Fun question- how do you spend the week before preparing for your cruise?

[Harry and Lucille]

The week before??? We cruise next March. Planning is well underway. Packing will come later tho. I am just starting to begin to get ready to plan the tour process.

 

We like small (8 or 10) people with a local (native) guide. Get away from the normal tourist spots, meet locals and shop well away from the port. Example: In the Azores, 8 of us. Cost was $35 USD per person. Lasted over 7 hours. Saw every thing on the island. Guide took us to the grocery store where his family has shopped forever.

 

I am partial to Portuguese wine. Due to the fact that nobody drinks the water there (Sulphur content), wine is the drink of choice.

 

They had a huge selection on many shelves. Told our guide that I would like to purchase two 750ml bottles. One red and one white. The best that they had to offer. When I paid the cashier, I gave her a 5 Euro bill. She gave me change. Talk about a great buy.

 

Returning to the ship, passed thru the on shore security with no problem. Going on board was just showing my cruise card. Hummm. Wine went into fridge in the cabin. Already had two in there from Lisbon.

 

Facing several sea days to Fort Lauderdale, I was able to pair the wine with my evening meal. Of course, I opened and tasted them all. Very interesting experiment. Would take my chosen wine to the dining room. Only a few questions. Many questioning looks from other passengers. Waiter would offer to carry the wine to the table. No thank you. Would offer to pour the wine. No thank you. Would offer an ice stand. No thank you. Would offer to store it for me. No thank you

 

No corkage fee for me. LOL. Saw a cartoon on line. Couple at the table and ordered a bottle of wine. When it was brought to them, the fellow asked "why is their a corkage fee for a screw top bottle of wine"? The waiter said simply, "that sounds much better than a screwage fee.";)

 

Happy cruising all. Harry

[SG65CB]

Load books onto my Kindle

Download Spotify music to my phone for offline listening

Call the credit card company to notify them of international travel

Pay bills that are due next week

Clear out space on my camera's memory card

Tell everyone not to bother emailing, texting, or calling me next week

Sit back, relax, and smile while listening to my vacation music playlist

[luvscruising2007]

We are 20 months out from our next cruise. We will be driving to the port so I have started researching the road trip, hotels, restaurants.

I make lists when I feel like planning. I start with a general list, number of shorts, tops, dresses etc.

Then I will ad specifics as we get closer.

In the final weeks before the cruise I actually start the packing process. Everything will be packed by the night before we leave and in the car.

The day we leave I too change the sheets on the bed, throw the dirty ones in the wash and get them in the dryer before we leave.

Leave our daughter an itinerary and numbers in case of an emergency.

And then we are off.

[imescaping]

I have an Alaska Cruise with a friend in May. Here is what the 2 weeks before my cruise look like, Sunday to Wednesday I am taking my grandson to Disneyland for his Birthday/Christmas present. When we return home my husband will have picked up 2 more of my grandchildren. We are watching them Wednesday to Sunday, while my daughter joins her husband on a work trip. Monday my husband and I are going on a short get away together returning Thursday. Leaving me 1 day to do laundry, run errands and pack for my cruise. We are flying into Seattle Saturday for a Sunday departure. The weeks leading up to those 2 weeks are only slightly less hectic. I will be so ready to relax when I get on-board the ship. After my cruise my husband has a work conference in Seattle, so, I am staying in Seattle until Wednesday. Then my summer is pretty much one thing after another ( in a good, but busy, way.)

[GUT2407]

Working

 

And

 

Packing

[Loudermont]

I have an Alaska Cruise with a friend in May. Here is what the 2 weeks before my cruise look like, Sunday to Wednesday I am taking my grandson to Disneyland for his Birthday/Christmas present. When we return home my husband will have picked up 2 more of my grandchildren. We are watching them Wednesday to Sunday, while my daughter joins her husband on a work trip. Monday my husband and I are going on a short get away together returning Thursday. Leaving me 1 day to do laundry, run errands and pack for my cruise. We are flying into Seattle Saturday for a Sunday departure. The weeks leading up to those 2 weeks are only slightly less hectic. I will be so ready to relax when I get on-board the ship. After my cruise my husband has a work conference in Seattle, so, I am staying in Seattle until Wednesday. Then my summer is pretty much one thing after another ( in a good, but busy, way.)

