The binder...am I forgetting anything??!?

[nrh322]

Okey dokey... I just finished prepping our travel binder. I have determined that my Cruise Critic addiction has rendered me incapable of thinking for myself. Never once on any trip prior to this one have I had to ask so many people so many questions...:confused: I'm beginning to wonder about subliminal messages in the ads or something. :eek:

 

Here are the contents of my binder. EVERYTHING that I've included is notarized, raised sealed, and/or certified if required. All the documents are in separate sheet protectors and everything is in one of the fabric covered three ring binders that zips up securely.

 

1. Flight Confirmation

2. Hotel Confirmation

3. Set Sail Pass (members here already confirmed that it was fine and dandy that we only have ONE Set Sail Pass for all four of us - even if we do have two cabins - RCCL confirmed as well - I still think it seems odd!)

4. DH's BC (cert. w/ raised seal) (He doesn't want to get a passport. I know it seems weird, but it helps keep him from doing a lot of work travel. As soon as he gets his passport, he'll be having to spend 2 weeks out of 4 in China. We're procrastinating deliberately.)

5. My BC (cert. w/ raised seal) (I have TWO expired passports. DH and I just got married a little bit ago. I haven't gotten a new one with my new name yet. The rest of my family is using their BC's, so I figure I'll go with the flow.)

6. DS1's BC (cert. w/ raised seal) (Bio-Dad JUST signed off on passport permission. It's much too late to even try to get passports.)

7. DS2's BC (cert. w/ raised seal) (see above)

8. Consent to travel - Signed by Bio-Dad - Notarized - (I had to sell my soul to the devil to get this form. RCCL said I didn't need it. TA said I didn't need it. Y'all said I needed it. Pray for me!)

9. Divorce decree from Bio-Dad - shows me as primary custodial parent - certified - notarized - raised seal - cost about a zillion dollars - weighs about 2 lbs.!!

10. Marriage certificate to DH (just in case my driver's license isn't enough proof of my new name)

11. Print out of our Shore and Land Excursions Summary (to show what we paid for in case there's a computer glitch!)

12. Travel Guard Insurance Policy

13. Printed Copy of RCCL's Travel Documentation Policy

14. Everything they mailed us in the giant CRUISE DOCUMENTS envelopes

 

DH and I will keep our driver's licenses in our wallets. I have school photo IDs for the kids in my wallet too.

 

Other than that, I can't think of anything that I'm forgetting.

 

CAN YOU??:eek:

[Triplet and One]

Sounds quite complete...nothing wrong with being prepared. I decorated my cover with palm trees (dork?:o )...what's wrong with that?

How are you getting to the ship? Sometimes I print mapquest directions from the airport to the port/hotel/car rental/restaurants etc.

 

Have a great time!

[Apoggi]

You forgot to RELAX and have a good time.

 

 

Ann

[hpjmom]

Wow! I have all my stuff currently in a pile on my desk. I'm thinking that a binder might be a good idea. I'm a planner & it sounds like fun to put together. My DH will roll his eyes--this IS a vacation, he'll say.

[nrh322]

Sounds quite complete...nothing wrong with being prepared. I decorated my cover with palm trees (dork?:o )...what's wrong with that?

How are you getting to the ship? Sometimes I print mapquest directions from the airport to the port/hotel/car rental/restaurants etc.

 

Have a great time!

 

 

I stole the binder from DS1... it's already "decorated" with all sorts of interesting doodles. I'd much rather have one with palm trees, but not enough to go buy another one.

 

We're taking a taxi from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship. I have the address of the hotel on the confirmation. I'm hoping the cab driver can manage with the directions... it's less than ten miles.

 

We have RCCL transfers from the ship back to the airport.

 

I'll relax once we're on the boat! :p

[nrh322]

Wow! I have all my stuff currently in a pile on my desk. I'm thinking that a binder might be a good idea. I'm a planner & it sounds like fun to put together. My DH will roll his eyes--this IS a vacation, he'll say.

 

I had everything in a big pile until today... when I prepped the binder. It's something I always do for trips. This is just the first time that I've ever asked anybody else to double check its contents for me. CC has made me paranoid I think.. :D

[zuscruiserz]

How about a card w/magnetic strip for the safe (we use our AAA card - multi-purpose :D ). You don't want to carry around a CC wherever you go, and if the AAA card is lost, we'll just get a new one when we get home.

[I2BZ2W8]

Here are a few things on my check list that you might want to consider!

1. Call Credit card company and let them know that you are leaving the country and what ports you are visiting! Trust me I learned the hard way when my card was declined due to an increase and unusual spending pattern!

