A few things to add to this list: Settle pet/house sitting people & arrangements carry copies of credit cards in case something is lost or stolen - so you can call your bank book parking near the port if using an offsite lot instead of parking at the port garage (we drive) Choose port arrival time appointment if required by your cruise line arrange pre-cruise covid testing and have a secondary backup plan - at home telehealth test or other test provider Print all docs and save them to your phone/email/dropbox make sure you have your vaccine cards secure your home carry a paper copy of important phone numbers (family, your bank, your travel insurance company, your employer) Notify your family of your itinerary and how to contact you in case of emergency take a pic of your luggage in case it's lost or stolen make a list of everything you packed - very important for insurance if bags are lost or stolen
Ty for the reminders...going on my first cruise very soon... Another warning or reminder....Dont post your pictures or talk about your cruise/trip. while on it... you never know whos watching your apps...wait till your home to share your vacation photos!!! Phone on airplane mode when on ship before it sails..
Stumbled across your video. Just want to tell you that you guys did an amazing job with this video. Very helpful info. My husband and I are going on a Hawaiian cruise in October and many of these tips will come in handy. Thank you for posting!😊
Seasoned Advice from Seasoned Cruisers ! Jamie good tip about letting the bank know with the credit card and Sharon l like the envelope daily budgeting/smart. Enjoy your cruise- Cheers!
Great information, thanks for sharing your video with us. I never thought about taking a picture of our passport and emailing it to myself. Thanks again
The envelopes work great; I have been doing this for years! One step further, I keep all my documents in a plastic accordion file, along with my envelopes and passports, makes it so easy and everything is right at your fingertips!
After a few days of paradise, the drive home is the worse thing in the world. You are right about having a plan for going home. Luckily I just have a three to five hour drive home. I fill up the gas tank right before I park my car that way I can just drive straight home. Last day sux.
Youre videos on cruising are the best! My husband and i have watched over and over for several months, preparing for our first cruise and I feel confident that we got this! We have seen others videos but yours have been the best.
Sorry we're late! PLEASE CONSIDER US FOR THE DRAWING 😙 LOVE your videos so much and currently deciding on our cruise based on your reviews. Thank you so much for giving us a representation of the raw and real experiences!
Great Tips Sharon and Jamie. My last 2 cruises I have called my bank regarding my credit cards and they tell me I do not have to do that anymore as they have "things" in place to track identify theft and every year I call and every year they tell me I don't have to do it but I do just in case. Remember too if you're Canadian like I am some Canadian based credit cards are not accepted in some islands. Please call your credit card company and ask if they work where you are going.
Guys love your vids! Times are important! Twice they changed the time we could board: once from 6pm to 4pm! Luckily l always get places far too early so we were okay. Second time 11am to 4pm so we had to spend a day around Dubai in our travel clothes. Further about packing. When you think you've finished take half OUT - dont take too much stuff.
Thank you for sharing these very useful tips. Video presented is very organize and delivered in a professional manner. Very easy to watch and listen to...
Great details! Appreciate the lock and load list. Listened to your casino video also. Very informative. I really think I may hit up the casino after all, when I normally wouldn't. (Only in there whilst waiting in line to get off the ship.) I also want to try a slot pull with others - didn't know about this either. Learning a lot from this here computer!! Thank you. Happy travelling, Aura
I went on my first cruise in 2017. I stepped in when my brother-in-law couldn't go because of work. I had only 8 days before sailing date! My sister and her travel agent got everything set up in lightning speed!! It was grand and I wouldn't change a thing!
Injist subscribed from the casino on cruise ship!! I love thos video beciz it soooo informative!!!!! In sharing to matt he cruising with me in sept 30 on carnival dream from galveston texas
The only thing I could concentrate on during this video was the Randy Rhodes guitar in the background. Thanks for doing this video. Hopefully my wife and I will be doing 7 days on the Breeze this year as our first cruise (fingers crossed!)
