Put your contact information on bag identification tags on ALL of your bags as well as inside your bag in case the luggage tag is ripped off.
Make sure your name on your ID/passport matches the name on all your tickets and boarding passes.
Take a picture of your passport as well as a paper copy.
For long flights bring earplugs, headphones, blow-up footrest, neck pillow, sleep mask, sweater, book or magazine, and a couple packaged snacks.
PACKING TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS: You may find yourself in need of these things in some countries: Tissues, toilet seat covers, sanitizer, mask, power bank, universal adapter, electrolytes, water filter, quick-drying towel, reef-safe sunscreen, mesh swimming socks, and mesh hiking shoes.
If you are going through customs, make sure you do not bring any home-made food, meat, or produce. If you are unsure about a food item, make sure to declare it.
Beat jet-lag: When the plane takes off, set your clock to your destination’s local time and stay awake until an appropriate bedtime. Similarly, when you arrive at your destination, refrain from taking a nap until the sun goes down in order to reset your internal sleep clock.
Do you need nausea medication for the flight? Make sure you have tried it before you leave for your trip and don’t have adverse effects.
Bring a small “just in case” first-aid kit. Put Advil, Tylenol, Band-Aids, Neosporin, allergy meds, tampons/pads, aloe gel, Tums, and hydrocortisone cream in it.
Destination Needs: Do you need bug-spray? Reef-safe sunscreen? SPF clothing? Hat? Sunglasses? Raincoat? Boots? Sandals? Binoculars? Mesh swimming shoes or socks (coral or lava will cut up your feet).
Bring a little extra of your prescribed medication in the original bottle, or with an accompanying prescription, and never put it in a checked bag. Vitamins and supplements are generally okay to bring internationally, but avoid CBD products unless you have confirmed that it is legal on all legs of your journey.
You can bring a personal item in addition to your carry-on on most flights. This can be a regular-sized backpack. I recommend putting all devices, medications, travel-size liquids (in the quart size bag), first-aid kit, wallet, phone, and flight essentials in this bag because it will be under the seat in front of you for easy reaching.
If you can, pack light and travel with a carry-on only. Not only does that prevent the airline from losing your luggage, but traveling with a carry-on also eliminates the need to wait for your bags at the carousel after a long flight. If you miss a connecting flight or wish to catch an earlier one, then you don’t have to worry about arriving to your destination without your checked luggage.
A lot of airlines are going virtual with payment. If you plan on purchasing alcohol or snacks onboard make sure that your credit card is stored online with the airline before you board.
It is always good to learn a few basic words in the language of the place you will be visiting. Such as “hello”, “excuse me”, “no”, “yes”, “please”, “help”, and "how much is this?".
For international flights, make sure you have acquired a VISA (if required), and all the necessary paperwork is completed, as well as fees paid well before they are due.
Check in for your flights 24 hours ahead of time online, or on the airline app.
Notify your bank and credit cards that you will be travelling so that you don't have an interruption of service because they think your cards are stolen!
Do not put ANYTHING important or valuable in a checked bag.
Don’t forget: government-issued ID or passport for international trips and cruises (make sure that the expiration is more than 6 months out), mask (if required where you are travelling), proof of travel insurance, and patience.
Check on your mobile carrier's international plans. Some include certain countries, and some only charge $10/24 hour period when you use it, so don't feel like you have to sign up for a whole new plan just to take a trip to another country.
Arrive at the airport 2 hours early if you are checking bags and 3 hours early for international flights.
Flight Not Going As Planned?? Per the Department of Transportation you are entitled to a swift refund if there is a significant change" in your itinerary: 1) A change in departure or arrival time of more than three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights. 2) A change of either arrival or departure airport. 3) An additional connection in the itinerary that wasn’t indicated previously. 4) A downgrade in the class of service previously booked and paid for. You should also know that you can request a hotel and food vouchers if you are delayed enough to miss your connection, and you need them. Just ask.
SECURITY, CUSTOMS, AND BOOKING TIPS
To avoid missing flights: Try to have at least an hour in between flights (layover to transfer to next gate), have the least amount of stops on your flight possible, take the earliest flight of the day, and arrive well before you think you need to be there.
If you have TSA pre-check in the USA you won't need as much time. Go here to sign up: https://www.tsa.gov/precheck
If you travel internationally four or more times a year, consider enrolling in Global Entry. Global Entry provides expedited U.S. customs screening for international air travelers when entering the United States. Global Entry members also receive TSA Pre-Check® benefits as part of their membership. Visit: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entryWhile Global Entry’s goal is to speed travelers through the process, members may still be selected for further examination when entering the United States. Any violation of the program’s terms and conditions will result in the appropriate enforcement action and termination of the traveler’s membership privileges.
Did you leave something in the security checkpoint? TSA Lost Items
Put all liquids that are travel-sized in a quart size Ziploc in your carry-on.
Put all non-travel-sized liquids in Ziploc bags in your checked bag.
Bring an EMPTY re-fillable water bottle. Airports have free filtered water stations once you get through security.
Be prepared to remove your shoes and jacket, take large devices out of cases, and pull out your travel-size liquid bag as you go through security, if required. They do not need the cords.
Sign up for low-cost flight alerts for your destination from Going
Track your belongings by tossing an AirTag/Tile inside checked luggage.
