What is your favorite cruise carry-on bag?

[Matt]

Looking to find the best carry-on bag someone here swears by as the best for taking onboard the ship on day 1.

Bonus points if you use this bag for the duration of your cruise (meaning it's the only suitcase you bring).

[billdauterive]

I use hiking backpacks as my carry on (I personally own Kelty).  They're extremely easy to move around the ship with before the cabin is ready and extremely versatile with the different ways and items they can pack.  I usually just bring a small or maybe medium sized one so that it can do double duty as a day pack for ports.  I have one I especially like for beach days that has a stash pouch that easily hangs towels off of but overall dimensions of the pack are small (also good for hanging coats off of in Alaska).  I bet I could use just one as my only luggage, but it would have to be a large one which would defeat the purpose of also providing double duty as a day pack for me.

[billdauterive]

Oh and the actual one I swear by with the stash pouch isn't offered by Kelty anymore.  I was not a happy camper when I wanted to buy another one last year and found out it was discontinued...

If you're really curious here it is. https://www.gearhacker.com/kelty-redwing-32-review/

[Wheeler825]

This is a good question. I have a kelty similar to the previous poster I had planned to bring

[tonyfsu21]

Filson 48 hour Tin Cloth Duffle. This has been my go to bag for years. It’s great quality and perfect for quick getaways + easy to carry.

[tonyfsu21]

12 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

Filson 48 hour Tin Cloth Duffle. This has been my go to bag for years. It’s great quality and perfect for quick getaways + easy to carry.

 

[smokeybandit]

Honestly it's never been something I've taken note of.

But my wife has a small shoulder bag that she carries everywhere on the ship.

[melmar02]

We each carry our own regular backpacks as a carry-on on embarkation day. We can fit an extra change of clothes, essential toiletries, bathing suits, any documents (set sail pass, passports, etc.) and our gallon size bag of "travel pharmacy stuff". They double as excursion bags later in the trip. 

[Midwest Cruiser]

Generally just rock a backpack(electronics((computer and gopro, charging cords, headphones and books)) and a carry on roller luggage(clothes only). I have yet to check a bag at the airport or ship for a cruise, just roller luggage to porter at port. 

[Psycho and Barb]

Psycho caries on a backpack with all his electronics, cords and batteries.  We will use the backpack on port days to carry towels, sunscreen Etc. or to carry back onboard items we buy at port.

[mike2608]

I plan on using my Pacsafe Venturesafe 45liter backpack it is easy to get around with and is completely pickpocket proof. I know I don't have to worry about pickpockets on the ship but on the islands you have to be more cautious, and in Europe the pick pocketers take one look at my pack and they decide to look for easier prey. So if you are taking a cruise to the Mediterranean I recommend a Pacsafe type luggage.

[mike2608]

13 minutes ago, mike2608 said:

I plan on using my Pacsafe Venturesafe 45liter backpack it is easy to get around with and is completely pickpocket proof. I know I don't have to worry about pickpockets on the ship but on the islands you have to be more cautious, and in Europe the pick pocketers take one look at my pack and they decide to look for easier prey. So if you are taking a cruise to the Mediterranean I recommend a Pacsafe type luggage.

My 45 liter and 15 liter size pack.

[tjcruisers]

An Under Armour duffel bag. Fits in the overhead compartments on planes. Can easy hold 5+ days worth of clothes/toiletries for a trip (use it when I go away for the weekend). When in port use it to carry towels and such.

 

Wife on the other hand, she packs like were going on a 5 year mission to mars

[jbrinkm]

This is not my only suitcase when I cruise, but my favorite carry on anywhere is my eBags - Weekender Convertible. I bought it in 2008 and it is still in fantastic shape, even though I use it every time I go on vacation. It is larger than a regular backpack but not large enough to flag anyone's attention (might not technically fit in the personal item/under the seat category - I usually have a pillow or sweater of some sort that I take out before I tuck it under and then it fits). It has so many pockets and I can open the zipper either from the side or from the top. Very comfortable to wear, even when stuffed full. Because I use it as my flight carry on, it becomes also my cruise carry on, while the bulk of the family luggage goes with the porters.

The exact one I have doesn't seem to be available any more, but eBags has an updated version or similar model called the Mother Lode.

[steverk]

1 hour ago, melmar02 said:

We each carry our own regular backpacks as a carry-on on embarkation day. We can fit an extra change of clothes, essential toiletries, bathing suits, any documents (set sail pass, passports, etc.) and our gallon size bag of "travel pharmacy stuff". They double as excursion bags later in the trip. 