First time watching your channel. Hello from Tempe! Fantastic list of must do items. One more thing that I do, is bring a change of clothing in our carry on luggage for "just in case" the luggage gets missing. *EEK* Probably won't but ya know... Great video!
We cruise 2 or three times a yr. we enjoy 22-40 day adventures. Just back from UK, Greenland, Iceland, 34 day cruise and doing a 30 day next month circumnavigating Australia. I take only 1 piece of luggage and 1 carry on. Remember to check if you need a visa or vaccinations. To visit Australia you need a visa attached to your passport. Global entry+TSA cost $100 and is good for 5 yrs and we never have to take off clothes or shoes
Thanks Sharon and Jamie!! First time cruisers need to know a lot before they leave I believe. After a few cruises it gets easier. Maybe use a travel agent at first few cruises. Travel agents can help.
This is a very thorough list you put together. I use a packing list app on my phone and have a pre-cruise checklist. I go over that list a week out just to make sure I have everything I need. Sometimes I need to make a shopping trip or order more meds, buy more cat food, whatever. About emailing yourself a photo of your passport, I keep a paper copy in my luggage and the photo on my phone. Not sure why emailing it is helpful. The photo is also saved in my Dropbox cloud so it's a backup of the backup. First time watching one of your videos - nice job!
Thanks for the tips..... One more would be to stop your newspaper if you get one, just a thought. Have a great trip and looking forward to the vlogs! :-)
When driving to ports, I always see to all car maintenance beforehand! Oil changes, have hoses and fluids checked, etc. Definitely want to do anything possible to prevent any break downs when en route to port destinations! Otherwise, I think you guys thought of everything! 😆
Flights can be delayed, ships can be delayed. We plan to arrive in a port city the day before a cruise and fly out the day after. It saves us a great deal of stress - and we don't cruise to be stressed out!
Great tips guys! I didn’t realize you guys were doing an 8 day this Feb, I thought your next big cruise was this spring? Well Have a fantastic time. I’m leaving in two weeks for my much needed cruise, I cannot wait!!! Can’t wait to watch the videos!!!
2nd cruise and we are driving to Galveston 9 hours WAY Thank You Sharon for the advice on the envelopes. I started putting 1's and 5's in each envelope for tips and taxis. 48 days away so I will have saved up enough tips money and port tips
In regards to medication: I'd recommend bringing a few days extra in case you're delayed coming back home(which has happened to many people I know). Also, we live in Florida and you should use sunscreen on exposed skin even during cooler weather. The sun doesn't stop giving off harmful rays just because it's cold. :-) Great advice on your video! Thank you!
You can contact your local police department to patrol around your home while you're gone. The forms are readily available & the service should be free.
We had a terrible experience with a hotel shuttle. We paid to have the car stay at the hotel and use the hotel shuttle to and from the port. Going to the port it was crowded and waiting for the next shuttle, then the next shuttle... The disaster was when we came back. Turns out the owner of the hotels (yes, plural) was having a big party and had commandeered all but one of the shuttle buses! Carnival is in the first port. The bus filled up every run at the Carnival port and didn't stop for Royal Caribbean! It was cold, raining and we were truly miserable for several hours!
When purchasing sunscreen try to find ones that are safe for coral reefs. Most of these things we did for our first cruise. We do envelopes for our entire budget.
My bank offers a debit card thru a 3rd party specifically for travel. It can loaded with up to $3k. You can also put smaller amounts on it and add more over time. I got one for me and one for my husband so if we lose one we'll have the other. We'll still take cash for tips and incidentals but since we're going to Alaska we feel ok using the card for most things. Love your videos. Your son is quite well mannered and speaks in a thoughtful way.
There are many factors in cutting costs during cruise trips. One place I discovered that successfully combines these is the Carls Cruise Cutter (google it if you're interested) it's the most useful resource i've seen.look at the extraordinary information .
On the Oasis of the seas in August . Booked all myself so may get back to you to check I have done everything nearer the time . Thx for tips . Think I have it all covered but may have forgotten something ???
