Planning vacations, choosing resorts, cruise lines and shore excursions is exciting and fun. Remember to make appropriate financial plans before leaving on vacation to protect you and your family. Lost or stolen credit cards, cash or passports, especially while out of the country can become a nightmare without proper planning. In these tough economic times, families are seeking low cost ways to vacation. Travel services, including cruise companies, are responding to these demands by offering affordable packages. Some offers include free components which lowers your cost. To help ensure a safe trip consider the following tips from the US Department of State: Register so the State Department can better assist you in an emergency. When you register your travel plans with the State Department through their free online service this will help the State Department contact you if there is a family emergency in the United States, or if there is a crisis where you are traveling. In accordance with the Privacy Act, information on your welfare and whereabouts will not be released to others without your express authorization. Sign passport and fill in the emergency information. To begin your Bahamas cruise, make sure you have a signed, valid passport, and a visa, if required, and fill in the emergency information page of your passport. Leave copies of itinerary and passport data page, and visas with family or friends, so you can be contacted in case of an emergency. Also, pack a photocopy of your passport(s) in your luggage in case your original is lost or stolen. Check your overseas medical insurance coverage; many people do not carry large amounts of cash and during medical situations, cash is sometimes the only acceptable payment. Ask your medical insurance company if your policy applies overseas, and if it covers emergency expenses such as medical evacuation. If it does not, consider supplemental insurance. Take precautions to avoid being a target of crime while enjoying your cruise or any other trip, avoid being a target of crime. Do not wear conspicuous clothing or jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of money. Also, do not leave unattended luggage in public areas and do not accept packages from strangers. Contact United States State Department in an emergency. The consular personnel at United States Embassies and Consulates abroad and in U.S. are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens. Contact information for U.S. Embassies and Consulates appears on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website. Also note that the Office of Overseas Citizen Services in the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs may be reached for assistance with emergencies as well whether calling from the U.S. or Canada, or from overseas. Low cost vacations are great but if these tips are overlooked the vacation could quickly become an expensive nightmare.