OK Couples....Who does the most planning?

[jakesmom04]

I (dw) do 100% of cruise planning and dh does 100% of the paying!!!

[Cindy]

I've been checking prices, planning excursions, arranging dining time, applying BoA points, etc, etc. We're driving to the port so don't have to worry about airfare, flights or hotel. All this got me to thinking ... who does your planning?

 

Of all the vacations we've taken in our 35 years of marriage I've (DW)planned about 99.999999999% of everything. DH is perfectly content to just show up. I usually run things by him, but his response is "you always do a good job and I enjoy whatever you plan so do what you want". I could never have that attitude. I want to know who, what, where and when. He just asked me yesterday "what days to I need to schedule off" for our April cruise. Most of the time he doesn't even ask about our excursions till the day we're in port:eek:.

 

So...who does your planning????

 

 

I do everything...my DH says, "Just tell me where I need to be and when I need to be there!" :eek:

[Cruisin824]

I've been checking prices, planning excursions, arranging dining time, applying BoA points, etc, etc. We're driving to the port so don't have to worry about airfare, flights or hotel. All this got me to thinking ... who does your planning?

 

Of all the vacations we've taken in our 35 years of marriage I've (DW)planned about 99.999999999% of everything. DH is perfectly content to just show up. I usually run things by him, but his response is "you always do a good job and I enjoy whatever you plan so do what you want". I could never have that attitude. I want to know who, what, where and when. He just asked me yesterday "what days to I need to schedule off" for our April cruise. Most of the time he doesn't even ask about our excursions till the day we're in port:eek:.

 

So...who does your planning????

 

I always handle everything and DW just goes with the flow. She is content just being on vacation and I would like to know every nook and crannie(sp?) of the ship. Because of this I tend to plan out everything which includes packing as my wonderful wife would get around to that the night before :D. I am also the more adventurous of us so our shore activities are always far more adventurous when I plan them. It seems to work as she hasnt tosssed me off the ship yet :eek:

[BILL-WI]

Our trips are planned by the team. I always run everything by the team and get approval. :)

 

The members of my team are; Me:D, Myself:D, and I:D! We never disagree, and we never argue. The team is always 100% correct, just ask me, or myself, or I and we will tell you! My DW says the team has one other member...Mr. Anal Retentive! She could be right!:eek:

 

The plans are always made by me (DH).

 

BILL:)

[renech]

I do all of the planning/research for our vacations. All he does is drive to the airport. However, he is an avid climber and does plan those trips. I do the research on airfare but that is it!

 

Exactly the same here. I do 100% of the cruise/family trip planning and booking. The only thing I won't do is pack for anyone but myself.

 

My DH is a big backwoods backpacker and plans involved hiking trips with a small group of his friends every year. I help him out with airfare, if he needs it. ;)

[packedandready]

I saw the original post within thirty seconds of posting, before anybody had responded. I started to respond but changed my mind because I thought it would sound like criticism of my DH. Now I see that I needn't have worried :D

 

I also do 99%. DH carries the luggage to the car and drives (we live about ninety minutes from the ports). Then every morning he stands in front of the closet and asks me what I brought for him to wear.

 

 

OH...I hope I didn't sound like I was complaining about DH....I was not:D. Having control issues:p I have a hard time understanding how he and apparently a lot of others don't care to know ALL the details. I would be a basket case. It works well for us and from these responses for a lot of others too.

[cruisinskier]

I normally doing everything, except as it will be our 30th Wedding Anniversary and my husband did not want to go through a travel agent he said he would book it all. We are starting in New York, then an East Coast Tour, the Oasis Cruise, Vegas, a West Coast Tour and Hawaii on the way home to Australia. You guessed it though I still ended up doing all the research and bookings, but I have to admit I am a bit of a control freak anyway. (Virgo - can't help myself)

 

 

Hi Cruisinskier,

Just realised you are going to be on the same cruise as my husband and I.

 

Can't wait!!!