We do the same. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done 

[CruisingNewb]

For every trip we have taken in the last 5 years, regardless of length of trip, my family of four each took one back pack and one rolling carry-on.

The link below is the newer version of the carry-on we have but pretty much the same as the ones we have:

https://a.co/d/haQpQmx

If you look closely, the rolling carry-on is hard shelled but has a unique front loading zipper option that allows easy access to tablets, phones, etc., while not having to open it like a traditional suitcase exposing all of your unmentionables.  We bought a set of 2 of these when they were on clearance at a local luggage store and loved them so much, we paid full price on Amazon for 2 more.

We each carry a simple Jansport backpack and inside the backpack, we each carry packable tote bags, compact umbrellas, and a packable rain poncho/windbreaker.  By packable, I mean extremely small when tucked into itself.

[Neesa]

My Travelpro! It's deep yet compact. With packing cubes inside I can sail a 7 night cruise with clothing to spare. In addition my daughter and I have Vera Bradley school sized backpacks for the extra outfit, swimwear and otc meds/first aid kit. 

It's the ONLY bag I take no matter my destination. I love it, very durable and super manageable. The opposite of cumbersome.

[dmattinson]

I have a Samsonite nylon soft-side carry-on bag that has been my trusty travel accessory for nearly a decade now - picked it up in a 2-piece set from Costco.  It has 4 wheels for stand-up or pull rolling, is expandable, and is about the max size for domestic carrier overhead bins (travelled to Mexico a few times by air with this bag on JetBlue and never an issue along with hundreds of domestic flights on American, Southwest, and JetBlue).  

I can fold and roll a week's worth of casual clothing (underwear, socks, golf shorts, fishing shirts and polo shirts), travel sized toiletries in a quart bag, flip flops, and bathing suits for 8 days in this thing.  I could even cram a bottle of sunscreen in there too if I really wanted.  I suspect that someone that wears smaller clothes than I do (I'm an ample traveler) would be able to get more in there, perhaps even some MDR wear (slacks and a couple button-downs) without wrinkles if you just folded and laid on top.   Coupled with a backpack for electronic items like GoPro, laptop, phone chargers, etc. make for a pretty worry-free boarding experience, especially once the room is open and I can quickly unpack for the week.

I'm also a fan of the older EBags stuff (mainly the Mother Lode line) but the bag I love the most is a duffle/over the shoulder sling bag and that can get heavy and wear on me for a couple of hours of walking around the terminal and the ship.  The carry-on roller I have from them was nice until a dog soiled it and it is now relegated to the garage for shop-vac accessory storage.  

[WAYNO]

And we each use a rigid but soft-sided roll around for our carry-on.  I've tried many other options, but this one works the best for us.  And it makes for a great overflow when the cruise is done.  We always bring much more home than we came with.  On our last cruise, our main luggage didn't make it to our room til way late.  A roomy rolling carry on is a God-send when you have to live out of it. 

[bobroo]

Carry on, beach bag, and the best wine chiller onboard:

[Wheeler825]

40 minutes ago, bobroo said:

Carry on, beach bag, and the best wine chiller onboard:

Look at Mr Moneybags over here! Just teasing, of course.

[Va4fam]

I use a travel sized backpack (not camping/hiking) that allows me to carry on everything I need for 3-4 days.   Even has 2 exterior bottle holder pockets for my bottles of wine!   It has 2 large pockets and several smaller pockets that are great for passports and documents.  Being "hands free" at the airport, cruise terminal, and UBER  is a game changer. 

 

[Cactus527]

Backpack and carryon only for 3N or 4N cruises. That's it! 

Backpack - coowoz large travel backpack women, carry on bakcpack, hiking backpack waterproof outdoor sports rucksack casual daypack school bag (thanks, Amazon, that's a MOUTHFUL). Best part? IT HASA SECRET COMPARTMENT ON THE BOTTOM!!!! 

 

Carry-on luggage - Monos Carry-on Plus. It is unbelievable how much you can stick in this sucker. Seriously. It rolls beautifully and I love the compression feature inside!

 

[MaryS]

5 hours ago, Neesa said:

My Travelpro! It's deep yet compact. With packing cubes inside I can sail a 7 night cruise with clothing to spare. In addition my daughter and I have Vera Bradley school sized backpacks for the extra outfit, swimwear and otc meds/first aid kit. 

It's the ONLY bag I take no matter my destination. I love it, very durable and super manageable. The opposite of cumbersome.

I have the same one in olive (blue was out of stock).  Bought it during the summer for my Italy/Greece cruise and I absolutely love it.  Also got the matching large one.

