Any tricks to passing the time prior to your cruise?

[Lesinindy]

I have never booked this far out and it is driving me crazy. From my countdown clock I have 24 weeks to go. I have started getting the photo gear together, have put off filling out the Edocs (so I have something to look forward to) and have started to post pictures of the Maasdam in my office. I don't handle this waiting well; anyone have a good way of dealing with the wait?

[iancal]

Take another cruise in between.

[Himself]

I am sailing in two weeks and have not begun to think about packing and I have known this was coming up since last July. Go live your normal life and don't even think about it!

[Lesinindy]

Take another cruise in between.
I like that kind of thinking.

[scopewest]

Plan your next cruise. I'm always on the boards checking out info for a possible future cruise (that I probably won't take), but it keeps me entertained after I've read every bit of daily info for my current upcoming cruise on the boards!

[tjcox9]

We are generally "all booked up" and looking beyond the planning for the next one.

It sometimes gets confusing, but keeps life interesting. Besides you can always keep checking future bookings to see if prices have dropped........or if they've risen, you can give yourself a BIG pat on the back. ;)

[protocrone]

I feel your pain! This is the furthest out that we've booked also and it's torture!

I even bought an iPhone App that I check out numerous times a day to see how many days, even hours, until the big day.

I'm driving everyone insane with all the research on the ship, ports and excursions. Hub says I should be a travel agent since I know so much about this specific cruise. :rolleyes:

If I was able to get time off from work, we'd be taking a couple of mid-way cruises!

[sevenseasnomad]

24 weeks! Try booking a cruise 18 months out and see what happens! Yes, I thought about it every day. Did it drive me crazy? No. Joyful anticipation geared me to planning, planning, planning. I even had a cruise booklet made up for a first-time cruiser who was traveling with our son.

At the 1 year mark I started thinking "This time next year we'll be on the Zuiderdam or we'll be at Half Moon Cay" etc. We actually prefer booking as far in advance as possible. For example, we booked NA July 18, 2012 Med cruise in early April. Booking in advance lets us get the exact cabin we want, research hotel/airline deals (still can't book the airline as it's more than the required 330 days out, but have fabulous hotel reservations) and attractions, historical sites we want to see.

I'm not sure how I'd react booking 4-6 months in advance. I'd probably panic that I didn't have long enough to research and plan! BTW, we're booked on July 17th Bermuda, December 23rd Noordam, and each of those was booked at least 14 months out.

So, welcome to my world where anticipation rules. Isn't it fun? Enjoy your cruise.

[skydancing]

We started sorting out this trip in December last year and it is now getting closer and I have, I hope, everything sorted.

My daughter is so fed up with hearing about our cruise she reckons I have to pay her $20 every time I mention it lol.

I am currently in the throes of having a dummy run of packing. Because the cruise is 20 days and we are actually away for 7 weeks it is taking a lot of planning. Especially when our son in Dublin wants us to bring bottles of nz wine in our bags. Will keep me occupied sorting out and weighing suitcases lol.

The anticipation is half the fun though!! well maybe a quarter!!

[yogibear]

It's not easy waiting. The most I have ever booked is 23 months out(2003 for 2005 cruise). Right now, my Count-Down:

Bermuda 4/22/2012 Veendam
Bermuda 4-Day Sampler 10/27/2012 Caribbean Princess
10-Day Repo 10/31/2012 Caribbean Princess NYC to FLL

Too many Days to Go..........Karen

[Karennella]

We started sorting out this trip in December last year and it is now getting closer and I have, I hope, everything sorted.

My daughter is so fed up with hearing about our cruise she reckons I have to pay her $20 every time I mention it lol.

I am currently in the throes of having a dummy run of packing. Because the cruise is 20 days and we are actually away for 7 weeks it is taking a lot of planning. Especially when our son in Dublin wants us to bring bottles of nz wine in our bags. Will keep me occupied sorting out and weighing suitcases lol.

The anticipation is half the fun though!! well maybe a quarter!!
Sounds like my daughter! We have ten weeks to go and I am into firstly lose weight so I can regain it. Secondly, save money so I can spend it. Thirdly, start making a list and buy things now to take to daughter in London, before the winter sales here are over. We are away an indefinite time as we are staying on in London until our daughter has her first baby. As it may be up to ten weeks, I have to organise all the bills here, get direct debits on those I dont have already etc.

