Are you obsessed with planning - what about your spouse or travel partner?

[JustUs275]

I almost posted this as a response on a thread in the First Time Cruiser section but I didn't want to hi-jack her thread. ;)

 

I am obsessed with the planning and learning all the details. I am curious what your experience is...if you are a "couple" or have a travel partner - is one of you crazily obsessed and the other one the total opposite end and waaaaay laid back about it???

 

With us, I am the obsessed, must plan, must make lists, must spend endless hours on internet research, my thoughts are nearly always on our upcoming cruise (or whatever vacation it may be). I have shopped, printed off every document (itinerary, confirmation etc.) and placed them in my tabbed binder, diligently put dollars and change into our cruise fund jar, made cabin door decorations, pre-packed what I can, made arrangements for the dog...sigh...I fear I will run out of things to do before it gets here!

 

My husband, on the other hand, seems to almost forget that we are even going on a cruise! I'll mention something about it and he'll say, oh yeah, when is that again? :eek::mad: With packing, the night before we leave for any vacation, he says "how many nights will we be gone?" and that determines how many shirts and underclothes he grabs and throws into his duffel bag. I told him this past weekend that he is going to feel pretty uncomfortable on CoCoCay in his heavy blue jeans and tennis shoes in 90+ degree weather, so he'd better think about what else he might want to take along. :rolleyes:

 

So do you find this typical - 1 is obsessed and the other is just the opposite? :cool:

[PattyG12]

I'm also the obsessed planner. I just love the research on each island and the travel aspect of cruising. DH thought he'd be nice to me and book a cruise under 30 days out. While I'm still excited about the trip, somehow I feel like I've been robbed of my planning!

[paul929207]

I do all the planning for us. My wife does all the packing.

[10X]

I'm like PAUL929207, I do the planning (lot's of it) and my wife does the packing. She doesn't like the way I pack and won't let me near the suitcase. She even packs for me when I'm traveling alone.

[janabm81]

Yep same here....I am very OCD about the planning and the packing while he just sits back and relaxes. At least he's interested in what we're doing though.

[printingchick]

I'm also the obsessed planner. I just love the research on each island and the travel aspect of cruising. DH thought he'd be nice to me and book a cruise under 30 days out. While I'm still excited about the trip, somehow I feel like I've been robbed of my planning!

 

OMG...I can so relate. The planning, while not as much fun as the cruise, is a HUGE event in itself!!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

I guess I am the odd ball out -- neither of us get obsessed with planing a cruise anymore -- we have taken too many.

[travelingtrish]

I am definetly the planner. It really gets me into the cruise experience!

[Duckie26]

Hello, my name is Duckie and I am an anal-retentive over-obsessive planner about everything.

 

Cruising is just one more thing I've added to my list of things I obsess about. My 2011 cruise is pretty much planned and I'm currently working on where to go for 2012.

 

Glad to meet you all. :)

[sandian]

Absolutely obsessed, from booking to going I am continualy planning. While DH just goes on with everyday life till I finally say it's time for packing. Only then does he start getting interested

[sentinel0]

I'm the planner and the packer, but probably for different reasons. I'm a SAHM right now who has been searching for employment for 6 months, but I haven't been unable to find anything. Dh works a crazy full-time work schedule and goes to school 3 nights a week. If he had free time he would probably use it to help me plan. I do enjoy it though. Since it's our first cruise everything is new & exciting.

[geoherb]

I'm the planner, and my DH just relaxes and follows me around. I have had to start lying to him about what time our flights are. He has a way of not being ready on time, and I don't like to feel rushed getting to the airport.

[STARFISH*4]

OBSESSED PLANNER...from the minute i start 'looking' for a cruise til the day we get on the ship pretty much!!! LOVE IT!!...i pretty much PLAN EVERYTHING and ask hubby for suggestions and he pretty much goes along...sometimes he handles the airline tickets.-he gets EXCITED about the night before we leave to fly out to our embarktion port...for me i am in CRUISE-MODE for EVERYTHING the minute after i book!!

[Adri204]

Hello all my obsessive planners partners. I plan and plan and plan and I love to plan and I love traveling. I enjoy the planning and the trip. I travel so much and love it. Ive never planned for a cruise before so thats why I found this board hee :)

 

Adri

[Micchi]

I'm an obsessive planner too :) My family/friends are more the laid-back type, so we travel well together.

