Organizing paperwork

[dsal]

The list goes on... I typically have brought one large folder of paperwork, but this year, I've gathered individual folders for each set of paperwork. One for airport parking/airline tickets. One for ship documents. One for each port of call.

 

I like that notebook idea someone mentioned. That's a lot cleaner. I may look at doing something like that instead!

 

 

Hmmmm. But with separate folders, you could just take one folder each day that has your stuff in it for that day. Or, maybe do the notebook, and bring one folder--putting in the day's information, and reuse that same folder each day.

[dsal]

We were 1 day in Paris, 3 pre-cruise days in Rome, 12 day cruise, 2 post days in Venice, and 2 more days in Paris. We were gone from home 21 days,

 

OH my goodness, that cruise sounds FANTASTIC! I bet you had a wonderful time! :)

[Essiesmom]

I would love to know about other cruise forums. Do you mind posting that info?

 

Thank you!:)

Judy

There are many,many cruise forums out there..but none so elaborate as this one. the problem is that we are not allowed to post links to other cruise forums here. But if you ask Mr Google about invincible the life boat, you will get my main forum. EM

[Bamagal in FL]

I use a thin, flexible sided three ring binder. I use sheet protectors, so I don't have to punch holes in my documents, and put everything in the order I think I'll need it.

 

I carry a lot of information with me about each port, as well as hotels before/after the cruise. After each stop I toss the paper associated with it, so that by the end of the trip I'm down to just key travel information.

 

 

This is what I do. In addition, I divide the "categories" with tabs (cruise docs in 1 tab, airline docs in 2nd tab, hotel docs in 3rd tab, info about city 4th tab and so on). As the info 'expires" I move the tabbed dividers to the back and discard the paperwork. The sheet protectors are still used for receipts and other souvenir "paper" items (ticket stubs, passes, brochures, ect) I need or want keep.

[April7901]

... I'm terribly anal about paperwork. I'd much rather have everything I might need than be scrambling for things.

 

I, too, must travel to get to a port, which requires flight confirmations, hotel confirmations, cruise docs and so forth.

 

I had purchased a small RollaBind notebook (they had been sold at Staples, but I don't think they are any longer). The pages, tabs, and pockets were removable and expandable - so I could have only what I needed.

 

I did one tab each for pre-cruise, each day of the trip, and post-cruise. Each page had written information about the day, vendors and confirmation numbers and such, and then the two pockets in the back held each piece of paper that corresponded, in order of necessity.

 

It worked quite well for me, and I intend to use that system again.

[Bowie MeMe]

I have a purple heavy plastic envelope style folder that is always packed with passport copy,list of medicines, insurance information, list of doctors and credit card/ phone numbers in a coded list, and medical papers and legal papers for DH and myself plus for elderly relative. We have learned from caring for elderly that unless you have the power of attorney and medical power of attorney you can have real problems in an emergency. By keeping this packed if we are going anywhere it is easy to "know" you have everything when you travel.

 

Now for the cruise I have a blue plastic accordian file. All the plans for that trip are filed in accordian file in order they will be used. 1st division is precruise, 2nd division is flights, 3rd is cruise docs, 4th excursions, 5th post cruise. Keeps it organized. Has proved it's worth many many times.

 

I also put everything on my email account which I could get to if I need it. I like the paper copies because I have them. Sometimes can not get to email easily.

 

Both of these files (even full) are small enough to slip into my carryon and has everything organized and ready. My DD also taught me to program the cell phone with airline numbers and major hotel chains in case you need to change flights etc. AND YES that has happened and the phone numbers on the cell meant I got the room and not the thousands of others looking.

 

Librarians are supposed to be organized -- it is what we do. We also share information with others;)

[Bowie MeMe]

Extra organization. In quart bags I keep all the medicines etc that you usually find in the medicine cabinet. In the tummy bag: pepto bismal pills, tums, laxative, diarehha med, etc. In cold bag: throat drops, antihistamine, cough suppressant, themometer etc. I also have skin, bandages, coffee/tea, bags. These sit in the closet and all I have to do is grab and stuff in carryon or suitcase. I go through the bags once a year so that everything is within date. I have a neat medicine cabinet and I have everything I need without checking for each trip. (we travel maybe 25 weeks a year). I could give you a list of the contents of each bag but this is personal and you would want the products that you like.

[sparky-elpaso]

I have a purple heavy plastic envelope style folder that is always packed with passport copy,list of medicines, insurance information, list of doctors and credit card/ phone numbers in a coded list, and medical papers and legal papers for DH and myself plus for elderly relative. We have learned from caring for elderly that unless you have the power of attorney and medical power of attorney you can have real problems in an emergency. By keeping this packed if we are going anywhere it is easy to "know" you have everything when you travel.

