World Cruise Preparation: What You Need to Do Before You Go
Preparing for a world cruise means much more than packing—and many of the same preparations apply to any extended cruise. After our 118-day world cruise, we’re sharing what to organize before you leave, from passports and prescriptions to your home, pets, insurance, money, and taxes. Whether you’re sailing around the world, combining back-to-back cruises, or taking another lengthy voyage, leaving home for weeks or months requires extra planning. We’re Jan and Tracey, and these are the practical lessons we learned preparing for our 2023 world cruise—including a few things we’d handle differently next time! In this video, we cover: - Researching ports, choosing excursions, and organizing travel documents - Passport validity, blank pages, visas, and entry requirements - Prescription supplies, vaccinations, and medical preparation - Travel insurance, trip-length restrictions, and credit card protections - Home insurance, house checks, pet care, and vehicle storage - Mail, banking, backup credit cards, bills, and tax planning - Arranging help for unexpected issues back home COMING NEXT: Packing for—and living on—a world cruise. What would you like us to cover? Leave your packing questions and your own long-cruise tips in the comments. If you missed it, watch our previous video on whether you should book your World Cruise: https://youtu.be/QUqmjXX9QOI Chapters 00:00 Your world cruise is booked—now what? 01:07 Researching ports and choosing excursions 02:28 Organizing tickets and travel documents 03:12 Passports, blank pages, and visas 06:01 Prescriptions and medical preparation 07:16 Vaccinations and pre-cruise checkups 08:01 Travel insurance and credit card limits 09:43 Home insurance: unoccupied vs. vacant 10:10 Preparing your home and arranging house checks 12:10 Planning care for your pets 12:32 Cars, storage insurance, and batteries 13:56 Handling mail while you're away 15:35 Banking, credit cards, and bills 17:05 Preparing for tax season 18:40 Trusted help and legal authority back home 19:09 Our next world cruise video USEFUL OFFICIAL RESOURCES U.S. passports and destination information: https://travel.state.gov/ CDC Travelers' Health: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel IRS filing extensions: https://www.irs.gov/filing/get-an-extension-to-file-your-tax-return USPS Informed Delivery: https://www.usps.com/manage/informed-delivery.htm DISCLAIMER We share our personal travel experience, not individualized medical, legal, tax, or insurance advice. Confirm requirements for your full itinerary and the terms of your own policies. #WorldCruise #CruisePlanning #CruiseTips #JanandTraceyTravels Our Recommended Cruise Gear OREI American to European Plug Adapters—Many cruise ships are equipped with 220 European plugs, which are useless unless you have the correct adapter. These are the essentials we pack in our bags every time we cruise or travel to Europe. They come in an affordable six-pack which you can find at this link: https://amzn.to/44ixS0U Strongman Tools Strong Magnetic Hooks—A couple of these 6-pack sets of hooks are always with us when we cruise. Each individual hook can hold up to 30 lbs of weight and is ideal for hanging coats, hats, and the shelves described below. Get your set of these useful magnetic hooks at this link: https://amzn.to/3UDrVbJ Whitmor 5 Section Closet Organizer—Unfortunately, drawer and shelf space are sometimes limited in some cruise cabins. That’s why we always bring at least one of these inexpensive closet organizers, which gives us plenty of room for our folded clothes. We typically use a couple of magnetic hooks, as described above, to hang these from the ceiling in the corner of our room. Here’s the link where you can get yours: https://amzn.to/3w3GvQn Our Recommended Camera Gear DJI Osmo Pocket 3--You’ll usually see Tracey using this in almost all of our videos. Love this wonderful, small, and versatile camera. Basic Camera: https://amzn.to/3UDJJDF Creators Combo: https://amzn.to/4beP6OP GoPro Hero12—This is the best action camera we’ve ever used. Whether taking videos on the Zodiacs in Antarctica, snorkeling in Papua New Guinea, or scuba diving in Bonaire, this camera is always in our hands. Find the link to get yours here: https://amzn.to/3UkTcy1 Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap—If you still carry a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, as Jan does, this is the perfect strap to use. What's great is that this fully adjustable strap can be configured to be worn across your body, distributing the weight of your camera across your back rather than your neck. Additionally, it provides a bit more security when traveling through high-risk pickpocket areas. Get your Slide Lite Strap here: https://amzn.to/3xW6pWR As Amazon Affiliates, we earn from qualifying purchases.