You can’t get anywhere without your documents, so get them in place first. Your cruise tickets should be stored away in a strong folder or in your purse or handbag. Besides, you will need your passport, and a wallet containing your driver’s license, a photo ID card, and credit cards or traveler’s checks. Of course we don’t have to tell you that should carry an optimal sum of money in cash that should cover any emergency.

Now let’s get to the clothing part. Contrary to what you may imagine, you need a select assortment of clothing to see you through every day and night on board the ship. You can make a list of evening dos and daytime parties the cruise company must have notified you about. Think of the situations you will be in, and add an appropriate dress to the list. For instance, you should have basic long sleeved tees and jeans to lounge about on the deck, a dressy blouse and a ruffled skirt for an afternoon gathering, a little black dress for a formal dinner and your swimsuit for the poolside. If you are a man, you would need shorts and tees, polo neck shirts and a dress shirt or two for more formal events. Never forget enough pairs of socks, underwear, handkerchiefs, towels, flip flops, and a coat or heavy jacket in case the weather gets cold. Do not carry too many accessories, but it is nice to take a pair of sunglasses, a versatile belt or a stole that goes with anything. Women should take some light jewelry.

If you think you are done, you are wrong. You will need things you use everyday from morning through the day. These include moisturizer or body lotion, deodorant, hair spray, shampoo, conditioner, sunscreen, cleansing facial wipes, toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb or hairbrush and a blow-dryer.

You need to pass time on the ship all by yourself too, and for days when you feel like being alone, take a favorite book, your I-pod, a pack of cards and your journal and pens. You can write down little anecdotes that you will have fun reading years later.

Also, you will need some gadgets. Your cell phone and cell phone charger are must haves, as are your camera, batteries, a flashlight, and watch.

It is a good idea to make a checklist of things you will need on the ship and mark off each item as you throw it into your bag. The cruise is going to turn out less frenzied and less hectic if you have everything you might need or want together.

Step one, be realistic.

What you need to know first is how much you are going to spend on the trip, this figure should be backed by evidence that you can afford it comfortably and won’t have to take out payday loans to pay your bills when you get back.
Once you have a budget, you are going to have to break it down to smaller parts for different aspects of the holiday, such as hotels, car rentals, sightseeing tickets, shopping and food. You should also carry extra cash and credit cards in case there is an emergency.

Vacation destinations are usually packed through the year, unless of course you want to go to Russia and it’s mid-January. You would do well to make reservations early for the most part. At least, you should book places to stay in ahead of time. If you are sure of what you want to do through the trip and have planned it out in detail, get activity reservations done too. You don’t want to reach your holiday destination and spend the time locked up in your hotel room.

The important thing about a family vacation is to ensure that everyone has their share of fun. If you are traveling with little kids, you could include a trip to an amusement park. If you have a teenage daughter, set aside a day for shopping. If your son is into sports, you can make arrangements for him to explore a section of your route hitch hiking. Take everyone’s opinions and ideas and try to create a blend everyone will love. But everyone has to be honest and open minded during this discussion.

You don’t have to be rigid in planning the trip. Get guidebooks beforehand so you know the basic facts about tourist attractions in the area. This will also allow you to be flexible and do just what you want on any given day on the trip.

Don’t forget to bring your journal with you so you can write about everything that you loved and were special about the trip. You can sit down with your kids and make a scrapbook on the same lines. If you can, spend one day exclusively with your partner so you can bring back romantic memories too.