Prelude to a Cruise - Part 2 - The Long wait

[Astronomer]

Prelude to a Cruise Part 2 The Long wait

I ended the first installment of Prelude to a Cruise found here

( http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=285840 )

looking at the Carnival website and seeing we had only 151 days left to go. These ridiculously long posts are the prelude to a ridiculously long review I plan to write once we return from our first Cruise Vacation.

What I didn’t realize is this is the time when the worrying starts.

Did I do the right thing?

I am not worried about the Cruise Line, or the Carnival Pride as a ship, I like a fun relaxed atmosphere and I enjoy classical art, the ports of call I know are going to be very hot and humid that time of year, but we can handle that. The big things I am not worried about at all.

It is the smaller things that worry me.

How does one go about picking a stateroom? When I booked this cruise some 6 months ago I knew next to nothing about Cruising. I don’t know much more than nothing now, I only know what I have learned by being a member of Cruise Critics but no actual experience. I was ready back then to book a guaranteed inside cabin and hope like heck for an upgrade to a balcony cabin.

I lot of people have told us the stateroom really doesn’t matter as you wont be spending much time there, but my wife and I aren’t like everyone else, We like our lounging around we are relaxed people that don’t have to be on the go every moment, we would love a private balcony for just her and I to be.

Then after studying a bit I found that I could book a balcony guarantee! So I decided to do that, but then after reading the boards I realized that not all balcony cabins are the same. Some have obstructed views, when I saw pictures of what they meant by obstructed view, I found that they were not kidding, they had a very large life boat hanging a few feet directly out from the balcony. You would be lucky to see any water at all in one of those staterooms. Still for a bit more money I could book a guaranteed balcony cabin that does not have an obstructed view! I figured that should solve everything.

( The only problem with the process I was going through was that every time I leaned something new, it was something that would cost me more money. )

So then I made the mistake of reading more reviews and accounts of people upset that they were placed in a cabin just above the disco, or just under the lido deck or some other sleeping nightmare. Now my wife and I are not what you would call picky people, but I did want this trip to be special as I don’t know when we would ever be able to do this again, so I made a fateful decision.

I bit my lip and booked us in a specific stateroom, costing me a hundred or so extra. Now I understood the basic problem with booking a specific stateroom is that the chance of an upgrade is now about nil. On the plus side, I know we will not be placed in a stateroom worse than the one I booked.

Not only does the cabin have a balcony, but it has an extended one, The balcony is 60 sq ft as opposed to the standard 40sq feet, the stateroom itself is the standard 182 sq feet. It has staterooms on the decks above and below it so it should be fairly quiet, unless we get excessively noisy people, but those we can throw overboard ( does the cruise line frown on that? ). It is not very far from the elevators, but not right next to them either.

However it is in the aft indentation of the ship so if we look down from our balcony we are looking right into one of the lifeboats, The stateroom beneath ours is indeed an obstructed view. I don’t know if this is bad or not. Likewise the view looking forward or aft will not be all the way to the front or stern of the ship. We will see the corners of the Staterooms that are just outside the indentation. I am not sure how big a deal this is, but I thought it would be worth it just to have a little deeper balcony.

The problem is, I don’t know what I am doing and I am worried I have made a mistake, I am also worried that I am excessively worrying about nothing and that worries me too. I hope some experienced cruiser out there lets me know just how good or bad I did picking a stateroom for a first timer. We will be on the Empress deck, on the starboard side of the Pride very close to the center of the Aft indentation.

The second thing I am worried about is the excursions. I booked us on 2 excursions, one involves swimming with Dolphins, but looking at the pictures, it appears that we will have life vests on. As long as they don’t ask us to race the Dolphins around the tank, or jump out of the water doing back flips with them, we should do fine. I actually think I can do a better cannonball than a dolphin can due to my size and shape, but that would be about it.

But Maztlan and Randi’s Happy Horses might be a different story. I am not quite the slim trim guy I used to be. Or you could say I am half again the slim trim guy I used to be. I am 6’2 and weigh more than I would like too. But it is also true that I am only short for my weight, if I was 8 feet tall I would look pretty darn good.

