Creating a map image of cruise stops

[Pathfinder35]

I wanted to create a map 'picture' of our cruise stops so that you could see where on the globe our cruise traveled (how many people could place Dubrovnik on a map? :-) and have it printed along with the pictures of the trip in a photobook of the cruise.

 

I was going to use Google Maps - My Maps - but found it difficult. I found scribblemaps which made it easier. The image below is from Scribblemaps for our upcoming Celebrity Century Med cruise.

I used the 'hybrid' map setting n it - the blue ocean will go good with the Med theme of the trip...:-)

Scribblemaps has a 'save as jpg' setting which makes it easy to get a copy of it, although the resolution is not that great (the photo book software I use (Mypublisher) gives me a warning about it.

 

Has anyone else done something similar? Is there better mapping tools to create a map image out there?

 

Edited September 2, 2010 by Pathfinder35

[SeattleCruiselover]

I wanted to create a map 'picture' of our cruise stops so that you could see where on the globe our cruise traveled (how many people could place Dubrovnik on a map? :-) and have it printed along with the pictures of the trip in a photobook of the cruise.

 

I was going to use Google Maps - My Maps - but found it difficult. I found scribblemaps which made it easier. The image below is from Scribblemaps for our upcoming Celebrity Century Med cruise.

I used the 'hybrid' map setting n it - the blue ocean will go good with the Med theme of the trip...:-)

Scribblemaps has a 'save as jpg' setting which makes it easy to get a copy of it, although the resolution is not that great (the photo book software I use (Mypublisher) gives me a warning about it.

 

Has anyone else done something similar? Is there better mapping tools to create a map image out there?

 

 

Yes, your GPS software is much better (unless you don't have one). Garmin's map print outs are very good quality.

[Pathfinder35]

Hey Karen - I have a Garmin GPS in my car but I don't understand how you would get a map from it to the PC or even get a print out from it. And then how would you annotate it?

And I don't really want a printout.

Ideally it would be a digital image for use in a photobook...

[picsboy]

Hey Karen - I have a Garmin GPS in my car but I don't understand how you would get a map from it to the PC or even get a print out from it. And then how would you annotate it?

And I don't really want a printout.

Ideally it would be a digital image for use in a photobook...

 

I'm not sure there's a quick and easy 1-step solution for what you're looking for. I think what you've already found with Scribblemaps is pretty good.

 

Looks like with Scribblemaps, you can create a JPEG image of the map with dimensions up to 1143 x 653 pixels (width x height). I'm not sure how large a photo you need for your photobook. Check to see what the dimensions are for your photobook (or, actually, the dimensions of the space that this photo map would be in your photo book). You might want to go to your local photo place and print the JPEG image using those same dimensions, just to see how well it prints out. If the print looks acceptable to you, then chances are it'll probably print just as well in your photobook.

 

If you've got a Garmin GPS unit for your car, you probably have a menu option that tells it to keep a track log. The track log is a simple text file containing a log all your GPS coordinates throughout your entire trip. Every few seconds, your Garmin will record your GPS coordinates into this track log.

 

If you're interested in viewing the track log, you can connect your Garmin GPS unit onto your computer. From there, you download the track log onto your computer.

 

At this point, the track log is still just a text file. To view the GPS coordinates on an actual map, you can use several mapping programs. I like to use Google Earth (a free software program from Google), where you can open your track log in Google Earth, and you get a visual plot of your trip on an actual map.

 

To save the map, I think the free version of Google Earth limits you to a 1000-pixel width (slightly smaller than the maximum width you can get with Scribblemaps). If you decide to buy Google Earth Pro ($399!), then you can save a 4800-pixel width image of your map, which should be plenty of pixels for your photo book.

 

You can also use online programs like GPS Visualizer (http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/map_input?form=google) to upload your track log, and it will produce a visual plot of your trip on Google Maps. With GPS Visualizer, you can specify how large a map you want it to create (ex. 2000-pixel width, and auto height). But then, I think you'd have to do a screen capture to actually save the image.

 

Once you get the image of your trip map, how do you add labels to it? I would probably bring it into Photoshop (or any similar image editing program) and add the labels manually onto the image.

 

I know there's probably an easier way of doing this, but that's probably how I personally would do it.

 

Hope that helps. Let us know what you end up doing.

[SeattleCruiselover]

Hey Karen - I have a Garmin GPS in my car but I don't understand how you would get a map from it to the PC or even get a print out from it. And then how would you annotate it?

And I don't really want a printout.

Ideally it would be a digital image for use in a photobook...

 

You need a handheld. I don't think that the car models come with the Way Point Management software, unfortunately. They are high quality images.

[Marguerite-a-Ville]

Oh, I love that! Thanks for the tip!

[monicalapaz]

On 9/2/2010 at 3:18 PM, SeattleCruiselover said:

 

Yes, your GPS software is much better (unless you don't have one). Garmin's map print outs are very good quality.