2. Place a hold on mail! https://holdmail.usps.com/duns/HoldMail.jsp

3. All confirmation and emails regarding shore excursions

4. Index card with credit card numbers and 800 number in case of loss or theft

[AAAMom]

4. Index card with credit card numbers and 800 number in case of loss or theft

 

Instead of an index card, I make copies of all credit cards, membership cards, etc. front and back. Also, make copies of the Birth Certificates. I keep one in my folder (I don't use a binder but a large coupon type accordian folder), one in another carry on bag and I leave one at home. This way if something happens I have backup and someone at home can also get the info.

[bunting]

Okey dokey... I just finished prepping our travel binder. I have determined that my Cruise Critic addiction has rendered me incapable of thinking for myself. Never once on any trip prior to this one have I had to ask so many people so many questions...:confused: I'm beginning to wonder about subliminal messages in the ads or something. :eek:

 

Here are the contents of my binder. EVERYTHING that I've included is notarized, raised sealed, and/or certified if required. All the documents are in separate sheet protectors and everything is in one of the fabric covered three ring binders that zips up securely.

 

1. Flight Confirmation

2. Hotel Confirmation

3. Set Sail Pass (members here already confirmed that it was fine and dandy that we only have ONE Set Sail Pass for all four of us - even if we do have two cabins - RCCL confirmed as well - I still think it seems odd!)

4. DH's BC (cert. w/ raised seal) (He doesn't want to get a passport. I know it seems weird, but it helps keep him from doing a lot of work travel. As soon as he gets his passport, he'll be having to spend 2 weeks out of 4 in China. We're procrastinating deliberately.)

5. My BC (cert. w/ raised seal) (I have TWO expired passports. DH and I just got married a little bit ago. I haven't gotten a new one with my new name yet. The rest of my family is using their BC's, so I figure I'll go with the flow.)

6. DS1's BC (cert. w/ raised seal) (Bio-Dad JUST signed off on passport permission. It's much too late to even try to get passports.)

7. DS2's BC (cert. w/ raised seal) (see above)

8. Consent to travel - Signed by Bio-Dad - Notarized - (I had to sell my soul to the devil to get this form. RCCL said I didn't need it. TA said I didn't need it. Y'all said I needed it. Pray for me!)

9. Divorce decree from Bio-Dad - shows me as primary custodial parent - certified - notarized - raised seal - cost about a zillion dollars - weighs about 2 lbs.!!

10. Marriage certificate to DH (just in case my driver's license isn't enough proof of my new name)

11. Print out of our Shore and Land Excursions Summary (to show what we paid for in case there's a computer glitch!)

12. Travel Guard Insurance Policy

13. Printed Copy of RCCL's Travel Documentation Policy

14. Everything they mailed us in the giant CRUISE DOCUMENTS envelopes

 

DH and I will keep our driver's licenses in our wallets. I have school photo IDs for the kids in my wallet too.

 

Other than that, I can't think of anything that I'm forgetting.

 

CAN YOU??:eek:

 

How about a brief list of your valuables e.g. description, and serial numbers of items that have such e.g. camera, ipod, etc.... sometimes having a file with photographs of unique items e.g. rings, necklaces, bracelets etc help if it gets misplaced...much easier to show a photo than just a description...and if you dont want to carry so many photos just keep them on a file on one of your email accounts... hope you never have the need to use this part of your file but you seem to be a person that likes to be well prepared.. this would not only help for the cruise but for your own insurance records.........

[cb at sea]

If I had to "prepare" for a vacation like that, I just wouldn't go! I take my BC and driver's license, credit card, $$$ and that's it--oh--and shoes!!! We don't take the travel docs, because you don't need them! If you have the cruise brochure and have read it, the same info is in both!

But--whatever floats your boat! Bon Voyage!

[volleyballmom87]

Sounds quite complete...nothing wrong with being prepared. I decorated my cover with palm trees (dork?:o )...what's wrong with that?

How are you getting to the ship? Sometimes I print mapquest directions from the airport to the port/hotel/car rental/restaurants etc.

 

I cannot call you a dork, because I searched for about an hour for the perfect picture of the Serenade to put on my cover. I also made a duplicate notebook for my daughter's friend that will be traveling with us so that her parents have copies of all the pertinent info.

 

Maybe you could make a copy for you DXH to put his mind at ease. He maybe trying to annoy you by holding out on giving permission or he may just be worried about his boys being out of the country.

[Turquoise Sea]

Here are a few things on my check list that you might want to consider!

1. Call Credit card company and let them know that you are leaving the country and what ports you are visiting! Trust me I learned the hard way when my card was declined due to an increase and unusual spending pattern!

2. Place a hold on mail! https://holdmail.usps.com/duns/HoldMail.jsp

3. All confirmation and emails regarding shore excursions

4. Index card with credit card numbers and 800 number in case of loss or theft

 

 

To a new cruiser this is valuable information..I wrote down notes. Sometimes we need a few minds to help us remember the important stuff. And to the OP...I'll be copying your list. I for one, have the darnest luck and I can see myself standing at embarkation without some major document and knowing it was left on my office desk.