I have not been on a Horse since 1981 ( a ride up to the base of Half Dome in Yosemite ), I think it has been even longer for my wife. I am worried that the horse might have a heart attack with me on his back, I expressed this concern to Randa via e-mail and she assured me that her smallest Horse still outweighs me many times over.

The other problem is that I do suffer from an occasional back problem, as does my wife. In fact my wife had surgery on her back some years ago. So what does this smart guy do? I book us on a Horse ride on a beach in Maztlan!

I have read numerous reviews of Randi’s Happy Horses and I am absolutely certain that is what we would have the most fun doing in that port, as long as we don’t die in the process. I also notice something about the reviews that people wrote about Randi’s Happy Horses, they usually didn’t have much to say about Cabo San Lucas the next day. Now not one of them said this, but I have visions of the following day, saddle sore and generally pain ridden people laying around on the Lido deck, moaning at each other.

I have decided that I am not going to change my booking, but I am a tad worried, hopefully it is nothing that a pitcher or three of margaritas cant cure. I am not sure that I am really kidding here, my wife and I have talked about our hopes for this trip, the kinds of things we might want to do in each port, every time we talk about Cabo San Lucas we laugh and say we will probably just look around and drink too much. We hear that drinking too much at Cabo is what that port is best for.

I think it is time to check the website again, 125 days until your Cruise.

That is just over 4 months, or just under 17 weeks, or 3,000 hours depending on the way you want to look at it.

( sigh )

Next thought was identification, We realized that my wife and my passports had recently expired. Now we have been told a hundred times that passports are just not required ( yet ) for this kind of cruise. My friends, my kids, people on the cruise critics forums mostly say the same thing, you just don’t need passports.

Call me a fool, call me paranoid, call me whatever you want, but I personally am not leaving the country without a passport. No matter what “experienced” people may tell you, there is only one internationally recognized ID, heaven forbid if anything bad happened I would want to have full identification with me, at all times. Contrary to popular belief a Passport is not only for getting back into the US, it is the first thing that authorities in any country will ask to see if something out of the ordinary happens. ( not that I am planning that )

Besides, I would hate to pass up on a spur of the moment opportunity sometime ( very cheap airfare that comes up or whatever ) because I don’t have a passport. They are good for 10 years, who knows what might come up.

We received our new passports a few weeks ago, so that is all taken care of. However I am starting to think that the Passport photo people insist on the picture being terrible and in my wife’s case, it doesn’t even look like her.

A week ago I decided to go ahead and start a Roll Call thread, Once I had run into a Cruise Critic Member by the name of Victory_Bound that said they would be on the same cruise as us. After starting the thread I met a delightful poster by the name of JCSM_Mom, unfortunately their plans changed and they ended up canceling this cruise.

But Victory bound is coming with a troupe of 8 people, I was delighted to find out that they are also booked on Randi’s happy Horses with us. That should be fun, as I plan to make a DVD of both stills and video of our cruise I want to make sure I get some of her party so I can send her a DVD as well.

I looked at the website this morning, 97 days before your cruise. OMG!!! We are down to double digits!

What do I do? Where do I look? Where should I go? I feel panic rising up.

Am I ready?!?!?.. only 97 days…

Hmmm

That is still over 3 months

( sigh )

But it is a whole lot less that the 352 days I started this with. :D

Is it just me or is that Carnival commercial starting to slip into my subconscious, I cant turn the channel if that commercial is playing, and I keep humming “Beyond the Sea”. My co-workers are starting to give me funny looks when I walk by humming that tune.

I called Vito, our local Formal Wear shop, I expected him to harass me about getting a Tux from him, but he said that ordering it from the Ship and having it ready there was probably the best way to go, and he would gladly re-do my measurements for me for free.

Laugh all you want, I will wear a Tux to the Formal dinners, I think the occasion will fit. Being at a formal dinner on a ship will be a very special occasion to me, even if it not for others.

I got that taken care of and the tux is rented and waiting for me on board, I sprang for an extra $18 for the black vest as I am not a big fan of cummerbunds.

