souvenirs?

[Greyhound Crazy]

We are very big into Christmas and have several trees during the season. One of my trees I call my vacation tree. I pick up an ornament from each place we go (cruise & land) and place those on the tree each year. It has to be something made by a local though.

 

Hubby picks up a travel mug on each ship we have been on and I have picked up coffee mugs from places we have stopped at as well. Something fun to drink our coffee out of each day that reminds us that not every day is a work day

 

This is what we do! We have a handcrafted Christmas ornament from every place we have been. It's meaningful to us, and each one has special memories attached to it, as do all the other ornaments on our tree. And I also have a special mug from each place. We don't travel very often, my husband's work does not always allow for that, so if we did I might have to re-think the mug thing because of limited cupboard space, lol... but for now it's a fun little collection!

[Goosebear Mum]

This is what we do! We have a handcrafted Christmas ornament from every place we have been. It's meaningful to us, and each one has special memories attached to it, as do all the other ornaments on our tree. And I also have a special mug from each place. We don't travel very often, my husband's work does not always allow for that, so if we did I might have to re-think the mug thing because of limited cupboard space, lol... but for now it's a fun little collection!

 

"Like"

 

We do this too. It's nice to have those memories for when we can no longer travel. Although we're relatively young, we no longer take life for granted. We've learnt the hard way that tomorrow may never come! Those memories are important to look back and reflect on :)

[biker@sea]

We've gradually started getting things we can USE. Towels, etc. Although I did buy one of those little puzzle houses in Belize where I could post on my Facebook that I

'Bought a house in Belize!'

What's your souvenir gig? I mean, you feel the need to buy something to bring home.

 

I keep my sea card's .

 

Magic marker the cabin # on the back once home.

 

Cruise date's and Latitudes level on the front.

 

 

.

[sail7seas]

i have all my late Dh's ship i.D. cards and mine from over 200+ cruises.

I have no idea what to do with them all now.

 

It would be imposibly hard for me to simply toss them all out now.

Edited November 9, 2016 by sail7seas

[gsrunyan]

When we were still working in Louisiana (many Catholics), we brought back rosaries from Rome.

 

In Normandy, I (a trained historian) brought back a miniature Bayeux tapestry relating Williams conquer of England ("miniature" is 16 pages of heavy continuous paper.:cool:

[slidergirl]

I usually go for jewelry or scarves as a typical "bring back" for me. I wear earrings everyday, so I like to vary them. And, I am big into scarves, especially in the winter.

My most unusual souvenir was the hand-embellished ostrich egg I brought back from Lebanon. We had stopped at a store that sold items made by disabled Lebanese - established by Queen Noor. It was embellished with biblical scenes using a "pin drop" type of painting, giving it a very tactile feel. I actually had it shipped back home to me, as an ostrich egg would take up quite a bit of space in my bag.

[WupperAV]

They only have good Maple cookies in NY. We buy things we can use and refrigerator magnets. I collected mugs until the shelves broke.

[jonbiz1212]

small things like fridge magnets for ourselves, or random gifts for family and friends depending on their interests.

[slidergirl]

small things like fridge magnets for ourselves, or random gifts for family and friends depending on their interests.

 

Just don't give out those fridge magnet as tips when you travel!!! We had one cheap-a$$ guest give out fridge magnets from Maryland as tips once. He tipped everyone with them - bellmen, servers, front desk, spa attendants. Not one red cent, just magnets.

 

Do you search for magnets that are made in-country or do you just go with the "made in <insert 3rd world country>" magnets? I've made my own travel magnets using photos I took and printing them on magnet material I bought at Staples. I gave some of those to friends who went with me on trips.

[pghsteelerfan]

i have all my late Dh's ship i.D. cards and mine from over 200+ cruises.

I have no idea what to do with them all now.

 

It would be imposibly hard for me to simply toss them all out now.

 

If you're interested, there was a thread on another board (Cruise Memorabilia) posted by CC Member, Aplmac, a while back that occasionally pops back up. He collects cruise cards...doesn't matter which cruise line, he collects and if you are looking to unload some of them, I'm sure he'd be happy to have them. Just a thought. I just found the tread, so attaching the link to it. It started in 2009, but popped up again a couple of weeks ago.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=999017

 

We only have seven cruises, so we collect our ship ID cards as well. We're only missing the two from our first cruise on Carnival Festivale in 1992. They weren't used as the cabin key/ship ID then, just "Sail & Sign" for onboard purchase and drinks. I do remember they were paper, so we may have just thrown them out.

 

We also collect Christmas ornaments and magnets, but only for ports that are new for us. Sometimes jewelry, if I really like it (Mexican Fire Opal ring from Mazatlan, Mexico), and the wood carved bangle bracelets from Belize.