 

I for one am getting a bit peeved. Paid for expedite on passports and both have yet to go through processing.

 

Thanks for the info.:)

[Swabb3]

Don't forget to put a hold on the newspaper. And give someone an extra key to the house. But leave the car keys at home unless you are driving to the airport. One less thing to lose.

Pack 4 different colored highlighters so that each person can plan their day on the cruise compasses. Plus keep a copy for yourself in order to know where the kisds will be when they are not in your company.

Have a blast.

[house7]

1. Call Credit card company and let them know that you are leaving the country and what ports you are visiting! Trust me I learned the hard way when my card was declined due to an increase and unusual spending pattern!

 

On our last cruise a couple at our dinner table forgot to call and they went through that issue.

 

I'm glad to know that there are other very organized people out there:D my kids laugh at me for it.

 

I also have printed decriptions of the shore excursions I've booked (along with confirmations). Printed descriptions of stateroom extras with confirmation numbers. Cruise Packing lists for all travellers (helps the kids feel they are in charge of something). My pre-travel checklist. Pet emergency contact lists for the kennel when we drop off pets.

 

I will probably print cruise compass pages and highlight things we want to do before we sail (can give the website if you need it, has all ships listed I think?)

 

We also picked a couple of bottles of wine from the wine list onboard (someone on this forum had posted them) and tried them ahead of time to pick one we liked (they were half the cost at home).

 

hope this helps. but i'm sure you already are very prepared:)

[shipknotshore]

I always prepare envelopes for everything that will cost me cash at each port of call. So if we're on an excursion I bring the $ for that plus a tip, transportation $ /tip if needed, and some spending $.

 

Each day I know that I will have the exact change for whatever has been planned.

 

I also prepare the tip envelope cash in advance. I started doing this after our 1st few cruises when I would have to stand in line at the pursers desk to get the proper change. No more of that for me!!

[nrh322]

I always prepare envelopes for everything that will cost me cash at each port of call. So if we're on an excursion I bring the $ for that plus a tip, transportation $ /tip if needed, and some spending $.

 

Each day I know that I will have the exact change for whatever has been planned.

 

I also prepare the tip envelope cash in advance. I started doing this after our 1st few cruises when I would have to stand in line at the pursers desk to get the proper change. No more of that for me!!

 

 

Thanks for the idea.... BRILLIANT!!! :D

[Royalpair]

I have extra empty page protectors in mine to put the compass and any other papers you get on board. When we did a scrapebooking class last year, it was nice to put the page in the binder to keep it nice. On the front I put the itinerary, or a chart of our excursions, with times, so we can see what's up at a glance.

My girlfriend's husdand laughs at me for doing a binder (I got the idea here), so i even did one for a land trip to their house in Fla.

[LostAgain]

We are still preparing for our first cruise, so I'm probably not a good person to reply to this message -- but, I am including the ship deck plans and maps of the islands we will be visiting.

[massfriends]

I always bring our Medical cards ie: Insurance & prescription drug plans. They have important numbers to call on the back.

 

Happy Cruising!!!

[jary8]

I have scanned all our passports and driving licences and emailed them to myself, after reading this thread I'm about to scan my CC's and get myself a folder. I am getting my children to make a scrapbook while on vacation, this will give them a little bit of calm down time. ( I hope :D )

[jary8]

Hi, Can you let me know the website for the cruise compasses, I am reallt getting excited now only 9 days to go before we board but we leave in 3 days.

[0ldog]

How about a brief list of your valuables e.g. description, and serial numbers of items that have such e.g. camera, ipod, etc.... sometimes having a file with photographs of unique items e.g. rings, necklaces, bracelets etc help if it gets misplaced...much easier to show a photo than just a description...and if you don't want to carry so many photos just keep them on a file on one of your email accounts... hope you never have the need to use this part of your file but you seem to be a person that likes to be well prepared.. this would not only help for the cruise but for your own insurance records.........

 

Great idea, I've got it listed at home, but if something's lost or stolen on vacation you could prove it was yours by the serial number. After all I've seen lots of the same cameras on cruises.

[house7]

Hi, Can you let me know the website for the cruise compasses, I am reallt getting excited now only 9 days to go before we board but we leave in 3 days.

 

This is the site for the cruise compass. People scan them in.

http://www.cruisedailies.com/portal/CruiseLines/RoyalCaribbean/VoyageroftheSeas/tabid/222/Default.aspx

 

Hope it has what you need. I found it great. Has all the ships.;)

[Phishface]

to friends back at home, contact info for these friends.

 

Speaking of contact info for friends, I print out all my christmas card labels which have addresses of all friends and family so I have easy access for writing postcards.