Pre-cruise rituals?

[melmar02]

DH and I are going on our first cruise in a couple of weeks. A co-worker of his that goes on cruises regularly with her girl friends mentioned to him that they have a ritual that starting a few days before the cruise they all meet up for margaritas at each other's houses. It sounds like a good idea to me, and got me thinking - What are your pre-cruise rituals?

[paul929207]

Checking the Roll Call!

[Happy ks]

Margaritas sound good.

 

We usually work until the last possible moment, pack, then leave.

[BroncosFan2010]

Pack months in advance, leave a day early and fly down to departure port and finally, walk out to the Ocean and enjoy the sea breeze for the first time with my amazing husband by my side as we walk hand in hand enjoying the start of our vacation.

[jkudzu]

Pre-Cruise Ritual

 

1. Reading CC daily

2. Checking countdown clock frequently

3. Setting aside cruise clothes and coordinating outfits months in advance

4. Reading articles and guidebooks on ports

5. Listening to "cruise" music often

6. Talking my friends and family to death about my cruise.

7. Did I mention checking the countdown clock?;)

8. Reading reviews for the ship

9. Looking for neat little things to take with me

10. Asking questions here on CC.

[cb at sea]

Where should we meet?

[printingchick]

Pre-Cruise Ritual

 

1. Reading CC daily

2. Checking countdown clock frequently

3. Setting aside cruise clothes and coordinating outfits months in advance

4. Reading articles and guidebooks on ports

5. Listening to "cruise" music often

6. Talking my friends and family to death about my cruise.

7. Did I mention checking the countdown clock?;)

8. Reading reviews for the ship

9. Looking for neat little things to take with me

10. Asking questions here on CC.

 

I share a lot of jkudzu's rituals. Here's MY top ten. You'll see where we overlap.

 

1) Reading CC CONSTANTLY! (I'm always thinking of last-minute questions that seem SO URGENT!)

2) Text or email my traveling companion(s) with the daily count-down.

3) Pack (the first time) as much as three months in advance. Unpack and repack multiple times until I finally unpack, iron and finalize.

4) Order guidebooks, read on-line reviews, do image searches to see photos of places I'm going to visit, make ENDLESS lists concerning every detail of my cruise.

5) Ahh...yes, the cruise playlist. I was just about to shuffle the order of mine tonight to try to get it EXACTLY right.

6) DIET! DIET! DIET! I usually start 5-6 months prior to my cruise, hoping to end up about five pounds under my ideal weight. That gives me room to gain those typical five pounds I add on each cruise. My one and only sea day is the LAST day of my next cruise. I have to still look acceptable in a bathing suit after having stuffed myself with food and tropical cocktails for six days straight! YIKES!

7) Start thinking about NEXT year's cruise! (It helps to lessen the inevitable post-cruise blues!)

8) Print out all my documentation, including all my notes and reminders I've collected, for my cruise folder.

9) Compare notes with my cruise addict office friend who is usually going on her annual cruise 1-3 months after mine every year! (I travel in winter, but she needs to go during spring break as she travels with family members who are teachers.)

10) Bore friends, family...even total strangers with my ENDLESS talking about my CRUISE! CRUISE! CRUISE!!

 

Six weeks and counting!!! Gosh, how those last eight weeks DRAG!!!

[linkerbink]

My sister and I get manicures!

[Calinae]

I love you guys :)

 

All this time my husband thought I was nuts, now he can see I am not the only one obsessive over my cruise.

 

But he still thinks I am nuts.

[dunbawn]

Shop Shop Shop:D

[Bonnie J.]

Check Roll Call here. Last cruise those going to Miami day before met that night at hotel or someplace to get to know each other and have a drink. (We didn't go to Miami night before as we drive and stop in Cocoa.)

[tmitchell82]

I love you guys :)

 

All this time my husband thought I was nuts, now he can see I am not the only one obsessive over my cruise.

 

But he still thinks I am nuts.

 

You are nuts and there is only one cure, go on more cruises!!!!!! It only gets worse when you start decorating the house with maps of the Caribbean and pictures from the cruise...

[jkudzu]

Oops! Forgot one. I also watch the ship's web cam so I can see where it is. :o

[tidenik]

As for pre cruise rituals I do some online research on the ports of call (if I haven't visited them before) and get my carry on out in what I call Phase I packing which is no packing just getting it out to stare at it so that it is handy when, 30 days or so later I will begin Phase II of packing which involves packing a couple of socks and handkercheifs. The industrial strength packing (Phase III) comes 7 days prior to leaving for the cruise.

[Tahlulla-Hula]

We just took our first cruise and the ritual I would like to continue for any future cruises is.... hubby buying me a fabulous pair of shoes in the port city the morning before getting on the ship!!!

[World Traveller 2008]

Pre-Cruise Ritual

 

1. Reading CC daily

2. Checking countdown clock frequently

3. Setting aside cruise clothes and coordinating outfits months in advance

4. Reading articles and guidebooks on ports

5. Listening to "cruise" music often

6. Talking my friends and family to death about my cruise.

7. Did I mention checking the countdown clock?;)

8. Reading reviews for the ship

9. Looking for neat little things to take with me

10. Asking questions here on CC.

 

We go on our first cruise in 21 days (yes, I check my coundown every day!) but wondered what "cruise" music is?

[printingchick]

We go on our first cruise in 21 days (yes, I check my coundown every day!) but wondered what "cruise" music is?

 

I have downloaded a "cruise playlist" onto my iPod Nano. It includes music with a tropical flavor, such as Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffet, etc.