I started a packing list…

Now I want to state up front right now that I over pack, I like over packing, those that teach people not to over pack will just have to get over it. I will have more shirts than days I will be on the ship. We are not about to do laundry on the ship. I will bring a light Jacket for the first and last days at night ( I hear it can be cool ) Feel free to laugh, feel free to make fun, but I over pack, and I like it!

Here is what my list looks like so far.

Thanks to Cruise critics members for all tips which I am sure you will recognize!

2 Bungee cords

Over the door shoe holder

Multi Plug power strip

8’ extension cord with multiple female head ( or 2 )

Air freshener( not a plug in ) for stateroom bathroom

Walkie talkies

Duct tape

Bottled water (wrap in bubble wrap )

Other bottle or 2 to wrap in bubble wrap that we wont talk about

Plastic Casino lanyards for carrying the Sign and Sail cards ( we have these already )

Fanny Packs ( I find these incredibly useful on vacations )

Earplugs ( mostly for wife, sometimes I snore )

Breath right nose strips ( to decrease my snoring )

Alarm with lit, up numbers

Sun screen – heavy sun screen, I don’t tan, I just burn and peal, I am either bone white or candy apple red, I am never bronze!

Sun Glasses ( or sunglass clip-on’s for my normal glasses )

Wine in carry on bag

Bathroom kit

Digital Camera with large memory chip and don’t forget charger and second set of batteries!

Video Camera ( 3 blank MD tapes 60 min each, you never know )

Clothes

4 pair of Dockers pants, 2 Kaki, 1 Green and 1 Dark Grey ( the green and grey are semi-dressy and will work for dinner ( non formal )

2 pair of short docker pants

2 pair jeans ( probably wearing one on the way down )

3 Nice shirts – to wear to dinner

2 or 3 Ties, just in case I fell like wearing them.

Sports Jacket? ( only if extra room in suitcase )

5 casual shirts like short sleeve

1 light jacket

2 pajamas ( 1 if no room )

Swim trunks

Black shoes ( for Tux ), Brown shoes, tennis shoes.

9 Tea shirts

9 briefs

assorted socks, belts, hat, etc

My wife and I own 2 large hard samsonite suitcases, one very large cloth suitcase and one large Duffel suitcase with rollers on the bottom.

And some smaller assorted carry on cases.

I figure I will take up one of the hard samsonite ones and the Duffel for my clothes and the general stuff ( and the water ), and leave the big cloth one for my wife, and the other samsonite one only if we need it ( probably will )

People will laugh at my overpacking, but I just gotta be me.

This cruise was originally thought of as a 15th anniversary trip, but we could not go last year and so scheduled it for this year.

Our anniversary is actually a few days before the Cruise but that doesn’t matter, I should do something a little extra for her anyway. Nothing expensive ( the Cruise is expensive enough ) but something to let her know I was thinking about her.

I checked the Carnival Website Gifts section and found just what I was thinking of.

A 6” chocolate happy anniversary cake to be delivered to her during the first formal dinner ( 2nd night of the cruise ) It says it will be delivered by singing waiters, that should be fun.

I am also thinking about the other packages offered on the gift site, some were kind of pricey, but.. you only live once… she might like that, Roses would be nice, but so would the anniversary packages. I will have to do some thinking about this.

I checked out the website this morning…….

85 days before your cruise.

OMG….

This is starting to get serious.

I checked my vacation schedule at work, I am taking June 23rd off ( Friday before the cruise ) all the way through the 5th of July, that will give me a day before we leave on Saturday to make any final preparations, and will also give me several days after the cruise to rest, play around in Southern California ( if we have any money left… kinda doubt it )

My wife will be off on Summer vacation after the 12th, so she will be all set.

Last minute things to consider ( ok it isn’t the last minute, it is the last 2 and a half months, but I can pretend )

We need a couple of thermal mugs ( put on shopping list )

I don’t like the rechargeable batteries in the digital camera lately so I am just going to bring a large pack of Lithium batteries, they last longer anyway. ( on shopping list )

3 blank digital MD tapes for the Video Camera

Flowers, I need to buy my wife some flowers to be in our cabin. Or am I going to buy the anniversary package? I don’t know yet. ( I’m so confused )

When the Cruise Docs arrive I need to make a copy of all our travel plans and a photo copy of our passports and drivers licenses to give to my brother. ( this is a good idea for any trip, anywhere )

I need to make sure all our medications will last well beyond the trip ( don’t laugh, just wait until you are older )

I have been thinking about the wine, I work for a Winery, and can get amazing deals on wine as an employee. They send us to wine tasting classes because as employees we are immediately looked upon as knowledgeable about wine, no matter how clueless we may be.

