Cruise document notebooks & organization

[Happy ks]

I use a passport case, mine is like a very large wallet with pockets. It fits perfectly into the front zipper of my boarding tote.

 

I do toss out papers as they are used, such as flight info, rental car and hotel confirmations, boarding docs once they are no longer needed. Excursion documentation gets tossed once it is used. If I were more technologically advanced, I'd not take hard copies...ever. But, I've found that even though I store documents, I have a hard time retrieving them.

 

The wallet starts out fairly thick, but by the time we're home, nothing but our onboard account print out and daily receipts are left. I do put them in order of use, labeling with a marker what they are. I don't think I could stand the size and bulk of a folder.

 

I don't take home the daily newsletters or any other papers not necessary to my life.

[Athankfulheart]

I was working on my organizing for an upcoming cruise and then remembered this thread. I purchased these for each family that is cruising with us in January. They are all first timers and I thought I could drive them in the right direction as far as being organized. These are really nice and are only $3.99 at Amazon. Free shipping with $25 purchase or if you have PRIME. Scroll down to the reviews and watch the video. That shows just how roomy this little organizer is. http://www.amazon.com/Davidsbeenhere-Travel-Passport-Wallet-Organizer/dp/B008L2UNGA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375464582&sr=8-2&keywords=davidsbeenhere+travel

[miss206baby]

I was working on my organizing for an upcoming cruise and then remembered this thread. I purchased these for each family that is cruising with us in January. They are all first timers and I thought I could drive them in the right direction as far as being organized. These are really nice and are only $3.99 at Amazon. Free shipping with $25 purchase or if you have PRIME. Scroll down to the reviews and watch the video. That shows just how roomy this little organizer is. http://www.amazon.com/Davidsbeenhere-Travel-Passport-Wallet-Organizer/dp/B008L2UNGA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375464582&sr=8-2&keywords=davidsbeenhere+travel

 

Thanks! This was exactly what I was looking for!

[Jiminy1955]

I was working on my organizing for an upcoming cruise and then remembered this thread. I purchased these for each family that is cruising with us in January. They are all first timers and I thought I could drive them in the right direction as far as being organized. These are really nice and are only $3.99 at Amazon. Free shipping with $25 purchase or if you have PRIME. Scroll down to the reviews and watch the video. That shows just how roomy this little organizer is. http://www.amazon.com/Davidsbeenhere-Travel-Passport-Wallet-Organizer/dp/B008L2UNGA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1375464582&sr=8-2&keywords=davidsbeenhere+travel

 

 

This is going in my Amazon cart this week! :)

[SadieN]

OK -- question from a dinosaur :o (who most definitely doesn't have a smart phone or i-pad): Ships are notorious for:

a) having exorbitant rates for at-sea phone usage, and

b) having very expensive and unreliable internet connections;

So, once at sea, how do you reliably access any information you might need -- without it costing an arm and a leg? :eek:

LOL -- while it is bulky, my blue accordian folder is always at my fingertips, and it doesn't cost anything for me to access its contents. ;)

 

This is exactly what I have, even the same clips! Easy to find, hard to lose.

 

I keep it on the desk on the ship as a "file cabinet" also

 

It has become a "keepsake", the same folder since our first cruise.

 

I am going to Beta Test my new Ipad mini but I am only part way through reading "Ipad for Senior Dummies" and I do not want to get into a stress situation and only be able open up Candy Crush or Facebook at the airport or embarkation :D

 

There has to be a better way but this is what I do (I almost qualify as a luddite:()...So if someone can let me know an easier way it will be greatly appreciated.

 

I figured out that I can save PDFs on iBooks and read them on an Airplane Moded iPhone. :D

 

Convert the 'thing' to a PDF then attach it to an email to myself. Open the mail and click on the attachment box on the bottom. When the PDF is open, click on the box-with-arrow located on top of the screen. Click on Open in iBooks. It stays in iBooks til deleted.

 

For long trips I put paperwork, arranged in order, into a manila envelope.

[Darkster]

There has to be a better way but this is what I do (I almost qualify as a luddite:()...So if someone can let me know an easier way it will be greatly appreciated.

 

I figured out that I can save PDFs on iBooks and read them on an Airplane Moded iPhone. :D

 

Convert the 'thing' to a PDF then attach it to an email to myself. Open the mail and click on the attachment box on the bottom. When the PDF is open, click on the box-with-arrow located on top of the screen. Click on Open in iBooks. It stays in iBooks til deleted.

