Is anyone as OCD about cruise planning/researching...

[t60]

Cruise Planners Anonymous?

 

Sandy in Spain

[KirkNC]

Yes I plan on a pretty detailed level. I will say I am not as bad as I was many years ago.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We are to a point ..

[cruiselife4me]

t60: I love the name! What about the rest of you interested in forming a group?

 

I woke up this morning to 40 degrees here in northern MI, my hubby jumped in the hot tub and got out about a minute later with a freezing cold head! It should warm up later. *sigh*

 

Hope you're all doing great.

 

we're sailing away- LOVE your name!

 

Kirk-thanks for posting.

 

Let me know what you think of Sandy's group name or if you have your own, ok?

Mary

[t60]

Hi Mary if you´re thinking of formimg a group to echange methos, ideas, hints, tips etcc the Cruise Ritual or Floataway Lounge might be a good area in the Cruise Converstions section of the board?

 

Sandy in Spain

[bbeltmom]

I love my binder with it's dividers. My spreadsheet is lovely as well :D. I don't think it OCD - it's just good practice and the ones that don't do it are nuts.

 

My husband made fun of me for doing it and I said "what, you think you just show up at the airport and they know you are going?"..... He said "well, ya, that's what I do". :rolleyes:

 

Mine is just like that too. Although I overheard him bragging once - :rolleyes:.

 

I must admit though, I have replaced my binder with e-copies in a google docs folder that I sync with my kindle fire so I can access anywhere anytime. I have a plastic folder for things like my Xpress pass and itinerary that I absolutely need in hard copy :rolleyes:.

[cole]

Just out of curiosity, I posted the question to Cruise Critic about a forum for the OCD Planners and they jokingly responded that all of Cruise Critic members fit that category, that's why we belong! Will see if they think it is a worthwhile "fun" forum.

Cole

[Meatman1]

I am going on a cruise in Nov 2014 and just booked the cruise.

NOW I get to do a spreadsheet. I love spreadsheets. Any day now I should be starting my spreadsheet. LOL

[festivalfrau]

I am so glad I am obsessed with planning!

 

About an hour ago I went to my Carnival account and started to enter our flight info. It could not find my 7:45AM flight, instead it as showing a 1:30AM departure for my flight #. I go to AA and see that they changed my flight back in April (booked in March for Oct trip) and they did not even bother contacting me :eek:

 

We chose to fly directly to Miami so we could spend the day there and have dinner with family that lives in the area. Now our direct flight options are depart at 1:30AM (arrive at 7:30AM) or depart after 2PM and get there after 8PM :mad:

 

Of course now I am looking for a direct flight with any other airline and there is nothing available (other than the flights that do not work for us) and even checked flying into FLL but that one is worse (4:30AM arrival). So now I have a connecting flight that will have to do - not that it'll be easy with a special needs child and a DH who walks with a cane due to knee replacements.

 

I just checked again and the agent assigned our seats in different aisles - DD is apparently in a middle seat with who knows who next to her and DH is all the way in the back of the plane. Gotta make a third call now :(

 

 

Oh no!!

 

But don't stress out about the seat assignment. They likely won't fix that for you until you arrive at the airport. That has happened to us more than once. All you have to do is smile sweetly and say that you don't mind someone else looking after your child for the flight...

 

One time I did tell them and thought they had changed it, but didn't look too carefully because we had already raced across the airport to catch the connection... got on the plane and realized the error and burst into tears. Needless to say people gave up their seats so my 5 yr old and I could sit together.

[festivalfrau]

Mary, It blows my mind too! True story: SIL booked an Alaska cruise late last December because a co-worker wanted her and her husband to go with them. She told me about the cruise and BIL said, I though we decided not to go? I guess she decided they were.

 

I'm all excited for them because this is their first cruise. So I ask, what ship, what ports, etc, etc. She knew nothing but that it was in June and, they leave from Seattle! I'm not kidding. She pulls a magnet off the refrigerator and says this is the ship. It was Rhapsody of the Sea and I knew that was Royal Caribbean even though I've never sailed on them! I was more curious than her and looked up her cruise.

