How to stay organized?

I'm sailing on the Noordam this coming July from Rome. we also have a post stay and a post stay.

I have a small notebook divided into sections for notes. However I have all these printed pages and I don't know what to do with them ( hotel reservations, plan reservations, tickets ..etc) Throw them into a folder?

With everyone going "paperless" it seems to mean I have more paper!

Suggestions?

Or how do you stay organized for a complicated vacation.

I use thin sheet protectors in a flexible three ring binder and I slip two pages (back to back) in each one. I throw out pages along the way and usually go home with a binder full of empty sheet protectors.

I make a pdf of key documents and e-mail them to myself and to my Kindle account, then I download them onto my Kindle.

I do the same thing. I have the days' key tickets, etc in the first sheet and then more in the others. The first thing I do onboard is to give the recycling bin a visit once I see everything is in place that far:)

I do a little book and a spread sheet with the key confirmation #'s and details so that I only have to go to the binder in case. It's worked great so far - and although I have rarely needed those confirmations, it's always good to have them:)

I use page protectors and you could put them into a duotang folder. I often use one sleeve for each main topic (flights/hotels, one for each port, etc). Hope this gives you some ideas.

Enjoy your cruise.

In my email I have a "Travel" folder I save all trip related emails to. I don't print them all out until a week or so prior to my trip.

You all are much more organized than I am. I just put everything into a manilla folder. I do at least paper clip related documents together (pre-cruise docs get a clip, cruise docs get their own clip, etc.)

Next time I will put it all into an expanding folder, because during the trip I add to it. Things like the newsletters left in the cabin, maps, etc. Any little mementos I pick up along the way.

But those of you with the sheet protectors really impress me!

I'm sailing on the Noordam this coming July from Rome. we also have a post stay and a post stay.

I have a small notebook divided into sections for notes. However I have all these printed pages and I don't know what to do with them ( hotel reservations, plan reservations, tickets ..etc) Throw them into a folder?

 

With everyone going "paperless" it seems to mean I have more paper!

 

Suggestions?

Or how do you stay organized for a complicated vacation.

I don't know if Staples Office Supply still sells them, but I'd bought boxes of 'job envelopes' from them before my husband retired from being a self-employed electrical contractor.

These are like manila folders but closed on three sides instead of just one. When we're going on a cruise I use as many of those job envelopes as I feel I need: plane, cruise, hotel, tours, sightseeing ideas.

I've also been known to use a binder with dividers and then 3-hole punch all the papers and put them behind the appropriate divider.

DW has a file folder for every thing and every day. Before we leave we arrange the folders chronologically and go through the "important" stuff to make sure that we have everything. Tickets, passports and reservation confirmations are highest on the list.

The entire folder set-up goes into the front outside pocket of her "rolley"; that way she can reach in a grab as needed while we're on the move.

I'm sailing on the Noordam this coming July from Rome. we also have a post stay and a post stay.

I have a small notebook divided into sections for notes. However I have all these printed pages and I don't know what to do with them ( hotel reservations, plan reservations, tickets ..etc) Throw them into a folder?

 

With everyone going "paperless" it seems to mean I have more paper!

 

Suggestions?

Or how do you stay organized for a complicated vacation.

I sometimes take a 1/2" 3-ring binder and throw in a few plastic sleeve protectors for anything I need to add later and don;t have a 3-hole punch or small pieces.

And I am known to create a fancy front page with pictures of the ship and where we are going to slip into the font cover. ;)

I'm sailing on the Noordam this coming July from Rome. we also have a post stay and a post stay.

I have a small notebook divided into sections for notes. However I have all these printed pages and I don't know what to do with them ( hotel reservations, plan reservations, tickets ..etc) Throw them into a folder?

 

With everyone going "paperless" it seems to mean I have more paper!

 

Suggestions?

Or how do you stay organized for a complicated vacation.

I sometimes take a 1/2" 3-ring binder and throw in a few plastic sleeve protectors for anything I need to add later and don;t have a 3-hole punch or small pieces. I also toss things along the way (and add new stuff!)

And I am known to create a fancy front page with pictures of the ship and where we are going to slip into the font cover. ;)

I have a plastic, clear see through ticket holder. Fold my pieces of paper in thirds, write on the top what they are (I.e., boarding pass, hotel, etc). I then put them in the order needed while on my trip. I also have all my papers, information stored on my IPhone and IPad. For me, having too many pieces of paper and binders just gets too confusing. As the trip proceeds , I throw out what I no longer need.

I have one of those black and white composition books for each trip and will fold and staple the printed confirmations etc to a page in the book. I try to organize by date so can flip through as needed and leave extra pages between locals in case I need to make notes on the pages or want to jot diary type entries to help me recall good and bad details

I try to pick these up when they are on sale at office max etc.

DW has a file folder for every thing and every day. Before we leave we arrange the folders chronologically and go through the "important" stuff to make sure that we have everything. Tickets, passports and reservation confirmations are highest on the list.

The entire folder set-up goes into the front outside pocket of her "rolley"; that way she can reach in a grab as needed while we're on the move.

Before the day of laptops..my wife had a mess in her huge handbag with all our travel papers and passports. Since I now carry a laptop on every vacation, I do what your wife does in a folder that is kept in my laptop case. The laptop case/bag kinda serves as my own handbag lol, which is great going through airport security,I throw everything in there now , instead of my pockets.:)

Three cruises ago I bought a very inexpensive plastic spiral binder with about 6 plastic sheet protectors. These also have a front pocket on each side of each sheet. Depending on the itinerary, the first sheet has hotel reservations, then cruise docs, then shore X info, etc. I keep a copy of my passport and my traveling companion's (either Mom or DH). He or she also has a copy of mine. There are nice closable pockets on the inside of the front and back covers where I keep my foreign cash and a few $$$ for immediate need tips.

