Forgot about the rest of my vacation!

[SimplyMarvie]

Anyone else ever get so wrapped up in planning all the cool things you're going to do on your cruise, and getting all the shore excursions and dining reservations and everything else perfectly sorted that the other, land-based parts of your vacation just sort of slip your mind? 

 

It finally occurred to me today (we're leaving in early December) that gee, I also have 8 days in Florida after disembarkation and it might be a good thing if we like, had a place to sleep during them, and some idea of something to do while we're there. 

 

As Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!"

[slidergirl]

First - which port is your debarking port?  MIA, FLL, Port Canaveral, Tampa??  Do you want to stay in one place or spit time between 2 or 3 places?   Beach time, Old Florida, bar time, Mouseland ???

 

 

[mom says]

Nope. For us the planning for the land portions of our trips take a higher priority than the cruise. Once the cruise is booked it gets put on the back burner until all our land based details are fully ironed out.

 

A week in Florida that time of year should be easy. Unless, of course, you're planning on WDW. In that case, you'd better hop to it.

[Bizmark'sMom]

I'm with Mom. The land portion of my trip takes priority over the cruise.  Mostly, it's a matter of logistics - after I'm aboard, food, lodging and transportation are all handled for me.  I'm on my own for the land portion.

[DirtyDawg]

5 hours ago, SimplyMarvie said:

Anyone else ever get so wrapped up in planning all the cool things you're going to do on your cruise, and getting all the shore excursions and dining reservations and everything else perfectly sorted that the other, land-based parts of your vacation just sort of slip your mind? 

 

It finally occurred to me today (we're leaving in early December) that gee, I also have 8 days in Florida after disembarkation and it might be a good thing if we like, had a place to sleep during them, and some idea of something to do while we're there. 

 

As Homer Simpson would say, "D'oh!"

 

Do Florida like we did in University. Get car, find a Walmart parking lot and you're set for the night. 😊

 

If that too ruffing it for you, most hotel rooms in Florida can sleep 6 to 8 easily, if 2 don't mind sleeping in the bathtub that is. The money you'll save on hotel room costs will cover the Chiropractor visits with plenty to spare. 😉

 

 

Edited October 21, 2019 by DirtyDawg

[ilikeanswers]

Totally opposite. The land portion always takes precedence because the way I look at it if there is something I forgot to organise for the cruise I can probably organise it on the cruise but the land part while you could do it on the fly it would be more difficult so I would rather have that prepared and done. 

[navybankerteacher]

7 hours ago, mom says said:

Nope. For us the planning for the land portions of our trips take a higher priority than the cruise. Once the cruise is booked it gets put on the back burner until all our land based details are fully ironed out.

 

—- 

This is certainly the case with us - a majority of our cruises now seem to be transportation between land stays or (most frequently) coming back to the US after travel in northern or Southern Europe.

 

Sure, both elements are jointly planned; like current plans to take Oceania back to NY after visiting/travelling in England next September—- they need  to mesh, but the land segment is now the more significant.

[Tapi]

I look at the land portion and the actual cruise as a whole. One vacation. Sometimes the pre-cruise land portion takes more planning, other times the onboard activities take more planning, and sometimes the ports of call take more planning.

 

Sometimes, planning for the entire vacation is extremely easy. For example, I have booked a 4 night cruise aboard the MSC Armonia out of Tampa going to Key West and Ocean Cay. From the moment I put the deposit down, I already knew exactly how this vacation will go. No real pre-planning required. I haven’t even thought about it. No flying, no hotels, no pre cruise stay,  no excursions. The only thing to research which I’ll do later is where to park on the day of the cruise. 
 

But last year we took our first Mediterranean cruise on the MSC Meraviglia, Including a pre cruise stay in Rome. 5 countries in 10 days. Now, for that cruise I planned obsessively for 1 year and 4 months. I’d get on the computer every night and researched to death flights, transportation companies, hotels, restaurants, each port of call, activities, tours, onboard activities, etc. I watched tons of YouTube videos. I’d even get on Google maps and virtually “walk” from one place to another. Like from our hotel in Rome to St Peter’s Square. It was wild how awesome it was to do this. When we finally arrived in Rome and we actually walked the route that I had done online, it felt as if had already been there. it was all so worth it! We had a fantastic time! 

Edited October 22, 2019 by Tapi

[LoriPhil]

Love the “walk” feature on google maps.  It’s how we selected our hotel in London before our last cruise... decided against one location after walking the street.  Interesting to research pre and post cruise locations this way!

[ldubs]

12 hours ago, Tapi said:

I’d even get on Google maps and virtually “walk” from one place to another. Like from our hotel in Rome to St Peter’s Square. It was wild how awesome it was to do this. When we finally arrived in Rome and we actually walked the route that I had done online, it felt as if had already been there. it was all so worth it! We had a fantastic time! 

 

I did the same thing in preparation for a recent trip to Como, It.  I had the walk from the train station to our hotel down pat.  I was fully prepared to once again impress Mrs Ldubs with my directional skills.  I missed one minor detail -- there are two train stations in Como.  Lol.  We had to ask directions.  Turned out the station we used was actually closer.  

[slidergirl]

2 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

I did the same thing in preparation for a recent trip to Como, It.  I had the walk from the train station to our hotel down pat.  I was fully prepared to once again impress Mrs Ldubs with my directional skills.  I missed one minor detail -- there are two train stations in Como.  Lol.  We had to ask directions.  Turned out the station we used was actually closer.  

I use the "walk" feature all the time.  It's nice to "see" the neighborhood before I actually get there. 

