Hawaii Cruise Travel Tips

• Some cruise ship passengers must first fly to the departure ports. With this in mind, earplugs would be a wise addition to a carry-on bag. Print three copies of airline tickets, cruise tickets, passports or visas in addition to your itinerary. Pack one copy inside your carry-on, a copy in checked luggage and entrust the last copy with a friend or family member you can contact back home. Write down several contact numbers in case you have to report stolen or lost credit cards or traveler's checks, and place them inside your wallet or fanny pack.
  
  

Important Additions

• If you decide to rent a car while ashore, make sure to bring your driver's license and auto insurance card. In fact, it's a good idea to make a short call to your insurance carrier to confirm if buying car rental insurance is necessary. Bring your credit card. It's also a good idea to contact your credit card company before leaving to make them aware of your travel plans. This will prevent the company from placing blocks on your transactions, as purchases made outside your normal service area often prompts the company's fraud prevention department to issue red flags on an account. ATM card, pre-paid phone card and traveler's checks are also smart addition to travel kits. Don't forget to bring your watch.
  
  

First Aid Kits and Packs

• Although everyone wants to have a vacation without incident, accidents can sometimes happen. A small first aid kit can quickly clean and patch up most vacation mishaps. The kit should include band aids, Q-tips, hydrogen peroxide antiseptic, antibiotic ointment or cream, cold sore/fever blister ointment, pain-relieving cleansing spray, bandages, anti-diarrheal medication and cortisone ointment, which is used to decrease local inflammation, swelling, burning and itching. Also pack Dramamine, which is used to prevent nausea and motion sickness. A second general pack should include germicidal hand cleaner, handi-wipes, rubbing alcohol, hand lotion and bug spray for annoying mosquitoes while on shore. Bring sun screen and lip sun block touting a high SPF. The SPF of a sunscreen is a laboratory measure of the effectiveness of sunscreen. The higher the SPF, the more protection a sunscreen offers against the ultraviolet radiation that causes sunburn.