Just a little note on your Birth Certificate. You may want to make sure someone at home has a copy of of your BC. My husband and I accidentally left his BC at home. Carnival was really good to work with us to get a copy so we didn’t miss our sign in time.
I just wanted to thank you for all of your videos. I used the envelope method before my December cruise that you had suggested. I am so happy that I did since I went a little overboard in the casino. I am happy to say with misc, envelope and money I had left from others, at the end of the cruise I only had to swipe my debit card for $21. I will definitely being doing the envelope method again for each cruise.
Yes make sure you have refills on your meds before you need to pick them up to leave on vacation! Sometimes it make take a while to contact your doctor for refills. Also make sure that you have enough medicine to make it through your cruise. Some insurers don’t allow vacation overrides (to fill your meds early on insurance) or will limit it to once a year or once per 6 months.
Other things to do sometime in that last week: cut your toenails and fingernails. Pay bills that will come due. Clean out the refrigerator. Stop newspaper. Who will take care of house plants? Cut lawn? Give contact info to good friend in case of family emergency. Tell credit card companies to expect out-of-town charges. Set up lights in house so it doesn't look vacant. Make sure prescriptions won't run out mid-trip.
A few things to add to this list:
Settle pet/house sitting people & arrangements
carry copies of credit cards in case something is lost or stolen - so you can call your bank
book parking near the port if using an offsite lot instead of parking at the port garage (we drive)
Choose port arrival time appointment if required by your cruise line
arrange pre-cruise covid testing and have a secondary backup plan - at home telehealth test or other test provider
Print all docs and save them to your phone/email/dropbox
make sure you have your vaccine cards
secure your home
carry a paper copy of important phone numbers (family, your bank, your travel insurance company, your employer)
Notify your family of your itinerary and how to contact you in case of emergency
take a pic of your luggage in case it's lost or stolen
make a list of everything you packed - very important for insurance if bags are lost or stolen
If you are taking a longer cruise, perhaps with extra days after the cruise, pre-pay any bills that will come due.
Ty for the reminders...going on my first cruise very soon...
Another warning or reminder....Dont post your pictures or talk about your cruise/trip. while on it... you never know whos watching your apps...wait till your home to share your vacation photos!!! Phone on airplane mode when on ship before it sails..
This was super helpful! 3 days until the Bliss! You guys just earned a new subscriber!
I love how he just stares at the camera while she talks. Lmao. Love these videos!
Great tips..Love the one taking pics of passport n sending to email oh n calling bank
Great tips! I’m taking my first cruise later this year so this really helped.
Nailed it!! Awesome video, Sharon & Jamie!
Good tips! Thanks for sharing
Stumbled across your video. Just want to tell you that you guys did an amazing job with this video. Very helpful info. My husband and I are going on a Hawaiian cruise in October and many of these tips will come in handy. Thank you for posting!😊
Thanks for the great tips Sharon and Jamie.
All great tips. Your videos are very helpful!
Seasoned Advice from Seasoned Cruisers ! Jamie good tip about letting the bank know with the credit card and Sharon l like the envelope daily budgeting/smart. Enjoy your cruise- Cheers!
Great advice
Have a great day
And a great trip coming up
Will be traveling on the Horizon soon too
I appreciate all your great tips!!! Thank you both!! And...Happy Cruising:)
Jamie and Sharon great video guys these are great tips for first-time Cruisers. Thanks for sharing, sincerely Adventures of David and Aaron.⚓🚢🌴
Great video and tips! We are a month out for our first cruise so we appreciate all the helpful tips.
A lot of great information. People like my self forget some of the small things but important things.
Great information, thanks for sharing your video with us.
I never thought about taking a picture of our passport and emailing it to myself. Thanks again
The envelopes work great; I have been doing this for years! One step further, I keep all my documents in a plastic accordion file, along with my envelopes and passports, makes it so easy and everything is right at your fingertips!
Super-helpful, and not a lot of "filler" to wade through - thanks!
