to tea
or coffee and read on!
LUGGAGE
Everyone has their own preferences, but I follow many of the
professional travel reviews and consumers reports to see what’s new and improved
in the travel equipment and accessories.
Personally, I like ballistic nylon luggage with self-healing
zippers and sturdy 4 wheel carry-on and checked luggage. You can buy cheap
luggage and use it once or twice, or you can find sale or special prices
(Tuesday Morning, TJ Maax, Bealls Outlet, etc) on ballistic nylon or nobby
polyester. If you can stab the suitcase
with a fork and Not puncture it, you have a good bag. Do not try this in a store!
I use 3 pieces:
either a 23-24” 4 wheel bag or a 28” 4 wheel bag.
1. I will be using the larger bag on this trip as my one checked piece of luggage,
since I’ll be on both the land tour and the cruise. Make sure whichever bag you use, do not
exceed 50 pounds. Even if you are
business class, our tour driver will handle one bag for you if it does not
exceed 50 pounds. With 4 wheels you push it alongside you on a
hard surface, or pull it on carpet or cobblestones. Donate the 2 wheeled
luggage and save your shoulders with 4 wheels. Examine the wheels, they need to
be sturdy. Expect to pay $89+ for the 24” size.
2.
My second bag will be my underseater Travelon. I love this bag (find at Amazon here https://amzn.to/2S6M1MM ). There is an
outside padded pocket for your tablet, several inside pockets, a side
expandable bottle holder, with a strap on the back to slide over your wheeled
luggage handle so it rides on top. Once
you check your large bag, this bag has its own expandable handle for ease in
getting to the gate. Bealls
3.
My third bag is a carry-on tote. I place a slim
purse in here along with anything else I want to get my hands on during the
flight. Snacks, documents, earbuds (don’t
count on the airline having enough or ones that work). A wrap to stay warm, and if in economy snap
on a neck pillow to the outside. I
usually have a plastic insulated mug for extra ice and for use on the
ship. My clutch is large enough for a phone,
lip-gloss, and room key. A crossbody
strap is good for touring, but a clutch is perfect for the ship. Or, keep it
simple with just a lanyard for your key. Place a fold-up bag in the tote to use as a day bag on shore excursions.
What goes inside?
Packing cubes are the newest trend
in staying organized. But I’ve used the JUMBO Hefty ziplock bags for years and
I am sticking with this.
BEFORE I place these bags in my
suitcase, I line the inside with a dry cleaners bag, a Dillards or Macys dress
bag. Double protection. No more wet clothes if you bag is
left outside in the rain on the tarmac. If DHS has to open your bags, no more panties hanging out when they zip it up again!
Be sure to carry your coat, or any
bulky sweater on to the plane, even it is warm when you leave home. Don't waste your luggage space. See the average temps in Ireland on the June Blog post. I’ve
posted what the weather was this past May.
Hopefully our temps will follow suit.
Include:
waterproof shoes or boots
·
DSW has a very good selection right now. Many on sale.
Include: Rain parka, wind-breaker, or trench coat. Compact umbrella or poncho.
·
In Ireland they like to brag they can see all 4
seasons in one day!
On the LAND Tour:
·
Jeans are perfectly acceptable on the land tour,
not so much on the ship.
o Men
can wear Docker-type pants or black/tan/gray jeans rather than blue jeans on the ship.
o Women
can wear resort wear for every day. Sweater/pants, top/pants.
o Shorts and Jeans are never allowed in the Dining Room.
·
Athletic shoes should be dark or neutral in
color, never white.
o Refrain
from open toe shoes for safety reasons.
You don’t want to get a bloody toe from cobblestones, changes in
elevations, or steps. And in a crowd,
your toes are more protected if someone steps on you.
o You
may wish to bring a ballerina slipper, dock shoes (I like Sperry Topsiders or
Easy Spirit Traveltime shoes), or flip-flops for going to the pool, stopping in
the buffet early in morning, or going to the spa.
o Dr.
Oz says if you can bend the shoe in half, the sole is not safe enough for
travel. You don't want a tack or small nail to create a trip to urgent care.
Whatever shoes you bring make sure they are broken in. New shoes will always hurt on cobblestone streets. Add Dr. Scholls insoles for cushioning. Use the "princess sizing" by buying travel shoes 1/2 to 1 size larger than normal.
·
Bring lightweight gloves, ear protection/scarf/headband,
sunglasses, and hat.
·
We have 2 dressy nights on land and 2 on the
ship: on the Oriental Express Carriage Train, 1st night in Galway
and on the final night at Fitzpatrick castle. Cocktail dress or dressy top
& pants for women, sport coat or suit for men. These same clothes may do double duty for formal
nights on the ship (2 of them).
·
You may bring your tote bag inside the bus. The driver will portage ONE bag from outside
your hotel room door each morning we depart.
He will collect these while we are eating breakfast. You will bring any other bags to the bus to
be placed in the storage under the bus.
o Remember
we will be rotating seats on the bus each day. If you are on Row 1 the first
day, you will be on Row 4 the next day and Row 7 the next, etc.
I use a separate jewelry bag for
FASHION jewelry only. I don’t even take
my wedding band. Don’t bring anything
you are not prepared to lose. I could
tell you horror stories of forgotten, lost or pilfered valuables.
As I mentioned above, have your
own earbuds or headset for watching a movie or listening to music on the plane. You may wish squishy foam ear plugs to lessen
sounds. If you have the room, you may
find over the ear headphones give you even better sound blockage. Then add a sleep mask to eliminate light.
These excursions include walking for short distances over relatively
level terrain, possibly with cobblestones or a few steps. Participants
should have ambulatory capability in order to move into and out of
ground transportation such as motorcoaches or rail cars and into and out
of confined spaces, such as small aircraft and small boats. 
These slightly more active excursions involve an increased amount of
physical activity such as substantial walking over uneven terrain,
climbing stairs or extended periods of standing. Comfortable, sturdy
shoes are recommended.
These very active excursions involve physical exertion over an extended
period of time. Terrain may be uneven or steep. Activities such as
canoeing, biking, hiking or kayaking are examples. Participants should
be in good physical condition.
These excursions can accommodate guests using wheelchairs. Vehicle
configuration or weight restrictions may limit the use of electric
wheelchairs or scooters. Please refer to the shore excursion description
for complete details.
A meal and beverage is provided.
A snack is provided.
Shopping opportunities will be available during this excursion. 
