First Timer... trying to get the wife as excited as I am..

[Minnow1]

First Timer... trying to get the wife as excited as I am.. I've been on cruise critic getting as much info as I can for almost a year... she still has no interest. Said we'll figure it as we go... am I wrong for wanting to be prepared?

[CruiserBruce]

No, you aren't wrong.

 

Try doing some reading over on the Carnival board, here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=215

[Friend100]

But I don't think she is wrong with the "figure it as you go" attitude either. It worked fine for our first cruise.

[PattyG12]

I'm our planner. DH never gets excited. He just tells me to plan it and tell him when to ask for vacation and when to pack.

[NoobCruise]

First Timer... trying to get the wife as excited as I am.. I've been on cruise critic getting as much info as I can for almost a year... she still has no interest. Said we'll figure it as we go... am I wrong for wanting to be prepared?

 

I think everyone reacts differently. I'm like you, total CC addict. I know the ship layout well, what I want to explore on the ship, what kinds of entertainment I want to check out. I also have our excursions well researched and booked as well as anything else we want to do in port. I've had almost as much fun planning it as taking a cruise lol.

 

My husband politely listens to me go on and on about it, but doesn't get excited like me. For him, it's still too far off to get too excited yet. However, that does not mean he won't get totally excited those last few days before the cruise or he won't be bouncing off the walls with excitement the day we board. I know him and I know he will be very excited. We just handle the preparations differently.

 

Your wife's excitement may sky rocket just before the cruise. Or maybe, having never cruised before, she has some concerns or fears that are keeping her from getting excited? Hopefully, things will change when she boards. In the mean time, keep having fun yourself with planning. Once you're on the ship, she may come to appreciate all the knowledge you've gained on CC

[kat1007]

Everyone is different, it's good to have one of each type (planner & spontaneous) in a relationship. If you plan everything you can sometimes take the fun out of it but equally you can miss things if you don't do your research. Hope you both enjoy the cruise...:)

[athenasbyshanna]

Same here! Our first cruise is in December for my birthday and our Anniversary and my boyfriend is nowhere near as excited as me! I've been on this board every single day since we decided to do it and tell him and show him things I find and he just nods his head. . I'm sure he'll have fun, but just doesn't get excited about things, especially this far in advance.

[paul929207]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Every one is different. Everyone likes different things. Planning is a joy to one and a royal pain to others. All of your planning will help you to enjoy the cruise.

[akdurbin01]

Minnow1,

I am in the same boat! I have been super excited for our first cruise (June 23-Carnival Fascination) so much that I have been on the sites almost everyday since Christmas. I have investigated as much as I possibly can-trying to make this the best family vacation one can imagine! We are taking our kids: sons 17 and 9; daughter 16. We are traveling with our extended family as well. My honey just isn't feeling "a cruise". I think maybe he thinks he is not going to have a good time with others controlling what he is able to do. He likes to be spontaneous and pick and choose what to do and when. I kept telling him he will love it. I just hope that it is great and he wants to go again and again! Best wishes to you with your wife - they will come around!

[Andee]

DH enjoys travel as much as I do--but has no interest in the planning, which I love obsessively. Different strokes...

[sarafinadh]

I am a mix of you and your wife. I am not excited about the trip but I AM researching it thoroughly and planning the port days in order to maximize the value of the short periods of time we get to get off the boat and explore.

 

From my perspective it's great that you are going to be "in the know" because clearly being well prepared for, and understanding the culture of the cruise ships and the options available on the line and ship you will be sailing will be a huge advantage over someone who just wings it.

 

And I say that as a hard core "wing it" traveler. For most trips the extent of planning, for us, is for air fare and lodgings for anywhere we are staying more than a few days and that's it. We go, land, and move forward from there.

 

On a cruise, that is not going to always be the way to a "best outcome", depending on your needs and preferences. For example; leaving port itineraries may work fine in some ports for some people, but in many cases what I and my family would want to do would not be available if we left it to the last minute.

 

So you be the planner and the "goto font of information" once aboard.

 

As a reluctant cruiser I understand your wife not being all jazzed about taking a cruise. Let her just chill and don't make her think about it more than she wants to ; -)

 

I bet when you guys get onboard she will have a great time and be really grateful you know what the scoop is!

[Minnow1]

Thanks everyone for your replys... I think your right, its a good balance, kinda like we are in the rest of our lives. She thinks I'm nuts posting on here but I'm loving the anticipation!

[Northshorecruisers]

I'm the planner in our family. Our first cruise, my DH had no interest. Reluctantly he told me to look into it (my dad was booked on his first cruise and I wanted us to join him). By 9am that morning I had the cruise booked, had my dad moved to a cabin closer to ours, booked the airfare and hotel. My husband had no idea what he was getting into.