 

Fast forward to this week and their adult daughter (our sweet niece who lives near Seattle) was in the area and came over to visit us. Niece tells me she is going to Victoria for a couple of days with her parents just before the cruise. They picked Victoria instead of Vancouver because her Mom said they are going to Vancouver on the cruise. LOL...they are going to Victoria...on Vancouver Island. There is OCD planning and there is ostrich in the sand approach!

 

I'm sure my SIL and BIL will have a great time but it would be much more stressful to me to do it their way!

 

Utahtea

 

 

People say I must have been a TA in a previous life. My family has learned to deal with it. I research everything, send a list out of the potential excursions (usually narrowed down to 3) that are the best and whoever is coming with us can have input at that point. Binders, tabs, got it all! I then prepare a 2-3 page summary of each port for everyone's reading pleasure, usually passed around again when we read the Fun Times in the evening.

 

On our very first cruise we were seated with 6 other couples at dinner. We had the "take a ship tour" people, us and an "ostrich in the sand" couple. Every night we would compare what everyone did in port that day, and every night everyone was jealous of our day!

 

Our worst nightmare was spending the year planning for our Europe cruise and being told 3 weeks before we left that the Sunshine was not ready to sail.... DH and I took the next day off work and basically worked 24 hours to re-book everything and then I had 2 weeks to research the new ports. Thankfully there was some overlap!!

 

Good to know I am not alone!

[JustinPlusLauren]

I'm crazy about trip planning too whether it is a cruise or land trip! It is half of the fun in planning the trip I feel!

 

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk

[SPacificbound]

Trip planning, cruise planning, these are things we are looking forward to. It is very healthy to have something to look forward to. :)

[Hflors]

What about "TPA"? Travel Planners Anonymous

 

Or "Compulsive Travel Planners Anonymous"?

 

I'm not "Anonymous" I have a screen name!! hehe!!!

 

Name should be: Travel Planners Association.

 

Thats my 2cents

[lorsin]

As I am? I am never happier then when I lay that lovely deposit on a cruise, that means I get to obsess...er...plan and research to my hearts content.

 

I've planned 3 friends cruises and airfare and when their TA couldn't get a good price, she gave them the prices I had sent them. (Apparently she was really embarrassed!)

 

I don't say this for bragging, I'm not that way. However, I want to know my fellow OCD cruise friends.

 

And you are....

 

Sent from my QMV7A using Forums mobile app

 

I am also ocd with planning, have a cruise in early December, still getting Visa's sorted, found a cheap hotel close to the airport, as I fly in just after midnight, solo, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, wanted transfer for safety, and the hundreds of little details, have sourced a river cruise for one friend and I for 2015, and an adriatic cruise for 2016 with another friend, the only time slots for them. I find I can relax better when the cruise time arrives, knowing everything I want to do is sorted and waiting. Also tend to source the best flights myself and tell my TA what I want, she just takes care of booking it all, even told her last year of price drop on cabins for September cruise, resulting in a $1400 refund. Love it! Lorraine

[ibfishing2]

I have everything in a binder starting from precruise hotel; airplane

cruise docs; all shore excursions in order with the funds for each one all the way to the plane home... even pack accordingly too.

Cathy

 

Well, happy to see I'm not the only one. LOL

 

I also put the port funds in an envelope marked for each port.

I have a binder for each port with info about that port city.

I make a spreadsheet (for the wall) with the port, excursions and an area for notes.

 

Booking the cruise is the easy part, but the planning is soooooo much fun, but also a lot of work.

Edited June 25, 2014 by ibfishing2

[ibfishing2]

OCD is not really healthy. Not something I would want to get involved with. I book a cruise. Book my excursions and extras, then enjoy the cruise. The point is to get away and relax, not to be stressed out and obsessive about the vacation.

 

I saved over $1500 on our SA cruise by checking, checking, checking and finding a price drop on another online cruise site. My online TA got us the price drop. I'm ALWAYS looking.