I use the Chase United Explorer Plus credit card for everything travel. Get airline miles you can use any time, free checked bags, free passes to the United Club, Priority boarding, reimbursement for Global Entry fees, and more! Use this link:Apply for the Chase Explorer card here
Remember you can always message or call Becky at Experience Joy Travel Company at 1-833-TRIP JOY if you are confused or don’t know what to do. Always here for you! Much love to you!
Cruising Checklist
Cruising Tips and Checklist
Make sure your name on your passport matches the name on your boarding pass. I do not recommend passport cards, ID cards or birth certificates for boarding a cruise ship. If something happens and you need to fly home from another country you will not be able to use those items to fly home. A passport is priceless in these circumstances.
Take a picture of your passport with your phone, just in case you lose it.
Pick a later embarkation time. It is less stressful and the lines are way shorter.
Put your contact information on bag-tags on ALL of your bags.
Attach stateroom number tags to the suitcases you will give to the porter at embarkation, if available.
Do not put ANYTHING important or valuable in a checked bag.
It is generally a nice gesture to give the porters who take your suitcases to your room a tip such as $5-10 per bag.
Bring a small tote bag or backpack at embarkation if you are arriving before 2pm and put your swimsuit, empty water bottle, phone, medication and anything else you need before 2pm in it as you may not be able to access your room or your luggage until then.
You can access your cruise app to look at ship maps, see what is going on for entertainment, see where you can get food or drinks, sign up for Wi-Fi, and more.
When you board the ship you should have access to food and drinks immediately. The shops on board and the casino are generally not available until you are out to sea (in international waters)
Make sure you do your safety check-in (muster) as soon as you can and get it out of the way. The ship cannot leave the port until every person onboard has done the muster. This will include information such as where your lifejackets are and where to meet in an emergency.
Bring an empty thermal re-fillable water bottle. You can fill it at the water station with ice and water in the morning before you get off the ship at each port.
Some people like to bring magnetic hooks to hang things on the metal walls.
Bring a “pop-up” hamper and dry laundry soap sheets. You will be glad to have this. You can do laundry onboard or have the crew do it for you. If you have a suite or preferred status sometimes laundry service is included in the price.
Some people like to bring big clips to hold their towels onto their lounge chairs in the wind. Do not pack towels for your cruise. They provide nice big towels for you to use and you can exchange them as many times as you want for dry ones.
I recommend bringing electrolyte drink mix packets. These come in handy if you have had too much alcohol or you have become dehydrated due to heat. They can be a lifesaver.
You might want to bring a small fan and a small power strip (no surge protector allowed)
Do you need nausea medication for your flight and cruise? Make sure you have tried it before you leave for your trip and don’t have adverse effects. I usually just bring ginger chews. Ginger chews also work great for motion sickness.
Pack a small “just in case” first-aid kit. Put Advil, Tylenol, Band-Aids, Neosporin, allergy meds, tampons/pads, aloe gel, and hydrocortisone cream in it. If you forget something or you need medical care there is a hospital onboard the ship, but it is not free.
Destination Items: Do you need bug-spray? Sunscreen? Hat? Sunglasses? Reading glasses? Raincoat? Boots? Sandals? Binoculars? Bring what you think you might need, because you don’t want to end up paying triple for something generic once onboard.
When you get off the ship the crew will scan your ID and keep a log of who has gotten off. When you come back to the ship they will scan you back in and you will go through security and put everything through an x-ray machine. DON’T bring leftover food (or home-made food), drugs, alcohol, weapons, or anything else prohibited back onto the ship. Packaged food and drinks are usually ok. Unopened alcohol may be kept in a locker for you until the end of your cruise on some cruise lines. Read the policies for your cruise line or ask a crew member.
When you get off the ship in port remember to go by “ship time”. This will be in the app on your phone that you download for your cruise. This time can be different from the local time! This will make sure that you get back to the dock before your ship leaves.
If you are part of an excursion through the cruise company the ship will wait for you to come back even if you are delayed. If you are not part of an excursion through the cruise line at the time of the ship departure and you do not come back to the pier in time you may be left behind. DON’T be a “pier runner”! Get back to your ship with time to spare and you can enjoy your vacation without stress.
It is always good to learn a few basic words in the language of the places you will be visiting. Such as “hello”, “excuse me”, “no”, “yes”, “please”, “help”, and "how much is this?".
Sometimes the ship cannot visit a port that is on your itinerary for a variety of reasons, or they must take a completely different route because of weather. Be patient and relax. They will reimburse you for the excursions you paid for and they always try to make things up to you by taking you to a different port and sometimes give you discounts on your cruise.
If you are doing an activity on the water, invest in a waterproof phone case with a lanyard. Most of them allow you to use your phone through the plastic.
Check on your mobile carrier's international plans. Some only charge $10/24 hour period when you use it, so don't feel like you have to sign up for a whole new plan just to take a trip to another country.
Try to enjoy the entertainment provided onboard as much as possible. This gives you the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and participate in a game or activity that you haven’t done before. This is a great way to make friends and have a good time.
Don’t forget: device chargers, passport (make sure the expiration is not within 6 months of departure), mask (if required where you are travelling), proof of travel insurance, boarding passes, and patience.
Remember you can always message or call Becky at Experience Joy Travel Company if you are confused or don’t know what to do. Always here for you! Much love to you!
Printable Packing List
Basics Packing List
This page is updated frequently with new ideas. Check back often!