Perfectionist planning our first cruise

[Cruisin' Chick]

First, this forum is exactly what I was looking for. So thank you to the mods and the community for building this resource.

 

Into the question:

I tend to be a perfectionist while planning so that I can relax more during a trip and this is our first time shooting for a cruise. And wow, this is a different beast entirely from regular travel.

 

I will be researching everything and writing out many scenarios so this isn't a request to plan our trip for me. Rather, I'm hoping for the common pitfalls and tricks of the trade that would make this a lot easier. I've already dug into a dozen or so articles on this site (more on others) from the romatic cruises and honeymoon lines, to internet access and My First Cruise.

 

The purpose is for a delayed honeymoon (new job, no vacation until June) that was this past weekend. Now that the nuptial planning is officially done, time to get on that trip.

 

And as young newlyweds, cost is a factor. To help with that, I have about $1000 in Discover cashback that can be doubled with partner cruise lines.

 

So, points for me to start looking:

 

Discover Partners (* made the romantic list | # made the honeymoon list):

Celebrity Cruises *#

Princess Cruises *#

Royal Caribbean International#

Carnival Cruise Lines #

Holland America

Norwegian Cruise Line *

 

Also partners for shore activities:

Shore Excursions Group

Tour Sales

Tauck Tours

 

I'm leaning towards a Caribbean cruise and probably a western one to include Belize and specifically Cave Tubing.

 

----------------------------

 

I will probably use this as a public journal during planning to outline my process in case someone else would like to reference.

 

To start, I'm focusing on Celebrity and Princess at the moment and will definitely book some form of romance package.

 

I'm the family planner but for cruises I just concentrate on pre-cruise/post-cruise. We've already have decided on the ship and itinerary and I don't plan out our on board time as that would drive my hubby and I crazy.

 

That said:

1. Always get to your embarkation city at least a day ahead. Too many things could go wrong with flights and trains, and even cars. You'll be more relaxed if you spend the night before in a hotel, maybe even get in a nice dinner, a little sightseeing, a little shopping (for anything you didn't want to schlep on the plane).

 

(the only time we don't do this is we're leaving from the Port of LA, which is an hour's drive for us, and even then we try to leave by 10am)

 

So that's researching your flights, a pre-cruise hotel, transportation from airport to hotel, hotel to port (you might be able to find a hotel that will shuttle you from the airport and/or the port...just depends on distance among the three points). If you arrive in the morning the day before or a couple of days early, you can check into rental cars.

 

2. For time of year, you can check each cruise line's website for their cruise planner function...and narrow down the options. Or talk to a cruise specialist, a travel agent who knows about cruises (as opposed to the online companies whose order takers probably haven't seen the ocean, much less gone on a cruise). Book the airfare yourself and not through the cruise line for more control.

 

3. For ports, get a guidebook from the library (you can buy the latest edition of one you like from Amazon) and google each port too. If you're on the budget, you might want to consider not booking excursions, especially if beaching it or sightseeing is fine for you.

 

4. Don't plan out your on-board time. Every night you'll get a newsletter delivered to your cabin with the different activities and entertainment. Don't try to do everything.

 

5. Once you've selected your ship, go back to the cruise line's website and read up on the features of the ship and read the FAQs about the line.

[Lerin]

 

I will probably use this as a public journal during planning to outline my process in case someone else would like to reference.

 

 

Perhaps a personal blog would be a better forum for that sort of thing.

 

Planning a cruise isn't that big of a deal. Pick a cruise, pay the money, pack your bag. Go. CC is a great resource for little questions or concerns you may have along the way.

[Warm Breezes]

Expect the unexpected. Don't plan so darn much. I like to have a general plan and then let the details unfold at the time.

If you plan everything, you are just setting yourself up for something to go wrong. Then you may be disappointed.

Planners are planners though. Just plan with a general idea of what you want to do, and then let the small stuff go.

This is your VACATION. Your reward for surviving the wedding planning. I didn't give a rat's behind what happened on my cruise. I was so glad not to have to think about wedding plans anymore.

