If you are planning to go on a cruise, you are probably wanting to know, what the
best luggage for a cruise is.
Choosing the right luggage for a cruise is
not much different from choosing luggage for any other kind of vacation or purpose.
On the other hand, if you are planning a vacation package which includes a
cruise and a flight, you should take into account airline restrictions, or if you are going to
book a tour you should look for light luggage. The main considerations you should keep in mind are:
Destination,
Season,
Duration
Because these factors affect the choice of items to bring with you thus affecting the size and the type of the luggage you need.
Most of the times,
we get influenced by the look of the items more than by their quality, but when it comes to
choosing your luggage for a cruise or for any other kind of vacation,
there are few characteristics we should be after.
Basically these are:
Durability
Space
Weight
Design
Warranties
Replacement parts/repairs.
Let's see every point in detail.
Luggage for a Cruise Durability
Although design might change quite often,
we want our luggage to last many years.
A
good luggage should be made of a strong fabric and water resistant.
Ballistic nylon (first conceived as bulletproof soldiers' clothing)
is the strongest fabric you can presently find and it is cataloged by "denier" which is the thickness of the nylon threads in the fabric: the higher the denier is, the better.
Corners should be reinforced,
wheels of wheeled carry-ons should be build inside the case, slightly recessed into it and
made by rubber rather than by plastic.
Handles should be comfortable, built into the case, and should extend and lock into place when closed.
Zippers should be of the
"self-healing" kind, that is those zippers made by nylon coils which eliminate the problems of teeth missing after a long usage. Zippers are very important, because if they fail, the luggage may be unusable, unless it is not difficult to obtaining repairs and service in your area.
If you are looking for a
single shoulder strap luggage, remember that these
are lighter than rolling luggage but most of the time the
shoulder strap is not very comfortable nor efficient because it
tends to move and fall down from your shoulder.
Overall a
durable luggage must be constructed of quality, reinforced components must be functional and with a great attention to details.
Roomy Luggage for a Cruise
When
choosing your luggage for a cruise, you must
have in mind the duration of your cruise. Some luggage might be perfect for a 3 days
cruise, while for a ten days cruise you might need a more roomy luggage.
On the other hand, a cruise in a warm sea means lighter clothes and as a consequence the need for less space.
Always prefer a spacious luggage: this will prevent to over-stuff it, situation which could result in damaging zippers and fabric. Also remember that you are likely to buy souvenirs or items you might need during your cruise: on the way back luggage are always fuller than at the beginning of the travel!!
An interesting option is given by
expandable suitcases which give additional packing volume only if needed!
Article Source:
What Makes The Best Luggage For A Cruise?
Our strong advice would be is avoid buying really expensive luggage, and buy something that will stand up to the abuse that it will get by those who handle the luggage on the pier. You should also
consider lightweight luggage as that will allow you to be able to pack more inside. It isn’t always an easy balance to achieve, and we have gone through quite an amount of luggage over the years.
The truth is that although designer or branded luggage looks really good, it just gets treated the same, and unless it is strong and well made, it will fall apart just like any other luggage. We used to buy expensive luggage but we stopped doing that as at best we got a couple of years out of it, covering maybe 6-8 trips. To be a little bit fair to the port handlers, most damage was always done at airports.
Luggage Types
There are a few different
types of luggage available to those who like to cruise so we have listed these below:
Luggage sets – typically these will be a large case and a hand case
Suitcases – this is your standard suitcase
Carry-Ons – designed to be able to carry on to a plane or ship
Travel Totes – Many people prefer the Tote style of bag
Travel Duffels – Duffels are very popular with the younger generation
Kid’s Luggage – like adult but smaller and more compact
Garment bags – for carrying suits, dresses, wedding dresses
Backpacks – ideal for hiking and camping vacations but many single people
use these on a cruise
Brands
They are made by brands like Samsonite, Rockland, AeroPress, Traveler’s Choice, American Tourister, Everest, Herschel, Kenneth Cole and many others.
Size
They also come in different sizes ranging from a mere 9″ and all they way up to 45″ and in some cases even larger than that.
Color
The choices of color are quite large these days and you can buy luggage in almost any color of your choice.
Price
The same goes for price as this ranges from as low as $10 and all the way up to $300.