 

Now for the cruise I have a blue plastic accordian file. All the plans for that trip are filed in accordian file in order they will be used. 1st division is precruise, 2nd division is flights, 3rd is cruise docs, 4th excursions, 5th post cruise. Keeps it organized. Has proved it's worth many many times.

 

I also put everything on my email account which I could get to if I need it. I like the paper copies because I have them. Sometimes can not get to email easily.

 

Both of these files (even full) are small enough to slip into my carryon and has everything organized and ready. My DD also taught me to program the cell phone with airline numbers and major hotel chains in case you need to change flights etc. AND YES that has happened and the phone numbers on the cell meant I got the room and not the thousands of others looking.

 

Librarians are supposed to be organized -- it is what we do. We also share information with others;)

 

Now that's something I hadn't thought of - I have the numbers written down in my little spiral journal book - but I'll put them in my phone too. Thanks.

 

Something I just did (I got the idea from another post here) is to get a hanging shoe holder from Walmart for all those little things like toiletries, etc. to go in so you can see what you've got and what you need. It's hanging on the hall closet door and as I get things they go in a pocket. All I have to do on packing day is check each item off my list and put it in a bag.

[Doug R.]

I use a 1" binder and document protectors and arrange as follows:

 

-Cruise documents

-Airline Reservation information

-Hotel Confirmation

-Rental Car and/or Ground Transportaion confirmation

 

After that I put any other items I have downloaded. For example, for my upcoming cruise I printed out a walking tour guide to Old San Juan, the details on a couple of restaurants we may try, maps etc. On the day before the flight I print out the boarding pass and store it in the pocket inside the binder.

[DonMar]

Once we travel, I have a bigger size envelope for each day and have each one numbered in order of days and have info written on the outside of the envelope too. Inside, I have the confirmation printouts, the plane tickets, money, etc....

 

I keep each envelope in the safe until it is time to use that days. When the day is over, I have any new info written on the back of the envelope, receipts in it, etc... so when I get home, I know exactly how much I spent each day.

 

 

I do the same thing. I really like having each day pre-organized with any paperwork for our plans in port, the cash we will need and other necessary info just for that day.

 

I also use a file folder with hotel and planes confirmations stapled to one side (inside) and boarding info, reservations etc. staples to the other side. Any cruise docs sent to us are put in an envelope which gets stapled too. I hat having a file with papers falling out. This way I know the docs will not disappear!

 

One other thing I do that saves space (we travel carry on only) and keeps me organized... I love travel books, but do not want to take a book per port. So (book lovers look away:o) I cut out the sections I want to bring and staple the pages together and put them in the appropriate port envelope.

[Happy ks]

I have found that you really don't need all the paperwork most people bring with them. I just have the confirmation numbers on one sheet of paper, if I do have to accesss them (I never have) I can look them up on my email.

 

I have a document holder I got from Cunard years ago, it's a bit larger than an envelope, seperated into two pockets. It holds all the papers we take, I do discard as they are used if I can.

 

The phone numbers programmed into the phone is a great idea. If your flight is cancelled you can avoid the long line everyone else is standing in to get their plans changed. You can call your hotel if you are delayed so your room doesn't get sold out from under you. You can call for directions if you get lost in that rental car (this has happened to us) for the hopelessly non-techies that have no idea how to use a GPS :o.

 

We do take one sheet of paper with secure information on it, seperate from all other paper work. All emergency numbers, including those for cancelling credit cards should they be stolen.

 

I'm guilty of discarding all thos papers once we get home. I used to keep everything, I had a whole file drawer full of useless paperwork.

 

Unless we were taking an extended trip, I doubt I'd take along a 3 ring binder or large folder, I just can't get that organized with a short one week trip.

[xxoocruiser]

Years back HAL used to send all cruise documents in a leather travel pouch and I saved them . Use the pouches for all my travel needs. I take only the neccessary documents.....license, passport, cruise documents, confirmations of booked excursions, airline tickets, emergency contact info and travel insurance documents.

[new salt]

Let me see

1. Train tickets to Barcelona

2. Pre booked Hotel details Barcelona

3. E tickets to Dublin + boarding passes

4. Hotel details Dublin

5. E Tickets to JFK +boarding passes

6. Hotel booking details NYC

7. Amtrak ticket voucher

8. Hotel details Miami

9. Cruise E Docs

10. Return rail tickets from Barcelona.

11. Copy of travel insurance

12. Key telephone nos

13. Copies of passports

 

All set in order in a cheap disposable folder and destroyed as and when no longer required.

 

This next trip I intend to scan all the above and hold them both on my netbook and a cd.

