Cruising Journals

[collectingcoke]

Borders just announced it is going out of business, might be a good time to stock up on a few nice journals for future cruises. They will start liquidating soon - possibly Friday.

[starlake]

HI all,
I think I wrote on this thread a long time ago and was reading through it again.
I love to journal on board and I journal all over the ship.

Here are some items that some of you may find useful. They are at Archiver's (probably other places) that I just got in my email. The first one is Ditto by Hampton Arts and it looks like a journal, scrapbook, and calendar all in one. The other one is Fancy Pants Design bragbook, where you can do a lot of journaling.

I haven't tried any of these but they really look like they could be great.

[Sunebeach]

I know this sounds really lame...like I need to get a life or something...but
I like to buy small 'mole' books at target or Barnes and Noble type bookstores. They are about the size of the old passbook savings account books used by banks [a while back] they are about the size of an index card about 3" by 4" or so and have about 50-75 perforated pages in them, they fit nicely in my small purse or tote bag.
Before the cruise I decorate them, I also print out ships deck plans, maps of the ports we are visiting, historical information about the places we are going etc, and paste or tape them in the book...it's very handy to look over while we are in port.
I also have all our travel information in one place when planning our cruise [it's come in handy for lost reservations confirmiton #'s etc... I have a copy of them in my book as well as my travel file that I keep set sail passes etc in], I put information about excursions etc in them, I leave a page or two each day for 'journaling'. when I get home it serves as a reminder for my scrapbooking etc. I also keep them as memorabilia as well, to remember the fun I had planning for the trip and the trip itself. I often refer back to them when planning my next big adventure.

[travelfirst]

Originally Posted by Sunebeach

I know this sounds really lame...like I need to get a life or something...but
I like to buy small 'mole' books at target or Barnes and Noble type bookstores. They are about the size of the old passbook savings account books used by banks [a while back] they are about the size of an index card about 3" by 4" or so and have about 50-75 perforated pages in them, they fit nicely in my small purse or tote bag.
Before the cruise I decorate them, I also print out ships deck plans, maps of the ports we are visiting, historical information about the places we are going etc, and paste or tape them in the book...it's very handy to look over while we are in port.
I also have all our travel information in one place when planning our cruise [it's come in handy for lost reservations confirmiton #'s etc... I have a copy of them in my book as well as my travel file that I keep set sail passes etc in], I put information about excursions etc in them, I leave a page or two each day for 'journaling'. when I get home it serves as a reminder for my scrapbooking etc. I also keep them as memorabilia as well, to remember the fun I had planning for the trip and the trip itself. I often refer back to them when planning my next big adventure.

I use one of those also. When I get home I throw it in a tote with all the rest. I am going to eventually type them all out but I have only done a few so far.
Its fun to look back at them. Some cruises are so busy I come home without hardly anything written in my book.

[JanetMarie]

SUNE: thx for posting! I really, really like your suggestion of this type booklet and the size is also absolutely ideal to travel with. Good suggestion!

[TravelRocker]

Hi everyone, just spent a few hours reading all the information here, started a few years back, that's cool. I've been scrapbooking and journaling since my first trip to London in 1982. Of course they didn't have all the nifty scrapbook pages, stickers etc that they have, any kind of decoration just had to be cut out of a magazine for instance.

One thing that has helped me the most, and I don't think my albums would be as comprehensive these days is that I now bring a small tape recorder with me, like a dictation recorder, and describe what I am seeing, doing, eating and experiencing as I go along. I can do it in "real time" in restaurants, sitting on a bench in the sun, in a club so I get some of the music etc.

Then afterwords I just transcribe the tapes into my journal and it makes scrapbooking or photo albums a snap. I can "dictate" a full description of what I am taking photos of. Someone up thread said that one island can look like another when photographing it from the ship. You can even get the bartenders, waiters or anyone interesting to give you a "cheery Hello" on tape then take their photo. I know this has nothing to do with cruising but two of my favorite memories "on tape" is the announcement to "Mind the Gap" down in the tube stations and recording Capitol One off the radio with all the 80's big-hair bands. (London)

Thanks again for keeping this thread going, I have 17 days to go for my next cruise!

[JanetMarie]

That's another great suggestion, the tape recorder. Everything is so "tech" today that I never thought of that . . .

Happy sailing on the high seas everyone!!!

[graceraffo]

I've always wanted to keep a little journal of my travels but have never actually done it. You all have inspired me!

I would love it if any of you would be willing to post a sample journal entry. Nothing too private of course.

[cjc cruiser]

I love to scrapbook and now this journal idea sounds great. A friend just cruised and used a Smashbook, kinda like a journal and scrapbook together. It allowed her to do both things she loved. Off to Michaels to buy one.

[seeshore]

cjc cruiser-I bought a Smashbook and I'm making it my 2012 journal and memory book. I love the concept of just smashing things in randomly and not following any rules. This way I can utilize all the stickers and other embellishments that my daughter passed along to me. I have pictures, postcards, restaurant business cards, bar coasters, birthday wishes, ribbons,and too many other things to mention. I love that it totally me and not someone else's idea of a perfect layout.

I've already purchased another one for my next cruise. I've also gone thru my stash of scrapbook supplies that I'll be able to use with it. My plan is to pre-design the book to a point so I can just take it along and glue my memorabilia in as we go. When we get home I'll order the pictures to go along with the other memories.

I've always been a procrastinator with many unfinished products, but these books make it OK to be kind of crazy with your creations. Anything goes!

[seeshore]

Just checking in again as my cruise is quickly approaching. I'd love to hear any new thoughts on this topic.

[Minn.cruisers]

What I do is take a few ziplock baggies along for momentos. Shells, a little sand, also I try to remember a clean napkin from a restaurant (fold one and put it in your purse right when you think of it), anything small enough to put on a scrapbook page or take a photo of for digital photobooks. They add alot to your projects and hold memories for you. We are beginning to plan a cruise for this December. You can start a photobook right now and journal your planning thoughts, then continue it after you get back with all your photos and momentos. Have a great time.