 

My playlist includes the following, among others:

 

Kenny Chesney:

* Island Boy

* No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem

* Beer in Mexico

* Everybody Want to Go to Heaven

*

Zac Brown Band:

* Where the Boat Leaves From <My very favorite cruise song!

* Toes

 

Jimmy Buffet:

* Margarittaville

* Boat Drinks

* Mexico

* Volcano

* It's 5:00 Somewhere (with Alan Jackson)

* Jamaica Farewell

 

Bob Marley:

* Jamming

* One Love

 

Various Artists:

* Dollar Wine (Colin Lucas <a really FUN song)

* Two Pina Coladas (The Hit Crew)

* Red Red Wine (UB40)

* Some Beach (Blake Shelton)

* Don't Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin)

* Then What (Clay Walker <Great steel drums!)

* I Like to Move It (Madagascar)

* Kokomo (Beach Boys)

* Lattitudes and Attitudes (Eric Stone)

 

The very last song on my cruise playlist is the TV Theme song from "The Love Boat"!!

 

We have a long drive to the airport before our cruise. We'll be getting in the mood for the Caribbean, listening to our cruise tunes!

[Calinae]

You are nuts and there is only one cure, go on more cruises!!!!!! It only gets worse when you start decorating the house with maps of the Caribbean and pictures from the cruise...

 

 

Ohhhhhhh It is acceptable to decorate the house in cruise garbo? Wow, 7 days wont be enough, we have a big house with high ceilings, that is a lot of wall to cover. Time to book more cruises ;)

 

Cruise ritual #137

Buy more picture printing paper.........

[World Traveller 2008]

I have downloaded a "cruise playlist" onto my iPod Nano. It includes music with a tropical flavor, such as Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffet, etc.

 

My playlist includes the following, among others:

 

Kenny Chesney:

* Island Boy

* No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem

* Beer in Mexico

* Everybody Want to Go to Heaven

*

Zac Brown Band:

* Where the Boat Leaves From <My very favorite cruise song!

* Toes

 

Jimmy Buffet:

* Margarittaville

* Boat Drinks

* Mexico

* Volcano

* It's 5:00 Somewhere (with Alan Jackson)

* Jamaica Farewell

 

Bob Marley:

* Jamming

* One Love

 

Various Artists:

* Dollar Wine (Colin Lucas <a really FUN song)

* Two Pina Coladas (The Hit Crew)

* Red Red Wine (UB40)

* Some Beach (Blake Shelton)

* Don't Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin)

* Then What (Clay Walker <Great steel drums!)

* I Like to Move It (Madagascar)

* Kokomo (Beach Boys)

* Lattitudes and Attitudes (Eric Stone)

 

The very last song on my cruise playlist is the TV Theme song from "The Love Boat"!!

 

We have a long drive to the airport before our cruise. We'll be getting in the mood for the Caribbean, listening to our cruise tunes!

 

Sounds like a brilliant idea, but Kenny Chesney? Zac Brown Band? Jimmy Buffet? Sorry, maybe I'm just old but don't know who these are!!! :o Will have to look them up on t'internet!! :) Happy cruising.

[T&Dcruisers]

What?! Everybody knows who Jimmy Buffet is! He's been performing since the early 60's

[Sheffie]

Sounds like a brilliant idea, but Kenny Chesney? Zac Brown Band? Jimmy Buffet? Sorry, maybe I'm just old but don't know who these are!!! :o Will have to look them up on t'internet!! :) Happy cruising.

 

OMG! :eek: I hope that World Traveller is only 10 year old; otherwise, I feel ancient!!!

[printingchick]

Sounds like a brilliant idea, but Kenny Chesney? Zac Brown Band? Jimmy Buffet? Sorry, maybe I'm just old but don't know who these are!!! :o Will have to look them up on t'internet!! :) Happy cruising.

 

 

Jimmy Buffet has been around forever. (Believe me, I turn 50 next week, I doubt you're much older than I am.)

 

Kenny Kesney is a country music performer who tends to do a lot of songs about the Caribbean. I think he has an entire album of such songs.

 

A fellow CC member highly recommended the song, "Where the Boat Leaves From" and I downloaded it and LOVED it. It's by the Zac Brown Band. I then heard their song, "Toes" on the radio and downloaded that one too. They're pretty recent on the scene. My daughter (age 22) listens to them. I'm not surprised you haven't heard of them.

[jkudzu]

I love Zac Brown and listen to "Where the boat leaves from" and "Toes" quite often. They're going with me on the cruise too! :)

I took Kenny C. and Jimmy B. on the last cruise with me. I listened on the balcony while enjoying the ocean.

I'm over 40 but younger than Jimmy B. ;)

[printingchick]

I love Zac Brown and listen to "Where the boat leaves from" and "Toes" quite often. They're going with me on the cruise too! :)

I took Kenny C. and Jimmy B. on the last cruise with me. I listened on the balcony while enjoying the ocean.

I'm over 40 but younger than Jimmy B. ;)

 

Ever have the opportunity to visit one of Jimmy's Margaritaville establishments? We went to the one in Ochos Rios with the pool and slide. It was hugely fun!

[World Traveller 2008]

What?! Everybody knows who Jimmy Buffet is! He's been performing since the early 60's

 

Sorry, maybe it's because he's American and I'm British???? !!!! Looked artists up on the internet, have heard some of the songs (Zac Brown Band - Toes; Kenny Chesney - Beer in Mexico) but didn't realise who sang them, obviously artists not well known in UK. Now, if you'd said The Beatles............... :rolleyes: