How do you keep track?

[objko]

 

We’ve been on several cruises but usually only one, maybe two in a year so keeping track of the paperwork is not usually a problem.  We are hoping to be able to more next year  And in fact, have 5 booked for 2023 and 2024 and I’m swimming in the logistics of it all.  

 

So many of you do multiple cruises in a year - WC, GC, B2B, yada, yada .  How do you keep track of everything?  There are so many logistics for each cruise and when you have multiple cruises to keep track of - well how do you do it?  

 

Do you keep a folder for each cruise and just throw things in it?  Do you have a spreadsheet that lists things to do for that cruise?  What kinds of info do you track, like payments, shore excursions, get insurance, book dinners?  Do you have a tickler system that tells you when to do what?  Do you have a certain organizing technique? Do you do the same things for each cruise?  Is it all electronic or some paper?  Do you use an app?  Or am I making this harder than I need to?  Maybe a simple List of Things To Do that I can add to and check stuff off?  

 

Any tips or advice would be really appreciated!

[LuAnn]

5 minutes ago, objko said:

 

We’ve been on several cruises but usually only one, maybe two in a year so keeping track of the paperwork is not usually a problem.  We are hoping to be able to more next year  And in fact, have 5 booked for 2023 and 2024 and I’m swimming in the logistics of it all.  

 

So many of you do multiple cruises in a year - WC, GC, B2B, yada, yada .  How do you keep track of everything?  There are so many logistics for each cruise and when you have multiple cruises to keep track of - well how do you do it?  

 

Do you keep a folder for each cruise and just throw things in it?  Do you have a spreadsheet that lists things to do for that cruise?  What kinds of info do you track, like payments, shore excursions, get insurance, book dinners?  Do you have a tickler system that tells you when to do what?  Do you have a certain organizing technique? Do you do the same things for each cruise?  Is it all electronic or some paper?  Do you use an app?  Or am I making this harder than I need to?  Maybe a simple List of Things To Do that I can add to and check stuff off?  

 

Any tips or advice would be really appreciated!

I have a folder for each cruise. I put things in there as I book them...eg hotel, flights, shore excursions etc. Also any ideas I find for places to see or visit..restaurants etc. My DH kept track of the finances but since I lost him earlier this year that won't be happening..I not a numbers person!! I know many do keep spread sheets etc...just not something I know how to do!! I have a stand on my desk where I keep all my folders. I like to book super far in advance..I think I get the best price (usually!!) and i use miles for biz class so I need that 330 day window. Everything I have is on paper. I think a "to do" list would be helpful. TBH I've being doing this for some time so don't really use any lists anymore. Good Luck!! 

[Cruising-along]

I do both spreadsheets and folders for each cruise. The spreadsheet will be set up with daily columns with info like is it a tender port, the weather, what excursions, or DIY we have planned for that day etc.   I print out the spreadsheet and proof of payment for excursions, dinners, etc.  (Because sometimes we just don't have good internet onboard).  It keeps me sane on longer cruises!

 

[KroozNut]

The key for me is to be careful not to book more cruises than I can comfortably manage at the same time. Takes the stress out of everything, which is really what we want, right?

[oaktreerb]

I have a pocket type folder for each cruise and I keep all the paperwork in there, label it like “Alaska, June 2024”.  Each cruise has a different color folder.  Any time there is an update, like shareholder credit added, I ask my PCC for an updated cruise confirmation.  That way I know HAL and I are on the same page as far as OBC.  On our household planning calendar which hangs on the wall I indicate when final payment is due and when I should purchase insurance as well as the dates set aside for the cruise.

 

I put confirmations for excursions and dining reservations in the folder plus anything about the trip that I want to remember.  I also list the important dates on my ipad calendar.  

[HAL4NOW]

Most of what we need comes to us by email, so I just name the cruise (examples: 2022 Hawaii, 2023 New England, 2024 Panama Canal) and create subfolders under my Holland America email folder.

[Oceansaway17]

one hint I have learned is to do screen prints at the time of booking if you do your own.

sometimes the cruise line won't send a receipt with details or pdf.  Then take a piece of paper 4 x 6 or so and write down detail of booking, then have section for TO DO like air and hotel. Tack the paper to bulletin board or on refrigerator.

 

I also mark my wall calendar with dates of final payment and I back it up 5-7 days. Also

when budgeting for shore excursions and air or hotel, add additional 15% when done.

Make sure you take small bills for tips and incidentals too.

 

Lastly have and piece of paper with handwritten or typed of all the sections with reservation numbers as well as phone numbers for airline, hotel, etc.  It too create folders on computer for each trip

 

[BetsyS.]

LuAnn.  I am very sorry for your loss.

[ECCruise]

We are the folder for each trip people.  We have about 20 trips booked between now and mid-2025 (16 of which are cruises) so we would be lost unless we had folders with air reservations, hotels, excursions, etc., etc. all in one place.

[rodndonna]

I use Apple NOTES , which i use for many things in our life now - groceries list notes, to-dos notes, weekly meal plans notes etc.

 

I now have one top level folder called VACATIONS and within it, I keep a  single note for each booked/planned holiday/cruise with the details, links and info as well as few other higher level overall planning notes , budget notes and such.

 

I am a big fan of spreadsheets (was something of an excel wizard over my working life!) but now I find using the NOTES system easier. 

 

[REOVA]

Go to website once booked and print your itinerary. Figure out which days you want to book restaurants (for any free credits or Mariner credits) usually a sea day or low activity port. For each day/port, I research what to do from various sources and pencil in for those days. Then either check excursions if available and book them or look at private excursions. Once restaurants and excursions are booked, print out itinerary again (it will list dinners booked and HAL excursions but you can write in private excursions as well as notes you want to remember). That can either be scanned, photo taken or emailed to your "cruise folder" (folder can be email, hard copy, photo gallery, or a combo of all). I always have hard copies and digital copies of everything saved. My itinerary schedule is my calendar and any supporting documents are proof of bookings. If you want to get technical you can do spreadsheets with links to websites, copies, photos, etc but that may need wifi for some links. 

