What do you do while waiting for your cruise to get here? [Archive]

maddie404

February 9th, 2005, 04:11 PM

Karen,

We cruise in 3 weeks. I am filling my time by purchasing sundry items and things I don't want to forget to pack. I go over all my clothing choices and check to make sure there are no seams or hems coming loose. I clean & polish all my shoes. I decide what jewelry to wear & make sure it is clean and no loose stones. I make address labels for the postcards. I change batteries in any small electronics I plan to bring. And when I run out of all the small stuff to do, I play an Island Music CDs and exercise so I won't feel guilty eating bread pudding, baked alaska, cherries jubliee and the chocolate extravaganza!

"Life is short! Eat dessert first!

LAFFNVEGAS

February 9th, 2005, 04:15 PM

I drive my co-workers crazy by telling them every morning how many days, hours, and minutes are left until I cruise. By the way, it's 5 days, 0 hours, 54 minutes.

Dot, I do exactly the same thing I rive the co-workers nuts. They are glad to get rid of me. I also spend a lot of time here in Cruise Critic:D

Oceanwench

February 9th, 2005, 04:18 PM

I have dreams about packing ... so I wake up tired and cranky, then go to bed the next night early, have dreams about packing ... etc. etc.

This goes on for months.

Orcrone

February 9th, 2005, 04:25 PM

The closer the cruise gets the more time I spend in the gym. I figure I'll start losing the weight gain ahead of time.:D

Seriously, I don't do much different. I just go over my lists of what to bring and make sure that there are no last minutes surprises.

Tatka

February 9th, 2005, 04:28 PM

I was going crazy waiting 2 months for my first cruise...

Now I have cruise every 1/2, 3/4 of year... Wait time is difficult but I am concentrating on remembering that life happens only once and I have to enjoy every day.;) ( I do the same with weekdays/weekends :) , I am not waiting for weekends now)

JaniceB

February 9th, 2005, 04:29 PM

I have done all of the things mentioned. Right now I am into the workout routine with a little over a month to go before I cruise.

obriendan

February 9th, 2005, 04:46 PM

I read this board!

Iggipolka

February 9th, 2005, 04:56 PM

I have dreams about packing ... so I wake up tired and cranky, then go to bed the next night early, have dreams about packing ... etc. etc.

This goes on for months.

ROFL! I am totally doing this! I also had a dream that I was reading the CC board and read a post that stated my cruise was cancelled! I spent the rest of the night dreaming about trying to contact my TA and not being able to.

I think I need to walk away from the computer now.

Kate-AHF

February 9th, 2005, 05:14 PM

Well, let's see.

I pay bills, write up 5 pages of instructions for the horse/dogs/cats/house sitter. Make sure she's got the foaling dates of both the broodmares, along with their vaccination schedules, copy pages of travel documents, call credit card companies to make sure they know where we are traveling, make sure there's enough hay in the hay barn, make sure the neighbors know who/what is going on up here and that I've left them as emergency contacts, get clothes cleaned, pressed, repaired and pack as much stuff as I can ahead of time...obsess about the local weather and will I make it to Dulles for the flight, try to make sure that I have all my bases covered at work....and....read these boards every moemnt I get!!!

I think these last 10 days are going to go by like lightening. :D

dakrewser

February 9th, 2005, 05:15 PM

I've always been a very patient person...

http://leannelainefineart.com/3%20waiting%20for%20santa%20with%20colour%203.jpg

bepsf

February 9th, 2005, 07:01 PM

I plan a Bon Voyage party for the night before departure.

My driver is getting used to me staggering out the door w/ piles of luggage & very dark sunglasses...

HeatherInFlorida

February 9th, 2005, 08:15 PM

My driver is getting used to me staggering out the door w/ piles of luggage & very dark sunglasses...

Brian, Wow! You have a driver???!!! I am impressed!

