Sasksilver

To official retirement date - January 31, 2019 - 102 days

To last day in office - November 29, 2018 - 39 days

# of working days including today - 21!

Following! Even if I am too late to get in on a share of the lottery winnings. 😛  

St. Kitts was one of my favorite ports - I'm looking forward to getting back there in January on the Anthem.  On my first visit we did a little train ride around the island.  It was ....okay.  But the island itself is beautiful.  For St. Thomas, you could take the ferry over to St. John.  

Very much enjoying your blog!  The commentary is well written and the photos are terrific.  I'm on the Breakaway Dec 6 out of NOLA, my third NCL cruise and first on the Breakaway.  All the info you can provide about the ship will be very helpful.

Following...how can I not?

Following, Vancouver Island is one of my favourite places in all of Canada. Hope to visit there again soon...and it will be awesome to see it through your review!

182 days to the Star Princess - Santiago to LA

I started posting here a few years out, as of today my retirement is 145 days. But, I'll be out of the office for a good portion of that time, my last day in the office is only 82 days away. Best of all, when I count the days I have to be in the office...I'm down to a mere 44 days!

We'll be arriving at Coquimbo next year on Princess. The shore excursions show a shuttle to La Serena where you will be on your own for 3 hours as costing $69.95 per person. The description says it is a 30 minute bus ride. Way overpriced as far as I'm concerned. A taxi would probably be a better deal.

I am there next March.with Princess and was disappointed to see the cost of the DIY tour. I picked up a Lonely Planet guide to South America, and according to their info there are 29 churches in La Serena, a few museums, and a few restaurants. However, there are a number of nearby beaches. I haven't decided what I'll do but for certain I won't be visiting La Serena on the DIY...as you note, the price is ridiculously high.

Voyager or Southern

 

how many days are each cruise, if that matters to you?

I agree! Both itineraries are great. My first cruise was a 14 day southern Caribbean cruise on Princess - I was hooked. We did not do a lot of excursions on that cruise - most islands we simply wandered nearby the port, and when we wanted refreshments we found a local bar/restaurant by the water and enjoyed. It was unforgettable.

Following... I couldn't believe when I searched "review" to find this. Surprised but so happy. Way to go Owen! Things were getting a bit boring here on CC after Rick's last cruise so glad to see your dad and mom acceded to your request. :)

I was curious if everyone is planning obsessed with other events or in their day to day lives or is it just for cruising/traveling?

I must admit I'm pretty compulsive with certain things. For example, I have a document entitled, "if I were to die today" that provides the info my family would need to know including life insurance, pension info, financial details, etc. I update it every time I travel or when something changes significantly.

I'm retiring at the end of January and for the past couple of years I've kept track of the work days remaining using a spreadsheet calendar. I've reduced the days by earned days off, vacation, stats, etc. As of last Thursday I had 55 days left in the office!

So yes, I think I'm pretty compulsive. :p

111 days to the Breakway out of NOLA!

You can also set a wake up call using the provided telephone. What I like best about the studio versus interior cabins is the diffused light from the hallway. I always set my blind so a bit of light came through.

The other thing is the security as the studios are inside a locked area that is accessible by the studio guests only (same swipe card as your door), unless of course, someone props the door open.

The set up is great, lots of storage and while the space is only 100 sq feet it has everything that is needed. Plus, in my experience for a solo traveller it is the best way to meet fellow cruisers on board. The lounge is great to pick up a coffee or cookie, and make plans for excursions, meals, or shows.

Enjoy!

I'm in this phase of my cruise right now - 18 days away - and for me this is half the fun :)

Just going to say I'm jealous...but I do know that my December cruise is not that far off.

Enjoy!

Oh my goodness, I've found my tribe! My planning starts with a spreadsheet that details the estimated costs of various cruises or land trips (including airfare, hotel, and cost of the cruise/rental car, etc.) for the following year, and then I check pricing until one or more of the possibilities appears to be the "best" deal based on the itinerary. Only then will I decide whether I'm booking or not.

I keep a folder that contains paper copies of all the documents and that goes in my carry-on. I learned my lesson a few years ago when a TSA agent almost kept me from entering the USA because the folder was in my checked bag.

Pre-cruise I research all the ports for activities and local restaurants including the ship's excursions. I generally post to the roll call here on CC (what I think are) interesting facts and other findings. I find CC is a great way to meet fellow cruisers who have similar interests and since I often travel solo it's nice to "know" a few folks before I get onboard. I also join the group on the other social site that shall remain nameless.