[Florida_gal_50]

I usually just keep everything in my email but I’m liking the suggestions in the thread.  Thanks everyone.

[HALcruiser2001]

  I just go to the websites where I book and they have it all organized for me.  It's not that great privacy wise but Google calendar puts all the emails on my calendar automagically.

[disneyochem]

I use the app Notability on my iPad.  I can add any document/email and, using my Apple Pencil, I can make notes directly on it.  I keep folders for each trip (currently have 10 cruises booked as well as three land trips) which are further subdivided into different categories (hotel, dining, shore excursions, travel, etc).  The app is great because I don’t need the internet to access the material.  As long as I have my phone, I have every single document/email available for a trip.

 

I set reminders for final payments on my calendar as well important dates (call when reservations open up, etc).  I also use airline apps in order to check in.  I add train tickets, boarding passes, etc to my Apple Wallet.

 

I’m a planner so I love keeping track of all of this info.  Drives my hubby crazy though!  

[kazu]

1 hour ago, LuAnn said:

My DH kept track of the finances but since I lost him earlier this year that won't be happening..I not a numbers person!!

 

I am so sorry to hear we were in the same boat this year, LuAnn - my deepest condolences to you.  😞 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I use microsoft OneNote - which is free - it syncs with an iPhone or Android.   I create a new notebook for each cruise and then I can easily add all screen shots, emails etc....

 

Since it syncs to your phone - and doesn't require a connection to view, you can access your info anywhere,,,on excurions etc

 

Here is a video that gives a nice 10 minute overview

 

 

[rodndonna]

10 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I use microsoft OneNote - which is free - it syncs with an iPhone or Android.   I create a new notebook for each cruise and then I can easily add all screen shots, emails etc....

 

Since it syncs to your phone - and doesn't require a connection to view, you can access your info anywhere,,,on excurions etc

 

Here is a video that gives a nice 10 minute overview

 

 

 

100% agree - Notes are the GREAT ! 

 

If you are an Apple user - the equivalent would be  Apple Notes  

 

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT205773

 

 

 

[fsufancc]

13 hours ago, HAL4NOW said:

Most of what we need comes to us by email, so I just name the cruise (examples: 2022 Hawaii, 2023 New England, 2024 Panama Canal) and create subfolders under my Holland America email folder.

^^^This^^^ 

I too create e-folders (aka sub-folders) on my computer and in my e-mail.  Move each e-mail to its own sub-folder and download any attachments to the respective e-folder on my computer. 

 

 

[SilvertoGold]

Being a paper-person I keep it simple: one binder per cruise, dividers, hole punch, coloured fine-tip felt pens  and highlighter.  Mark with * all the pages I need to take on actual cruise.

[Florida_gal_50]

18 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

Being a paper-person I keep it simple: one binder per cruise, dividers, hole punch, coloured fine-tip felt pens  and highlighter.  Mark with * all the pages I need to take on actual cruise.

Me too.  I’m always afraid of a computer malfunction.  

[trk_koa]

We use Dropbox folders. I create one for each cruise under our Travel folder. I always name the folder for each trip beginning with the date (YYYY-MM-DD) so it collates to soonest first.
 

In this folder, I keep PDFs of guest copy, itinerary, etc. Under each folder I create a sub-folder each for Excursions, Insurance, Receipts. All email receipts, I print to PDF and save there. 
 

Just before we leave, I make sure to tell Dropbox to keep a local copy of the folder on my device so I don’t need internet access to get to the files. 
 

Once we return home, I move the entire folder to another folder under Travel called Archive. I never delete.

[Ellencruise]

Great suggestions, thanks

[knittinggirl]

I used different folders like most here.  But I also include 9 x 13 envelope for pre/post-cruise, flights, hotel, etc.   And another envelope for travel insurance.  B2B each get their own folder.

 

While my emails come to all sorts of clients, they get forwarded to gmail, and each cruise is tagged w/ the date and destination.

[Crew News]

I book a cruise as soon as the season is open to take advantage of the early booking OBC and that means I usually have 4-5 cruises in the planning process. 

 

On the admin side, I use individual cruise file folders for printed docs with copies on my PC, Outlook calendar (cruise daily events, final payment date, hotel and airline booking reminders, Specialty Restaurant dates, excursions, cruise countdown reminders, etc.), Excel spreadsheet to calculate cash needs (OBC, Mariner discounts due for Specialty Restaurants, cruise payments, etc.),  and create an Adobe Lightroom catalog for my incoming photos,   I create packing lists for both checked and carry-on luggage that i update as I book excursions and read weather reports.

 

The same day I book each cruise, I start a HAL roll call for the cruise.

 

My file folder accompanies me on each cruise and I fill it with collected brochures, menus, invitations, receipts, and my filled pocket notebook.  Things that I cannot scan remain in the folder for storage.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

7 hours ago, rodndonna said:

 

100% agree - Notes are the GREAT ! 

 

If you are an Apple user - the equivalent would be  Apple Notes  

 

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT205773

 

 

 

I use notes on my phone - it has a nice ability to scan documents and take photos - then you can add text and find them easier later.   OneNote has this ability as well, I can but I have gotten use to using Notes for this.     I can take a picture of our cabin stewards and other helpful people and add their names to Notes - later I can search on this to jog my memory re: their name for post cruise surveys and sending in compliments via navigator etc.   

 

Interesting to see all the options people are using...