Planning my wedding was second only to buying our home in terms of stress. Everyone has expectations, and everyone wants their expectations met. I was NOT going to be a bridezilla. I gave in on a lot of things I wanted. I am married to someone I love dearly. We are celebrating 20 years this year, but I kid you not- I would either stay in a loveless marriage Or never marry again just to avoid having to plan another wedding.

The cruise and the no rules and the no planning was perfect.

 

I don't think there is a problem with planning, IMHO the better prepared you are, the more flexible you can be...for a planner anyway. I do a lot of research for our cruises and when I book excursions I make sure they are the kind that can be cancelled without penalty because I know things can change and have had them change (like pouring rain at Costa Maya on a planned beach day). I try to know what our options are at any given port so if I do have plans that fall through we can go to plan B or C....sometimes that plan is just stay on the ship :D. I think expectations are the problem that leads to disappointment with some folks, not the planning. I am a heavy planner, with excel charts and everything. But I have to say in my 12 cruises I have never been disappointed because of a change in the plans. I don't expect things to go perfect and I usually have a backup plan, even if it is just something in the back of mind and not written, of what to do when the written plans don't work. I find this to be much less stressful than getting somewhere and not knowing what to do or what there is to do and then wasting my vacation time on trying to figure it out fast. Planning to me is a stress preventor that helps me avoid disappointment when things do go awry.

[crenee44]

One of the best ways I've found to plan on a budget is to run the numbers for different options. The most obvious isn't always cheapest or best.

 

For example, the night after our Med trip, it was cheaper to stay in a hotel near the Vatican and arrange a private van to the airport the next morning than it was to stay near the airport. This of course also made for a much more enjoyable experience.

 

For our upcoming trip, however, it is working out to be sort of the opposite. We are flying into Orlando in the late afternoon. My first thought was to head straight to Port Canaveral but we decided to stay near the airport instead. This way we can have a more leisurely evening and get our young son to bed earlier. Money wise this was the best option as well. The hotel is cheaper and we can split transport with another part of our group who will be at the same hotel.

 

Of course, these are just examples and what worked for our trips won't work for everyone. Have fun planning!

[Talisker92]

I am an advance planner, too. It drives my wife nuts, as she has been used to more spontaneous trips.

That being said, once the main logistics are out of the way, booking the cruise,air and transfers, I go with the flow. You can drive yourself nuts trying to micromanage a trip.

We just did a 32 day cruise, and there were a few minor glitches with 2 shore excursions, but it did not "ruin our cruise".

[legaljen1969]

Warm Breezes, to each his/her own. I think my intent was to say not to let the planning stress out the O.P.

I like having some plans. I like having a general idea what's going to occur. It's just a difference in perspective and personal taste. All of the spreadsheets and step by step would stress me out. I know that for some, they are a way of life. They make me feel like I am planning for a business presentation.

 

Talisker92, I too go with the flow once the main logistics are out of the way. I am big on planning the major stuff. I get the cruise booked, all accommodations going and returning and any main excursion or event I really want to do. After that,it's pretty fluid.

[Flatbush Flyer]

First, this forum is exactly what I was looking for. So thank you to the mods and the community for building this resource.

 

 

 

Into the question:

 

I tend to be a perfectionist while planning so that I can relax more during a trip and this is our first time shooting for a cruise. And wow, this is a different beast entirely from regular travel.

 

 

 

I will be researching everything and writing out many scenarios so this isn't a request to plan our trip for me. Rather, I'm hoping for the common pitfalls and tricks of the trade that would make this a lot easier. I've already dug into a dozen or so articles on this site (more on others) from the romatic cruises and honeymoon lines, to internet access and My First Cruise.

 

 

 

The purpose is for a delayed honeymoon (new job, no vacation until June) that was this past weekend. Now that the nuptial planning is officially done, time to get on that trip.

 

 

 

And as young newlyweds, cost is a factor. To help with that, I have about $1000 in Discover cashback that can be doubled with partner cruise lines.

 

 

 

So, points for me to start looking:

 

 

 

Discover Partners (* made the romantic list | # made the honeymoon list):

 

Celebrity Cruises *#

 

Princess Cruises *#

 

Royal Caribbean International#

 

Carnival Cruise Lines #

 

Holland America

 

Norwegian Cruise Line *

 

 

 

Also partners for shore activities:

 

Shore Excursions Group

 

Tour Sales

 

Tauck Tours

 

 

 

I'm leaning towards a Caribbean cruise and probably a western one to include Belize and specifically Cave Tubing.