[sail7seas]

If you're interested, there was a thread on another board (Cruise Memorabilia) posted by CC Member, Aplmac, a while back that occasionally pops back up. He collects cruise cards...doesn't matter which cruise line, he collects and if you are looking to unload some of them, I'm sure he'd be happy to have them. Just a thought. I just found the tread, so attaching the link to it. It started in 2009, but popped up again a couple of weeks ago.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=999017

 

We only have seven cruises, so we collect our ship ID cards as well. We're only missing the two from our first cruise on Carnival Festivale in 1992. They weren't used as the cabin key/ship ID then, just "Sail & Sign" for onboard purchase and drinks. I do remember they were paper, so we may have just thrown them out.

 

We also collect Christmas ornaments and magnets, but only for ports that are new for us. Sometimes jewelry, if I really like it (Mexican Fire Opal ring from Mazatlan, Mexico), and the wood carved bangle bracelets from Belize.

 

 

Thank you forr mentioning this. i'll give it some thought. i wonder if he is still around. I have not specifically noticed any posss by him but that doesn't mran anything.

[pghsteelerfan]

Thank you forr mentioning this. i'll give it some thought. i wonder if he is still around. I have not specifically noticed any posss by him but that doesn't mran anything.

 

Yes, he's still around. He's in Barbados, so I actually got him a couple of the packets of business card plastic protector holders that he keeps his ship ID cards in.

 

If you decide to keep yours (I certainly would), maybe a 3-ring binder, or two, and use some of the plastic business card protectors that fit in the 3-ring binders to keep yours in. They are nice and compact. Aplmac has actually added pictures of how he arranges his in the binders so you'll have an idea of what they look like. I'd start one myself, but only six cruises that we have the ship ID's for is nowhere near enough for even a start. :D

 

But please, give it some thought. If you decide to give them up, I can contact him if you'd like and let him know about this post. But 200+ cruises, and many with your DH, that would be impossibly hard for me get rid of as well.

 

I'm actually starting to organize binders for each of our cruises. I found several other different kinds of plastic page protectors for 3-ring binders with various sizes and numbers of pockets. That will be perfect because I keep the ship newsletters (Royal Compass for one and the Carnival Capers/Fun Times), and I also collect currency (coins and paper) from the ports with different currency. And of course, the pages for our ship ID's. They are great keepsakes and don't take up a lot of room. :)

Edited November 10, 2016 by pghsteelerfan

[sail7seas]

We were togethers ince we were both 23 years old. All of our adult lives. We w ere in college when we met.

Edited November 11, 2016 by sail7seas

[wannavacay]

I learned from another couple several years after hauling countless souvenirs home (and after the 50lb suitcase limit) that there is nearly always a keychain everywhere you go. It is little, costs little, and weighs little. On most trips, I try to visit multiple locations, so rather than pick up art, or jewelry, or breakable items I claim a keychain.

[mamasylvia]

I go for usable items for myself and whatever my kids/friends would like for them. Brought back a T-shirt from St. Maarten for my daughter and hot sauce for my son, and several decorated bags for me that I use as reusable bags for grocery shopping. The bags are starting to fall apart so I told DH we have to go on another cruise so I can buy more bags. lol (I tried to find tanzanite jewelry for my purple-crazy daughter but dang, it was ridiculously expensive! I did buy a rainbow opal ring for me and I think about that cruise every time I wear it.)

[Gloria Mundi]

 

My current fridge is stainless steel and NOT magnetic, so all the ones from prior cruises are stuck in a plastic bag in my junk drawer.

 

Yeah, that happened to us, too. Bummer.

 

I have a charm bracelet that's getting a bit overloaded, but I get a gold charm from places we've been. Small, portable, not as dicey as buying diamonds or large, "important" pieces of jewelry in an unfamiliar place. (BIL told me once he and my sister came home with $14K worth of tanzanite from the Caribbean. Sheesh.)

 

Edibles are good, too, as long as they comply with regulations about what you can bring into the US.

Edited November 11, 2016 by Gloria Mundi

[pghsteelerfan]

We were togethers ince we were both 23 years old. All of our adult lives. We w ere in college when we met.

 

I'm so sorry for your loss...I can't imagine and I don't want to imagine. :( I really, really dread the day I lose my DH. I think you need to hold onto your ship ID cards...at least a little longer.

Edited November 11, 2016 by pghsteelerfan

[maldenmusic]

Tshirts that have the cruise ship on them

[Lovely other]

I can't abide clutter or ornaments at home but I do love vintage style advertising postcards so I keep an eye out for these .... It all started when I took my now husband on our first date. We went to Paris and he bought me a Le Chat Noir postcard ....

 

I also like small saint charms which I keep on a bracelet ... An odd choice for an atheist but I really like things like iconography so ....

 

I know fridge magnets are terribly popular but here in the UK the trend is more towards built in appliances behind cabinet doors so I wonder what happens to all those fridge magnets then. :D:D

[WupperAV]

Here in the US we make horses into glue. You could try that!:D

[NMLady]

We've gradually started getting things we can USE. Towels, etc. Although I did buy one of those little puzzle houses in Belize where I could post on my Facebook that I

'Bought a house in Belize!'

What's your souvenir gig? I mean, you feel the need to buy something to bring home.

 

We buy playing cards since hubby and I play cards almost every night.