Prelude to a Cruise: Part 3: The Final Countdown to the Carnival Pride

[Astronomer]

Prelude to a Cruise: Part 3 The Final Countdown to the Carnival Pride

This post is part 3 of a ridiculously long pre-Cruise report, which will be followed by a ridiculously long review from a first time cruiser of the Carnival Pride sailing on June 25th 2006, Part 1 and 2 can be found as follows.

Part 1 http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=285840

Part 2 http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=330195

We last left off with 75 days to go ( sigh )

It still seemed like an impossibly long wait, but when I booked this Cruise it was 352 days before the actual sailing. From that perspective, we were down to the wire.

I have prepared so much ahead of time, 2 excursions booked, and no more anticipated unless we book on-board. Got my measurements for a Tux and sent that to Carnival Formal Wear. Bought a pair of walkie talkies ( although not the super high power pair I originally intended to buy ) that were supposedly good for up to 10 miles, actual use seems to be more like 2 or 3 miles.

Packing list started, Our aging but still loved SUV serviced ( we are driving to Long Beach ), vacation days scheduled at work, list of last minute things we need to purchase, Passports ready, Hotel reserved, and even an anniversary cake ordered.

There are still a few things to do, but mostly a wait. A 75 day long wait, with anticipation building to the first time in our lives that we have planned a Cruise vacation.

We have taken other vacations of course, 7 days for our honeymoon, several short vacations with our children to places like Disneyland, the occasional Los Vegas or Reno trips, weekend getaways in Monterey, we did 4 days in Washington DC some 4 years ago, and then a 4 day stay in New York 2 years ago. But this one, seemed to be the big one, more of an adventure than anything we had done since our honeymoon.

On our Honeymoon we had spent a week in Puerto Vallarta, we stayed in a Condo whose name I can not remember but translated meant “Cup of Gold” It was a very high rise white building on a cliff overlooking a street far far below and the restaurant “El Set” across the street. A place named for the production company of “Night of the Iguana”

I remember at the time the Cruise ships coming into the port there, but that week was a whirlwind of activity, I was high on the adventure and that I was finally married to the lady that I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

We always wanted to return to Puerto Vallarta, even if only for a day. The only real agenda item we had was to visit a restaurant in the park we had gone too called “La Bistro” we had fond memories of that place, but we have no idea if it is still there.

That this trip will be a return to our Honeymoon and is one piece of the excitement for us.

A second piece is the return to the sea, for me that is, for my wife this will be her first journey to the ocean, well on a ship on the ocean anyway. For me, this Cruise represents a return to the sea.

In 1975 I found myself somewhat adrift, my friends had taken paths in life I didn’t want to follow. I had not gone on to college, and was working a high stress and yet dead end job as a very young but fairly successful ( for my age ) commission big ticket salesman.

An 86 year old woman whose name I don’t remember changed my life. I don’t want to go into the boring details but I sold her a whole lot of stuff that she really didn’t need, and would never live long enough to pay for making for myself huge commissions. Afterwards I felt so guilty I quit my job and swore never to work in commission sales again, thankfully a promise to myself that I have kept. I am a darn good salesman, but I don’t have the heart.

20 years old, no friends that I wanted to remain with, no girl ( at the time ) and no job. I walked into a Coast Guard Recruiting station the same day I quit my job. I had no idea why I was there, I had never even thought about it, I just walked in, and signed up.

2 Months later I found out that the Coast Guard has the second most difficult and demanding boot camp in the US armed services. I wanted adventure, so I requested and was placed on an Ice Breaker.

The USCGC Burton Island stationed in Long Beach CA, which made a trip to both the Arctic and Antarctic each year. I remember the BI very well, A powerful diesel electric ship, with 7” think hull plating and I beams welded together all the way around the inside of the hull. I have seen navy ships hit drifting ice that caused massive hull damage, while the BI would run straight at a deep wall of 25 foot thick ice at 10 knots ( around 12 mph ), ram it, ride up on top of it, and break it apart.

The downside was the thing was slow, 13 knots was its top speed, it took 22 sailing days between Honolulu and Melbourne Australia for the BI.