I spend a lot of time trying on clothes, folding them, piling them up, figuring out how much will fit in my bag, try them on again, try different tops with different bottoms, discard anything that gets too wrinkled, go over my packing list and all the packing lists I've ever found on any cruise website, .... then I start trying on clothes again.:D

cru1s1ng

February 9th, 2005, 08:17 PM

This thread is too funny. I'm doing all of the above. I especially love telling them the weather forecast in St. Thomas (I'm in Iowa and its cold and snowy now.) I have a picture of the Maasdam as my screensaver and desktop on the computer. I think they are sick of me already (7 weeks exactly to go).

I agree with the poster above about working up to the minute. My flight leaves after work, the bags will be in the car.

I've picked out the perfect tux (a black one, shawl collar and also an ivory dinner jacket.) Today I purchased a smart new navy blazer for informal nights. I hear HAL is dressy.

Started a box to put in incidentals.

Spending WAY too much time on CC.

:D

bepsf

February 9th, 2005, 08:50 PM

Brian, Wow! You have a driver???!!! I am impressed!

Oh dear Heather --- don't be! I didn't mean it like THAT!!!

(scary visions of uniformed chauffeurs and tacky stretch limousines...)

I don't own a car and I don't drive - haven't for almost 6 years - so whenever I go to SFO I use the same car service and they usually send the same driver who works early mornings. Beats trying to flag a cab at 4am...

BTW - I like the new pic, but where's the puppy????

Iggipolka

February 10th, 2005, 12:56 AM

bepsf - what car service do you use to get to SFO? I live in the East Bay and have to travel out of SFO often.

Thanks!

HeatherInFlorida

February 10th, 2005, 08:40 AM

BTW - I like the new pic, but where's the puppy????

Not to worry, Brian! Molly is just ducky, but she has a mind of her own and if you saw the pics with her in it straining to be elsewhere, you'd know why I'm by myselfhttp://boards2.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/redface.gif . Thanks for asking!!!http://boards2.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

BTW, you're still one step closer to a "driver" than mehttp://boards2.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/wink.gif .

Sea Island Lady

February 10th, 2005, 01:33 PM

My cruise is two weeks away and I haven't done a thing but sit at my computer and read about cruising...mostly on CC. :eek:

Krazy Kruizers

February 10th, 2005, 03:45 PM

Do the same things everyday - answer cruise questions - answer e-mails - have lunch and dinner out at 2 - 3 times a week. Read a lot - same old routine.

Cracker Ken

February 10th, 2005, 04:10 PM

Work. I have to pay for these cruises somehow.:cool:

Ken

sandij

February 10th, 2005, 08:40 PM

I have 37 days left and I too drive my co workers crazy with the countdown. But it is part of the fun, the planning, the dreaming and then we go. We have never had a bad cruise and we've been doing it for a lot of years. They are what you make them.

grannynurse

February 11th, 2005, 09:50 AM

As we were unpacking from our New Year's cruise, my DH said why should we even bother putting the luggage away, we'll just be dragging it out again, and we then had nothing booked.
One week later we were booked for June, so here we go again.

Get tux cleaned
check wardrobe for next itinerary
look at shorex, book shorex
check for pre and post cruise lodging, book lodging
Book air
contact house sitter

and dream

Silverfox

February 11th, 2005, 10:49 AM

Look at websites or brochures and book another cruise for a future date! Then there'll be no letdown when the first cruise is over!

jhannah

February 11th, 2005, 11:14 AM

Another thing I do is make a packing list. I start months out, and list clothing items appropriate for expected weather along our route. (I also list everything else to take: chargers, camera memory cards, meds, docs, etc.) I check it at least once per month, making adjustments as I go along. Then during the last two weeks I check it about every other day, making sure all those things are ready to go.

Kate-AHF

February 11th, 2005, 04:39 PM

BTW - memory cards....got a 1 gig compact flash card for the camera from Zip, Zoom, Fly over the internet for $70.00 including shipping. THat's ONE GIG! My last card was 16MB.

Thought it hasn't had the acid test of a cruise, I've tested it with the camera and it works great.

