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

[Silverfox]

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]

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]

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]

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

[cruznon]

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]

As other posters have stated...

1. spend entirely too much time on the boards :o
   
2. keep checking "my" trip on other websites to see how the cabins are going as well as the prices.
   
3. Pick up other brochures for other trips and try and decide where to go next
   
4. Search webshots and shipcafe for photos of "my" ship
   
5. Study the layout of the ship so by the time I board, I know where everything is.
   
6. 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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[dakrewser]

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

 

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

[watchdiva]

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]

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

 

Thanks Dave now you are agreeing with my husband:D

[tiffnco]

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

 

Ruth...maybe our spouses are related. Sounds EXACTLY like mine. He even did that for our wedding "Just tell me when you want me there and what I should be wearing..."

[HeatherInFlorida]

............................................ 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 idea

[SantaAna,CA]

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]

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]

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]

KATE! That was hilarious!!!!

 

Jane :p

[bepsf]

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]

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]

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