 

 

Phew.. I need a vacation just reading this.. busy busy!! You deserve to book another cruise asap after this next one :)

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

No corkage fee for me. LOL. Saw a cartoon on line. Couple at the table and ordered a bottle of wine. When it was brought to them, the fellow asked "why is their a corkage fee for a screw top bottle of wine"? The waiter said simply, "that sounds much better than a screwage fee.";)

 

Happy cruising all. Harry

Love it.;p

[JTBCruiser]

I print my "Things to do" list and check them off. As others have shared, going to bank to get specific denominations of cash for excursions, I keep them in separate envelopes, ensure we have passports out, airline info, call credit card company to let them know each of our stops on the cruise and read CC reviews and watch youtube videos of our ship.

[CanobieFan]

I don't really do anything special in particular. I normally still work up until a day or so before... I'll pack my stuff the day or so before leaving as well, I just make a general list of what clothes I want to bring so it's not terribly difficult. Since all my cruises so far had been within a three hour drive of my house, I don't have to do any sort of preparation outside of making sure I leave here by 11 or 12 to make it to the port. Three out of the four times we've typically had a lunch in Orlando before driving to either Port Canaveral or Tampa. The one cruise we did out of Fort Lauderdale we drove down the day before because my friend had never been to Miami so we spent the day in Miami and visited South Beach and stayed at a somewhat dumpy Hotel in Dania Beach. Although we could have still left from Orlando that morning

Next February will be the first cruise we have to actually fly to get to. So more preparation will be in place.

[imescaping]

Phew.. I need a vacation just reading this.. busy busy!! You deserve to book another cruise asap after this next one :)

 

 

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Funny you should mention that, I am looking for a summer cruise that will work with my husband and my schedules. I often get home from vacation feeling like I need a vacation, especially when we travel with the grandkids. I am hoping the getaway with my husband and the cruise with my friend will both be relaxing.

[MicCanberra]

I nearly always return to work needing a rest. Always nice to have another cruise in the line to look forward to.

[slidergirl]

I do the same thing, regardless of the type of vacation. I have a spot near my house phone where I put any needed paperwork (nowadays, nothing but the cruise paper - when will they go e-ticket, too??). One night, I'll just do a quick check of my electronics bag to see that all the cables and plugs are still in there. Usually, I pack the day before. I don't have any cruise-specific wardrobe, so I just check the weather and grab some things to match the weather. This time, I have to actually pack 2 days ahead; I'm working until 11pm the night before, so I'll get home around midnight and I have leave at 9am the next day for my flight. The dog is going to the kennel the day before - I'll drop him off on the way to work.

[Loudermont]

Funny you should mention that, I am looking for a summer cruise that will work with my husband and my schedules. I often get home from vacation feeling like I need a vacation, especially when we travel with the grandkids. I am hoping the getaway with my husband and the cruise with my friend will both be relaxing.

 

 

Good for you!!! I'm going to start looking when we get back :)

 

 

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[Suzieanna]

I get an oil change if needed, air the tires, fill the car with gas, go to the credit union to get the denominations I want, and buy extra cat food and litter.

 

Your prep sounds like more fun.

 

Happy sailing.

 

 

Hahaha! For a split second I thought an oil change was some new beauty treatment I was yet to hear about!!!!

[MicCanberra]

Hahaha! For a split second I thought an oil change was some new beauty treatment I was yet to hear about!!!!

Yeah, I was thinking where does the dip stick go?:eek:

[sprint180]

I check off things on my excel spreadsheet I use for packing.....then I count the sleeps.......and count the sleeps......and count the sleeps.............and tightly squeezly my eyes closed......then open them again quickly hoping that another sleep can be ticked off my countdown calendar............(sigh)

They are called "bed nights" at our house. Not sure why it just seems to have happened that way.

[sprint180]

Clean everything so my mother-in-law won't see how we really live and despair that her precious son lives that way!

LOL I so resemble this comment.

 

I don't have to do much as my husband has only been on one cruise with me.

 

About a week out I start obsessing about packing and wash the clothes I am going to take. I don't really have a lot of nice clothes so I pack them and wear my not so nice stuff to work. I only see one other person all day long so it really doesn't matter. Create my packing list. and pretty much do what everyone else is saying they do. We do have pets though, if husband is going I put a ton of food out and water. If I can actually find the cats when we are ready to go (they hide when they see the suitcases come out) I chuck them outside to fend for them selves.

 

I need to shut off the water to the house next time I go. A friend left and went camping and the city called him after a couple of weeks as their water usage was outrageous. You guessed it. A pipe broke and flooded their basement.

[4x4bob]

Last Week

 

Research where I can purchase two bottles of wine to take on ship that is within walking distance of the Hotel the night before the cruise.

Go to bank and order some local money for Ports we will visit.

Negoiate with the Wife on how we will spend our OBC.