Thank you! These are very helpful tips! I love the envelopes idea to budget!
After a few days of paradise, the drive home is the worse thing in the world. You are right about having a plan for going home. Luckily I just have a three to five hour drive home. I fill up the gas tank right before I park my car that way I can just drive straight home. Last day sux.
Awesome information and reminders. Thank you!
Thank you for all that info.good to make a check list too.
Great advice. Like the bank and mail points
Thank you! Not my first cruise, but very helpful!
Good one about the bank, I hadn't thought of that!
I love your budget / envelope system. Great vlog information thank you Sharon at Sea!
Thank you Deb!!!
Youre videos on cruising are the best! My husband and i have watched over and over for several months, preparing for our first cruise and I feel confident that we got this! We have seen others videos but yours have been the best.
Awe...thank you. Glad they were helpful...Enjoy your cruise!!!
Ty very much, Sharon at Sea like always very good video 👌
Thanks for sharing your tips for preparing for cruise travel!
I got off the Horizon yesterday (2nd time ) .You will love her !
All great tips, thanks for sharing.
Sorry we're late! PLEASE CONSIDER US FOR THE DRAWING 😙 LOVE your videos so much and currently deciding on our cruise based on your reviews. Thank you so much for giving us a representation of the raw and real experiences!
thankyou . very helpful ! going on our 1st cruise feb 2020 ! so excited
Loved the budget envelope idea, boarding Horizon for Easter week, so thanks for the tips!
Thanks for this video. I learned something new. Something I didn’t do because I always had someone housesit.....put the mail on hold.
I will be cruising in 7 days, and this is great information. Thanks!
Very informative video! Thanks!
We are going in February on a Caribbean/Panama Canal cruise. We have just been reminded by the Cruiseline that Passports are required for this cruise.
Great Tips Sharon and Jamie. My last 2 cruises I have called my bank regarding my credit cards and they tell me I do not have to do that anymore as they have "things" in place to track identify theft and every year I call and every year they tell me I don't have to do it but I do just in case. Remember too if you're Canadian like I am some Canadian based credit cards are not accepted in some islands. Please call your credit card company and ask if they work where you are going.
Thanks for all the tips all very helpful 🤗
You're welcome.
Guys love your vids! Times are important! Twice they changed the time we could board: once from 6pm to 4pm! Luckily l always get places far too early so we were okay. Second time 11am to 4pm so we had to spend a day around Dubai in our travel clothes. Further about packing. When you think you've finished take half OUT - dont take too much stuff.
I used the envelope tip on my cruise in December made it an accounting dream and Jamie I did not forget the budget for the casino thank you
Great!!! I'm glad it was helpful.
Thank you for sharing these very useful tips. Video presented is very organize and delivered in a professional manner. Very easy to watch and listen to...
Thank you!!!
So funny I do that envelope separating money. And my husband and son thought I was crazy. But it really helps.
Great details! Appreciate the lock and load list. Listened to your casino video also. Very informative. I really think I may hit up the casino after all, when I normally wouldn't. (Only in there whilst waiting in line to get off the ship.) I also want to try a slot pull with others - didn't know about this either. Learning a lot from this here computer!! Thank you. Happy travelling, Aura
Thanks for the awesome tips. Looking forward to our Norwegian Cruise to Eastern Caribbean :) Also you guys look like a very nice family!!
Thank you!!!
Great tip on contacting your bank👍
Great tips thank you
I would’ve forgotten the mail hold of I hadn’t seen it in your video so thanks!!
Very informative! Thank you for the awesome tips! I’m going on the horizon Feb 3rd
Great!!! We will keep her in good shape for you....lol
I went on my first cruise in 2017. I stepped in when my brother-in-law couldn't go because of work. I had only 8 days before sailing date! My sister and her travel agent got everything set up in lightning speed!!
It was grand and I wouldn't change a thing!
Injist subscribed from the casino on cruise ship!! I love thos video beciz it soooo informative!!!!! In sharing to matt he cruising with me in sept 30 on carnival dream from galveston texas
Great tips.