[SimplyMarvie]

20 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

 

Do Florida like we did in University. Get car, find a Walmart parking lot and you're set for the night. 😊

 

If that too ruffing it for you, most hotel rooms in Florida can sleep 6 to 8 easily, if 2 don't mind sleeping in the bathtub that is. The money you'll save on hotel room costs will cover the Chiropractor visits with plenty to spare. 😉

 

 

 

Weirdly, my kids seem to think this is a bad idea. No sense of adventure in today's youth! 😉

[JimnKaren]

We live north of Tampa by about an hour. We'll be back from our 51-day Tales of the South Pacific on 12/18. Ya wanna come to our house? We'll show you what living is like in the Sunshine State. Got some great places to goof off (we haven't been tossed out of yet). You need to let me know right away as we leave for San Diego on 10/25 in the a.m.

 

Jim

[SimplyMarvie]

This has been our first major cruise with kids, so our flexibility is limited, and I don't know these ports well, so that's taken a lot of research as far as what we want to do and how we want to get there and where we can find transportation that seats 5, etc.

 

Florida, on the other hand, I've visited a lot. And you know, speak the language, hold the passport, and theoretically know how to do all this stuff in the US. But thinking really hard about booking a hotel and car rental is not the same as actually pushing the buttons to book them, which is the part I'd forgotten to do. Luckily, after going on an epically painful spending spree last night, we've got a hotel, a rental car,  I've set up snorkeling with Manatees, a day at discovery cove in Orlando, some aquariums to visit and I have turned the roller coaster decision making over to more qualified hands -- by which I mean my coaster-obsessed 11 year old.

 

So, we should be okay. But man, I can't imagine the mess I'd be in if I'd left this all until the real last minute.

 

 

[SimplyMarvie]

2 minutes ago, JimnKaren said:

We live north of Tampa by about an hour. We'll be back from our 51-day Tales of the South Pacific on 12/18. Ya wanna come to our house? We'll show you what living is like in the Sunshine State. Got some great places to goof off (we haven't been tossed out of yet). You need to let me know right away as we leave for San Diego on 10/25 in the a.m.

 

Jim

 

Oh wow, I'd love to hang out just to hear your stories from that cruise, it sounds like an amazing adventure! 

[clo]

On 10/21/2019 at 12:15 PM, mom says said:

Nope. For us the planning for the land portions of our trips take a higher priority than the cruise. Once the cruise is booked it gets put on the back burner until all our land based details are fully ironed out.

 

100%!  Our upcoming cruise will involve domestic and international flights, a hotel pre-departure, an airbnb post,  arranging to meet friends in two different places.  And that is standard really for all our travel.

[clo]

5 hours ago, SimplyMarvie said:

No sense of adventure in today's youth!

That's your kids but not all by any means.

[clo]

5 hours ago, SimplyMarvie said:

I've set up snorkeling with Manatees,

You probably already know this:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/in-florida-should-the-manatees-swim-alone/2015/04/23/9ac1aae2-de0b-11e4-a500-1c5bb1d8ff6a_story.html

[ldubs]

21 hours ago, slidergirl said:

I use the "walk" feature all the time.  It's nice to "see" the neighborhood before I actually get there. 

 

It sure is. I agree with you, Tapi, and LoriPhil that it is an incredibly useful tool.  Kind of a fun preview too.   

[ldubs]

21 hours ago, SimplyMarvie said:

This has been our first major cruise with kids, so our flexibility is limited, and I don't know these ports well, so that's taken a lot of research as far as what we want to do and how we want to get there and where we can find transportation that seats 5, etc.

 

Florida, on the other hand, I've visited a lot. And you know, speak the language, hold the passport, and theoretically know how to do all this stuff in the US. But thinking really hard about booking a hotel and car rental is not the same as actually pushing the buttons to book them, which is the part I'd forgotten to do. Luckily, after going on an epically painful spending spree last night, we've got a hotel, a rental car,  I've set up snorkeling with Manatees, a day at discovery cove in Orlando, some aquariums to visit and I have turned the roller coaster decision making over to more qualified hands -- by which I mean my coaster-obsessed 11 year old.

 

So, we should be okay. But man, I can't imagine the mess I'd be in if I'd left this all until the real last minute.

 

 

 

I laughed when I read "epically painful spending spree".   I can understand how those things can add up when you are buying them times 5!    Our kids are all grown and out on their own now, but I remember those days well. 

[SimplyMarvie]

On 10/23/2019 at 2:49 AM, clo said:

That's your kids but not all by any means.

 

I thought the winky-face on the original comment and the joking tone of the original replay would have been a pretty clear sign that I meant that completely sarcastically. Perhaps I was mistaken!

 

Either way, trying to fit five human beings overnight in a compact rental car? That's not an adventure, that's Tetris with people. 

[clo]

15 minutes ago, SimplyMarvie said:

 

I thought the winky-face on the original comment and the joking tone of the original replay would have been a pretty clear sign that I meant that completely sarcastically. Perhaps I was mistaken!

 

Either way, trying to fit five human beings overnight in a compact rental car? That's not an adventure, that's Tetris with people. 

Sorry.  My mistake.

[slidergirl]

Check out the possibility of going to the Brevard County Zoo.  Down the road from Port Canaveral.  www.brevardzoo.org.   A great little zoo.  AND, they have kayaking through the zoo and you'll see animals along the banks as you paddle.  

There is a really good restaurant inside the zoo, and some wonderful restaurants on the way back from Melbourne to Port Canaveral.