Planning obsession

[toezinthesand]

Like most everything else in life, I approach my (second) cruise with an uber amount of planning and thinking and perfecting. It's so extreme that I feel the need to plan out EXACTLY what I am going to do the minute I step on board, to exactly how much time I want to spend by the pool....do I want to be by the pool and people watch and watch the crazy games....or do I want to hide on a quiet deck with a book and a drink? This is all even BEFORE I set foot on board!

 

What exactly am I going to eat for dinner? If I sleep in, will I miss anything?

 

It's ridiculous!!! I know! Relax, right? The whole point of a cruise!

 

It's just, it happens so infrequently that I feel like I have to live up every moment, and plan to the "T", so I don't miss anything.

 

Any recovering obsessive-aholics out there????

[gigglesgee]

Like most everything else in life, I approach my (second) cruise with an uber amount of planning and thinking and perfecting. It's so extreme that I feel the need to plan out EXACTLY what I am going to do the minute I step on board, to exactly how much time I want to spend by the pool....do I want to be by the pool and people watch and watch the crazy games....or do I want to hide on a quiet deck with a book and a drink? This is all even BEFORE I set foot on board!

 

What exactly am I going to eat for dinner? If I sleep in, will I miss anything?

 

It's ridiculous!!! I know! Relax, right? The whole point of a cruise!

 

It's just, it happens so infrequently that I feel like I have to live up every moment, and plan to the "T", so I don't miss anything.

 

Any recovering obsessive-aholics out there????

 

 

I'm completely there with you......39 more days of this......the only cure is to go to the top deck on the day of sailing with a "glass" in hand and set back and relax!!!!! :o) Oh...I'm soooo looking forward to that.

[will work to cruise]

I have 74 more days to obsess. It started 420 days ago!

[JustUs275]

I share the same obsession! I have gone over and over every detail...beginning with deciding how to make the cruise reservation, every option...every excursion...not to mention the thousands of posts I've read on CC! Literally hours and hours in researching everything from the pre-cruise hotel nights and activities, watching for price drops (got one too - yay!), the ship itself and all of her features/activities, and even did a mental happy dance when my "Order Luggage Tags" button appeared on my reservation. Planned and bought my outfits, shoes, purses; cameras/lenses/filters/memory cards, decorated a "cruise savings" jar, collected all kinds of travel size items, ordered a free (car door) magnet personalized with our names and made some cute little tropical magnets for our cabin door, have a 4-page "Cruise Info" document in progress, along with a 2-page "Possible Packing" list, made a nice binder with colorful pockets to hold all my papers, notes, passports, and yes I even printed my edocs. :o I think obsessed might be an understatement for me - but boy oh boy am I having fun! :eek::o;)

[may2010bride]

Oh yeah, I'm definitely obsessed. Planning is half the fun but I swear these days are crawlinggg by. I was like this last year when I went to Vegas though, so I guess I'm just the planning type for vacations :D

[misty57]

I suffer from the same problem. We are now 2 weeks post cruise and I did not book another on board. So... now I am comparing and deciding again. I have only a few weeks to choose from due to work and business requirements, so that narrows it a little. That actually makes it more difficult!

You are right though... it is a lot of fun to plan things out. The more cruises you have under your belt the easier it gets to make the decisions and you realize what you really enjoy and focus on those things. :)

[RetireeWannabee]

I do have the trip-planning obsession, but never plan out to that degree of detail. I leave much to whim of the moment, finding in advance the options. I don't chase menus or daily activity info, but I know where to find the food and when!

 

I'm most concerned with logistics, and after that's nailed down, I focus most attention on ports as they are why we cruise. Shipboard experience will unfold as it will and it will be great.

 

I do a lot of tour guide reading as I like knowing about the culture, history, where to find local arts, sights, entertainment, reading reviews for ideas on things we hadn't thought of doing. You know, the basic immersion :rolleyes:

 

that can go on for a couple years pre-trip...

 

Next for me is planning group land trip to Cabo. Had much nailed down a year ago (exact resort, est price pp), another year to go but now have first condos rented and deposit money coming in... now that some things are falling into place, I'm getting to where I can really dig into the recreation stuff. Boat charter is a given and wouldn't you know it, there are about a half million boats for rent in Cabo!!

 

A group is challenging, but, wheeee, it's great fun!

 

this is the best hobby ever!!!

[carlywilson]

I am Carly, and I am an obsessive planner (is there a 12-step program?)

 

I started planning back in October, I still have 3 more months to go....I plan every hotel room precruise and post-cruise, every activity, I have google mapped every place we are going, viewed the streets thru google maps, I already feel like I have been to all the places we are going ha.

 

I am planning the shore excursions right now.....I am driving my family crazy, they tell me .....just plan it, we will do it....they don't get too involved in the planning....once we get on the ship, all planning will come to a screeching stop, there will be no plans, we are there to relax.

[LSpencer]

I am Carly, and I am an obsessive planner (is there a 12-step program?)

 

I started planning back in October, I still have 3 more months to go....I plan every hotel room precruise and post-cruise, every activity, I have google mapped every place we are going, viewed the streets thru google maps, I already feel like I have been to all the places we are going ha.