I followed your envelope system and it worked out amazing for my last cruise!
Great tips!!
Excellent to the point presentation. Cruising in 12 days. This was good info. Thank you.
Thank you...Enjoy your cruise.
The only thing I could concentrate on during this video was the Randy Rhodes guitar in the background.
Thanks for doing this video. Hopefully my wife and I will be doing 7 days on the Breeze this year as our first cruise (fingers crossed!)
First time watching your channel. Hello from Tempe! Fantastic list of must do items. One more thing that I do, is bring a change of clothing in our carry on luggage for "just in case" the luggage gets missing. *EEK* Probably won't but ya know... Great video!
We cruise 2 or three times a yr. we enjoy 22-40 day adventures. Just back from UK, Greenland, Iceland, 34 day cruise and doing a 30 day next month circumnavigating Australia. I take only 1 piece of luggage and 1 carry on. Remember to check if you need a visa or vaccinations. To visit Australia you need a visa attached to your passport. Global entry+TSA cost $100 and is good for 5 yrs and we never have to take off clothes or shoes
Thanks Sharon and Jamie!! First time cruisers need to know a lot before they leave I believe. After a few cruises it gets easier. Maybe use a travel agent at first few cruises. Travel agents can help.
Besides the mail stop the paper delivery and arrange for someone to mow the lawn. Also have some lamps on timer.
and someone to shovel the driveway when it snows!!!
loved the taking picture of your id and birth certificate you never know thanks for the tip
Very helpful & informative! Tnx
I’m jealous! You guys have fun!!
Thank you!!!
some great tips thanks
This is a very thorough list you put together. I use a packing list app on my phone and have a pre-cruise checklist. I go over that list a week out just to make sure I have everything I need. Sometimes I need to make a shopping trip or order more meds, buy more cat food, whatever.
About emailing yourself a photo of your passport, I keep a paper copy in my luggage and the photo on my phone. Not sure why emailing it is helpful. The photo is also saved in my Dropbox cloud so it's a backup of the backup.
First time watching one of your videos - nice job!
You can loose your phone, but the email is out there in cyber world until you access it.
Thanks for the tips..... One more would be to stop your newspaper if you get one, just a thought. Have a great trip and looking forward to the vlogs! :-)
That is an excellent idea!!! Thanks Gail.
Thanks for the great advice, this will be my second Cruise on Royal Caribbean, going on Allure of the Seas, looking forward to it....
Going on Allure of the Seas, Western Mediterranean, embarking from Barcelona, Spain September 2020.
Sharon Smalls have fun
When driving to ports, I always see to all car maintenance beforehand! Oil changes, have hoses and fluids checked, etc. Definitely want to do anything possible to prevent any break downs when en route to port destinations! Otherwise, I think you guys thought of everything! 😆
Flights can be delayed, ships can be delayed. We plan to arrive in a port city the day before a cruise and fly out the day after. It saves us a great deal of stress - and we don't cruise to be stressed out!
I leave this Saturday and this was super helpful!!! Thank you so much !!! My first cruise
You arev welcome!!! Have a wonderful cruise...
Great tips guys! I didn’t realize you guys were doing an 8 day this Feb, I thought your next big cruise was this spring? Well Have a fantastic time. I’m leaving in two weeks for my much needed cruise, I cannot wait!!! Can’t wait to watch the videos!!!
Thanks....Enjoy your cruuse Amanda, you deserve it.😊
Really appreciate you guys :)
2nd cruise and we are driving to Galveston 9 hours WAY Thank You Sharon for the advice on the envelopes. I started putting 1's and 5's in each envelope for tips and taxis. 48 days away so I will have saved up enough tips money and port tips
I watched your video on your weight loss. Great work!
pier staff here bring your original travel documents passport /birth cert. no copies pleeeaaassse! happy cruising guests we love you
The copies could help replace any documents that get lost or damaged. Consulate officials need information so they can help people.
