How many hours do you put in planning a cruise

[WeBeGone]

Would I be able to order this on Amazon?

You can buy it direct from John:

http://johnlawrencecd.com/ $20 - same as on the ship

[wizard-of-roz]

I spend a TON of time planning - especially for non-caribean cruises.

I create a notebook with each port having it's own folder. I print my maps and research and file. I take a hole puncher with me and put the Patters in the notebook as we go along so that when we get home, I have a scrapbook to go with the photo album.

 

I book tours indendently. I plan and plan so that we waste no time once the ship docks. We're usually the first ones off and the last ones back aboard. I rent videos that cover the various ports so that we have our history in our heads before we start sightseeing. I'm on cruise critic daily, participate in the roll call, and read, read, read. We arrive in our departure port a week in advance so I do all the flight, hotel, city planning to boot.

 

What does my dear husband do? Goes along for the ride - gotta love it!

 

I thought I was organized and planned.....YOU are amazing.....My DH also goes along for the ride.

What you do is a lot of work and I give you credit for doing it.

Do you give yourself a chance to really enjoy everything you've planned or are you enjoying the planning and directing more?

[paul929207]

I thought I was organized and planned.....YOU are amazing.....My DH also goes along for the ride.

What you do is a lot of work and I give you credit for doing it.

Do you give yourself a chance to really enjoy everything you've planned or are you enjoying the planning and directing more?

Just so you ladies don't start looking down on us men, my DW goes along for the ride.

[wizard-of-roz]

Just so you ladies don't start looking down on us men, my DW goes along for the ride.

 

I never look down on any man.....unless, he's running for the elevator, see's me [i've been waiting, patiently] and leaps ahead of me, to gain entrance.....him, I look down on!!!!!!!!

You, Paul, are my hero! There's nothing better [in my world], than a man who "takes care of business!" A man who treats his lady with respect and allows her to go like a Princess!

Not that my DH doesn't behave and treat me with great kindness, respect and love. He just doesn't like dealing with TA's/Airlines or be involved with the planning phases of any of our trips. He says, "you do that much better than me!"

He also hates driving and insists that I do all of that too!!!!

Perfection is so very hard to come by!

I'll keep my "chubby hubby", he "gets" me! ;) And, has yet to complain about our travels.

[mytime53]

Not that my DH doesn't behave and treat me with great kindness, respect and love. He just doesn't like dealing with TA's/Airlines or be involved with the planning phases of any of our trips. He says, "you do that much better than me!"

 

He also hates driving and insists that I do all of that too!!!!

 

Perfection is so very hard to come by!

 

And, has yet to complain about our travels.

This sounds like us, except that my husband does like to do the driving. I can't get him to look at a map, though. He wants to totally rely on my directions (I personally think it's so he can blame me when we get lost), knowing that I usually mix up right and left when I have to make a snap decision. I just want him to look at the map when we start out in the morning so that he gets the general lay of the land and the general direction we're going. But, no....

[bjkTX]

This sounds like us, except that my husband does like to do the driving. I can't get him to look at a map, though. He wants to totally rely on my directions (I personally think it's so he can blame me when we get lost), knowing that I usually mix up right and left when I have to make a snap decision. I just want him to look at the map when we start out in the morning so that he gets the general lay of the land and the general direction we're going. But, no....

 

Your hubby sounds like me! :-) I was given a GPS unit for my birthday - problem solved - as long as I remember to bring it :-0

[paul929207]

I never look down on any man.....unless, he's running for the elevator, see's me [i've been waiting, patiently] and leaps ahead of me, to gain entrance.....him, I look down on!!!!!!!!

You, Paul, are my hero! There's nothing better [in my world], than a man who "takes care of business!" A man who treats his lady with respect and allows her to go like a Princess!

Not that my DH doesn't behave and treat me with great kindness, respect and love. He just doesn't like dealing with TA's/Airlines or be involved with the planning phases of any of our trips. He says, "you do that much better than me!"

He also hates driving and insists that I do all of that too!!!!

Perfection is so very hard to come by!

I'll keep my "chubby hubby", he "gets" me! ;) And, has yet to complain about our travels.

My DW treats me so well the least I can do is plan cruises and other vacations for us.

[wizard-of-roz]

My DW treats me so well the least I can do is plan cruises and other vacations for us.

 

Awwwww! Take care of each other!

[wizard-of-roz]

This sounds like us, except that my husband does like to do the driving. I can't get him to look at a map, though. He wants to totally rely on my directions (I personally think it's so he can blame me when we get lost), knowing that I usually mix up right and left when I have to make a snap decision. I just want him to look at the map when we start out in the morning so that he gets the general lay of the land and the general direction we're going. But, no....

 

I don't mind the driving. I'm used to it now and actually enjoy it. Although, the responsibility of our lives in soley in MY hands! :(

[Coolmama_1]

I'm the planner in this household. DH just goes along for the ride. He just smiles at me and lets me plan. Right now we are in perpetual planning mode. DH was just diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and started chemo this week. Needless to say, we will not be cruising again until his immune system is in better shape! So for now, we dream, plan, and live vicariously through those of you who are cruising!:)

[wizard-of-roz]

I'm the planner in this household. DH just goes along for the ride. He just smiles at me and lets me plan. Right now we are in perpetual planning mode. DH was just diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and started chemo this week. Needless to say, we will not be cruising again until his immune system is in better shape! So for now, we dream, plan, and live vicariously through those of you who are cruising!:)

 

I hope that all goes well for your hubby and that it won't be too much longer before he's feeling well and able to go travling again!

Keep on dreaming, we're thinking of you! :)

[CruisinEars]

Gee, my hubby and I spend hours just figuring out which cruise to take let alone planning for the trip. We want to go somewhere for June 2010 and we have about 10 ideas to work with. Our problem is we want to do it all. :D I think we are planning now (could change in 5 minutes) to go to DC and Hershey and then catch a cruise to the Caribbean from one of the East coast ports. Being from Seattle, we have never been to much of the east coast.

 

But, once we decide where to go, I spend countless hours planning, reading trip reports here on cc and just reading the cruise line specific forums along with the port forums. Someone mentioned planning for WDW and that is where I get my planning habits from. We have several trips to WDW under our belts.

[kendon]

Not much into plannng the cruise. I always know where and when I want to go, and after a quick price comparision, I book it. Alot of time and effort is always spent looking for airfare with a reasonable price and schedule.

[WeBeGone]

I thought I was organized and planned.....YOU are amazing.....My DH also goes along for the ride.

 

What you do is a lot of work and I give you credit for doing it.

 

Do you give yourself a chance to really enjoy everything you've planned or are you enjoying the planning and directing more?

Once all the planning is done, I can enjoy the cruise. It's wonderful to know all the details before hand. I feel sorry when I see people standing at the dock trying to decide what to do. By the time they figure it out, half the day is over. Plus we save a lot of money by booking tours independantly. On our very first cruise we booked through Princess but since then, have only used them when distance is as issue, like Tulum.

[elsje]

Planning is half the fun for me. The other half is the cruise and excursions. I research a lot and just love it. I do not stress over it because it always falls in place one way or another. I am going on my 10th cruise (30-day) Sydney to LA and can't wait to see all the places I have read up on and will continue to read about while onboard.

 

I am the organizer in our family ;) and am addicted to CC :p