Also, I scan all vital documents, and put them on a thumb drive. That goes into the crossbody bag I take on the plane and every time I go off the ship. That way I have all critical phone number, copies of passports, etc. in case there is an emergency.

For my upcoming Rome trip I found myself in your situation! I HAD to get organized:

This is what I did... I have a plastic 3 ring folder for my documents..and organize it according to use ( flight info, pre flight hotel, pre cruise tours, cruise, meet and greet list, post cruise hotel, flight home ) ..also in this folder is copies of credit cards, passports, etc. ( Last year for Paris/London I used an expanding file folder but found it too large. This folder is better all around. )

Then in another smallish folder ( a daytimer-ish book that has a 3 ring binder ) I have my spliced apart Rick Steve's cruise book , organized according to port schedule and with extra notes I have about the port ( from here and tripadvisor ). I included restaurant picks, bus routes, walking routes, etc. Everything above I hole punched. Since the daytimer zips closed I also can put in maps etc. that I do not want punched. At each port I can take the info I need..use it, then toss it...

I also have a " cruise only" e-mail that I forward every piece of travel e-mail to and scans of passports etc. Everyone I am traveling with has that e-mail and the password so they can access it, if needed, in the case of an emergency. I travel a lot but I have never tried this. I got the idea here, after the Concordia sinking. Best idea ever, in my book.

Have a great trip!

Denise

I use the sheet protectors & binder too. I also always print out a calendar with the days itinerary printed on it. I keep it in the binder until we get on the ship. Then I tape it to the mirror or closet door so we can see it every day. I'm a very visual learner so it really helps me to stay organized. Just don't forget to relax once you get there & enjoy every minute because it goes way too fast.

I do as many of your other writers have suggested - I use a flexible binder and put all my information in it. I through out as I go along.

Having paper really helped us a couple of years ago. We went on a river cruise down the Rhine and stayed in Germany and Switzerland afterwards. We had made reservation at a B&B for the night before our departure out of Zurich. We got to the home, no one was there. We went to eat dinner, came back and still no one. i asked a couple who was pulling into the communal garage if they knew this couple because I had a reservation. They looked shocked and I asked if they were the owners. They said they were but had no reservations for tonight. I told them that I had the email confirmation. We whipped that piece of paper out of the paper and showed them their response to us confirming the night. Got the room for half price. Glad to have the paper rather than trying to find a computer to download it from.

I'm sailing on the Noordam this coming July from Rome. we also have a post stay and a post stay.

I have a small notebook divided into sections for notes. However I have all these printed pages and I don't know what to do with them ( hotel reservations, plan reservations, tickets ..etc) Throw them into a folder?

 

With everyone going "paperless" it seems to mean I have more paper!

 

Suggestions?

Or how do you stay organized for a complicated vacation.

We always take a folder with us to stay organized. You have to bring your paperwork from Hal, also airplane tickets etc..

Wonderful ideas here. DH usually prints every last e-mail, and I get a bit nervous when I see the stuffed manila folder.

I use a multi-pocket expandable folder which is perfect - a slot for flight and hotel info, another for cruise confirmations and pre-purchases, then one for each port. Papers I want to bring home can be organized too. It is a marvel of ease and efficiency, with only one drawback. On longer vacations, it gets HEAVY. I've got to think of something else for the approaching cruise, but I haven't made up my mind yet. Lots of good suggestions here - thanks!

I know what you mean, too much paper and it all looks alike too.

I use an old Holland America travel folder, put only what we need in it for the first day of travel. Generally our air arrangements and hotel info for the first leg of our trip.

I keep the cruise documents, car service together in another separate clear plastic folder, for the day we board.

I also keep a separate folder, with our return flight and any hotel information and travel insurance.

Feel it is safer to keep the various stages of our travel separate so they don't get lost.

I make a one pay summary of all our travel information, reservation numbers, address and phone numbers for hotels or other contacts. I include our airline boarding code, this way for the most i only need to refer to my summary sheet during the course of the trip. I have the other documents with us, if for some reason we need them.

Use one of the old HAL leather or cloth wallets to carry your travel documents. They were great, wish they were still around.

Glad we saved the ones we got years ago. They have come in very handy.

We too keep a paper travel dossier. But now I'm wondering about printing all the post-embark stuff once we're on the ship, to avoid flying with that extra 5 lbs of paper. Has anybody tried this?

Like many of you, I keep everything in a folder with plastic sheets. Everything is in chronological order. In addition to tickets, cruise documents and confirmation emails I have port notes, insurance policy documents, list of roll call members etc.

In addition, I print different types of documents on different coloured paper (emails on yellow, information on pink, tickets on white etc) so that they stand out easily in a hurry.

I also keep documents (including copies of passports, credit cards, driving licences etc) on a memory stick with a password and also email the file to an account I rarely use so I can just pick it up anywhere if I were to lose everything.

DH thinks I am over-organised but he has been grateful for this on several occasions over the years.

Years ago we got leather folders when we sailed on the Concord years ago. I have all our paper work in one of the folders -- using paper clips to separate hotel reservations, reservations for shore excursions, etc. That goes into my carry-on.

In my purse I have a clear folder that we got from Princess years ago where I keep our flight tickets.

We too keep a paper travel dossier. But now I'm wondering about printing all the post-embark stuff once we're on the ship, to avoid flying with that extra 5 lbs of paper. Has anybody tried this?

There is a fee for printing on the ship - so no, I haven't tried it.