 

On the front of the folder will be a copy of the house shutdown checklist with items confirmed and ticked off by both of us: this last process starts 6 weeks before any meaningful time away (animal vaccinations in date etc)

 

This might seem the actions of an AR but I am quite the opposite and have (eventually) learned the consequences of poor preparation.

 

New Salt

[pamfj]

For any trip we take I do a "briefing packet" --printed sheets with a binder clip that I put in a manilla envelope. I organize things in order and then discard after we have finished that portiojn of the trip. I include all the reservation confirmations, directions, general information (usually a short piece on each place we will visit) etc.

 

My husband, who is much lesss involved in trip planning than I am, then reads the briefing packet on the plane, and we use it as a guide throughout our trip.

 

In the planning stage, instead of printing things out, I save e-mails in a folder in Outlook and have a spreadsheet and Word folder for trip related info. When I am ready to print before we leave it is all there in one place.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Hubby gets a plastic multi-sectioned folder to put his papers for the cruise. I'll have my own plastic sleeve that I put all my research on ports, other details. I'm a compulsive vacation planner so I'll check books, websites for the ports, and all that.

 

As someone mentioned above, I'll also tear out relevant pages, but from the Auto Club book. I'll try to group each port's info together and clip together.

 

I'll program taxi companies, etc. into my cell phone, besides having a paper copy (just in case something happens to the phone). I'll also gather our itinerary info with emergency numbers (hotels, flights, whatever) into a sheet to give to our neighbors and family members. It also is helpful for us to have this same info plus confirmation numbers handy printed on a colored sheet of paper to make it easier to find. That way if a rental car company somehow lost our reservation, I've got the number handy.

[CanWeGoYet?]

I keep a 2 pocket folder for each cruise, with necessary documents in order of the trip. Flight info, hotel, pre-booked transportation, cruise boarding passes, pre-booked tours, and also port info like maps, restaurants or which sights I don't want to miss if I am doing the port on my own. It takes up almost no space in my carry on, and has come in handy if I need an address to give a taxi driver. In Dover there were 3 hotels in the same chain, the taxi drivers had no idea which location was which by the name of the hotel.

[Putterdude]

We just finished a very port intensive cruise. What I did, for the first time ever, was but everything on an Excel spread sheet...airline tracking numbers, hotel reservation numbers, when we arrived in port, when we departed, excursions, pick up time for excursions, cost of excursions and deposits made, telephone or cell numbers of independent excursion operators and allike. I then put any paperwork I had in a large kraft envelope. With any emails I had re the cruise and excrusions I put on a seperate file on my laptap.

[California Native]

Over the years we have tried manila folders, oversize envelopes, gallon size zip lock bag and have found the following works best and can handle all that we want to carry with us, not get beat up of course of the trip

and give us easy viewing to locate what we need in seconds.

We use a 7 or 12 pocket accordion folder that you can label the tabs to fit your specific trip needs.

They can be purchased at Office Max, Container Store or Target

Here's an example of the Container Stores

http://www.containerstore.com/shop/office/paperStorage/expandingFilesPouches?productId=10000364

We do a lot DIY with ports and usually have pretty extensive pre and post cruise travelI've read quite a few of the past posts on this board and I just wanted to add, that I print out the correspondence I had with

each hotel and private driver..I have found MANY MANY times having the confirmed room rate and that breakfast IS included was needed

 

Also, we have an international cell phones and everyone and everything concerning our trip is programmed into it before we leave.

 

Also, I printed out my personal cruise planner that indicates how many obc I should be receiving.

We tend to be very detailed planners at the same time prepared enough for plan b-h to be implemented if needed

I have a section on our travel journal about how we organize just our paperwork. What we actually pack first aid, clothes etc.

is the packing section

http://ourpassportstamps.com/Organizing.html

 

 

 

[sunnygidget]

I love all the idea I've been reading on this thread.

 

I print out alot of stuff for our trips because we are usually gone a month. With flights within Europe you have to be so careful about the weight of your carryon bag and I'm going to carrying on my info so it doesn't get lost, I print off my stuff on an onion skin type paper. It's very light 3 sheets to 1 sheet weight of regular paper.

 

I copy stuff from the guide books that I borrow from the library (and cann't tear out the pages), on this type of paper as well. Sometimes downsizing the page so that I can get 2 pages on 1 page to cut the weight (it just makes the print a little smaller).

 

I usually use a tyvek bag (a free priority bag from the post office) to put things in, as it is very light weight and strong, but I just might have to break down and get an accordion type folder. I put things in, in the order that I use them and then toss as I go to keep weight down so, that way I can take home some goodies from our travels.

[Happy ks]

I had forgotten what I did for our Med cruise with pre/post days in 2008. There were 7 people in our group and everyone kept asking what we were doing on what day and how much cash they would need. So, I went to a calendar site, inserted all the information for each day including cost, confirmation number and pertinent telephone numbers. I then printed it out and sent each one of them a copy.

