Overexcited?

As soon as I book, I'm doing research on the ports, flights, transfers, hotels, etc....Reading all the message boards gets me excited!!

Next cruise, I'm in Roatan, Belize and Cozumel. I have folders in MY DOCUMENTS and as I see suggestions of places to see or excursions they loved, I copy/paste to a word document saved in the folders. Then I go over the ideas with my hubby (and kids).

 

I have a large basket on a shelf in the spare bedroom that holds all my travel stuff year round. Like lanyards, passport holder, travel size stuff, etc. As soon as I book, I also put a laundry basket in there to hold stuff I pick up or come across just for the cruise. Currently it has our water shoes and snorkel stuff in there as we just got off a cruise in March. We've always cruised in March so I didn't want that stuff packed away in the basement however...being summer soon, it will be stuff I'll need and use this summer.

 

About a month before my trip....I print off my packing list that's on my computer and doesn't change much and check my medicine stock. I keep empty travel Tylenol/Advil tubes and fill them. Do I need Gravol, pepto, Lactaid, etc? I don't want to wait until the last minute to get this stuff so I refer to my list often and drop off to pick up odds and ends on my way home from work. I also try on all my summer clothes and bathing suits. If I need to shop, I want to have time and not feel rushed! I schedule to get my hair dyed/cut and nails done in the week/days before we leave. We also schedule anything needed for the car (lube/oil) if we have along drive.

 

About a week before, I iron everything and hang up. Suit cases come out of storage in the basement and opened up in the spare bedroom.

 

I pack about 2 days prior and cross off stuff as its in the bag. My rule...DON'T CROSS IT OFF UNTIL ITS IN THE BAG AND THEN IT DOESN'T COME OUT! lol I also cross pack between all the bags. If anything gets lost (and it has once), everyone will have clothes. I download my books/magazines from the library and make up our itinerary for stay at home loved ones. I double check all travel documents and print off anything required.

 

I'm pretty organized BUT its my packing list that keeps it all together. Not only things that I'm bringing, It has on it things I need to remember as well like the mail/newspaper, etc.

Wow! I think I need you to teach me how to be a REAL grown up! :p But those are some great tips, seriously, thank you.

Hi, Nurse Dibdob (love the name!)....I don't know if you're sailing out of the UK, but it's often wise to have some sort of raincoat for the sailaway....sadly, sometimes even a jumper....:(

Enjoy!

Thanks jocap. As a Brit, my raincoat is never far away!