Anyone else getting their monies worth just w/ planning?

[irisheileen]

I booked our Island Princess Alaskan cruise for This August LAST August! We sail out of Vancouver and are arriving the day before to take in some of the city. I was obsessed with the planning of the cruise and loved every minute of it! I got all the major items taken care of.

 

The new year came and went and then I "got back into it". When I discovered that I could book our shore excursions through the ship, I realized that I needed to get a move on again!!!! We've booked Michelle for a float plane of Misty Fiords, Whale Watching w/ Capt. Larry, Helo/glacier/dog sledding w/ Coastal(?) Through the ship, I booked the White Pass RR (the 2 men in our group love trains!)

We are taking the express Alaskan RR to Denali NP for the Tundra Wilderness Tour after a "good nights sleep". Another 3/4 day in Denali to be LAZY! Off to Fairbanks that afternoon and A riverboat cruise and Gold mining tour the next day. Wow... you mean we all "find" gold?

 

We decided against the 9:15 am flight out of Fairbanks and opted instead to save $337 a couple and be LAZY another day and leave on the 9:50pm flight home with only one stop.

 

I am ALREADY enjoying our trip because of checking out all the possibilities. Just lurking on these boards is fun.

 

I am SO into the details..I've even checked out sunrise/susnset at each stop! I find it so relaxing just surfing the net and on these boards. Thanks to all who helped my planning.

 

Can you see me junping up and down!!! I am so excited!!!

 

Sorry this turned into a longer thread than I intended..I am SO GRATEFUL to have the opportunity to go and see God's beautiful Alaska!

Eileen

[irisheileen]

Just noticed that it states that I started this thread at 2AM!! I didn't! (that would be truely obsessed!) It's really 10PM est and husband justed asked if I'm coming up soon! Looking forward to hearing from anyone else jumping with excitment!!

[Set2travel]

Yes Eileen I am right there with ya...jumping with excitement!! I have to admit I have obsessed over the packing. I have my basics down and what I don't have I'm going to support the Alaska locals and Buy. :D

[HockeyBoysMom]

I am right there with you. I keep telling my husband, who is teasing me mercilessly that he should be greatful that I am getting this much entertainment value out of a week long vacation. I spend some time everyday looking at the boards and planning. I look at the anticipation as part of the experience. I can't wait to tell him that others are saying the same thing, and that I am not as wierd as he thinks I am. :o

Dusty

[tangerinebunny]

We always say we get our money's worth by the pleasure of planning and then the pleasures of recollection. Then there's the trip itself. win win win

 

We decided on this trip last October after Katrina destroyed my in-laws' home, and we were Very Stressed caring for them. We promised ourselves that we'd have their lives settled and all be happy by May 2006 and we are!

[FLfamilyof4]

HockeyBoysMom, ditto for me!:) I am wondering if you have a file full of notes, brochures, itieneraries and printouts also? Mine is easily 6 inches thick. :eek: Closer to the sailing date, I'll arrange all pertinent info, etc. into page protectors and file them under tabs for each date of the vacation in a 3 ring binder. My husband marvels at how smoothly things go because of this while at the same time, still teases me about being wierd!:p :D

I wish all of you a perfect trip & cruise.

I'll confess...I've been on the boards at 2AM so I guess I am obsessed!:)

[tnkrbell13]

I am glad to know I am not the only one who uses a 3-ring binder:o

[camperhawk]

Have you read this thread about Mr.C's trip to Alaska? It's great and enjoy your cruise!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=221164

[Set2travel]

I put our trip on an Excel spread sheet...Hows that for obsessed?:o

[kimmeesook]

Hi. :) May I ask who you are going through for the Misty Fiord's float plane ride? I would like to do the float plane as well and would like a reputable company. And like you, tho I have only started my planning maybe a month or so ago, I too feel like my vacation has in some ways already started just by reading up on the cultures, history, excursions at different ports. Thanks for any suggestions re: float planes.

 

. . . I realized that I needed to get a move on again!!!! We've booked Michelle for a float plane of Misty Fiords. . . .

[irisheileen]

OK, now I have to go home and "measure" my file on the Alaskan cruise! It's one of those portable plastic file thingies.

 

Michelle is with "Island Wings" and from comparing what Budget Queen et al say, she's the one that gives a complete experience. She lands and taxi's to land and we'll get to walk around for 30 minutes!.

 

Can't wait!