I could write pages of sea stories, but I need to get back to the point. ( I will say however for those that know what it means, I am a Golden Shellback, a Penguin, and a Polar Bear. )

I have not been back on a large ship on the sea since 1977. There is something enchanting about the sea, the power of its storms, the beauty of its sunsets, the majesty of it that is captivating. I understand very well the people that spend their lives on the sea. This feeling is something that I want to share with my wife.

In some ways, I almost feel like I am coming home. Although I suspect that this Cruise ship will be a tad more elegant, and my job on board ( having fun ) more enjoyable than my actual life as a bilge snipe ( engineering ) on the B.I.

Then there is the Ship itself, my wife and I love life, and from what I read, this ship is alive with beauty, activity, and just plain fun. I suspect I would love this Cruise if it went nowhere at all.

Then there are new places, Maztlan, Cabo San Lucas which we have never seen.

And new experiences, like swimming with Dolphins, and horseback riding on a beach.

And of course dining, which we both love ( too much I am afraid )

There is so much to look forward too, this adventure seems larger and has more potential than anything we have done before.

I know some people think my expectations may be too high, but they really aren’t. We are relaxed people, and enjoy the simple things as well. We understand that the embarkation is going to be a long and somewhat painful process, and that disembarking can be worse. We aren’t going to like everything, we aren’t going to try and do everything. But we will look at each day as an adventure, even if we just hang around our stateroom balcony and watch the sea.

Enough with the waxing rhapsodic, I better check the website.

65 days before your Cruise ( sigh )

I have been reading the Cruise Critics forums more lately, but posting less. Same topics keep coming up, you would think that Blue Jeans are some kind of religious thing. Now I wear blue jeans at home all the time, but I don’t wear them out to dinner unless we are dining at the Golden Arches. It never ceases to amaze me how important it is to some people to intentionally wear inappropriate clothes at a formal event, particularly when there are alternate places to dine. ( shrug )

Lots of people complaining about the advanced tipping, here is my take. If I get the decent service I expect, then I will tip the standard amount, as I expect this service I have no problem with the tip already being applied to my account. If I get great service, beyond my expectations, then I will tip extra, and that will be cash. If I happen to receive terrible service I can have the standard tip removed from my account. I just don’t understand what the problem is. Carnival is doing me a favor by setting up the tips ahead of time so I don’t have to worry about it.

Quiet a few Reviews, Nothing like the spectacular review written by Mark Wilkinson in 2004, but still fun to read. I have started to notice a pattern.

There are people that roll with the punches, and there are those that if a single thing goes wrong, the entire trip is ruined, and from that point forward they only see or remember negative things about the trip.

In the official member reviews this is also obvious. You see it all down the board 4 shells, 4 shells, 4+ shells 1- shell, 4 shells and maybe the occasional 3+ shells.

The 1- shell stands out like a sore thumb, and that person will complain about every single thing that happened during the entire cruise. Comparing that to the other reviews sometimes you wonder if they were actually on the cruise at all. But I suppose some people are just ready to be disappointed.

I pay particular attention to the 3+ shells review. This is likely a very experienced cruiser that is comparing the cruise to other cruises, and that is often the case, they give a very nice report, mention some minor problems and rate everything generally well ( except the embarkation which I hear is better in Miami )

But again, I am not them, everyone will like and dislike different things. I am looking forward to writing my own review, my own experiences. Some folks are traveling with the elderly, or very young children, or even teenagers, I can only imagine that their experience will be vastly different than our own.

There have been several reviews complaining about the food being terrible, followed by reports from others of the food being fantastic. I suspect the reality will be somewhere in between the two. Fortunately my wife and I do not have a lot of food issues, no special diets ( although we probably should ) no restrictions, there are things we like and things we don’t, but we can control that ourselves.

There have been quite a few posts about the infamous F-Deck, tops optional. I wonder if my wife will consider that, she isn’t prudish at all, I think she is beautiful, but she tells me that I am biased, I don’t really expect to see her up there… but who knows? I mentioned it to her and she said I could go up there and knock myself out, but she wasn’t interested. ( I laughed )

The funniest posts lately are complaining that the cruise line is trying to get their money. Well… yeah. They are in business after all. I expect them to try and deplete my accounts before I get off the ship. It is them vs me, actually no, it is me vs me, as I will probably want to buy their stuff.