Bookish Angel

February 11th, 2005, 05:01 PM

Just finished "Les Miserables" and it was quite good and took about 10 days.

cruznon

February 12th, 2005, 12:56 PM

Ah...so good to know I'm NOT the only one who drives his/her co-workers nuts with my personal countdown to my cruise! (Most of them have developed this sometimes brittle smile, nod and then move on...THEY have yet to discover our addiction....such a pity)
As a teacher, I've told my students that if they have a cold, need to cough , sneeze,etc. please keep their distance...I'm cruisin soon! They're great--they laugh along with me and then sometimes share their cruise experiences!:)

I'm am a list maker. I now have finalized my FINAL packing list for the Oosterdam...starting to collect documents, fill out tags, try on clothes,etc. I have a hair appointment today.

Then there's the SHOES..... I must figure a way to take fewer pairs....I MUST!!!

I also check long-range forcasts, wave conditions, and keep checking the boards.
Our family keeps saying things like "this time next week we'll be...."

Just the usual.....:)

tiffnco

February 12th, 2005, 02:03 PM

As other posters have stated...

spend entirely too much time on the boards :o
keep checking "my" trip on other websites to see how the cabins are going as well as the prices.
Pick up other brochures for other trips and try and decide where to go next
Search webshots and shipcafe for photos of "my" ship
Study the layout of the ship so by the time I board, I know where everything is.
Drive my husband CRAZY with details for a trip that's 10 months away (this was I can guarantee we'll go on the perfect vacation). Conversations along this topic often go like this:
Me: So I was thinking, if we change our dining time to early, we'll be able to do more on the ship at night.

DH: Okay, fine

Me: BUT, if we stay with late then we can spend more time in port and stand on deck for the sail away (CALL TA TO CHANGE DINING TIME)

DH: Okay, fine

Me: BUT, if we wait until 8 to eat then I'll want to go straight to bed after dinner and THAT's no fun!

DH: Okay, fine

Me: Okay, I really want the early seating so I'll call TA and get that switched

DH: Okay, fine

Me: Are you sure you're okay with this decision...I know you like to stay up later and eat later.

DH: :mad: JUST MAKE A DECISION!!!

And that's the way almost every decision goes around here...I tend to flip flop quite a bit until I'm sure we've made the right choice for us. You can see why I drive him crazy!!! But at the end of the vacation he always gives me credit for everything going so well :p

Luckyroot

February 12th, 2005, 02:25 PM

LOL Tiff, your husband sounds like mine! I booked this cruise for us in November (we're sailing in April).

I talk to him every single day about something related to the cruise. The cruise line, the ship, the excursions, the cabin, the people I've met here, the islands we'll be visiting, the temperatures, the hotel pre-cruise, the airline we'll be flying. you get the picture.

EVERY DAY SINCE NOVEMBER!!!!

So what does he ask me Thursday night? "What cruise line are we sailing? Same as last time, was that Celebrity? What ship are we on?"

I just laughed at him. :D

MizzCard

February 12th, 2005, 02:29 PM

I'm ready to go now! Already have an idea of everything I'll wear. Lists are made and getting more and more ideas from these boards.

We've sailed in late fall the past two cruises...decided to wait till spring, and it's driving me and my b/f mad! He says we'll never go more than 12 months between cruises agian....I agree!!! :D

LAFFNVEGAS

February 12th, 2005, 03:13 PM

OK, I am officially in the 'Going Nuts" stage in just 4 weeks from right now we will be landing in Chicago for our 45 minute lay over, it is a continuing flight to FLL so doubt we will even get off the plane. That will be a long day, but..... the next day we wake up, have breakfast and see how quickly we can get to the cruise terminal to be the first ones to board:D

cru1s1ng

February 12th, 2005, 03:17 PM

I could never book a year in advance, i'd explode.

dakrewser

February 12th, 2005, 03:19 PM

OK, I am officially in the 'Going Nuts" stage

Some of us have known that about you for months! :rolleyes:

watchdiva

February 12th, 2005, 03:23 PM

Starts a box (on the floor in my closet) for anything I have forgotten on OTHER cruises so I don't forget them again. Disposable underwater cameras, travel sizes of the cosmetics/hair products I use etc.

