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**Put a rubber band around wallets in your back pocket will inhibit pickpockets. Some "ports of call" have large pick-pocket communities....unfortunately.
**Toss a few empty plastic bags into your suitcase. You may need them later to pack dirty or damp clothes.
Tap water on your ship is perfectly safe to drink; purchasing bottled water is only necessary if you prefer
taste.
**Tuck fabric softener sheets between garments as you pack to keep clothing fresh during travels.
**Bring your own travel alarm clock; most staterooms do not have them.
**If you live in a colder climate are traveling to a warm weather cruise...When you put your summer wardrobe away for winter, set aside casual outfits, sandals, swimwear, and sleepwear you want to wear on your cruise and store them in suitcase you plan to use. You'll be at least half packed and won't be hunting down an outfit or a pair of shoes later. You will also free up some drawer and/or closet space at same time. Hang your evening clothes in a separate area of your closet and pack them when you're ready to leave for your trip
**Pre-address stick-on labels for postcards to folks back home & you won't have to carry along a bulky address book.
**Make two copies of your passport, driver's license, and credit cards before leaving home-in addition to your Cruise Documents, and Trip Travel Insurance. Leave one set of copies in a safe place on your ship. If ship's purser holds your passport (which is often case, to expedite clearing ship in foreign ports), carry passport copy ashore with you. Leave other copies with a friend or family member at home.
**Binoculars ---lightweight, small ones..........particularly for Alaska, Hawaii, Europe !
**Print cards with your name, address, phone number, & email address to share with new friends. Having your cards handy sure beats hunting for pens & scribbling on scraps of paper to swap addresses. Fun, inexpensive, colorful cards can be ordered online from a company called www.vistaprint.com. (Allow plenty of time to order and receive these !)
** Leave any paperback novels you've finished for crew library. You'll have more room in your suitcase and crewmembers will have fresh reading material--they will really appreciate this !
**Don't forget to pack and USE your sunscreen. Why take chance of a nasty sunburn ruining a great cruise vacation? Protect your skin from injury and aging. Throw in something for Sunburn too. People have a way of overdoing on vacation.
**Check balance of your on-board account before end of your cruise. Straighten out any discrepancies immediately and avoid a long line at Purser's Desk that last morning after your final bill arrives (try to do final last night...try to beat rush !)
**You are all dressed for dinner and you look fabulous !! Have a family portrait taken to preserve memory. There's no obligation to purchase any photos you don't care for.
**and my all time favorite..........depending on what type of trip, ship, elegance level etc etc...........bring t-shirts you might want to work out in.......sleep in..........tour in..that you will wear and leave behind as they are dirty.......this will give you room in your suitcase for purchases while traveling.
Joan Dann can be reached via her website at www.Dann-Online.com and email her at dann@dann-online.com
She is President of Great Explorations ! Travel and a Cruise Expert. She is also Co-Owner of Dann Mens Clothing (www.Dann-Online.com ) with husband Dennis and has spent many years in the Men's and Womens Clothing Industries as well as the Luggage and Leathergoods Industry.
