Things you do BEFORE leaving on a cruise

[Bizmark'sMom]

Make reservations at the kennel for the dogs.

Arrange house sitter for the cats, and just to check on things daily.

Stop mail.

Check passport, and put it in my carry on.

Get cash.

Place travel alert on my credit cards.

Check plane tickets and hotel reservations.

Make sure passport is in my carry on.

Get prescription refills.

Make sure tours are booked.

Check plane tickets.

Print out cruise docs.

Put cruise docs with passport and make sure they are in my carry on.

 

I stress about the travel arrangements until I am in my seat, on the correct flight, and they close the doors. I find the luggage packing very easy and straight forward, and I tend to wing things when I am on the ship itself.

[Mike981]

Think about losing weight - Procrastinate - To Late.

[miss prairie girl]

1. Get $1.00 bills for tipping. (we leave gratuities on, but there are places precruise and post cruise that may warrant tipping)

2. Edit the fridge for food that may deteriorate while we are gone. Remove all garbage from home.

3. Select 2-3 books to read on cruise vacation.

4. Check and replenish if necessary any OTC(over the counter) medications that we may need while we are on vacation.

5. Weigh luggage and contents before we leave home allowing some flex room for souvenir purchases.

[skeeter558]

This is my OCD showing. I get an accordion binder, label each section, i put our edocs from the cruise line, an extra copy of our baggage tags, each port has its own section. In that section i put any excursion info i have already booked, receipts for prepayments, instructions on how to get there. I also have the hotel information I've booked for Miami, reservation info, directions, etc...

 

Take the dog to the kennel for boarding

call the alarm company to let them know we will be out of the country and give them an alternate phone number for that time

call the bank and let them know dates and where we are going so they don't turn our card off

pack, then unpack, then pack again

[nolatravelgirl]

I put a basket in my closet and just start throwing things in there as I buy and/or remember them that way I am not trying to remember all those small things when packing. Common items I throw in there are: sunscreen, hats, waterproof phone cover and neck strap, trial size toiletries, spare chargers.

[miss prairie girl]

I use ZipLoc bags of different sizes to hold groups of items. That way, I can see at a glance what I have or don't have. For example, a clear zip bag with OTC items, a clear zip bag with cords and chargers....I also 'roll' my clothes and put them in larger clear zip bags. The clothes arrive wrinkle free.

[Jackpot Judy]

I try to avoid over-packing so I place a large clear tote box - standard Rubbermaid 12-gallon plastic with a lid - in a corner of my bedroom and in the weeks leading up to the cruise I fill it with items I am taking, to include Passports, clothing and shoes, travel size toiletries, and extra chargers for phone and tablet. I place small items in Ziplock gallon bags and keep like items together in Ziplocks as well such as haircare items and bath items. I also pack housekeeping items like Clorox wipes and I take a solid air freshener from the dollar store.

 

First I "shop" in my own closet to see what tops, shorts and pants, and swimwear I want to take, as well as a hat and a visor. I choose one simple outfit for elegant night. I prefer to be comfortable so I just pack black dress pants made of wrinkle-free fabric, a sparkly blouse and I have one specific pair of wedge heels that I take on cruises/vacations.

 

If clothes need replacing I go shopping a week or more ahead of time to avoid running through the mall at 8:00 PM on the eve of my travel day to buy new clothes - which I have done in the past, lesson learned.

 

On the day before travel (I usually fly to the port) I pack all the items I placed in the tote into my suitcase. I follow a checklist of items to pack to make sure I covered the essential items and I check off each item. Cruise Critic has several good articles on "what to pack" for a cruise.

 

This tote method has worked well for me over several cruises.

 

Some have mentioned going to the post office to hold their mail and going to the bank to set up a travel plan, but that is something you can do online in a matter of minutes.

[hi2you]

Think about losing weight - Procrastinate - To Late.

Aways take the stairs onboard and with walking around ports...it's easy to lose weight on a vacation.

[MFScruise]

Question. Do most cruise lines allow you to make specialty restaurant reservations before boarding? How about show reservations? I've only cruised on NCL and this was an option with this cruise line.

 

Thanks!

L

[sworksjr]

For our last cruise, I was calling or using their web site of the credit card companies to inform them of our up coming trip. When I got to American Express, the woman I talked to said I did not need to inform them. I asked why and was told that they would be able to figure out that I was traveling. When I told her that none of my travel charges would be on their card, she informed me that they had other ways to determine that I was traveling. She would not tell me how they would know.

 

Scary!

[JTBCruiser]

Great suggestions on here and we do most of what has been posted. I made a list of "things to do before we cruise" and keep it updated for future use. We also have a list of what we pack in the suitcases which makes it easier to pack for the next time. We still end up taking more then we need.

[marden1970]

About a month before I try to use as much as possible from the small freezer in the garage and put anything not used into the kitchen freezer and unplug the one in the garage. It's amazing what you find in there that you didn't know you still had:):). I also check a weather website to see what it's like where we're going for the next however long. No need to pack the umbrella if it's going to be sunny!