 

Hi Parramatta, congrats on your upcoming 30th anniversary. Sounds like you have a great trip planned. :cool: Yes we will be on the same cruise and would love the chance to buy you a congratulatory drink on board....come join the roll call. We will have a group of 16 family and friends with us on the cruise so it should be fun. Our 25th anniversary will be in 2013 and we (I) are planning to cruise the south of France and then tour Paris, Geneva, the Alps, etc.

 

And I can't imagine NY, Vegas, Hawaii and the Oasis all on the same trip....awesome (and maybe just a little jealous). We have been to all of those locations so join the roll call and I would be glad to answer any questions you have!! Happy planning :D

Jerry

[smoosh21]

same sex couple here, but I do all the planning, probably why I am the one on cruise critic. I usually make the plans and send him an email to his work so he knows when to take off.

He hates to plan, and he knows that I need to plan so it all works out. :D

[saintbernardlover]

I (wife) also do 99.99 percent of the planning, research and packing. After 28 years of marriage, I sometimes think it would be nice if he would surprise me with a Vacay getaway without me having any input - how romantic. Then I think - NO :eek:

[eel]

It seems strange to me that for most couples it seems that one side handles the lions share. My DW and I have more division of labor. We discuss a destination and then I find a ship/itinerary that fits. Once we agree, we usually book it together (both on speaker phone). I handle hotels, airfare, and other transportation. My DW researches the ports and handles shore excursions, set sail passes and booking anything on board. Wepack our own stuff. We both follow the Cruise Critic boards and roll call.

 

I guess we are just weird :D

[Gloria Mundi]

DH and I have been traveling together for almost 15 years now. I've always been the one to handle all the details but we're both very happy with that. I'm a detail freak and want to make sure I'm in charge of connection times on flights (well, except for when the airline changes the schedule :mad:), the cost/location/quality tradeoffs in hotels, monitoring our loyalty program points, etc. I'm also the financial control freak in the family so that helps, too. All of our major trips are purchased over a long period: plane tickets to destination maybe a year in advance, local transportation a few months before, a few hotel deposits or maybe even the whole hotel cost a few months before... so I like to watch the cash flow.

 

DH is very laid-back, bless him. He's 73 and not as energetic as he used to be so I do run some decisions by him, like whether he's OK getting up for early flights/trains 2 days in a row, or with a hotel that's a 15-minute walk from the center of things. We make lots of decisions about what we're going to do for the day when we wake up in the morning at our destination and have been known to happily change our minds on the way out the door of the hotel- those are joint decisions. Traveling together is ine of many ways this is a match made in heaven!

[paul929207]

My DW does all the packing, and everything else I handle. We are both happy with the arrangement.

[Happy ks]

That's be me (dw). He contributions are, money, taking the specific date off work, and putting the luggage in the car. Works out fine. :)

 

That's us as well.

 

He picks out his own clothes, after I make him a list of what he is supposed to be taking. I supervise the selections (makes him sound like a kid). He's so organized and in control of every other aspect of his life, planning vacations and packing just didn't make it into his genes.

 

I couldn't help him out on the last cruise and he forgot to pack enough underwear. At least he had 2/3 pair :o

 

It's all good, it works for us as well and we're both happy with the outcome.

 

I should add, the supervision is only because if I list 3 evening shirts, he won't be able to decide and will pack 10. More than once I've given up my packing space to accomodate his "extras". Not any longer, I stand firm now. I don't control his choices, just his numbers.

 

He's a wonderful man and I'm one of the lucky ones to have such a great husband.

[Andee]

We've been married for almost 42 years, and travelling together is one of the things we do best. The way we do it suits our personalities and natures; I think that's why it works so well for us.

 

We make the general travel decision of where to go together, and then I get to work. I LOVE travel research, and DH has no interest in it. Sometimes I do the research in advance (like gathering information about group ski trips through an organization we belong to of 70 ski clubs) and present a couple of trips to him. We like to do/see the same things, and the same style of travel, which simplifies the planning for me. He hates making decisions, so is very happy when I do it. If/when I get stuck in the planning process, he's always willing to review everything with me and help me get unstuck.