 

I tried google maps with same fustration. Now I use https://www.travellerspoint.com/

 

https://www.travellerspoint.com/map/#/user/957005

 

 

[boeckli]

15 hours ago, monicalapaz said:

 

I tried google maps with same fustration. Now I use https://www.travellerspoint.com/

 

https://www.travellerspoint.com/map/#/user/957005

 

 

Thanks for sharing that - looks very interesting and useful. I just started adding trips to my map 🙂

[ski ww]

I just save the map that we get for the itinerary of our cruise. 

[monicalapaz]

6 hours ago, boeckli said:

 

Thanks for sharing that - looks very interesting and useful. I just started adding trips to my map 🙂

I am glad you like it it is easy, and very useful. maps your trips as a cumulation of all trips and Categorises your individual tripsindividually also by color code to zoom into, adds natitical miles, airplane miles,train miles, car miles, etc, in your stats, it even has a blog built in if you wat to publish, has tips on your ports, even counts your contries, easy to use, easy to share, and free !!

Edited August 20, 2019 by monicalapaz

[Dat Cruisin Couple]

 

[MamaFej]

On 8/20/2019 at 5:51 AM, monicalapaz said:

I am glad you like it it is easy, and very useful. maps your trips as a cumulation of all trips and Categorises your individual tripsindividually also by color code to zoom into, adds natitical miles, airplane miles,train miles, car miles, etc, in your stats, it even has a blog built in if you wat to publish, has tips on your ports, even counts your contries, easy to use, easy to share, and free !!

I tried it, too. However, even when I indicate that I traveled between two points by boat, it draws a straight line. It has me getting from Naples to Kotor in a straight line across Italy and the Adriatic. Same for all cruise ports. 

Do you happen to know what I can do to fix this? TiA.

[zackiedawg]

I don't do a 'per trip' map grid for photo collections either online or books - but I do like to keep a map of all of the locations I've traveled to in my life.  I keep an 'old fashioned' push-pin travel map board in the hall to my garage, covered in pins to all the cities or islands I've been to...it's more just for personal fun and tracking, and friends or family who come over and see it.

[monicalapaz]

Yeah allot of my map lines also go through the country. I have not found a fix to this but overall I like the product, and on the overall map of the world it looks pretty decent, but I had to get allot of cruises on the map to achieve that.

Edited August 22, 2019 by monicalapaz

[MamaFej]

4 minutes ago, monicalapaz said:

Yeah allot of my map lines also go through the country. I have not found a fix to this but overall I like the product, and on the overall map of the world it looks pretty decent, but I had to get allot of cruises on the map to achieve that.

Thanks. I thought I was missing something. I appreciate knowing that (at least this time) it's not a problem with "the loose nut behind the wheel."

[monicalapaz]

3 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

Thanks. I thought I was missing something. I appreciate knowing that (at least this time) it's not a problem with "the loose nut behind the wheel."

I just posted on their forum - hopefully I will get an answer from them !! Thanks !!

[MamaFej]

This is what I've got so far, with just our longer cruise trips from the past few years.

 

We've done multiple cross-country RV trips and been to every state, so it would be fun to do those trips, too. Thanks, @monicalapaz for letting me know about this site!

[monicalapaz]

9 minutes ago, MamaFej said:

This is what I've got so far, with just our longer cruise trips from the past few years.

 

We've done multiple cross-country RV trips and been to every state, so it would be fun to do those trips, too. Thanks, @monicalapaz for letting me know about this site!

 Thanks I am "DamCruisers" on Travellerspoint, I enjoy the site !

[ski ww]

16 hours ago, Dat Cruisin Couple said:

 

That is a very interesting video on how to do the moving map, thanks for posting. 

[Brandis]

I prefer the rounded lines which don't cross over land and I always used the RCL itinerary maps, but it seems they have done away with those? Or are they just hidden and I missed them?

[CRUISENSNOOZE]

Hi, I use     www.polarsteps.com    easy to use...well I can do, so anyone can!!. I usually set up all the dates before I leave and then on holiday or after, I can add the photos and edit the text. Great to send links to friends and family who do not do Facebook.

If you want to see what it looks like...have a look at mine (am halfway through Cambodia and Vietnam now)

 

https://www.polarsteps.com/CHRNESBITT

 

Have fun and this is the time to do it, with us all on lock down!!   Chris

[Brandis]

Just had a look at Polarsteps. 

 

It's a bit strange, if you stay several days in one place and then continue to the next one, it counts the days your were in one place as travel time between the two places. Also, it automatically assumes you travel by plane. There should be a setting where you can define the transportation type.

[masterdrago]

On 3/6/2020 at 11:51 PM, Brandis said:

I prefer the rounded lines which don't cross over land and I always used the RCL itinerary maps, but it seems they have done away with those? Or are they just hidden and I missed them?

On Radiance I found them on deck 6 near the Schooner Bar. . It was a large monitor with a slide show running. I took pix of all the maps. Here is one.

[Brandis]

I now saw that my travel agent still has those maps I'm looking for.

 

I use them to create a trip itinerary I can hang on the door in my cabin.

 

Here is an example:

 

Reiseprogramm Jewel of the Seas 2021.gslides

[Brandis]

Sorry, just noticed that it was in Google Slides format, so I converted one into PDF, might be easier to look at.

 

It's written in german, but you'll get the picture... 🙂

 

Reiseprogramm Spectrum of the Seas 2019.pdf