Planning a cruise with ADHD can be an adventure.

[BreakingWaves]

We are 14 days away from sailing and last night I went to go grab my passport and passport card to put with out kit of important documents. I went to my desk and they weren't there. Now the last time we used these were on a cruise so I went into full panic mode at 3am and began searching the whole house while my wife was asleep. Room after room I opened every drawer and cabinet searching every place I could think of. I was quite so that my wife could get a good nights sleep but also I didn't want her to know that my passports were lost. After the house I searched both vehicles and was about ready to drive to my office to search there when I hear my wifes alarm went off. She eventually makes her way to me and ask what is wrong. I said "Well I went to go pack my passports" to which she interrupted and said "You put those in the bag last week, did you take them out". That is when I realized that I had done this last weekend and I just spent hours going through everything in my house. 

[MaryCS62]

well, on the bright side, at least you hadn't lost them!!!  Actually - passports "live" in a certain location in our house, and are only removed for the check in upload and when we are actually packing the carry-on bags, which is the night before we leave. On return home, that's the first thing to unpack.

Lists are your friend - I check off as I pack, then I know if I missed anything.

[Pattycruise]

Lists are your friends.  I’ve been saying that to my husband for 30 years.  
We also keep the super important items in one spot.
 My passports go into my ugly passport holder once they are removed from their spot-easily recognized by all family members for what it is. It comes out at the airport and hangs around my neck until we need the passports and then only gets taken off my neck once I get all passports back.  This will be a gift I give to each of them when they are finally out of the house. 

There was a meme recently about a 30 something year old bitching his mom still held his passport despite him having moved out, so she finally gave it to him…. And he misplaced it.  yep-already know that will be the case with my lovelies.  I plan to have a release form made for them to read and sign/date when they take their passports. That will be my evidence that they had it last.
 

[MaryCS62]

18 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

Lists are your friends.  I’ve been saying that to my husband for 30 years.  
We also keep the super important items in one spot.
 My passports go into my ugly passport holder once they are removed from their spot-easily recognized by all family members for what it is. It comes out at the airport and hangs around my neck until we need the passports and then only gets taken off my neck once I get all passports back.  This will be a gift I give to each of them when they are finally out of the house. 

There was a meme recently about a 30 something year old bitching his mom still held his passport despite him having moved out, so she finally gave it to him…. And he misplaced it.  yep-already know that will be the case with my lovelies.  I plan to have a release form made for them to read and sign/date when they take their passports. That will be my evidence that they had it last.
 

yes - my DH  keeps his list "in his head" - which is why, on our last cruise, he didn't have any dress socks packed, just athletic socks.  1st dress up night - bare feet in his dress shoes. The next day, we were in Charleston, SC, and on a carriage ride, we passed a Target, so after it was done, we looped back to the store to buy him socks.       "Bill's dress socks" are now on my list....

Weirdly - my dad, who was one of the neatest and most organized people I knew, ended up with so many ties & belts because frequently, when packing for vacation or business trips, he invariably forgot one or the other of them.

[BreakingWaves]

So for clarification we do use a list app that syncs to both of our phones. I just didn't check it before going to look for the passports, which was where I went wrong. 

[Pattycruise]

On 12/2/2024 at 9:46 PM, BreakingWaves said:

So for clarification we do use a list app that syncs to both of our phones. I just didn't check it before going to look for the passports, which was where I went wrong. 

Oh my! Bet you won’t make that mistake again!

[Traveling Mike]

both me and my son has ADHD.  It helps me to not pack until the night before I leave.  This way all of my thoughts are on the packing task and I lay everything out on the bed and go over the entire list of everything I need and have.  Then I take my backpack to the safe and get my money and passports out of the safe and put them in the backpack where they stay until the ship.  Now I will double check my backpack for my wallet and passport 100 times between the house and the ship.