[iancal]

We book the cruise, plan the land portion (which usually takes a good deal more work) and then forget about it. I pack the night before our early AM flight. DW starts about 5 days prior to me and fusses. I think waiting unitl the night before works-less hassle, less worry.

[gte937k]

and have started to post pictures of the Maasdam in my office.

I'm currently doing the same, but I'm having a hard time finding a very high res photo of the N.A. I want to print two 20inx30in pictures to hang in my living room and office! :D

[bcd2010]

I have never booked this far out and it is driving me crazy. From my countdown clock I have 24 weeks to go. I have started getting the photo gear together, have put off filling out the Edocs (so I have something to look forward to) and have started to post pictures of the Maasdam in my office. I don't handle this waiting well; anyone have a good way of dealing with the wait?

Diet :mad: (okay, that's not a good way to pass time).

I'm 250 days out (you count weeks, I count days!). My DSs are too cool to bother with being excited, so I have to do it all...

[surfsidemary]

I find other "projects" to get involved in (genealogy is one). I can become obsessed about almost anything. So what usually happens is that I eventually look up from my new obsession and realize "OMG!!! The cruise is only 3 weeks away! I'd better get busy!"

[Bearnaise]

What happened to those Swedish spa facilities that could simply put you in suspended animation for the next few months, dieting all the while?

[DizzyDallasDi]

I leave in 17 days (July 14) for Vancouver to catch my July 16 Zuiderdam cruise. I've done nothing in preparation and haven't even checked out my camera to see if it's functional :eek: I still need to shop for clothes and jackets, etc. This is going to be one of the more unprepared cruises I've ever taken but I'm sure it will all come together. :D

Ah, but I do have my excursions planned. So, I'm somewhat prepared.

[Jemima]

I'm 250 days out (you count weeks, I count days!). My DSs are too cool to bother with being excited, so I have to do it all...

We count days, too. Unfortunately we don't have a cruise booked and so can't do the daily countdown.

[luvcruisn']

We book the cruise, plan the land portion (which usually takes a good deal more work) and then forget about it. I pack the night before our early AM flight. DW starts about 5 days prior to me and fusses. I think waiting until the night before works-less hassle, less worry.

You might be able to "pack the night before," but someone must have done the laundry before that so that you can do your packing the night before. If my laundry isn't done, and things are still wet, then I can't pack the night before the flight.

[sparky-elpaso]

What happened to those Swedish spa facilities that could simply put you in suspended animation for the next few months, dieting all the while?

I want one of those, please. :) I saw one post where the person said they had started counting Sundays instead of days. 34 Sundays sounds a lot better than 234 days.

[marc62]

I have never booked this far out and it is driving me crazy. From my countdown clock I have 24 weeks to go. I have started getting the photo gear together, have put off filling out the Edocs (so I have something to look forward to) and have started to post pictures of the Maasdam in my office. I don't handle this waiting well; anyone have a good way of dealing with the wait?

LOL only 24 weeks, I have never booked that close to a cruise!
Normally we book as soon as they are realeased which is approx 18 months before sailaway.

Marc

[ninkb]

There's always more to read about your ship or your itinerary. And be sure to join your Roll Call and get to know your fellow passengers.

A day without CC is a sad day.:(

[ariawoman]

Personally, I engage myself in things i call "quests".

For example...

My current quest is looking at a new 28" suitcase for my upcoming cruise. On my last cruise the wheels on mine became unreliable and awkward, so I've been focusing on looking at different cases at different places. Once this quest is over, I'll think of something else I need to look into (like planning shore excursions, buying a dress for formal night, etc).

There's always something to do! :-)

Though admittedly, my list is shorter since I was quite exhaustive with my list before my 1st HAL cruise hehe. This year I'm more set than i was last year. :-)

I'm still 100plus days out. I think I booked at 134 days out or something. My longest time to wait in my 3 cruises lol.

[ariawoman]

Take another cruise in between.

You're my kinda people! If only i had that kinda time off! :-)