[Duckie26]

I'm an obsessive planner too :) My family/friends are more the laid-back type, so we travel well together.

 

I travel a lot with my friends and all I have to do is call them to ask if they can get the time off and if they want to go somewhere.... from that point on, I take care of everything. All they have to do is tell me.. "Yes.. I'm packed!" even if they aren't and it's 6 months in advanced.

 

It's better that way. LOL

[isujim]

I am convinced planning is part of the cruise experience...........no matter what cruiseline you prefer:p

[Lahta]

Count me in with the obsessive planners and my husband as the laid back whatever your want type. I too spend countless hours on the internet (thanks CC :)), printing information, making lists, shopping! We now have just 23 days - maybe then I can relax and enjoy. Oh no - that's right I have to read the daily caper and decide what to do....lol.

[grandmato4]

I'm the obsessive one that does all research and planning and list making while DH is in charge of the count down. Every night at supper he tells me how many more days until our cruise. His theory is just tell him what day we leave and where we're going. Everything else he leaves to me. Works pretty good for us!;):D

[TnMama]

I'm the planner, pick out spotter,packer,and boss! lol. DH is one of those, wake me when we get there,and remind me when we leave kind of ppl. I plan to the enth degree. BUT, he's teaching me to be more relaxed. Lately everytime we PLAN a trip of somesort stuff hits the fan and we cant go. We planned a camping trip for last weekend,since January,and I had to have surgery and we didnt get to go. If I can, I plan. But also, I keep a toiletry bag ready to go all the time for those spur of the moment weekend trips. Even if its just to my inlaws an hr and half a way. Comes in handy to have stuff ready to go!

With the cruise,hes not going with me, so my roomie and I BOTH the planners. lol.

I dont know about yall,the planners that is, but Im anal about HOW I like the car packed too. {ive never sailed} But on road trips the back of my mid size SUV gets full fast,. It me,DH and 2 DS. Its put together like a puzzle so to speak. The fam knows to bring stuff outside and put it by the back end. Once its all out there,then I load it up. Im crazy, I know.

[blonde375]

Oh, boy, I'm the obessed one!! I'm usually planning the next vacation while returning from the last one.:D

 

Boards like this have been a huge addition to the planning fun. I used to spend countless lunch hours at Borders and Barnes and Noble reading about the destinations/ports by myself. This is so much more fun!!

 

My DH packs the night before every trip...no list, no plan......drives me nuts!!! Although, I have gotten much better at "letting" him do his own thing when it comes to that.:p

 

 

justus275, we're from Indiana also... whereabouts are you?

[carters4usm]

Yes...or at least that's what they tell me. Really just last night my daughter exclaimed "Mom, you're obsessed!". They just don't understand that I need my CC and my TripAdvisor. It's how I start my day....coffee, breakfast, CruiseCritic and then of course I have to check in at various times during the day. ;)

 

But it really is part of the enjoyment I get from traveling and it's ok that they don't understand. It makes me happy...or kinda crazy...its a fine line. I do think in order to travel sucessfully, at least one partner needs to be a at least a little obsessed with the details. And like we're seeing, typically the other partner just pretty much packs. :cool:

[April-in-NC]

I think I verge on OCD when it comes to vacation planning. :eek:

 

I've spent several hours today working on a full draft of activities for my tentative (not even confirmed yet) June 2011 cruise to Alaska. I've picked out excursions for most of the ports and all of the stops on the land tour, I've decided what towns we are going to spend the night in. The only thing left is to actually start looking for specific hotels that might work for us.

 

My first two cruises I traveled with a friend. I come up with options and prices and she tells me what she can afford or if she doesn't want to do something.

[velvetred]

Count me in as another obsessed planner. I find planning is half the fun of traveling. I've always got two or three trips in the pipeline. I am limited by vacation time or I would cruise more. Dh lets me handle everything. He packs his things and goes along for the ride.

[lurkernj]

Me too!!! I'm the obsessive planner. Everyone else just shows up and does what I tell them. We went to Hawaii a few years ago (planned for 11 months), and while we were at the airport waiting to board DH asks me what Islands we're going to. Kids too, I think they are all annoyed with my planning but they are always cooperative and have a great time once we get there. I'm not complaining, at least I get to pick what I want to do.

 

I doubt he knows where our cruise ports are either.