 

For long trips I put paperwork, arranged in order, into a manila envelope.

 

That's a great idea, going to do that for sure!

 

Thanks

[Maxsam]

We also use a binder. Each document is placed in a clear plastic sleeve. This way we can just pull out the docs in the sleeve we need for that day and carry it with us vs lugging around a binder.

 

One for the flight, one for cruise check in, one for each day on the island and a few to help me with preplanning.

 

 

Great for planning in advance and to grab the right documents while on vacation.

[griffy116]

I used to use a binder (softside)

Sections for

Airline

Cruise Documents & special requests to Cruiseline

Port info

Excursion confirmations/info

Pre-Post-Cruise Hotel

Notes

 

Now I just print out the boarding pass for the ship.

Everything else is on my Kindle Fire and can be accessed with or without internet connection.

 

Same here with the tabs. By the time I'm printing out the SeaPass, I have lots of information that I no longer need. I go through the binder, get the information that I will need (airline, lists of phone numbers, excursions, pre and post hotel, etc) and put it into a paper folder in a bright color that goes into my carry-on bag. Everything is in order of how I will need it. I just reach inside the folder and have the paperwork at my fingertips. LOVE IT!

[cheerldrmom]

I too use just a plain paper manilla folder that has 2 pockets for all my cruise paperwork, airline ticket confirmations, cruise confirmations and etc...

[Sherri914]

If anyone is interested, this is what I created a long time ago and have been sharing on here for quite some time. It helps me organize and plan from the time I book to the time I sail. There are tabs for just about every leg of the journey. We sail exclusively with Royal Caribbean, so it's set up for that, but could easily be converted to another line. I am sailing soon on Oasis, so the "Shows and Venues tab" has the info for that ship already loaded.

 

The workbook is set up so that you can enter your travel information (departure date, return date, etc) on the first page, and it will automatically populate the other pages of the workbook.

 

I usually fill all of this in before a cruise, save it to my smart phone and/or iPad, and usually print the individual pages off. I also print off copies of all excursion documents as well as port maps. I organize my travel binder by sections: Departure Port, Ports of Call, Airline Documents, Hotel Information, Travel Insurance, Ship Information, Personal Travel Documents (copies of passports, etc)

 

Hope this is useful!

Cruise List (BLANK).xls

[Darkster]

Thanks Sherri, I took your form, modified most if for NCL and posted it to my roll call (of course I gave you credit for it and posted a link to your original post). Great tool for sure!:)

[TravelinGert]

Reading this thread with interest. I had planned to print all travel documents to .pdf and bring them on my phone and on spouse's mini if possible. I was thinking, though, doesn't your boarding pass have to be printed out for flights? I flew about a year ago. I had done the boarding pass stuff online. They made me check in at a computer in the outer concourse because it printed out a copy of the boarding pass before they would let me through security. I was able to show the .pdf on the mini, but that was not considered an acceptable alternative.

[TruckerDave]

Reading this thread with interest. I had planned to print all travel documents to .pdf and bring them on my phone and on spouse's mini if possible. I was thinking, though, doesn't your boarding pass have to be printed out for flights? I flew about a year ago. I had done the boarding pass stuff online. They made me check in at a computer in the outer concourse because it printed out a copy of the boarding pass before they would let me through security. I was able to show the .pdf on the mini, but that was not considered an acceptable alternative.

 

Most airports (unless you are in a tiny podunk one) and the major airlines with smartphone apps use the mobile boarding pass. TSA and the gates have scanners now. I have not printed a paper bp in a few years. I just use mobile bp's. (I only fly American and United to be fair). I will usually bring up the boarding pass then take a screen shot of it just in case i lose the signal while in line. And just scan the photo of the pass.

 

This works for US domestic airports. Not sure about Europe or other places in the world.

 

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[Darkster]

Most airports (unless you are in a tiny podunk one) and the major airlines with smartphone apps use the mobile boarding pass. TSA and the gates have scanners now. I have not printed a paper bp in a few years. I just use mobile bp's. (I only fly American and United to be fair). I will usually bring up the boarding pass then take a screen shot of it just in case i lose the signal while in line. And just scan the photo of the pass.

 

This works for US domestic airports. Not sure about Europe or other places in the world.

 

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I can only speak for Star Alliance airlines (United, Lufthansa, etc), Virgin, and Southwest but they all take iPhone Passbook boarding passes at domestic and international terminals.