 

I am planning the shore excursions right now.....I am driving my family crazy, they tell me .....just plan it, we will do it....they don't get too involved in the planning....once we get on the ship, all planning will come to a screeching stop, there will be no plans, we are there to relax.

 

Carly imagine OCD cruise planning x 2... I am also a Disneyholic so I am planning our vacation simaltmously(sp) with our cruise vacation this year. I drive my family nuts with asking them do they want to do this or that... They kind of just groan when I call a family meeting LOL

[my2boystx]

LOL too funny! Sounds like me! Good to know there are others out there like me! LOL!

[maryh307]

I have 5 days to go!!!! I started planning/reviewing blogs etc at 180 days out. I find it to be easier and more relaxing to know what we want to do on the excursions before boarding. My husband is great about the planning. He even gave me his clothing 2 weeks ago so he was packed before me. Keep researching and preparing, its part of the fun.

 

I can relax once we board.

[debshomespun]

I have OCD cruise planning too! :eek: I thought it was just me. My family thinks I am really sick! But, I jut keep feeding my addiction. If I don't have a cruise booked, I really go nuts!

 

even on the cruises that we just want R&R, I have to check out all the local beaches so we don't miss any great photo ops at the beach. Always planning something. Now, if I could just get my everyday routine planned out . . . oh well, at least I can plan something! :D

[fubarsbabe]

Hello fellow OCP obsessive cruise planners, ditto, gotta plan one or book one , counting the minutes, spending far too much time on CC and similar boards , is there a cure ? oh yeah book another one on board ;)

[NorbertsNiece]

Slips quietly in to the room and sits in the corner...... gets out pad and starts to make notes on what she may have missed out doing...... resists the urge to shout out : 'Me too!'

[ama-sam]

My husband knwos that 80% of our conversations until the cruise will bne about the vacation. I need to know what is where and what I will be doing (at least in general). Planning is part of the fun of going on vacation.

[kleo30]

I have 5 days to go!!!! I started planning/reviewing blogs etc at 180 days out. I find it to be easier and more relaxing to know what we want to do on the excursions before boarding. My husband is great about the planning. He even gave me his clothing 2 weeks ago so he was packed before me. Keep researching and preparing, its part of the fun.

 

I can relax once we board.

There are blogs? Where do I find those?

 

This is our first cruise, and it isn't until April 2011, and I'm feeling a little OCD about planning and reading and knowing lol.

[3DSNVA]

I definitely have planning OCD...my Alaska 2011 itinerary hasn't even been released but I have 7 Alaska books from the library and I have called RCI 20 times since Monday...They are killing me by taking so long to release the SB Alaska for 2011. If I don't get this booked before Sunday I will just die since we are going out of town next week for Spring Break!

Is there any hope for us compulsive planners???:)

[BillOh]

I have 74 more days to obsess. It started 420 days ago!

 

 

Sounds like me, I booked 3 of my cruises more than 500 days ahead. I plan the heck out of, obsess, until I get to the ship and then the planning carries me through, but I get the most relaxation.

[dwillis43]

I feel I am among my people. It is rough when one in the family obsesses and the other just lets things happen. We are leaving on the Jewell next month and I have watched all the videos I could find on you tube. Like the other poster said, I feel like I have already been there by the time I get there. Happy cruising everyone!

[jrmama496]

It's great to know you're not alone! I thought it was just me. When your family thinks you're crazy and tells you "just surprise me" whenever you want to talk over potential details, you wonder if you really are.

 

Eleven more days and counting but I'm really stressing that I haven't made up my packing list or my documentation folder with all of my reseravations for specialty dining, MTD, excursions, etc. I'm hoping to get everything done this weekend.

[Love_the_summer]

The couple we are going with in May already has everything planned out. We decided to do some things on our own because we like to go with the flow a little more. But your not alone, our friend is reserving shows and planning breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday... along with her outfits for each I'm sure!

[BillOh]

It's great to know you're not alone! I thought it was just me. When your family thinks you're crazy and tells you "just surprise me" whenever you want to talk over potential details, you wonder if you really are.

 

 

The reply ahead of yours said almost the same thing. Maybe that is the universe balancing itself out. My wife is the, "I want to be surprised when I get there" type as well.

[jerin]

I like to know about all of my options in advance (in great detail) ... but then I leave any decisions to be made about those options to the spur of the moment.

[LisaH]

The planning is 1/2 the fun for me. Although I do not plan what we will do once onboard (other than shore excursions), I am constantly looking at deck plans trying to pick the perfect cabin and the best itin. I start usually 18 months out from the next cruise...sometimes sooner as it is so much fun to plan.

 

I am ready to look at Caribbean for Nov 2011 but the cruise lines have not posted their itins yet...what are they waiting for? :)

[LisaH]

I feel I am among my people. It is rough when one in the family obsesses and the other just lets things happen. We are leaving on the Jewell next month and I have watched all the videos I could find on you tube. Like the other poster said, I feel like I have already been there by the time I get there. Happy cruising everyone!

 

LOL, luv your first line.