I just found the website for The Ultimate Cruise Packing List, I laughed when I read it. It is the most anal retentive, step by step, what goes in which suitcase list I have ever seen. Then it got me thinking…. Never a good thing…. I have copied that list and am drastically altering it to suit us.

I have never ever been this organized for an adventure, we usually pack what we think we might want, and then go buy whatever we missed. But I have no idea what is available on a Cruise ship, there is no Wal Mart nearby ( although I hear they are in all the ports ).

I have deleted about half the items on the list, and changed the clothing list drastically, but I bashfully admit that I am using a subset of the UCPL. It is funny what we delete and what we add. Our first aid kit is half the size of that one, but we are probably taking at least as many clothes as are on the list ( we have no intention of ever doing laundry ). And of course we will be in Long beach the day before.

I took a peek at the website this morning, 55 days before your cruise. ( sigh )

I went to help my daughter move this weekend, and found that I am way too far out of shape. Not just heavy ( there is no way to not notice that ) but also just easily winded. I have become too much of a couch potato.

I need to do something to fix that, not only so I will enjoy the cruise more, but for my health in general. So for my birthday ( a week early ) my wife bought me a Bike, ( I had purchased one for her on her birthday last September ) So now we have matching bikes, well, mine is quite a bit larger but then, so am I.

A bike ride 2 or 3 times a week a ride around with my wife on hers will be nice. I have no illusions of losing a lot of weight over the next 55 days, but I do want to increase my stamina and energy, hopefully this will help.

Besides it also gives my wife and I something else we can do together, we can enjoy a bike ride. It cost a lot more than I remembered paying as a kid, but I did buy a very sturdy and very modern comfort bike, it has some 24 gears of which I seem to only use 2 or 3, a wider seat, comfortable handlebars, and a more compressed frame so my back is more upright, but it is easy and comfortable to ride and goes along at a very nice clip.

Another Website Peek… 45 days before your cruise ( sigh )

I have been thinking lately about embarkation day

That is starting to look like a really busy day.

I have had to actually make myself a list.

After breakfast at the hotel…..

Check for earliest shuttle to the Dock…

Finalize packing and arrange suitcases, tags etc.

Catch Shuttle, get to dock and early check in at Queen Mary

Get bags to Porters ( hopefully before early check in )

Go through embarkation process ( may be hours )

Make last phone calls to kids while waiting, sort of neener neener phone calls.

Once on ship

#1 drop off carry on’s in stateroom, I will be carrying wine which will be fairly heavy.

#2 Book David’s Supper Club, my plan to book Tuesday evening will likely be popular, so I need to get this done right away.

#3 Check out dining seating assignment and make changes if needed with Matire’d,

#4 Have lunch on Lido deck, will probably be hungry by then.

#5 Check out Tux order, make sure there is no confusion, or problem.

#6 Have a Funship cocktail in a souvenir glass and try to wind down a little.

#7 Muster drill, I am an old Coast Guardsman, there is no way I will skip out on the muster drill, this is important.

#8 Sailaway – hopefully have time to get to an open high deck and watch sailaway.

#9 Unpack when luggage arrives, Im not going to try living out of suitcases in a small stateroom.

#10 Explore ship until it is getting close to dinner time.

Fortunately all my excursions are already booked so I don’t have to worry about that.

I am starting to think we won’t have time to do much exploring of the ship, That first day is starting to look like it will be a busy day.

Another visit to the carnival Website……

34 days before your cruise. As short as that sounds, it still seems like forever. ( sigh )

All of a sudden life has gotten hectic, My wife decided to do a Garrage sale, then one of our daughters announced she would be moving back to St Louis and so asked my wife to drive the 2000 miles with her and her stuff ( and fly back ) in mid June ( 2 weeks before the Cruise ) and of course everyone is coming down for memorial day, bothers and sisters and cousins, and kids and our grandkids who are staying with us for a week.

All this activity is nice and it is great to see the kids and grandkids.

We went to target the other day and I found thermal mugs, I briefly glanced at the bubba kegs but they were just too large, so I found some nice 20oz covered thermal mugs with a handle, so I bought those.