 

[Rackham]

Carry-on only? Tom Bihn Aeronaut (45, I have the original model which was updated to become the 45) with their(Co-)Pilot as my personal item. Depending on how much additional stuff I'm packing determines if I'm grabbing the Pilot or the Co-Pilot, its smaller model.

Carry on only does mean, at least for me, either buying sunscreen aboard the ship or after arriving in at embarkation destination. Pricy, but cheaper than checked luggage fees.

https://www.tombihn.com/products/aeronaut-45?variant=42243021799613

https://www.tombihn.com/collections/travel-bags/products/pilot?variant=15776076824639

https://www.tombihn.com/collections/travel-bags/products/co-pilot?variant=41432330993853

[vithibee]

Sorry for reviving this thread.
I've been using a duffel bag from Amazon for a few years now for my cruise carry-on, but it's starting to show its age. I'm on the hunt for a replacement and leaning towards getting this leather bag. It's definitely more expensive, but I believe it'll be worth the investment. It's made of full-grain leather, so it should last for many years.

[tonyfsu21]

9 hours ago, vithibee said:

Sorry for reviving this thread.
I've been using a duffel bag from Amazon for a few years now for my cruise carry-on, but it's starting to show its age. I'm on the hunt for a replacement and leaning towards getting a leather bag. It's definitely more expensive, but I believe it'll be worth the investment. It's made of full-grain leather, so it should last for many years. Do you guys agree?

Check Filson. Good quality that can take a beating and looks nice too. 

[harryelliott]

For cruises, I always bring my Mato drawstring bag. It's become my go-to carry-on. It's lightweight, which is great because you don’t want anything heavy while exploring the ship. The best part is how versatile it is. I use it for everything – from carrying my sunscreen and sunglasses to holding snacks and a good book. It’s also perfect for shore excursions because it's easy to pack away when not in use. Plus, it’s durable enough to handle all the walking and activities without any issues. The drawstring closure is super convenient too; I never have to worry about losing anything. I’ve tried other bags before, but none have been as reliable as this one. If you’re looking for something practical and easy to carry, I highly recommend the Mato & Hash bag. It makes the whole cruise experience much smoother.

[Bean79]

I use an Osprey ultralight hiking backpack with a contractor bag as an inside liner so wet towels don't mess up the inside.

[Jolly Ogre]

I use this for my carry-on and then for shore excursions. 

 

[TXcruiser33]

i bought a beach bag by Kyss years ago. It has a lock that you can wrap around a chair or something fixed so you can go swimming and leave your bag secured. I use it for my carry on on the airplane as well. Great bag and it's held up well!

[Linda R]

I need a roller bag for carry on.   Shoulder and knee issues with carrying a bag.  I always get ones with 4 wheels, either soft or hard.  I have several pieces of luggage depending on the trip and how long I will be gone.  There are lots of styles and makes available for everyone's need.  I just do not buy inexpensive luggage.  You often get what you pay for.  And good luggage goes on sale often.

[vithibee]

Backpacks are the best for me. Have like 4-5 of them. The only backpack that I don't have is a leather one. So I plan to buy one. Already picked: https://vonbaer.com/products/liberty-mens-leather-backpack. Can't wait to see and touch it.

[Snotarni]

We use this...  locks up at the Beach; Carries just about anything;  Pockets are great for phones, etc..

https://www.kyssbag.com/product-page/large-kyss-ii-bag

[GoldenTimeHero]

My North Face backpack 

 

[tonyfsu21]

If you are looking for a beach dry bag, this one is worthy (and on sale). 

[WAYNO]

I use a rigid, but soft, rolling carry-on, with extra pouches on the face to store quickly accessed documents, meds, etc.

Interesting too,  luggage such as my carry-on that is handled only by me lasts a long time.  Checked luggage is now only lasting a very few flights or cruises.  The monkeys are receiving extra training on how to more quickly destroy suitcases.

[14Terry]

I use the Ridge Commuter backpack. 

[Linda R]

Anything with 4 wheels!    I cannot really carry weight with a bad knee.  I have all sizes of luggage, all with wheels.  And buy good quality.  I do take a small tote bag too, and use it to go ashore. 

[pheenix99]

I'm not gonna swear by it or act like it's the ultimate choice or anything, but a standard backpack like the one I was issued for my deployment or a similarly styled laptop back works for me.

If it can hold my meds, go-pro, laptop and related accessories, it works for me. Everything else can go in something with wheels. Even lugging everything from the car to the terminal greatly angers my back.