 

 

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[Landlocked_N_Texas]

I use Dropbox, with files saved as PDFs. I have made spreadsheets for contact info, daily itineraries and "must do's" as we'll as confirmation numbers. But, even with all of this digital organization, I still make hard copies for my cruise binder. I just always worry about the What If's like my phone dying or losing the info!

[TruckerDave]

I use Dropbox, with files saved as PDFs. I have made spreadsheets for contact info, daily itineraries and "must do's" as we'll as confirmation numbers. But, even with all of this digital organization, I still make hard copies for my cruise binder. I just always worry about the What If's like my phone dying or losing the info!

 

What if your binder falls into the ocean? :eek:

 

I just never worry about "what ifs" :D

 

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[Landlocked_N_Texas]

What if your binder falls into the ocean? :eek:

 

I just never worry about "what ifs" :D

 

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Don't worry. My back up binder is in a briefcase handcuffed to my wrist, so it is on my person at all times. ;) Not to mention the back up back up in the safe deposit box back home!

 

I know, I know. You shouldn't worry about the what ifs. The funny thing is, normally I could care less. I am disorganized at everything - except my vacation!

[TruckerDave]

Don't worry. My back up binder is in a briefcase handcuffed to my wrist, so it is on my person at all times. ;) Not to mention the back up back up in the safe deposit box back home!

 

I know, I know. You shouldn't worry about the what ifs. The funny thing is, normally I could care less. I am disorganized at everything - except my vacation!

 

I don't know how old you are but I just had an image of Maxwell Smart pop into my head reading this.:D

 

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[Mimosa09]

Most airports (unless you are in a tiny podunk one) and the major airlines with smartphone apps use the mobile boarding pass. TSA and the gates have scanners now. I have not printed a paper bp in a few years. I just use mobile bp's. (I only fly American and United to be fair). I will usually bring up the boarding pass then take a screen shot of it just in case i lose the signal while in line. And just scan the photo of the pass.

 

This works for US domestic airports. Not sure about Europe or other places in the world.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Forums mobile app

 

Ok - I'm one of those that leave from some of those podunk airports so I use a "paper" boarding pass still.

 

And - I have searched & searched (yes, I used the search tool) but I can't find the HAL thread I was reading back in May - but someone complained that while on a cruise, HAL would not honor the OBC he had received from his TA even though he showed the guest relations desk people document proof of this on his mobile device:(! The people at the desk told him, now, if he had a "hard copy" (printed) they would consider honoring it! When I read this I thought at the time "did they think he made it up & created a counterfeit document on his device"?

[Kim_KS]

I use a vinyl three prong binder with pockets that you can buy anywhere for under $2.00. I modeled mine after a video from you tube by Audrey's wife life named cruise planning. I put each page in protective covers and then use it to store tickets and and mementos in that page. It has check lists, packing lists, and daily information in the binder.

 

Thanks for mentioning this video. It has a lot of great information!

 

 

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[rosiepea]

Just use a plastic A4 wallet and a put all paperwork, insurance document, passports etc in it and it fits in hand luggage so when checking in, all is to hand.

[lady_cruiser]

We use these envelope-size holders we got at Office Depot.

[MaisonRose]

I could, on a long day, lose battery on my iPad. So I keep a running itinerary on my laptop, a one-page (hopefully) running chronilogical list of my bookings...such as

flight to port i.e. UA 914 IAD 4 10p FRA 7:30am

hotel at port Hotel Galaxy, Athens Nov 1 3 nts. Conf .....

ship confirmation number, etc GLKV4TX Reflection Nov 5

excursions/event bookings Palermo Tours Nov 7 tel:

etc..

Then I print it out (with my name/address/cell phone/contact and cabin information on the top) in one sheet (using both sides). Print, fold into quaters and put in my purse. Second copy goes to dog sitter, DH, etc.

Of course copies sent to interested parties...via email.

[Rheba]

I use TripRider on my iPhone and iPad, it's a great app for organizing all your trips. There's a packing list, a place for maps, itineraries, trip diary, confirmations, expenses, notes and a password protected "wallet" where I keep scanned copies of passports,etc. I still print my boarding pass and parking confirmation. I keep printed items in a wider check holder that I got at Wal-mart. I figure if one battery dies I have a copy of the TripRider files on my other device.

[cybercruiser11]

Am I understanding this right, you don't have to bring your actual passport? A scanned copy is acceptable?