My wife has started parading around in a couple new outfits, nothing too fancy, but nice summer dresses and tops, she is obviously buying these for the cruise. They look light and festive. She has one gorgeous formal dress I know she is planning to wear.

A teacher retired from the school where my wife works, at the last moment they asked me to put together a presentation for her on DVD. I was rather nervous as I had never done this kind of thing for public viewing, but it came out really well and I was proud of the result. It was also good practice for the Cruise DVD I want to make.

Work is getting more hectic, but there is a plus side to that, the time seems to be spinning by, looked at the website this morning, today is May 31st,

25 days to go ( sigh ), tomorrow will be the first of June, the month this adventure finally begins.

A few more reviews of the Pride have popped up, and another poster has joined us in the Roll call thread. The reviews have turned very positive lately, even for people that have cruised the Pride before. That is heartening, and they all say that a Cruise is what you make of it, I personally believe that is true of almost any vacation you take anywhere.

I showed my wife the packing list I created from the UCPL and she laughed, took a pen and when to work on it, this morning she handed it back to me to fix. She said she thought it was silly at first, but after a while she got into the spirit of it, and now wants me to re-type it up and we will use it as a check off list.

20 days to go, ( sigh ) three weeks from today I will be on the Pacific Ocean, heading south. We have more posters in the roll call thread, this is great!

My wife went to a party last night were she ordered a bunch of clothes, I didn’t know they had clothes parties like Tupperware parties. But the stuff she showed me looked great, one more semi-formal outfit, and several light fun and interchangeable outfits to wear.

She also ordered me some docker short pants, and several pair of full pants and a few shirts on line last night. I think the UPS people are ready to open a station in our front yard, we do a lot of shopping on-line.

13 days to go ( Gasp! )

It is Monday morning and this is my last full week at work as I am taking Friday off the following week to finalize the preparation for the trip. It is starting to feel very real now. I am trying to get very caught up at work as nothing gets done while I am gone, there are just larger piles of paper on my desk.

For the first time, instead of looking at how many days before the cruise instead of ( sigh ) it is ( Gasp! ) OMG… I have so much to get ready, work, home, packing, last minute stuff! Went through our prescriptions yesterday making sure we called in any that might run out during the cruise.

What if the weather is less than perfect, what if we get in a car accident on the way to Long Beach, what if terrorists strike and cancels the cruise, what if an asteroid crashes into the earth and destroys all life on the planet….

Ok, I am not freaking out quite that much…. But I do hope all goes well in the next couple of weeks.

9 days to go ( Wow! single digits! )

I have started thinking in terms of what will I be doing a week from now, 1 week from today I will have already posted this and will be off work, running around buying the last minute stuff and finalizing the packing getting ready for the road trip to Long Beach the following morning.

6 days to go ( Monday morning, the last week of waiting )

Had a great weekend, my wife signed up on Cruise Critics as Moondance and posted a little pre-cruise hello found here.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=364994

She came home from the store on Saturday almost singing cause she got a great deal on a formal cocktail dress that she is really fond of. We have suitcases spread out around the house and have actually started the real packing.

Im on my last 4 days of work… but I am having a hard time concentration on work… Called the credit card people and let them know we are going on vacation and where ( that will save us some trouble later )

As I get more and more excited and flustered and worried if everything is ready as the time draws closer, my wife really kicks into high gear, she has things coming together quite nicely in preparation for this.

5 Days to go ( Tuesday )

We picked up yet another poster in the Roll call thread! We have made plans to meet on Monday Morning at 11 AM on the Lido deck at the Poseidon bar.

Tired on some clothes last night, and started some packing of my own, Moondance was on the boards teasing people in a thread about catching a very early flight after a cruise. It sure didn’t take her long to get into the spirit of fun on the boards, she fit right in.

She asked a question in another thread about what to be sure not to miss. Someone posted about getting to a high deck and looking out to sea, in the morning, or the evening. That brings back memories, I used to lay back on the flight deck looking at the stars, and used to spend time on the fantail ( aft end of the ship ) looking at the phosphorous trail left by the propellers. I am so much looking forward to sharing that with my wife.

