How to Scrapbook Your Cruise

By Jenny Jedeikin

Creating a scrapbook will help you preserve your memories. - *Photo by Strakovskaya / Shutterstock*

You’ve unpacked your bags, gotten over jetlag, handed out travel souvenirs to friends, and even posted some shots on social media. But if you want a longer-lasting souvenir of your cruise memories, consider putting together a scrapbook so you can savor and share your experience for years to come.

Whether you’re planning to do it old school with a hard-cover album or go digital, here are some tips to get you started on creating the perfect custom souvenir of your trip, along with tricks for how to handle if you didn’t get what you needed:

1 Collect plenty of “stuff.”

During the cruise, you’ll want to gather as many things as you can. From travel brochures and sightseeing maps to dinner menus and screen shots of foreign currency, having a variety of trip-specific visuals to populate your pages is essential. You can use these to glue onto your pages, or you can scan the items for background images and visual candy.

Oops!: Already back and missed out on collecting some of these items? With a little web surfing, you may be able to locate images online.

2 Think like a photojournalist.

Variety is key: It’s far less engaging to look at a scrapbook that only includes full-frame photos of, say, you and your spouse standing arm in arm than it is to look at a diverse array of images. Try to take shots that include a range of subjects and angles, such as a close-up of your sandaled toes in the sand, a tight shot of just your hand holding a mojito, and a shot of the porthole next to your bed.

Oops!: If your pictures are woefully consistent, you can always crop them in interesting ways to create more diversity.

3 Jot down your memories.

Like any good book, it’s helpful to include written or audio descriptions of where you went or how you felt alongside the images that capture the experience. Journaling or talking into a digital recorder — even for just 10 minutes daily — while on your cruise will help you preserve your memories in greater detail.

Oops!: If you didn’t do this, you can revisit email messages you sent, or even texts, to recapture your experiences.

4 Organize by theme.

Some scrapbookers prefer a day-by-day layout in their scrapbooks, but you can also organize material thematically, which can allow you to be more creative. For example, one layout might be focused on food, including a photo of the best meal, your favorite waiter, and a picture of you and your tablemates. Another spread could be designated to shopping excursions or late-night activities onboard, such as a late-night karaoke adventure.

Oops!: Organizing by theme is definitely better for those who decide to make a scrapbook after they’ve already returned home from their trip, since you may not have cataloged every port in consistent detail.

5 Try a digital app.

There are lots of choices: Skrappy is an iPad® application for anyone looking to organize a range of materials, including video, recorded messages, and songs. The Diptic® app builds collage pages on a smartphone. Looking for something more playful? The Halftone iPhone® app turns your cruise shots into comic strips.

Oops!: All of these apps are great choices for people who didn’t necessarily plan ahead, but if you know you’re going to use one, we suggest checking it out in advance so that you can brainstorm creative ideas before your trip.

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