[sadoan]

We just put our name, phone number and email address (no home address) along with the trip itinerary in each of our suitcases. It may seem paranoid but I don't want my home address to be easily connected to a empty house and I figure phone and email is enough info to reach us.

 

 

I use my work address.

[MFScruise]

Hi everyone!

 

Here's my post on how to prepare for a cruise. Please let me know if you have anything to add!

 

http://www.myfamilystuff.ca/prepare-next-cruise/

 

Thanks!

L

[capriccio]

I use my work address.

 

That doesn't work when you are retired :D but I'm not complaining!

[simplelife]

Try on the clothes you plan to take and make sure they fit and don't need mending.

Be sure said clothes have some extra room as you will need it by the end of the cruise :)

[MicCanberra]

I tell my kids I am cruising again.

[luckybecky]

Lots of excellent tips from everyone. Definitely the ones about making double and triple sure you know where your passports are. Lay hands on them. Don't just assume that they are in the drawer where you think you put them.

 

Months in advance:

- Book flights with Southwest

- Book Airbnb/VRBO/hotel for home port city

- Book activities pre/post cruise. We typically stay a week pre and a week post.

- Figure out which vendor we're going to use for things to do in ports we visit.

 

Day/s in advance:

- Check batteries in security cameras

- Unplug everything

- Empty out fridge

- Make grocery list so I can submit it while on vacation and get groceries when we get back. We gotta eat!

 

I like this tip and never thought of it before. Our favorite grocery now offers "curbside" shopping where I can order whatever I want and schedule a time to pick up. All I have to do is drive up to the store, text them that I am there, and they come put the stuff in the trunk for me. I don't use the service because it is a bit more pricey than doing my own shopping, but now that you mention it, this would be a fantastic way to come home from a cruise!

 

- Go to USPS website and hold out mail. We don't use USPS but it stops our mailbox from getting clogged with junk.

- Get cash. We don't use cash so I always have to go to the bank and get some.

- Turn the A/C off at home. When we get on the plane to come home, I will turn it back on from my phone so it'll be cool.

- Adjust timers on outlets, plug in a radio and turn it up loud so it can be heard from the outside. It turns on at Xam and off at Xpm. Lights do the same.

 

Another excellent idea. Thanks for this suggestion.

 

- Pay any upcoming bills

- Set out of office on my email.

- Schedule someone to mow the lawn while we're gone.

- Wash vehicles so they can have fresh pollen on them when we return.

- Login to credit cards and mark ourselves as traveling.

- Brag to everyone on Facebook that I'm leaving for an exotic vacation. Sue me.

Ha ha! I do this too!! I don't care, I'm going to post photos along the way.

 

One tip I have not seen mentioned is taking care of plants. We have a friend who is kind enough to come water our plants for us. We have many outdoor plants on our patio and deck and there is no way they would survive a week or more in our 100+ degree weather in summer without someone watering them. Indoor plants need watering at least once every few days as well. We bring our friend a nice bottle of some adult beverage or something nice as a thank you.

[bUU]

> Stop by the post office and make arrangements to have our mail put on hold until we return.

This can be done online now. https://holdmail.usps.com/holdmail/

 

- Wash vehicles so they can have fresh pollen on them when we return.

I think this is especially important for the car we're leaving parked at the airport or train station, so it is less apparently how long it has been there.

 

 

We test the security system, and make sure all the cameras are aimed correctly.

[Z'Loth]

I think this is especially important for the car we're leaving parked at the airport or train station, so it is less apparently how long it has been there.

 

You leave your car parked at the airport for a long trip? I'm usually purchasing a nice breakfast for a friend of mine who takes me to/from the airport!

[SRF]

In no specific order:

> Stop by the post office and make arrangements to have our mail put on hold until we return.

 

You can do th email hold online.

 

Set thermostat to 80 in summer, 50 in winter. Set water heater to 60.

 

Set up lighting system (I use a Wink system, but run it all the time).

 

Turn of things like computers, cable TV boxes, amplifiers.

 

Notify trusted neighbor I will be gone.

 

Make sure I have documents, including passports.

[SRF]

Thanks, never heard of that, I'll have to go see if I can figure out how.

 

If yours doesn't have a vacation mode, just set temp down to 60. Or, if electric, turn off the breaker.

[SRF]

Months in advance:

- Book flights with Southwest

 

 

- Brag to everyone on Facebook that I'm leaving for an exotic vacation. Sue me.

 

I seldom find that SouthWest is the cheapest.

 

And posting on Facebook is telling a lot of people you will be out of your house.

 

I don't understand all the people emptying their fridge and freezer. It is a WEEK. :D

[bUU]

You leave your car parked at the airport for a long trip? I'm usually purchasing a nice breakfast for a friend of mine who takes me to/from the airport!

I wouldn't wish the 2 hour rush hour commute, from the northern edge of the Atlanta metro area, where we live, to the southern edge of the Atlanta area, where they put the airport, on my worst enemy. And for breakfast? Some friend I would be imposing on them like that!

 

This message may have been entered via voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[MicCanberra]

I wish I had a friend to drive me for the price of breakfast but then I am 3 1/2 hours drive away from Sydney airport which is where most flights we need go from.