4 Days to go ( Wednesday )

Started packing in earnest last night, Moondance is at home and is much further along than I am, but she is helping me too. Made copies of our Passports, drivers licenses and itinerary for the Pride, stuck them in a manila envelope to give to my brother to hold ( just in case )

Has been a lot of discussion about gambling on the boards, of course I am not bringing all that much gambling money ( I keep that separate ) on this trip, so my gambling will be fairly light.

Work is more stressful than ever, I have today and tomorrow to put things in a state where I can be gone that long. Hopefully all that stress will fall from me by the time we hit the road on Saturday. As for Friday I am off work, but I will be running around like a madman getting everything ready.

I have learned something else about a Cruise vacation, by the time you finish planning and preparing for one both at work and home, you need a vacation from the stress of planning and preparing for it :P It is sort of a self fulfilling vacation plan.

I am promising myself that when I walk away from work, I am not going to even think about it for the time I am off. It will just be me, and the love of my life, and the sea,

( and the ship, and the ports, and the midnight buffet, and whatever horse Randi sets me up with, and the dolphins, and the ”Fun Ship” drink of the day, and etc etc etc ) :D

3 Days to go ( Thrusday )

This is it, my last day at work, and really the last day I will have time to add anything to this silly report. So I am posting this on the boards today, and I am posting it early in the morning. Today and tomorrow all that I will be doing is putting the last efforts into getting everything together and packing up the car, Saturday we get up early and drive to Long Beach, And Sunday is THE DAY that we have waited so long for!

( besides I want to have a little time to reply to folks who read this before we leave )

For those of you that actually read all my “Prelude to a Cruise” ramblings, please go see a therapist as you have way too much time on your hands.

Seriously though, it helped me to write down what I am thinking during this incredibly long wait. 352 days from booking to the actual Cruise, I know many people book even further out. But this was a long wait for the little kid in me.

The wait was made bearable by you folks at Cruise Critics, I won’t name you, because you all know who you are, and I am afraid I might miss someone. I owe all of you a big Thank You! You have saved me money, time and stress, you have guided and entertained me for the last year. You all deserve a big round of applause, and I just can’t thank you enough! You have meant a great deal to me.

I promise we will take lots of pictures and post them where you can all see them, I will also write a lengthily ( probably too long ) Cruise Review, but I warn you it may be a couple of weeks after the cruise before I post much on the Review. I have a journal for me to take notes with so I remember all the good stuff to embarrass ourselves with!

( besides she has a journal too, and will certainly post anything stupid that I do )

However the pictures I will have downloaded to our On-Line Photo Album site a day or so after the Cruise, so I will post that link a couple of days after we get back.

Again, a very warm thank you all at Cruise Critics, from Hootee and Hooter…oops… I mean.. Astronomer and Moondance!

( Time at last, for the two of us to go sail off into the sunset ) :D

[iluvdoxies]

Have a great time !

[wwakla]

Have a foo foo drink for us :D

 

Have a wonderful and well deserved cruise. May you both be safe:)

[jbhcw]

Think you've totally got everything covered!! The Pride is a beautiful ship and you and your wife will love her! My son spent three years in the Navy and it was such a pleasure to take him on his first cruise,Destiny-1997. As an old Coast Guard Vet it will be extra special to you!

 

Bon Voyage :) I know you will have a wonderful cruise!!

[gypsyrose]

You are so sweet the way you talk about your wife. Hope she realizes how much you love her. You 2 have a fabulous cruise.

[momofzeke]

Enjoy your cruise, Astronomer! We loved the Pride 2 years ago. You will not be disappointed. Have fun! :D

[VICKIVICKI]

Wow! I feel as though I have been waiting forever to read the newest Harry Potter book and it's finally about to hit the bookstores!

"I have enjoyed so much reading "prelude To A cruise" and am so excited to read your review!

[I Luv Crusin]

Thanks for taking us along with you!! IMHO, reviews can never be TOO long!:D

[chrly]

Astronomer...thanks for the great precruise fun....I'm one of those crazy people who book in advance. Only about 612 days to go now unitl our cruise on the Destiny.

 

It makes the time go by faster when you find friends here at CC.

 

ENJOY your cruise and your lovely wife...you will both have a great time.

[candigirl41]

Have a wonderful trip. I loved the Pride and hope to go again next year. You will love Randi. I have been on her horses 3 times. Have a cold one for me. Can't wait for your review.