Charge batteries for my Cameras.

Review the mountain of Stuff/Information I have collected on Ports we will visit

Make really sure that I do not go near the suit cases that the Wife is packing (helped her two cruises ago and left things home I needed).

Force my self to stop looking out the front window to see if the Blue Van has arrived as of yet.

 

Yup normal pre cruise stuff.

Bob

[Loudermont]

Last Week

 

 

 

Research where I can purchase two bottles of wine to take on ship that is within walking distance of the Hotel the night before the cruise.

 

Go to bank and order some local money for Ports we will visit.

 

Negoiate with the Wife on how we will spend our OBC.

 

Charge batteries for my Cameras.

 

Review the mountain of Stuff/Information I have collected on Ports we will visit

 

Make really sure that I do not go near the suit cases that the Wife is packing (helped her two cruises ago and left things home I needed).

 

Force my self to stop looking out the front window to see if the Blue Van has arrived as of yet.

 

 

 

Yup normal pre cruise stuff.

 

Bob

 

 

Love the negotiations with the wife.. lol!!!

 

 

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[Neotericisis]

Wife: four weeks out develop the lists of various areas of importance. Things like hair, house prep. Then sub lists of clothing by subsets.

 

Three weeks out: continue developing lists. Finesse clothing lists.

 

Two weeks out: finalize clothing lists. Get luggage out, clean and set up on a table in the bedroom. Using the semi-finalized lists begins laying things out.

 

One week out: start packing exercise. Undo and repack a minimum of three times. Get hair cut and colored.

 

Three days prior: mani-pedi, final packing. Start on house prep list.

 

Day two: check, double check air tickets, confirmations

 

Day One : unpack and repack for the last time. One last pass on the house checklist.

 

Husbands

 

Day two: get suitcase, grab a bunch of underware, shorts, tee shirts. Assume wife has a suit, dress shirts and maybe a tie.

 

Day one: leave

 

hahaahh!!! This is my husband and I, entirely! We just took the first of our monthly mini trips this year (from NJ to D.C. for a few days) and he forgot so many things because he packed the day of. He never learns, he will always pack the night before or day of, depending on what time we leave. Its the way he's built. I on the other hand will have an amendable excel spreadsheet with everything we could possibly need (its saved our behinds a time or two as well, so he has learned to respect it and stay out of my way). This is the first cruise with the kiddies so I know the list will be even more detailed this time around!

 

Oh, and did I mention HIS bag is always heavier than mine?! I almost always have a carry-on and a beach bag as my pocketbook. Half the time he has to check his bag, and if we are driving, he picks the big ole' suitcase. 3 days in D.C= big ole' suitcase! See, not planning CAN equal over packing.

Edited April 18, 2017 by Neotericisis

[sfaaa]

Looking for the next cruise to book on board and get OBC.

[dverzic]

I spend the week before worrying about things I might've forgotten to get! Lol

 

 

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[griffy116]

I have a check list and a packing list. I make sure all the clothes are clean and in the spare closet ready to pack. I go to the bank and get cash in different denominations. I check to make sure we have the doggie babies (3 little ones) bag is packed and ready. i have to check the dogs prescriptions and makes sure they're ready and write a list of instructions/reminders on their meds and eating. Confirm airline times of flights (our flight down is not until mid-June and we just received a notice that it has changed by one hour), Confirm our off site airport parking, hotel, any private excursions, shuttle service. At two weeks out, I call the credit card companies and bank to let them know we will be out of the country, where and when so they don't put a fraud charge on it. Last check of the over-the-counter meds for us and i make sure my prescriptions are filled. I have to have everything in the house cleaned and the fridge emptied of anything that will spoil while we're gone. I put a stop on the mail. Notify the neighbor to keep an eye on the house. Get a haircut. Make sure there is something that we can eat the next morning after getting home...something that won't spoil while we are gone. Get everything laid out and separated by what goes in the carry on and what goes in the checked bag. Decide what I'm wearing down on the plane so that it doesn't get packed. Pack. Unpack. Pack it one more time....NEVER fails.

[MicCanberra]

Looking for the next cruise to book on board and get OBC.

Definitely always looking at other cruises that may be worth booking while aboard.

[AZ Ocean Lover]

Besides the mani/pedi, list making, house cleaning, dog food stocking, etc. I start to put the little strange things that I don't normally pack in the spare bedroom. Things like cruise paperwork, sea sickness pills (never needed them but it's probably because I have them), earbuds, blue tooth speaker, snorkel gear, cribbage board, cards, etc. I love looking at the pile grow.