 

 

 

----------------------------

 

 

 

I will probably use this as a public journal during planning to outline my process in case someone else would like to reference.

 

 

 

To start, I'm focusing on Celebrity and Princess at the moment and will definitely book some form of romance package.

 

 

First thing from your post that jumps out is Tauck tours. This outfit is a "Mercedes Benz" compared to the other "Chevy" tours and cruise lines you've listed. But, you do "get what you pay for."

 

I suggest that you spend some time identifying a "cruise specialist" travel agent using tool like the "best of..." lists occasionally published by Conde Nast Traveler (google it or "cruise specialist").

A good TA (including having both a "brick and mortar" and web presence), particularly one who is a top producer for the cruise line(s) you are considering, is paramount. That TA can get you exclusive savings on certain itineraries in addition to whatever s/he is already adding (usually OBC) to the line's own perks (tips, internet, etc). For example, our TA arranged an additional 10% discount on our first Oceania cruise (per their preferred partnership deal with O). Also, don't fall for that "personal vacation planner" marketing come-on by mass market lines - just one of their own reps who looks out most for who pays their salary.

 

A good TA (or even you if for some strange reason you decide to do it yourself), will interview you to determine your lifestyle/ travel profile. If you live in or near a cosmopolitan city and have the means to eat out regularly at highly acclaimed restaurants and you normally stay in four star hotels, you're going to find that many "mass market" cruise ships will be very disappointing.

CC folks may disagree, with some saying "only the ports matter". But recognize that the ship and its amenities and the profile of its passengers will make a big difference in your experience. Moreover, with that right TA and itinerary perks, you'll find that premium lines like Oceania are reasonably priced with the addition of no obnoxious things like photogs and art sales and nickel diming you for every little thing including mediocre food.

 

At the bottom line, you do get what you pay for.

[Warm Breezes]

Warm Breezes, to each his/her own. I think my intent was to say not to let the planning stress out the O.P.

I like having some plans. I like having a general idea what's going to occur. It's just a difference in perspective and personal taste. All of the spreadsheets and step by step would stress me out. I know that for some, they are a way of life. They make me feel like I am planning for a business presentation.

 

Talisker92, I too go with the flow once the main logistics are out of the way. I am big on planning the major stuff. I get the cruise booked, all accommodations going and returning and any main excursion or event I really want to do. After that,it's pretty fluid.

 

I agree with you, to each his own. I have friends who are like you and my planning drives them nuts...just like their lack of planning drives me nuts. Luckily I married a man who likes to have things planned but he doesn't like doing the planning:D. The OP, however, sounds more like a planner like me and to a planner the planning helps eliminate the stress of the unknown. If my DH told me not to plan so much....quite frankly the nonplanning would stress me out. My point was that telling a planner to not plan so much or they would be setting themselves up for disappointment is simply not the case. Even planners know that things don't always go as expected. A good planner will know the options available to them at the ports if the unexpected occurs to avoid the stress of being caught not knowing what to do and spending time on vacation to try to figure it all out at the last minute. As a planner that is what makes the unexpected less stressful and definately not a disappointment.

Edited March 19, 2015 by Warm Breezes

[legaljen1969]

I am not going to argue with you.

It's a vacation. Do whatever you need to do to make it fun.

That said, so much advice is given about what one "must" do and what is "essential", a person can get pretty overwhelmed on these boards-especially a first timer planning the perfect vacation. Lots of opinions on how to achieve that perfection.

My main point is plan the perfect vacation for you. If that means a spreadsheet for every meal and how many pictures to take at every port, go for it. If the perfect vacation is putting your bags in the room and staying by the pool all day every day with a fruity drink, that's cool too.

Don't let anyone else define your perfect vacation.

[Stephanotis.uk]

Hi folks

Just to add another little idea- I like to plan vacations: on Pinterest and I will make boards with links to places, you tube, google images and maps, cruise critic, wikipedia and cruise websites plus loads of others. That really helps me. It is also a lovely reminder of the trip even when I get back.:)