We will be on the ship for 7 days, there are 2 formal dinners and one night I plan to take my wife to David’s supper Club for dinner.

So I plan to bring 3 bottles of wine, one for each of the formal dinners, one to David’s ( the bottle I am planning for that will be a whole lot better ( and a lot cheaper ) than anything they will have there ( that I would consider buying anyway ). We wont drink a whole bottle at dinner, so we plan to share with our tablemates.

And of course a bottle of Champagne for sail-away!!!! I plan to bring the wine in my carry on bags, boy those are going to be heavy.

What else do I need to think about?

The car, I will need to get the car to the lube shop. Ok, ok, it isn’t a car it is a Gas guzzeling SUV, but it has a lot of power and is fun to drive on a trip.

Took another peek this morning,

75 days before your cruise

My wife has made a tear off calendar she keeps in her classroom, she is now as excited as I am.

How am I going to get past 75 more days?

I will post Part 3 just before we leave.

( you guys gotta help entertain me to get me past another 75 days )

[cruisenk]

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing.

 

I worry about so many of the same things . . . and more! Is our cabin too far forward ? Will we feel movement? Should we self debark? What time to arrive at the pier? And then before you know it, it's here.

 

By the by, your cabin sounds wonderful! Good choice!

 

Have fun with the rest of the planning and preparation. You are going to have a trip of a lifetime!

[coolestwife]

whew!

That was great, remonortsA!!!

Thank you!

[jbhcw]

What an absolute great read!! You will have a great cruise. The Pride is a beautiful ship. I obsess about our cruises too! Just remember, relax, enjoy! We bring wine in our carry-on, along with DH's soft drink choice and bottled water.

 

Also, we usually tip our waiter the first or second night, just to let him know we appreciate his service, and a lot of times we have not been charged a corkage fee, and if we don't finish the bottle that night and don't particularly want to save it we give it to the waiter and or assistant waiter. It makes them happy!

 

Your packing list looks good, my philosphy is better to over pack than run out of clothes! Again thanks for such an entertaining post. Have a wonderful first cruise!

[Karried]

Wow, now I'm starting to have anxiety attacks!

 

That was a great read - You put so much thought into making your wife happy! I hope she appreciates your thoughtfulness.

 

And, I'm really hoping your cruise will live up to your expectations.

 

I used to worry endlessly and sometimes still do.. but I've learned to really try to make the most of a trip even when things don't go the way I expect them too (especially with two boys!) ..

 

I think the second most important thing ( after the rum ha,ha) for me to 'pack' is a good attitude and patience and a feeling of gratitude that we are actually in a position to take a cruise when so many will never take a cruise in their lifetime. It puts it in perspective for me and things like not having a pool chair where I really wanted it just pale in comparison.

 

My motto on a cruise ship - taken from Jamaica " Don't worry, be happy" and after a few poolside specials... 'no problem!'

 

I can't wait to read your next installment and wish the trip of a lifetime!

[Astronomer]

Thanks folks,

 

We are so looking forward to this......

 

75 days

 

( sigh )

[gypsyrose]

I was wondering where the 2nd part was. When you 1st booked I know it seemed like it would never get here, but it will start going faster soon. I booked a year in advance and now it seems like time is flying.

I suggest the flowers. I heard they stay nice the whole week where as the decorations may get on your nerves or in the way. Whatever you decide I am sure she will love and appreciate. How many years have you been married?

[Astronomer]

16 years this June. This cruise was a 15th anniversary celebration a year late.

[megansdad1]

I am scared to think what your review will actually be. IT will take me a week to read it. :D

[Astronomer]

Its worse than that, I have it in my head to take my digital stills and video I take on the cruise, combine it with parts of the official DVD from the cruise, and the dolphin swim DVD and music CD's from the musicians on the Pride and make a video DVD about the Cruise.

