cruising4u Posted October 10, 2007 #1 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I like to plan ahead on pretty much everything!! Alot of the times it drives the family nuts!! It will be me, DH, DS and friend (they are 16). I do plan on booking a couple of excursions ahead of time, but I was wondering when we board is it worth reading all the info right away and figuring out what we will be doing on a daily basis? Or should I just take it one day at a time?? Even though it is still a couple months away I am starting to feel nervous about everything!! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMoney Posted October 10, 2007 #2 Share Posted October 10, 2007 It really depends on where you are going. It's much easier to wing it in the Caribbean than in Alaska or Europe. Rule of thumb - you should pre-book anything you deem a must do so you do not miss out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue L Posted October 10, 2007 #3 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Popular or limited type excursions will likely sell out quickly so you should book those ASAP. Things like beach tour or the like you can wing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrp96 Posted October 10, 2007 #4 Share Posted October 10, 2007 If you are talking about planning out everything you will do onboard the ship itself I would warn against doing that. While the activities themselves tend to stay the same from week to week, they do shift things around on the schedule from cruise to cruise for various reasons. If you completely plan out what you will do the entire cruise, then you leave no margin for change in schedules. If you have a few things that you want to make sure that you do onboard the ship (for me it's spa treatments) I would decide in advance what day you will do those, and let everything else be decided once you get onboard the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reallyitsmema Posted October 10, 2007 #5 Share Posted October 10, 2007 We cruised the Mariner in June with our 16 yr old DS. We did the eastern itinerary and had prebooked excursions in each port. We only did half day excursions in St Martin and St Thomas and did a 1 hour waverunner excursion in Coco Cay. I did look at compasses on cruisedailies to see what nights were formal nights and ice show so we knew which night we wanted to go to Chops. As far as sea days, we just winged it. Our son was on the basketball court or in Fuel or the Living room most of the time so on sea days DH and I were on our own other than dinner. We had him leave a post it note on the TV screen telling us where he was and we did the same for him so we all knew where we were at all times. Do what works best for your family. If you will feel better planning ahead, do it. Whatever you do, enjoy your cruise :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apoggi Posted October 10, 2007 #6 Share Posted October 10, 2007 We have always winged it. Not planned any excursions until we board the ship. This year I am planning ahead. Don't know if I will like it or not. We are doing Serenade (port intensive Southern Carribbean) and so far we have booked something for 3 ports. As far as the ship and what to do, we will always wing that. I don't want to plan to do something and then find something later that I would have rather done. On board we wing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 01Sweetpea Posted October 10, 2007 #7 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I know what we are doing in every port for our 7/08 cruise already...yes, I am a planner. I also have narrowed it down to 2 nights to choose from for DH & I to go to Portofino's (without the kids), and I know when I want to schedule DH & my spa treatments. But that is it. We are going to take sea days as they come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet524 Posted October 10, 2007 #8 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I like to plan ahead on pretty much everything!! Alot of the times it drives the family nuts!! It will be me, DH, DS and friend (they are 16). I do plan on booking a couple of excursions ahead of time, but I was wondering when we board is it worth reading all the info right away and figuring out what we will be doing on a daily basis? Or should I just take it one day at a time?? Even though it is still a couple months away I am starting to feel nervous about everything!! Thanks! I think it depends on your level of comfort. If "winging it" causes you concern, then definitely read the infor and plan ahead. I personally like to go with the flow - you never know what you're going to encounter each day and you might just want to run with it. Either way, remember this is a VACATION, and the objective is to RELAX. Do what YOU feel is right for you - and have a blast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanafan Posted October 10, 2007 #9 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I like to plan ahead on pretty much everything!! Alot of the times it drives the family nuts!! It will be me, DH, DS and friend (they are 16). I do plan on booking a couple of excursions ahead of time, but I was wondering when we board is it worth reading all the info right away and figuring out what we will be doing on a daily basis? Or should I just take it one day at a time?? Even though it is still a couple months away I am starting to feel nervous about everything!! Thanks! Is this vacation? I would go with the flow. Planning an excursion is one thing....trying to be here at one time....and there another sounds like my day to day life. Vacation for me is just that......vacation.....laid back go with the flow vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted October 10, 2007 #10 Share Posted October 10, 2007 If there is an excursion you MUST do, or you will regret it for the rest of your life, book ahead. If not--go with the flow! Planning ahead entails a bit of stress! Is that how you want to spend your vacation? Looking at the clock, wondering if you're missing something? Our 1st cruise was a stress-filled time--did we make the right choice? Do we have time for that???? Let it go! If you do it, great! If you don't--you really haven't missed anything you can't do another time! Relax! You're on vacation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawkfanI Posted October 11, 2007 #11 Share Posted October 11, 2007 You might also want to consider planning excursions outside the scope of the cruise line. On our last cruise we hired a wonderful guide in Ocho Rios that gave us a tour of the island and dropped us off at Dunn's River Falls for much less than what they charged on the ship. We also booked a great little excursion in Key West online that on ship they charged twice as much for. Just because your on a cruise ship, you don't have to book excursions through them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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