Who here loves to plan for the cruise?!?

[dancinman66]

I plan stuff to a pretty fine level usually but sometimes time ends up being my enemy on it and I let myself down then

Planning for unforeseen things to most has helped a lot of times

 

 

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[PomSaysOm]

Oh my goodness! It is so nice to know I'm not alone!

 

I love to learn absolutely everything I can about where I'm going, how I'm getting there, where I'm staying, what I can do when I get there...

 

Our cruise isn't until next May (just under 300 days - sad face), but I'm already in obsessed mode. The more I plan and take care of now, the more I can relax later! From the moment I got the idea in my head to give myself (and hubby of course) a cruise for my graduation/our anniversary, I've been back on CC and Carnival deciding what ship, what dates, etc. And talking about cruising constantly, of course. Hubby asked me the other day, "Are you going to be like this every day until we leave?" To which I replied, "Quite possibly." It's just what I do.

 

So glad I'm not alone!

[herbanrenewal]

I love researching so I will have the knowledge to make good choices on my cruise. Even the spontaneous ones. Knowledge is power. Don't want to come home and read someone's review and say, "what? I didn't know about THAT?"

 

Donna sounds a lot like me. For every trip - land or sea - I obsess with possibilities and prioritize...list all the possibilities so I know what our choices are if it rains or if its a perfect beach day, know what museums and attractions are open in every port. For me spontaneity comes with informed choice - I know that if its a lazy day for one of us then sitting at the pool is also a valuable vacation option. If I have three things listed to do and the first is spectacular, then we just have to come back to see those other sights next trip.

 

When I return home and put my photo book together I get so many comments from friends and family that they didn't know about some of the beautiful things we've seen and done.

 

And my obsessive planning has let me do it on a shoestring budget.

I think I have folders with public transportation info and maps for every city I have ever visited.

 

While my friends may laugh at me sometimes, I notice that when they are planning a trip they always ask me what the must-see sights are in every destination.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

It is what I do ..:)

[dorisis]

Planning and looking forward to the cruise is half the fun for me.

 

I feel the same way.I keep making notes and have a folder full by the time we go. Things to try. places to go, new dining venues and on and on.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I enjoy planning cruises and working out all the details.

[Warm Breezes]

I am guilty as charged of obsessive planning for all our vacations. I currently have spreadsheets going for our next 2 confirmed trips- a family trip to Mall of America and Wisconsin Dells (August 2014) and an adult trip to Tuscon(October 2014 anniversary trip) and have done preliminary searches for a family cruise in December 2015 knowing we will have a National Dance competition trip to plan sometime in June and possibly an adult cruise in the Spring and/or another family trip in August. Some trips I plan in detail, booking all excursions. Some trips I don't book anything but I have information on what is available so we know what our options are. Some trips I do a mixture of both....but at a minimum I know what is available for us to choose from.

[Harry and Lucille]

Three days after returning from 15 days of cruising to Hawaii in December 2014, we booked for southern carib. in Feb, 2015.

 

Just waiting for airline to post schedules. Have cruise and hotel. Once this was done and time on my hands, I started the roll call list and planned a slot pull.

 

Have the M&G venue reserved and we have close to 50 folks signed up.

 

With so much time left over, I may have to start researching for something else to do. Looking at tour options. Darn. So little to do and all that time. Foot tap,tap,tap. Gee. Just checked. Nope. No more finger nails left to bite.:eek:

 

Harry

[dancinman66]

I almost get obsessed with research on the trip I am planning

 

 

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[cruising to paradise]

I too love the planning. We're leaving in 29 days ,4 days early of our cruise and I think my folder is complete with everything we need. Nothing left to plan so now I'm reading CC all the time while I anxiously await. Hubby doesn't know it but I already booked the next cruise. Surprise!

[buggins0402]

I too love the planning. We're leaving in 29 days ,4 days early of our cruise and I think my folder is complete with everything we need. Nothing left to plan so now I'm reading CC all the time while I anxiously await. Hubby doesn't know it but I already booked the next cruise. Surprise!

 

Reminds me of one of my favorite CC threads ever. It was on the Celebrity board a few years back. Someone posted how she did all the planning and her spouse was so totally clueless that if she died he'd have absolutely no idea which ship they were on, where it was going or even which port it was leaving from. Thread went on for a long time....seems there are many couples that operate the same way - one does all the planning and the other has a vague idea of the dates he or she must take off from work.

[Warm Breezes]

Reminds me of one of my favorite CC threads ever. It was on the Celebrity board a few years back. Someone posted how she did all the planning and her spouse was so totally clueless that if she died he'd have absolutely no idea which ship they were on, where it was going or even which port it was leaving from. Thread went on for a long time....seems there are many couples that operate the same way - one does all the planning and the other has a vague idea of the dates he or she must take off from work.

 

That describes our relationship to a T. I plan, DH comes along for the ride. Somebody will ask him where we are going and what ship at work and he has to come home and ask me. Usually he knows the cruiseline and that is about it until about 2 weeks before when he finally starts to excited too.

[ncovert]

I do this... all of this... every day. We once booked a cruise a year in advance and DW realized after about three months that yep... I was still going to do this... all of this... every day :D Now we stick to booking between three and four months in advance :rolleyes:

[dulcimergirl]

Oh boy, am I a planner. I'm having a heart attack as we type. I have 18 cruises under me, and I have booked them all. My next cruise I'm going with a GF and her club, some Traveling club, has booked her and my cabin and flight. I can do nothing, and its driving me crazy. We have about 44 days to go, and I don't know when we are flying or where to. I do know the ship and cabin, ports etc. I hate not having the PoWeR! I'm sure it will be fine, and in the meanwhile, since I have no control on the essentials, I am fine tuning my packing list. Over and over.. lol

I feel your excitement. I think we are all nuts. Sometimes there isn't enough "cruise" stuff to read, even on CC.