In regards to medication: I'd recommend bringing a few days extra in case you're delayed coming back home(which has happened to many people I know). Also, we live in Florida and you should use sunscreen on exposed skin even during cooler weather. The sun doesn't stop giving off harmful rays just because it's cold. :-) Great advice on your video! Thank you!
Ģ
You can contact your local police department to patrol around your home while you're gone. The forms are readily available & the service should be free.
Love that passport tip for phone
We had a terrible experience with a hotel shuttle. We paid to have the car stay at the hotel and use the hotel shuttle to and from the port. Going to the port it was crowded and waiting for the next shuttle, then the next shuttle... The disaster was when we came back. Turns out the owner of the hotels (yes, plural) was having a big party and had commandeered all but one of the shuttle buses! Carnival is in the first port. The bus filled up every run at the Carnival port and didn't stop for Royal Caribbean! It was cold, raining and we were truly miserable for several hours!
When purchasing sunscreen try to find ones that are safe for coral reefs. Most of these things we did for our first cruise. We do envelopes for our entire budget.
My wife & I are booked on the Emerald Princess to Alaska!
We sail on June 11, 2022!!!
Thanks for all the tips!!!
We do the envelope idea too it has helped
Good info!
My bank offers a debit card thru a 3rd party specifically for travel. It can loaded with up to $3k. You can also put smaller amounts on it and add more over time. I got one for me and one for my husband so if we lose one we'll have the other. We'll still take cash for tips and incidentals but since we're going to Alaska we feel ok using the card for most things.
Love your videos. Your son is quite well mannered and speaks in a thoughtful way.
Sharon, Tell your husband that I love the Zakk Wilde Les Paul guitar on the wall is AWESOME!! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🎸🎸🎛🎛
Going on the same ship in a few weeks, can’t wait to see your take on it
There are many factors in cutting costs during cruise trips. One place I discovered that successfully combines these is the Carls Cruise Cutter (google it if you're interested) it's the most useful resource i've seen.look at the extraordinary information .
On the Oasis of the seas in August . Booked all myself so may get back to you to check I have done everything nearer the time . Thx for tips . Think I have it all covered but may have forgotten something ???
Thank you so much! I paused the video and contacted my bank. I would have forgotten to do that.
Just a little note on your Birth Certificate. You may want to make sure someone at home has a copy of of your BC. My husband and I accidentally left his BC at home. Carnival was really good to work with us to get a copy so we didn’t miss our sign in time.
mary ruppe - Did you not have a passport? Trying to figure out why I would need my birth certificate.
Aye! I'm taking an 8 day cruise on the Horizon as well! Leaving June 1st and I'm so excited.
You will have an awesome time!!! The ship is beautiful.
You guys look so excited...I can feel it!! Can't wait to hear all about your plans!
I just wanted to thank you for all of your videos. I used the envelope method before my December cruise that you had suggested. I am so happy that I did since I went a little overboard in the casino. I am happy to say with misc, envelope and money I had left from others, at the end of the cruise I only had to swipe my debit card for $21. I will definitely being doing the envelope method again for each cruise.
Thanks for watching!!!
Yes make sure you have refills on your meds before you need to pick them up to leave on vacation! Sometimes it make take a while to contact your doctor for refills. Also make sure that you have enough medicine to make it through your cruise. Some insurers don’t allow vacation overrides (to fill your meds early on insurance) or will limit it to once a year or once per 6 months.
Great tips, guys. I love all your videos. Keep it up.
Thank you!!!
I love this family. And, always love ❤️ your videos. A handsome couple with a handsome and well mannered son.
Other things to do sometime in that last week: cut your toenails and fingernails. Pay bills that will come due. Clean out the refrigerator. Stop newspaper. Who will take care of house plants? Cut lawn? Give contact info to good friend in case of family emergency. Tell credit card companies to expect out-of-town charges. Set up lights in house so it doesn't look vacant. Make sure prescriptions won't run out mid-trip.