 

DH cancels the newspaper and mail, does all the driving, most of the luggage toting, and is a very good sport (much better than I am) when things don't go according to plan. He's the primary photographer and organizer (on the comuter) of the photos; he's very good natured when I say, "Oh, honey, plese take a picture of that!"

 

He puts out his clothes and asks me to edit--we joke that he can pick out a shirt that clashes with khaki pants (although he has done that, so it's not completely a joke), and he likes me to eyeball his selections. He does the physical packing once we've each made a pile of what to bring.

 

Friday, we leave on a ski trip: I've compared trips and made the arrangements with the ski club running the trip, evaluated hotels and made reservations at a hotel the night before our flight, researched restaurants (including printing menus) near our condo, searched out info about transportation from the condo into town, communicated with the trip leader, been in contact with the condo with my questions, and made the grocery list of what we're bringing and what we'll buy during our 30 minute grocery stop between the airport and the condo. DH made arrangements for our skis to be tuned and did the mail/paper thing.

 

Our division of labor is just right for us, and for that, I'm grateful.

[dancing bear]

I do all the pre-cruise planning, including air and hotel, and enjoy it. We travel with one other couple, and I also make their arrangements. It's the same for on-land vacations. Once I'm aboard ship I don't want to have to worry about island tours or anything else. I guess that comes from being a Capricorn! Next cruise on the Carnival Miracle Feb. 6, and we can't wait!

[bgrieve]

I plan and the wife packs.

[EithneMay]

I (the wife) do all of the planning. If I waited until DH was ready to plan, all of the excursions we wanted to do would be sold out, the god cabins booked up, and our flights sold out!

[LuckyLoon]

I'm the planner. DH gets a say in the choices I present. I pack for me. He packs for himself, though last time he did allow me to fold his shirts. Can hardly wait for our coming TA/Med trip.

[STARFISH*4]

i do all the researching, booking, planning, getting ready to pack and hubby helps with some of the packing--his biggest role in it all is paying for it!

[scchasgal]

He is very laid back and just goes with the flow and has a good time no matter where we go. I just ask him to find out about time off work and I do all the planning, research etc.

[clackey]

First I ask Ginger D where she wants to go, then I do all of the planning, pick tours, ship and itinerary. Then I get confirmation.;) If it doesn't suit the boss I modify it until it does suit her.:(

[JKJG3]

I actually do about 99% of the planning and just ask for my wife's inputs on things she wants to do. She loves cruising, but is not much for researching and planning. I tell her that spending time finding the right itinerary and ship, and then the best deal; is half the fun! I kill time waiting living vicariously through other cruisers!

 

It might be because I am a military man and so my life has dictated having a good plan and following through on it. My mom has always had the theory as well; that you get it from your family background. Her family took simple "close" vacations, while my family took lots of big trips.

 

Either way; it gets done, and we always have an awesome time!

[capriciousc]

Our vacation planning usually starts with my husband throwing out destination ideas and a general timeframe ("How about Europe in summer of 2013?"). Once we agree on the location and a date range, I take over the planning and coordination, with the exception of any flights that need to be booked (DH does this because he racks up tens of thousands of frequent flier miles a year and knows exactly how to get the flights/seats/schedules we want - also, he's familiar with far more airports than I am).

 

I think that he likes me doing the bulk of the planning because he has to plan so many business trips during the year (he's on the road about 75% of the time, where I do maybe 5 business trips a year, tops). He likes to have input into where we're going, but from that point forward, he's content to just go along for the ride. However, I do consult with him somewhat frequently, especially if we're going somewhere I've never been before, but he has visited.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I do most of it; I find cruises we might like, we look at them together and decide to go or not.

 

After we're booked I do most of the other planning; air, hotels, tours, etc., with input from him on certain things.

 

I'd say 90% me, 10% him.

[DDMau]

I (DH) do about 80% planning and booking of the cruise, after that DW does all the planning for excursions and arranging dining times. After 37 years together it still works just fine.