 

It not only helped keep everyone from continually asking me details, on the trip itself it was on one sheet of paper rather than a sheet for each day/port stop. Everyone kept their calendar sheet handy on the desk for reference...no more asking me how many Euros they needed for each day or where we were going or how we were getting there.

 

I even customized it with pictures of Italy :)

[cruizinrican]

That is what's great about cruising, I can do one thing and you can do another but yet we all will wind up in the same place eventually regardless of the steps we took to get there. I LOVE IT!:D

 

I bring directions to the hotel from our house (printed out), hotel confirmation, luggage tags (we put on the following morning), e-tickets for cruise (preprinted for each of us), shore excursion info for each port that I have pre-booked (confirmation, paid receipts, meeting info and etc.), a page of our itinarary, deck printed out, stamps in a zip pouch so DD12 can send postcards back, print out of our OBC (so we have proof incase once aboard we have a problem), addresses for post cards, emergency info (copies of our health cards), emails addresses of family and several copies of our passports (just incase). It is all kept in a half inch binder w/ dividers and a few pockets to hold receipts, extra envelopes, a few blank notecards to be filled and given to kids club staff and other little things such as excursion money divided into seperate envelopes already and sealed, to include tips as well.

 

I like to be organized and I find that for me, it works better. It leaves me more relaxed and less preoccupied if I take care of everything before I leave. I even go as far as to have our OBC in place with our enitre amount in place before we cruise to use for whatever. No last minute charging to credit cards to pay later. I use cash only.

[MrsPete]

I don't have much in the way of paperwork:

 

We're driving, so no plane tickets.

Confirmation number, address, and phone number for our pre-cruise hotel is entered in to my phone.

We'll be parking at the port, so there's nothing ahead of time.

I've printed out the email confirmation for our cruise; it's everything on one page -- OBC, etc. These confirmation numbers are also in my phone.

Once I do the online check-in, I'll have one page to be turned in at the terminal.

Once I send in my VISA card OBC forms, I'll have copies of that.

Once I buy travel insurance, I'll have one page that'll detail that policy.

I have confirmation numbers for two private excursions; I've entered these and the contact phone numbers into my phone.

Can't forget passports.

 

So that's a good bit of information in my phone, 4 pieces of paper, and passports. The passports are by far the bulkiest items. It all fits into a travel docs holder that we have; it's the size of a paper folded into thirds.

[KAYEF]

I buy those transparent "plastic" folders.................the top comes over and it has the string that you wrap around a couple of round disks...........

I have itineraries, motel reservations, car rentals, travel insurance info and telephone numbers, everything is printed out on 8 1/2 x 11 paper which these files are made for.

I write important things like my booking number and telephone numbers on the wrong side of post a notes and stick them inside so I can read them from the outside.

I also have an envelope of nice $1. bills which I tape inside my closet door so I have some handy for Room Service tips when I'm not fully awake in the morning.

They come in clear, blue, green, etc.

I carry mine in the outside pocket of my carry-on suitcase and it's always available quickly.

My passport rides around my neck in its holder!

Once home, I have this packet as a reminder of "that" trip.

[agabbymama]

OH my goodness, that cruise sounds FANTASTIC! I bet you had a wonderful time! :)

 

Yes, we did have a wonderful time. Even with the things that can/do go wrong. And we missed Mykonos due to high winds, but it was a fantastic trip, and my friend's only trip to mainland Europe, so she was very happy with what we were able to see and do. We have walking limitations, so weren't able to climb the Acropolis in Athens, nor to the top in Monte Carlo, but we saw them from below and were totally satisfied that we even got to see them.

 

It was expensive (I had budgeted $4500 pp and it ended up costing $6500 pp) but we felt it was our last big trip, so we went for it. We spared no expense, did everything we wanted to do and purchased a lot of things, we wouldn't have bought here. But would do it again in a heartbeat.

[CanWeGoYet?]

I don't have much in the way of paperwork:

 

We're driving, so no plane tickets.

Confirmation number, address, and phone number for our pre-cruise hotel is entered in to my phone.

We'll be parking at the port, so there's nothing ahead of time.

I've printed out the email confirmation for our cruise; it's everything on one page -- OBC, etc. These confirmation numbers are also in my phone.

Once I do the online check-in, I'll have one page to be turned in at the terminal.

Once I send in my VISA card OBC forms, I'll have copies of that.

Once I buy travel insurance, I'll have one page that'll detail that policy.

 

Oh that's right! I take along a copy of the shareholder info, just in case the credit were to go "poof" and not show when I boarded. Travel insurance, and a copy of the visa credit card OBC as well.

Also taking along copies of the roll call, and meet & greet info.