[ibfishing2]

Mary, It blows my mind too! True story: SIL booked an Alaska cruise late last December because a co-worker wanted her and her husband to go with them. She told me about the cruise and BIL said, I though we decided not to go? I guess she decided they were.

 

I'm all excited for them because this is their first cruise. So I ask, what ship, what ports, etc, etc. She knew nothing but that it was in June and, they leave from Seattle! I'm not kidding. She pulls a magnet off the refrigerator and says this is the ship. It was Rhapsody of the Sea and I knew that was Royal Caribbean even though I've never sailed on them! I was more curious than her and looked up her cruise.

 

Fast forward to this week and their adult daughter (our sweet niece who lives near Seattle) was in the area and came over to visit us. Niece tells me she is going to Victoria for a couple of days with her parents just before the cruise. They picked Victoria instead of Vancouver because her Mom said they are going to Vancouver on the cruise. LOL...they are going to Victoria...on Vancouver Island. There is OCD planning and there is ostrich in the sand approach!

 

I'm sure my SIL and BIL will have a great time but it would be much more stressful to me to do it their way!

 

Utahtea

 

Me too. I have had friends that within a week of their cruise, don't even know the name of their ship, only that it is Carnival, Norwegian, etc. One couple didn't know that they could (should) check-in online, luggage tags, passport info etc. They thought you just book the cruise, pay for it and get on ship. I help them with the on-line 6 days before their sail date.

 

It just Blows my mind too.

 

I need to stop reading this thread or I'll keep posting, because I'M A PLANNER.

Sorry for the 3 post, but I just couldn't help it. LOL

[Meatman1]

Me too. I have had friends that within a week of their cruise, don't even know the name of their ship, only that it is Carnival, Norwegian, etc. One couple didn't know that they could (should) check-in online, luggage tags, passport info etc. They thought you just book the cruise, pay for it and get on ship. I help them with the on-line 6 days before their sail date.

 

It just Blows my mind too.

 

I need to stop reading this thread or I'll keep posting, because I'M A PLANNER.

Sorry for the 3 post, but I just couldn't help it. LOL

 

KEEP doing it. It is great.

[ibfishing2]

I am going on a cruise in Nov 2014 and just booked the cruise.

NOW I get to do a spreadsheet. I love spreadsheets. Any day now I should be starting my spreadsheet. LOL

 

I built my spreadsheet on Excel.

 

Columns for

1)Date, Port, Excursion, Blank area for notes if we find something in the Daily

Planner that we want to do.

2) Color coded for Sea Days

 

You can use any headers that you want.

 

Attach to cabin wall with a magnet.

[kenholt]

I built my spreadsheet on Excel.

 

Columns for

1)Date, Port, Excursion, Blank area for notes if we find something in the Daily

Planner that we want to do.

2) Color coded for Sea Days

 

You can use any headers that you want.

 

Attach to cabin wall with a magnet.

 

And I thought I was the only person who did that.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Forums mobile app

[Meatman1]

Me too.

 

I have already started 4 spreadsheets for my cruise in Nov. I love spreadsheets.

 

My family and friends call me "Julie" The Cruise Director. I always want to make sure we and others have everything they would need. And more. LOL

[threetimesalady]

I thought I was the only one! Planning the vacation is so exciting. Generally when we get to our destination I am the one that everyone asks for advice or information. They all know I will have done my homework and research. I am incapable of just relying on other people or winging it when it comes to travel.

 

We are cruising to Alaska in late August and I also have a file with all our related reservations, documents, etc... I have spent lots of hours on this site and many others trying to prepare as much as I can. :)

[Gerko]

I eagerly await the release of each new season cruises and spend hours picking through them before booking on 3-4 departures. As long as I cancel six months out I get full refunds of those I cancel, I usually get a very good price, and if a sale comes along I can amend to the better offer. It all gets whittled down until about six months out I am left just with the ones I actually will sail on.

[ibfishing2]

And I thought I was the only person who did that.

 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Forums mobile app

 

I got my ideas from other fellow CC posters.

There are so many great suggestions and ideas on these boards.

[t60]

Anyone willing to share their planning spreadsheets?

 

Sandy in Spain