My DH and I will work the day before the cruise, pack Friday night and have the driver pick us up in the AM - we only live 20 minutes from the Port and DH doesn't like leaving the car in a lot so.......We always get the same driver when we travel and he will have the Pepsi in the car for me (yeah, Pepsi even at 10:30 in the morning - hey, I'm on vacation!).

I talk to DH every night about the cruise, excusions already booked, possible excursions we may want to book, etc. And, like a previous poster, the other day he asked me "Honey, what day does our cruise start"!. :D

LAFFNVEGAS

February 12th, 2005, 03:45 PM

Some of us have known that about you for months! :rolleyes:

Thanks Dave now you are agreeing with my husband:D

tiffnco

February 12th, 2005, 05:12 PM

HeatherInFlorida

February 12th, 2005, 08:32 PM

............................................ Disposable underwater
cameras, travel sizes of the cosmetics/hair products I use etc.

..............................

At first read, I thought you said disposable underwear!!! And I quickly thought ...... hmmmm maybe not a bad ideahttp://boards1.cruisecritic.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

SantaAna,CA

February 15th, 2005, 05:53 PM

I am cruising to Alaska in August on the Amsterdam, only my second cruise of all time. I splurged and got the Deluxe Verandah Suite. I am obsessively going to the Holland America website and looking over my shore excursions again and again; I am planning what clothes I need to take; I am going online and looking at the virtual picture of the suite again and again, I'm reading the little brochure the travel agency sent me (over and over) and I'm reading cruise critic to pick up good tips. Six months is a loooooong time to obsess over something!!!

Kate-AHF

February 15th, 2005, 10:36 PM

I am now in total, complete, absolute freak-out mode as there is no way I can get everything done at home and at the office in time to leave late Friday.

I am sucking on a glass of Chardonnay like it was my thumb right now.

It's 10pm. I've got this window open, my office email up and my outlook calendar up and a word doc with to-do lists. If one more person tries to schedule a meeting for next week I'll explode. You;ll be able to hear the screaming from Virginia in Ontario. I'm thinking of putting auto-reply on right now, "I'll be out of the office from 2/19 - 2/27. If you can't read the scheduling function in Outlook that says I'm NOT HERE during this period, you need to consider another career path."

Think they'll get the hint??? :eek: :D

Himself

February 15th, 2005, 11:08 PM

The problem is that it is not speeding up now but once you get on board the ship, the time will fly and you will be getting the "disembarcation talk" before you know it.

HIMSELF

SantaAna,CA

February 16th, 2005, 02:36 PM

KATE! That was hilarious!!!!

Jane :p

bepsf

February 16th, 2005, 04:46 PM

OK - its 9 days 'till I fly outta here and I'm getting antsy...

Notify boss of vacation time
Tell co-workers about upcoming cruise
Pay rent and other bills pre-cruise
Tell building manager about upcoming cruise
Buy new luggage and tuxedo shirt
Tell salesladies about upcoming cruise

Get guestroom ready for weekend houseguests

Tell houseguests about upcoming cruise

Buy tickets to a jazz concert for parent's visit

Tell parents about upcoming cruise

...does anyone see a pattern developing here???:cool:

jhannah

February 16th, 2005, 05:01 PM

So, Brian ... what about the fish monger down at the pier? When will you tell him? And what about your grocer? And don't forger your barber. Oh, sorry. I forgot. You don't need one of those! :D

bepsf

February 16th, 2005, 08:34 PM

So, Brian ... what about the fish monger down at the pier? When will you tell him? And what about your grocer? And don't forger your barber. Oh, sorry. I forgot. You don't need one of those! :D

LOL!!!
Jim, I'm really not bald - I just have a high forehead!!!

But thanks for reminding me - I do need a haircut...
(shaggy eyebrows...)
:D