We recently asked our readers what they do with their collection of cruise cards after a cruise. The responses were varied and interesting, so we decided to compile a list of some of the most interesting ideas that came from sailing enthusiasts.
Photo Credit: Cruise Fever
As you know, most cruises give you a card to use throughout the trip. It is used to open your cabin, purchase items on board, and identify when you are at the port and back on the ship.
After the cruise, this card becomes a backup to do whatever you want with it.
Princess Cruises offers an Ocean Medallion in lieu of a travel card and Princess fans can keep this as well.
Cruise cards can be added to regular travelers who hit the ocean every month.
This article will describe in detail the most common uses of these collected plastics, as well as some tools that surprised us.
Why save cruise cards in the first place?
For many sailors keeping their old sailing cards is a great way to remember all the amazing voyages they’ve taken around the world. It’s also a conversation piece and opens the door to bragging rights.
After many trips they can all run together in your mind, so keeping these cards and sifting through them now and then will trigger memories that will help brighten those days while you’re still on the road.
Each ship card represents a different voyage, ship, destination, and group of friends. Sure, you can throw them in the trash, and I’ve done that a few times but now I wish I’d kept everything to add to my collection.
So, what do sailors do with old sailing cards?
Here’s what our readers had to say.
Save and save them
Whether they’re kept in a box or somewhere on the desk, some sailors like to just pile them on. They serve as a source of wonderful memories at sea, and bragging rights as the pile rises.
Use as Bookmarks
I have done this several times with my old cruise cards. They make great bookmarks, but I’ll admit I get distracted by old nautical memorabilia while reading a book sometimes. Sure, it’s too long for storage, but you can bring an old card on your next trip and curl up with a good book on your porch. The sound of the ocean really helps to provide pure natural sound to soak up a good book.
Scrapbook It
Scrapbooking vintage postcards is another popular choice. You can add photos of your trip along with travel cards so you can remember exactly where your train went and what you did on that trip. This makes a great book for the coffee table or conversation piece.
Make It
Just make sure you have enough room in the frame for more cards if you decide to make them. This is the ultimate bragging rights move, but it can also be a source of office inspiration. Every time you get frustrated at work and you just want to escape you can look at the frame and remember all the great trips you took and start planning the next one. Use the hinged and easy-to-access frame to keep adding to your collection.
Sponsored Links
Make Some Coasters
I don’t really know how the sailors are making their cruise cards, but this was mentioned a few times in the answers. I think they can be cut and combined with other cards to make unique coasters, but it would be difficult for me to cut them, personally.
Fridge Magnets
Princess Cruises has switched from cruise cards to medallions, but die-hard Princess fans will find a use for these as well. Princess Medallions are magnetic, so you can just use them as fridge magnets when you get home from your trip. The magnetic part of the medallions is not very strong so you can’t use it to take pictures and papers on the fridge, but as they stick to many metals you can be creative with the way you display them.
Make a Table Top
If you have enough sailing cards you can cover the entire table with them and add a protective cover. This is another great part of the discussion and allows you to see all of your trips at a glance.
Christmas decorations
Christmas tree hanging cards are a popular choice for regular travelers. You can add festive borders or drill holes to add lights. Enjoying a tree decorated with cruise cards will trigger “Cruise Fever” so you may have the urge to go on a cruise as soon as you finish decorating.
Bring them on the Next Cruise
Some cruisers said they like to bring their old cards with them on their next trip and use them for credit cards so they don’t have to keep issuing their cards. Just make sure you don’t leave the card in the slot with the power when you leave if you do this.
We’ve also heard from others that they bring their old sailing cards so they can decorate the room with all the great sailing memories they once had.
Throw them in the food drawer
For the restless among us who still have a little imagination, the pantry is the place of choice. But if you travel a lot this drawer starts to fill up, so you can do one of the above or answer below if that’s you.
Garbage
There were several responses saying that they just throw the cards away. I have already said that I have done this several times and I regret not having those cards now. Honestly, I had no idea I would be traveling this far and I would have loved a physical way to remember all these trips.
What do you do with your old travel cards? Tell us in the comments and show us your skills.
Sponsored Links
