Packing the right stuff for the trip?

I suggest you either cut way back on dress clothes and art supplies or just be prepared to pay.

If you bring 2 suitcases and a backpack you are going to have a rough time. But you left this rather late to try to figure out what to do now.

Here's my first suggestion grab your two suitcases and your backpack and go for a walk around the block. Can you do this even if they're empty? I expect you're going discover it's hard work even with empty suitcases. And don't forget that take the train you're going to have to lift those suitcases

If you insist on taking all this I would arrange a car service from the airport to your hotel and from the hotel to the port. I would have $$ and pounds to tip porters and skycaps. . ($$ will only work in the US you will need pounds in the U.K. And I admit I'm not sure I've ever seen a porter/skycap at baggage claim in the UK.

Traveling heavy is expensive.

I would suggest that you load up the suitcases and backpack that you intend to take, then take them outside for a few blocks, preferably on heavily travelled streets, including up and down a couple of flights of stairs. That should approximate hauling your own luggage on public transportation.

I am in London right now. I'm a senior, and managed the train and tube just fine with one purse and a carryon size 2 wheeled suitcase. There's no way on earth I could have handled a larger suitcase, or 2 suitcases and a backpack! If you feel that you can't get by with only 1 suitcase that you can carry up stairs by yourself, then avoid trains and the tube. Budget for a car service instead.

Great idea I'm going to try first with nothing in the suitcases and then I'm going to try it walk around the block with everything in the suitcases and see how that goes. Then I'm going to just decided all I can do is take taxis from the airport to the hotel room. And then when I'm going to the Queen married to I'll take the taxi to the train station Waterloo. I may have to do taxi service.

I, too, am a senior but quite a bit bigger than you. While I’ve done the tube with a RS size carry on and a small backpack I didn’t enjoy it. Depending on where you are staying in London (are you staying over for a few days?) the National Express coach might be an inexpensive alternative for you from Heathrow to London.

There is no way I could have handled 2 bags, a backpack and the stairs in the Tube.

Are the notebooks for a class you are teaching? I’d ditch the notebooks and just give handouts.

I agree that you might consider buying some of your supplies when you arrive, if you think you will have time for that.

I travel with one carryon rolly, a daybag, and a small messenger bag that takes the place of the daybag for daily activities. But I don't take special gear.

Is it possible to have some of your luggage held by the cruise line while you are in London?

The bright side is that you will only need to get all your stuff to/from the airport(s) and to/from the cruise ship, not trying to drag it all over Europe!

Charlotte, unless you're teaching a class on this cruise, I'd consider how much time you're realistically going to have for producing artwork on your trip? Could very well be that you could get by with just a sketchpad, some pencils and a camera for capturing images to reproduce later versus an entire suitcase of materials?

Without your complete itinerary, it's hard to tell what sort of time you'll have for creative endeavors. I have a painter friend who takes her materials to France with her but they go for long periods - over a month or two - and travel largely by car so have much more time and ease of ability to move those materials around than you're likely to have.

Charlotte, because of your Cunard cruise, I understand that you need to pack more than most would. But if you go with two suitcases, take a taxi as much as possible.

I recently returned from London with one very large suitcase. When I was packing the night before, the zipper on a somewhat smaller suitcase broke. With one large suitcase, I found it a challenge to ride on a regular bus. I had no problem using the Heathrow Express train, which has plenty of room for luggage, but the underground from Paddington to to my hotel would have been difficult so I caught a taxi. And to go home, I simply took a taxi to the airport from my hotel. And yes, I was surprised at the weight of the suitcase when empty.

Is it possible to wheel two suitcases and the little backpack or is that too much for an older person who's only a hundred pounds.

We don't know. What happens when you try?

Whether you're teaching or not, the days on the Queen Mary should be a great time for being creative. You didn't say how large your two suitcases are or what weight you might expect them to be. To me, that would make more of a difference than the fact that there are two. Two small wheelies would be easier to handle than one large suitcase. This was a secret provided by a pilot friend who took this strategy with his family; make sure they could easily lift each item rather than limiting items. Or you might want to consider a backpack as your second piece of luggage for your clothes, as this could ride most of the time on the other wheelie, but the few times you need to move easily, you could have the backpack on your back, the one wheelie, and then a cross body purse as your personal item. Personally, I find no shame in taking taxis, so I wouldn't worry about packing too heavy for this forum and attempting to ride public transportation. While I'm used to public transportation in the US and internationally, when I arrive at a new place, I'm just as likely to take a taxi or private car, now, regardless of my light luggage for the ease and relaxation aspect as part of my changing locations routine.

Yes I will be teaching a class on the Canard cruise ship. So the notebooks maybe I can just take apart and just put single sheets of paper rather than the notebook and those handouts I can just hand out it's just thin sheets of paper I don't need to have the plastic that might lessen the whole notebook thing. But I have to bring my own supplies it seems like I need the two carry on bags and a backpack. But I'll have to check one of the carry-on bags

Okay thank you all for the good suggestions they were very helpful and I did decide what to do small carry-on baggage and for the clothes and for the art supplies also a carry-on small with wheels that I can lift up and put as a backpack or wheel. The only question I do have in case anybody would like to answer is why would you be afraid of losing your stuff when the hits just one plane it's a direct flight from Miami to Heathrow so there's no reason why I should lose my baggage. What's wrong with just checking?

If it's only one plane non-stop why would you worry about losing your baggage at the checkout? I don't think anybody would take your clothes or your supplies? I could see if you're flying all over a different airplanes but it's a direct flight from Miami to Heathrow so my baggage should be there with me in the plane right? Thanks again

The chances of a bag going missing are certainly less with a direct flight but there is still a small chance. You’ll be at your London location for a few nights so if something happens you should have time for it to show up.

Do put the name of your London hotel inside your checked luggage.

If it's only one plane non-stop why would you worry about losing your
baggage at the checkout? I don't think anybody would take your clothes
or your supplies? I could see if you're flying all over a different
airplanes but it's a direct flight from Miami to Heathrow so my
baggage should be there with me in the plane right? Thanks again

Obviously asked by someone who doesn't fly much. Stuff happens. Not theft, but mechanical breakdowns, computer glitches, or just plain human error. Most likely you'll be fine. If a suitcase goes astray, just notify the airline's baggage services BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE AIRPORT. Chances are, it will show up in a day or 2. BUT, just in case, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Meaning, mix casual clothes, dress clothes and art supplies in each suitcase. And NEVER put anything of value in checked luggage. Keep anything of value, including jewellery and electronics, and all prescription medications in your carry on luggage.

I had just one suitcase at Waterloo station and had trouble getting it through the security gate fast enough before it closed on me :) I just kept looking at the security guy like "really?" then he finally held it open on the 3rd try. Maybe it goes faster at rush hour, it was a crazy day :)
This forum is the place that you'll hear about packing light, you know. Have you seen Sarah Murdock's video? She weighs each thing so she can have a good wardrobe but still limits to just a carry-on bag. It's an interesting talent she's got. :)
http://adventureswithsarah.net/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkRycONrJF2NaZ2lyA-k_DA
Have fun!
-Alison