 

But it is just for fun. :D

 

I will send a copy to Victory-Bound when I get it finished.

[Sherrylove1]

I cant tell you how much I enjoyed your post. I was just like you on my first cruise! This board made me feel so much better. I cant imagine how I would have made it through without all the advice. I think I spent more time on here than I actually did cruising. Your cruise will be better than you ever imagined--I actually sobbed when I had to get off the ship the first time. The best way to overcome--keep booking cruises. I cant wait to see your review when you return!!

 

sherry

[Victory Bound]

Hey Astronomer,

 

I really enjoyed your pre-review. Your packing list looks good. I will be starting mine soon but I have already begun the shopping. Dresses for my daughter for the 2 formal nights, smart-casual clothes for my son for the non-formal nights, insulated mugs (Bubba Kegs with U. of Iowa logo), 2-way radios for the kids that are compatible with the 2 we already had, extra memory card for our digital camera, etc. I will also be renting tuxes for both my husband and my son directly from Carnival. I thought that way my husband could also wear it the night the 2 of us go to David's but I thought I might buy him a vest and matching bow tie to change things up a bit. I checked on e-Bay and they have many options for a reasonable price.

 

I will also probably write an incredibly long review when we get back. I like to do this so that I can keep it as a record for myself to look back on after the cruise is long over. I did that with our Victory cruise and I still go back and read that.

 

We are all looking forward to Randi's Happy Horses and hanging out at Victor's afterwards. It should be a lot of fun.

 

Only 74 more days to go. It's going to go by fast!

[Astronomer]

Oh good! I wont be the only guy in a Tux on the formal nights!

We are so looking forward to this, and meeting you as well. I changed my mind about the Tux at David’s, I think I am just going to just dress up a bit, nice shirt and tie, sports jacket if I find room to pack that. LOL

But I will be wearing the Tux to the captains cocktail party and both formal dinners.

We are really excited, this will be a totally new experience for us.

Looking forward to Randi's Happy horses as well... if it doesn’t kill us LOL

[I&MsMom]

Great read, as others have said! Glad to know time does pass - we just booked a cruise for next April, and I've never planned so far ahead before. It seems like it will never get here!

 

We had a similar cabin on the Miracle in Feb. Empress deck, deeper balcony. It was really fine. The extra balcony space is nice. I didn't find the lifeboats below to be a big deal. (Actually, as we have little kids, I was relieved they were there!) And not being able to see all the way forward or aft didn't bother me either. Hope you feel the same!

[Astronomer]

Thank you, I was worried I made a wrong choice, you have made me feel better about that.

 

But... we shall soon see..... only 69 days left to go :eek:

[coolestwife]

Thank you, I was worried I made a wrong choice, you have made me feel better about that.

 

But... we shall soon see..... only 69 days left to go :eek:

 

You're gettin' close, man!!! You will have a BLAST! Can't wait for the final review. :D

[vesw01]

I am worried about the same things. I look at excursions see what I like, email them with questions and then think "OMG is that the right one? What if something else comes along?" We are battling with an inside versus balcony - do we do that or save the money. Like you my DH and I will probably sit on the balcony and just enjoy. I am impressed how much thought you have put into this trip, any time I try to talk to my DH about it he just moves on to something else. I do hear alot "where you doing cruise research again today?" Heck, I have 5 kids and I get a week away from it all - yes I am excited, yes I am planning, it is something for me to look forward to!!

I would like my DH to wear a tux too, but he had a fit when I asked him to wear a suit to Easter Service - who knew........guess I will cross that bridge a little while closer (maybe after he had a beer or two or when football season starts again - he might be in a better mood!)

 

Can't wait for the 3rd installment and your review!

[Astronomer]

It is all I have been able to think about for months now. I am about to drive the people I work with insane.

65 days to go ( sigh )

[coolestwife]

It is all I have been able to think about for months now. I am about to drive the people I work with insane.

 

65 days to go ( sigh )

 

wow....everyone I work with is already insane!:p

 

(no....I didn't do it....)