 

Eileen

[vfb2girls]

I have to admit that I am one of these people! But the best part of this is both myself and husband are constantly looking over things and planning the things that we want to do. Our trip is not until June 2007 so we really have a ways to go, but like a lot of you I have already started a folder with all the information that I have collected. The last two trips we took were to Disneyworld and my husband did not have anything to do with the planning but this time around we are taking the dream trip that we have talked about for 25 years so he has been right here with me with the planning. I also have to say that by planning this trip I have re-educated myself on the state of Alaska, and I for one can not wait until the day arrives that we are flying off to Anchorage. Planning for me is more then half the fun.

[NancyIL]

Another June 2007 Alaskan cruiser! I can't wait until ALL of the cruiselines have their Alaskan itineraries available...hopefully by the end if the month.

[aharris0614]

I put our trip on an Excel spread sheet...Hows that for obsessed?:o

 

Big mistake. :) Now I know what I really am paying/spending. And I am not even halfway thru yet! Yikes!!! I never dreamed it was costng so much, even as consious (sp?) as I have been to get the best deals - using FF miles, early booking, booking independantly, etc.

[CleoPat]

Put me down as one of those weirdos with the three-ring binder and tabs for each day!:D

[Set2travel]

I about croaked when I saw the actual number. We are spending more on this trip than we did for two weeks privated guided tour in Europe! The excursions are really expensive here where as in Europe we had the Heritage pass which was all of about $150.00pp and we could see most all of the Castles ect on this pass. I will probably return one day to Alaska but nothing in life is gauranteed, so I don't want to miss a thing!

[Cruisechick82]

ooh! I don't have a 3-ring binder and tabs for each day yet, I'll have to do that! I do have about a million websites bookmarked and tons of brochures, maps, books, etc. I also plan on bringing a travel journal to write down what we do and see everyday so I can use when I scrapbook the trip later.

[CStorm]

I am glad to know I am not the only one who uses a 3-ring binder:o

 

Thank you sooooooo much!!!!!! I never thought of putting everything in a 3 ring binder!!! I'm soooo excited!!! I have also been planning my July 30 cruise since last July. Now, where did I put those extra binders...

[emarismom]

I too have a three ring binder that I've been filling since September. Also have a ton of websites added to favorites, as well as brochures and books I've picked up.

 

Thank Goodness I have this website to share information with as my husband and kids pretty much ignore me when I start talking about Alaska, which is constant:eek: . They really think I'm not well.

[kimmeesook]

thanks so much for the info!! :)

OK, now I have to go home and "measure" my file on the Alaskan cruise! It's one of those portable plastic file thingies.

 

Michelle is with "Island Wings" and from comparing what Budget Queen et al say, she's the one that gives a complete experience. She lands and taxi's to land and we'll get to walk around for 30 minutes!.

 

Can't wait!

 

Eileen

[tangerinebunny]

I have one of those plastic folders with 12 pockets. Just putting stuff in it is So Very Satisfying!

[Bluenose Sandy]

The only not-fun part of the 3-ring-binder route is trying to shrink it down to something I can carry with me on the trip without throwing out half my clothes! (another reason to skip formal night... more room for my full 3-ring-binder in the luggage, and we're the geeky kind of family that WOULD choose the fully-documented planning over a chance to dress up)

[mjminjax]

I ended up doing a web page of all my research for everyone in our group going to Alaska in June 2006 :D:

 

http://miller.michael.j.home.comcast.net/alaska.html

 

MJM in JAX

[tangerinebunny]

mjm, those are some great links. thanks.

[chuckc54]

Another June 2007 Alaskan cruiser! I can't wait until ALL of the cruiselines have their Alaskan itineraries available...hopefully by the end if the month.

VFB2girls and NancyIL, I'm hoping we can go in 2007, we've saved about $2800 towards our trip. Trying to put about $100 a pay period into it for the next year, plus money our son gives us for insurance, rent, etc, plus tax refund for next year. Is it just the two of you or are you taking kids? I plan to at least do Capt Larry's whale watching, but I don't think it's thru the cruise line. The other excursions I want to do are either historical or nature, but I don't care to do White Pass since we plan to do the cruise tour with the Wilderness express and don't want to do flightseeing since we're flying from the east coast. Nancy, if you see the 2007 itineraries before I do, give me a holler. I think I'm going to use a travel agent (real person vs online) rather than go thru the cruise line (haven't decided that either, reviews have been good and bad about all, RCL, HAL, NCL, etc) or AAA (had problems when I booked last years Caribbean cruise in that my rep changed hands a couple of times and they didn't tell me) Anyway, let's keep in touch.