 

Candi

[legalmom]

I am so excited for both you and your Wife. Just have a great time and do the things you want to do. My DH and I have three more cruises set for this year and we thoroughly love every minute on the ship. Have a wonderful trip!:)

[Astronomer]

Thank you all so much for the warm sentements, this is really special for us. You only get a first time once, and we are what you would call Cruise Virgins. :eek:

 

We are really excited, as for us taking you along with us, how could I not? So many of you have taken me with you through your reviews. :)

[jstazy]

Have a GREAT time.....I really fell in love with cruising on the Pride. It was my first bigger ship and I was in awe walking onto the boat....I must have stood in the middle and looked up to the ceiling for 5 min while everyone shuffled around me.

 

Have a funship drink for me....... I only have 100+ days to go.....

 

*sigh*

[Payd]

:) Astronomer and Moondance - you will have a fabulous cruise! You have the greatest attitude about life, love and happiness.

 

I can't wait till you post your review (our Pride sailing is Jan 21/07), while we aren't cruise virgins (Pride will be #5) it's always nice to hear about what others enjoyed most.

 

Have the time of your life...:)

 

Payd

[coolestwife]

Have a great cruise you guys!!!!!

[Astronomer]

Thanks....

 

I dont see how this vacation can miss, as long as I survive the dolphins and the horse ride :rolleyes:

[coolestwife]

Thanks....

 

I dont see how this vacation can miss, as long as I survive the dolphins and the horse ride :rolleyes:

 

You'll be ok...as long as you don't try to ride the dolphins!:p

DD and BF did the dolphin excursion a couple of years ago and said it was the funnest thing they did on the cruise. They even brought back a picture taken in the water with the dolphins "kissing" them on the cheeks...VERY cute!

[wercruzin]

Have a great trip, and my hopes for you and Moondance to have a smooth cruise..

 

I'll be looking forward to your review when you get back.

 

Enjoy

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Hootee and Hooter

I am just :D squeeeeeing:D .

I don't think I've ever been so excited about someone other than me going on a cruise before.

Have a relaxing blast, and I'll be very patiently (take your time) waiting for "Postlude to a Cruise".

CJW:D

[pppiglet]

Hootee and Hooter

I am just :D squeeeeeing:D .

I don't think I've ever been so excited about someone other than me going on a cruise before.

Have a relaxing blast, and I'll be very patiently (take your time) waiting for "Postlude to a Cruise".

CJW:D

 

What he said! Can't wait to read your trip report!:D

[seashell36]

:D Have a great cruise you two!! Have a foo-foo and think of us, we will be patiently waiting (NOT!):rolleyes: for your review and pics.

[exgeordie]

Leave some of your positive mantra aboard so that it is ther for us to pick up on the July 2nd trip.

 

Your anticipation of this trip which you have so very well shared via this board is very refreshing to me. We have enjoyed 30+ cruises and each one has been different but the anticipation has been the same. The cruise next week is a new experience for us as we are taking 18 members of our family to celebrate our 55th anniversary and our kids, 25th, 22nd and 20th. How fortunate can you be in your life to do this? No wonder we have such high expectations of a fun time on the fun cruise.:):):):)

[ahoys]

We have thoroughly enjoyed reading the prelude to your "glory-ous" cruise. I know you will have an absolutely wonderful, relaxing vacation. You'll find the embarkation day won't be so bad. The first hour on the ship you'll still be in "hurry up" mode, but relax over a wonderful buffet lunch on the Lido deck while reading your Capers, and you'll suddenly feel like you're on vacation. Enjoy every minute, and don't be too upset when it's over much too soon!

[vesw01]

I just about cried - what a moving post....

 

Yes I do have too much time on my hands and have read all of your posts, as well as your lovely brides :)

 

I hope my husband loves me as much as you love Moondance!!

 

Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy.......can't wait to read your review!!

[dirtgirl]

Well, I guess I have too much time on my hands, because I read the whole thing!:D And I am supposed to be working! Have a wonderful cruise! I thoroughly enjoyed mine, and wish I was going again.

 

I bet your cruise review will be even longer than your pre-cruise review! I am looking forward to reliving my cruise.:)