Desperately seeking Mary Poppin's brocade bag!!!

Where can I find one of these brocade bags??

And now the fun of packing for nearly four months - in hot and cold weather - really begins. We drove to Sydney in February and left a duffle bag of goodies under the bed in our friend's spare room - our winter and wet weather jackets, spare shoes, camera batteries, umbrella, travel clock, first aid kit etc - all those things which take up room and weight in the suitcase , but are essential on such a long trip. The best thing about cruising is that we only have to unpack ONCE!!! We have also used our frequent flyer points to fly business class so we will have extra luggage allowances.

We have heard tales of other RWCs (round world cruisers) who have paid for another family member to fly to Sydney and then return home, just to transport an extra suitcase - seems that the additional airfare was less than the cost of excess baggage. Hopefully we will be under the limit leaving Brisbane - not so sure about the return trip on the 7th September though!!

What do you pack for a world cruise? Friends have me that question a number of times over the past few weeks, so I thought I would share my list - before you read it and laugh, just remember, I AM Queen of the Be Prepared philosophy!!!! I did read one post where a gentleman suggested taking a 'crock pot'! At least I am not that bad!! LOL

The clothes, shoes and toiletries are the easy part - it is all the extras that are needed that expand the list, add weight and take up space!!!

·    Clothing and Shoes – formal, casual, gym

·    Toileteries

·    Basic tool kit and Sewing repair kit

·    Bottle/can opener/ Large coffee cup/ Stubby holder

·    Wet weather gear, umbrella, poncho

·    Backpack for tours / Gifts (I take small clip on koalas/Aussie key chains  to give to children and guides we meet in ports)

·    Camera – still and video with spare cards and chargers / Binoculars

·    First aid kit

·    Medications  – prescriptions with doctor's letter + non-prescription– broad spectrum antibiotics, diarrhoea, vomiting, cold and flu, pain killers, anti-histamines, anti inflammatories, vitamins, sunburn cream, antiseptic cream, dencorub, vicks, antibacterial hand cream, etc etc etc

·    Foreign currency and envelopes for tour payments

·    Glasses – sunglasses, reading and prescription

·    Paperwork – Itinerary, Tickets,  Passports, International drivers licence, visas, visa waivers, Insurance documents, (health and travel) bookings for independent tours, confirmations for rental cars, labels pre-addressed for postcards to be sent

·    Wallet cards – Credit and debit cards, health fund, medicare, seniors cards (holders can get some great discounts on tours), take scan of cards and store on USB

·    USB copy of all paperwork – leave a spare USB with all details with responsible contact at home

·    Sunscreen and insect repellent

·    Stationery – paper, pens, highlighter, post it notes, stapler, sticky tape, blu tack,

·    World map with magnets to put up on wall, other maps and guide books for ports of call

·    Luggage labels and boarding passes

·    Overdoor hanging storage, suction hooks, magnets

·    Power adaptor and power board

·    Laptop computer and external hard drive to download photos and for email

·    Ipad loaded with books on kindle to read (doesn’t seem to like the WiFi on ship)

·    Fold up laundry basket, clothes line and pegs (Aussie dollars for washing machines and dryers)

·    Torch, nightlight and spare AA batteries

· Mobile iphone with world clock and alarm clock, and walking tour apps loaded, phone card or International travel sim

All this into a suitcase AND under 23kgs - LOL!!!!!

Do you remember the Mary Poppins movie where she opened her smallish brocade bag and took out lampshades and all manner of things to the entertainment of the Banks children?  Please email me if you know where I can get one of those bags? URGENT REQUEST!!!

Please add a comment if you think I have forgotten anything!!