I have a list that I've used for packing for several years for seven day cruises and so far, I've not forgotten anything that I've needed. I don't pack a lot of storage items that others have mentioned but again, since I'm on my own most of the time I don't have to share the storage space. I do tend to pack early and too much - maybe my list will be perfect for my 10 day cruise in December. ;)

I've learned a lot from the rest of you - I've grabbed your spreadsheet Shellbelle and will be visiting Amazon for the paper straws and the see-through folders for sure...and maybe some door art too!

Last year, there was a opportunity for solos to sail with no single supplement. It was limited to the inside cabins for New England/Canada cruise. That's the first time I'd seen it, and found out about it here on CC (solo board). It was fantastic as I would never have been willing to pay the normal price.

I'm not aware of any BOGO 50%. Good luck!

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2396334

See this thread in solo cruiser board.

That's a tough question, as I've enjoyed almost every Princess cruise I've been on so I'll answer in the negative. My least favorite cruise was the Western Caribbean out of Houston. It started poorly (no fault of Princess) when we could not get out the day prior due to high winds in Denver - we ended up diverted to Toronto where we spent most of the night trying to rest/sleep on the floor in the terminal. We did see a fellow taken away by the CBSA agents...so it was somewhat entertaining.

We arrived in Houston in plenty of time for the cruise but were exhausted. After muster drill we fell into bed and slept the night through. Sadly, we missed sail-away, but the fog was so thick we wouldn't have seen anything anyway. We had the same issue coming back in, lots of fog, so were into port by midnight the evening prior. I'm whining but I had my worst sleep that night...the ship wasn't rocking! All in all, the cruise itself was fine, it was merely the weather that made it less pleasurable before and after.

My favorite Princess cruises would include my first, a two-week Southern Caribbean cruise...I was hooked!, an 18 day transatlantic to Copenhagen...love sea days, and a four day to Ketchikan, Alaska from Vancouver...the scenery is phenomenal. Oh and then there was last year's New England cruise out of New York. We had a great group of solos who met through CC and the other not to be named site - it was so much fun even with Hurricane Ike chasing us up the coast...we out ran it!

And as someone else has stated, the next one - March 2019 - repositioning from Chile to Los Angeles, on the Star!

135 to the Breakaway! For all those who are sailing before me, enjoy!!!

Following! I'll be on the Breakaway in December so looking forward to the ship. Still dreaming of a Baltic vacation and though I've done a TransAtlantic to Copenhagen we didn't have much time there. AND of course, it's another Doug and Sue adventure. I know it's going to fun!!!

For those retired or near retirement, how and why did you pick the date you chose to retire? My hubby and I are retiring in 3 - 5 years and chose a Thursday to retire. That way we don't have to go in on Friday. [emoji16]

 

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I turn 60 in March 2019, so I started from there as it meant I could leave with a full pension (no penalty). Then I did the math. We have a pension calculator tool that I used to determine how much less I would get if I left a little earlier. I decided I could afford to take a very small penalty, about $25 a month leaving 2 months earlier. I'm an accountant by trade, so next was looking at fixed costs and discretionary spending and I determined that my income would cover my needs.

Then, like an earlier poster, I figured out my vacation credits, and determined I can walk out of the office on Thursday November 29, 2018, be on vacation until January 31, 2019 when I officially retire. The weeks are flying by...it will be here before I know it!

I just happened to run across today (thanks to an email from an online travel agency pointing me in that direction) that Uniworld river cruises has a number of cruises this year with no (and a few with reduced) solo supplement. I have a week-long cruise on hold at the moment for about $2500--and these cruises are all-inclusive of drinks, transfers, tips, shore excursions, etc.

 

I've been thinking of taking a river cruise for a while and this looks like a great option. The reviews I read on Cruise Critic of this cruise and line are great.

Thanks for the info! I'll have to check it out as a river cruise is definitely on the list.

Read the entire thread in one sitting and am enjoying it thoroughly. Personally I love the sidebars...isn't it funny how one comment can take the thread sideways.

In any event, I hope the rest of the trip was uneventful, but based on the record thus far I'm not certain it was. As for the few negative comments I've seen, 1) try writing a review yourself - it isn't easy to keep it on track and timely with real life interrupting, and 2) if you don't like what you're reading, just don't. There a lots of threads in CC...so lots of choices!

Congrats Fyree!!! And oh do I understand the pile of chores to be done. Friends who have retired have said they have no idea how they managed to get things while when they worked. Best of all, in retirement, you get to decide when you do the chores...or if you spend the time planning that next vaca!

My last day of work is on the 22nd. I'm taking vacation for the last official week of work (retirement date of 29 June) since my DD will be here. On my last day of work I turn in my badge and simply go home, which will occur around 0800. Soooooo...I have 4 actual days of work left.

Congrats! Enjoy your visit with your daughter. We expect you'll be back to share with us how wonderful retirement is. :)