[celebrity]

Reminds me of one of my favorite CC threads ever. It was on the Celebrity board a few years back. Someone posted how she did all the planning and her spouse was so totally clueless that if she died he'd have absolutely no idea which ship they were on, where it was going or even which port it was leaving from. Thread went on for a long time....seems there are many couples that operate the same way - one does all the planning and the other has a vague idea of the dates he or she must take off from work.

 

That thread was absolutely hilarious and described us to a "T"

I normally start "command central" in our spare bedroom for packing a month in advance.

Every time, my husband tells me all he needs is a bathing suit. One of these days, I think I will do that and let him scramble at the 11th hour figuring out what he will be wearing. Tee Hee. :)

Edited July 29, 2014 by celebrity

[olemissreb]

I am a cruise planning junky! I've only got one booked currently, but we don't leave until March. I've already got our airline tickets booked and paid for (frequent flier miles!). Our pre & post cruise hotel is booked (pre-cruise is free!). Excursions for 3 of 5 islands are going to be booked this week (maybe 4 out of 5). Still researching things to do in San Juan that we haven't done before and places to eat. Just made another payment on the cruise itself - only 4 more to go! Beverage package booked.

 

Worst thing? I'm starting to research my youngest son's pre-graduation trip that won't take place until 2017! I think I may be able to book it next year which will give me 2 years to plan. And I'll need the entire time. We'll be heading to Europe and departing from Venice and ending in Rome! Oh YEAH so much too plan for that one!

 

I don't get obsessive about MDR menus or things to do on board. I do like to leave a little bit to surprise me.

Edited July 29, 2014 by olemissreb

[buggins0402]

That thread was absolutely hilarious and described us to a "T"

I normally start "command central" in our spare bedroom for packing a month in advance.

Every time, my husband tells me all he needs is a bathing suit. One of these days, I think I will do that and let him scramble at the 11th hour figuring out what he will be wearing. Tee Hee. :)

 

Wish I could figure out how to find it and link it, it was a hoot! I was sailing preparing to sail on NCL at the time and linked it on that board and they also came up with some great clueless no planning traveling partner stories.

 

The term for the cruise planning disease is OCPD ( obsessive cruise planning disorder).

[Missymo]

I love planning cruises. I usually go for 7-10 days, caribbean, mexico, alaska. etc. We are going out of our safety zone on this next one. Now planning cruising down the Amazon for 24 days. Going to places never been and researching like crazy. I have a planner listing tours, ports, dinner reservations, visa's etc, My friends tell me to un"retire" and become a travel agent., Actually found this thread while looking for information for my cruise. lol.

[buggins0402]

That thread was absolutely hilarious and described us to a "T"

I normally start "command central" in our spare bedroom for packing a month in advance.

Every time, my husband tells me all he needs is a bathing suit. One of these days, I think I will do that and let him scramble at the 11th hour figuring out what he will be wearing. Tee Hee. :)

 

Took a while but I found it...http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1673453

[DMH15]

Donna sounds a lot like me. For every trip - land or sea - I obsess with possibilities and prioritize...list all the possibilities so I know what our choices are if it rains or if its a perfect beach day, know what museums and attractions are open in every port. For me spontaneity comes with informed choice - I know that if its a lazy day for one of us then sitting at the pool is also a valuable vacation option. If I have three things listed to do and the first is spectacular, then we just have to come back to see those other sights next trip.

 

 

 

When I return home and put my photo book together I get so many comments from friends and family that they didn't know about some of the beautiful things we've seen and done.

 

 

 

And my obsessive planning has let me do it on a shoestring budget.

 

I think I have folders with public transportation info and maps for every city I have ever visited.

 

 

 

While my friends may laugh at me sometimes, I notice that when they are planning a trip they always ask me what the must-see sights are in every destination.

 

We might twins separated at birth. I have those folfers too.

 

But even though I am pretty frugal in my day-to-day life I tend to splurge on vacay.

 

:)

[sfpen66]

I love planning our vacations, especially our cruises! My DH thinks I am obsessed. He's right. I enjoy every aspect of the planning process.

 

 

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[BRANDIESB]

♥️💛💜💚❤️

Brandie B.

 

http://www.BrandieB.Scentsy.US

 

 

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[JBM]

Took a while but I found it...http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1673453

Thanks buggins, looking forward to an amusing read later. Very nice of you to take the time and "research " that thread!

 

In my world, DH is the one to do the preliminary research.....finding "the right cruise", financially and port wise from our 3 favorite lines....Celebrity, Princess or Royal Caribbean .

 

Then it's my turn......read, read, read on here, Trip Advisor, etc. sharing all the finds with DH who is usually impressed with my finds!

 

For both of us, this planning is part of the entire experience....be it sea or land trip! :)

[thehappycruiserchick]

I love planning for a cruise!! Well our travel agent books our cruise but everything else like planning the excursions, booking the hotel and the airline is all the things I enjoy doing. I also enjoy buying new clothing for the trip and even start contemplating how many photos I'll be buying on the ship.

 

Cruise fever!!

[cruiseapril]

Love planning trips. Great way to learn geography and learn about other cultures.

 

We try to cruise each year and take a long U.S. train trip from time to time, so there is much to research.

 

We cruise and travel for the itinerary, so do much reading about ports.

 

Have quite a collection of travel books to read on cold Maine winter nights!