 

For the next 3 months I put up with him saying we'd sink, we'd get seasick, we'd be robbed in port, he wasn't wearing a tuxedo. About a week before the cruise, he agreed to rent a tuxedo. Still reluctant and sure that he wouldn't enjoy a cruise - he went.

 

Best vacation he's ever had - at least until the next cruise. He absolutley loves cruising and I'm so happy. Perfect way for us to get away and relax, being waited on like royalty. We're never bored, have met wonderful friends and look forward to every new adventure.

[SuitCaseBears]

First Timer... trying to get the wife as excited as I am.. I've been on cruise critic getting as much info as I can for almost a year... she still has no interest. Said we'll figure it as we go... am I wrong for wanting to be prepared?

 

NO you're not wrong in wanting to be prepared, but you are wrong in wanting her to be you. There are a few threads that are fairly recent, and if I can find them I'll link to them, about how couples prepare for trips.

 

For A LOT of couples one person does the planning, the research, the getting excited months in advance and the other happily shows up and says "Thanks for all the work you did, hon, this is great."

 

As long as she enjoys it during the cruise, don't expect her to be you.

[Minnow1]

The DW says thank you for the replys. She's looking forward to the cruise and gladly leaves the planning to me so she can be as stress free as possible :)

[SuitCaseBears]

This is the thread I was talking about. I think you'll get a kick out of it.

[cb at sea]

I have to agree with Suitcase....leave her alone! She'll get excited when she gets excited. You'll both have a fabulous time, unless you ruin it for her! Go and be excited by yourself or on these boards! We're excited for you! She'll perk up when she's ready!

[Minnow1]

Thanks suitcasebears. Lol... read through just the beginning of the thread quickly and its exactly true. I've planned every vacation we've ever taken, handle the finances, picked our house... but despite the illusion DW is still IN CHARGE :)

[wactedout]

Hello,

 

As someone has has been fortunate enough to have been on 34 cruises, you are right to do some research. Your research can save you lots of money, and may make your travels much more enjoyable. You will have a greater knowledge of the ports of the ports you will visit, is one example of why you should do some research. However, do not overdue this as some of the information you receive may not be correct. And do not take all of the responsibilty on yourself.

 

While off topic, I hope both of you will enjoy the aesthetics of cruising, that is, to see the sky, and the ocean, and moonbeams as you have never seen them before.

[littlelion]

I agree with what the others have said. One in the relationship will be the planner. If you were both so very alike you probably would not be together. That is not to say you do not and will not like the same things while on your vacation but you can also do some things alone too. My DH never wanted to try cruising but he got sick of knowing that was one of the few things I ever got any enjoyment out of my first marriage, so he gave it a try by giving me a cruise for my 50th birthday. He also knows I am a big planner and was smart enough to give it to me as a Christmas present. (My birthday isn't until Aug) Plus he got a twofer out of the deal, LOL. The most he does is look at the excursion list and tell me at least one thing he would like for us to do and lets me plan everything except what he packs. Although when ever we vacation I do slip in a few of his items I think he will need just in case in my bag. He is always amazed when we get some where and he needs something and low and behold it is in his stuff. He will go "I don't remember packing this?" and I will say "You must have." He definitely likes to do things as they come but also is appreciative of the money and time I spend finding us deals and special tour groups through CC that others don't get and are jealous of when we speak of them later on board. DH is a disabled vet and I always have to keep his limitations in mind for us both to get full enjoyment out of a trip no matter where it is. Let your wife get excited in her own time and only answer questions before hand as she asks them. If you push too much info at her she may not enjoy it as much. Just like a kid getting a present, most like the surprise and to experience the wonder, not know ahead of time what they are getting or having to even pick it out. Enjoy your vacation and the wonder in her eyes with the experience.

[Minnow1]

Thanks "lion". DW enjoys and would rather me be the planner. And that's fine by me... but I agree, I won't push it on her. Will be happy to experience it together as we go...

[Sandi3667]

I'm going to chime in and echo what the others have said. In our group (all friends cruising together), I wound up being the planner. The only real contribution I got from the others was that we had to go whale watching in Juneau. I found the itinerary, selected the cruise line, determined the best week to go, and even found the online TA to book through. Fortunately, I like planning vacations, so it was fun for me. I would ask the others for input, but I did 95% of the planning for our cruise. I do the same for non-cruise trips too.

[mp2010]

It is the same way in our house. I won't say that my husband isn't excited, because he is very excited about the trip. However, he is NOT a planner. He is very laid back and likes to go with the flow. I like to plan stuff out and read the boards to make sure there is nothing I forget.

 

We will both end up having an awesome time on vacation. We just have different attitudes about it. It isn't a bad thing. Just think about all of the brownie points you'll get when your wife realizes something awesome that you found or planned from all of your research!

[lady_cruiser]

Everyone is different. My cruising buddy is my sister, who is like your wife. I like to plan everything knowing I will have to make allowances is things change and my sister is laid back and tells me to do the planning.