Does anyone NOT plan?

[Keith1010]

There are some who do this by the seat of their pants.

 

We love to plan.

 

Keith

[Warm Breezes]

I do a lot of research. Then I plan some things and others I leave open but I know what is available from my research. We prefer ATD so I only plan dinners that require a reservation that we want to do (like Cirque on Epic or a specialty restaurant on NCL for our Anniversary dinner). These are few are far between. The only shows I have ever planned were the ones on the Epic that we made reservations for because we knew we wanted to see them. At ports, I research private and ship tours. If we find one that we want to do, I book it. If we don't we leave it open, knowing what is available to do from my research, and wing it. We never plan on any activities on the ship. We just see what strikes our fancy when we see the dailies and if we feel like doing it when the time comes we do it. If not we don't. I like to be prepared by knowing what is available....but I don't always need to have it planned out unless I know it is a must do want for us.

[YubaSutter]

It seems very common that people like to research their cruises, book excursions, specialty dining, and anything and everything they can in advance. Spreadsheets and time guidelines. Just wondering if there is anyone else out there that doesn't do any of these things beforehand? I have never pre-booked anything, just kind of wing-it when I get on the ship. Am I alone? :eek:

 

The only thing DW and I plan is to be at the port by 3 pm. We wing it the rest of the cruise. On our cruise last month, we didn't go into any bars, clubs, casino, or the showroom. We did hang out on our balcony a lot and relaxed.

[NOVICE WELSH CRUISERS]

Five times the amount you have spent on a car? What do you drive?:eek:

 

As far as planning, we do some research but don't like to over plan.

 

No need for you to fret about what I drive. I'm a qualified mechanic.... so just about anything :D

[Hlitner]

It seems very common that people like to research their cruises, book excursions, specialty dining, and anything and everything they can in advance. Spreadsheets and time guidelines. Just wondering if there is anyone else out there that doesn't do any of these things beforehand? I have never pre-booked anything, just kind of wing-it when I get on the ship. Am I alone? :eek:

 

We seldom to ever prebook or even book anything because we have an aversion to group excursions. We have traveled extensively on 6 continents and probably 90% of everything we have done has been on our own. Sometimes we book cruises at the last minute and do not even really know the itinerary until we get on the ship. There are plenty of times when I ask DW "where are we going next" and she has to pull out a copy of the itinerary since neither of us has a clue. Our next cruise is a 28 day HA trip and I probably could not tell you half the ports or even the countries.

 

Hank

[WetToes]

Sometimes we book cruises at the last minute and do not even really know the itinerary until we get on the ship.

 

Hank

 

 

Now THIS sounds like a 'plan'! lol

[NOVICE WELSH CRUISERS]

We seldom to ever prebook or even book anything because we have an aversion to group excursions. We have traveled extensively on 6 continents and probably 90% of everything we have done has been on our own. Sometimes we book cruises at the last minute and do not even really know the itinerary until we get on the ship. There are plenty of times when I ask DW "where are we going next" and she has to pull out a copy of the itinerary since neither of us has a clue. Our next cruise is a 28 day HA trip and I probably could not tell you half the ports or even the countries.

 

Hank

So I'm guessing any required travel visas or recommended immunisation etc are not necessary for your destinations and you know you don't need them even though you don't know where you are going ! :confused:

[Hlitner]

So I'm guessing any required travel visas or recommended immunisation etc are not necessary for your destinations and you know you don't need them even though you don't know where you are going ! :confused:

 

LOL. Actually you do raise a good point and we do consider visa issues at the time of selecting a cruise. But a majority of our cruises are in Europe, the Caribbean, or other areas where Visas are not an issue. If going to a place like Australia I do make a note to get a Visa (they do it online). Regarding immunizations, other then needing a Yellow Fever shot (DW and I have current certificates) we do not cruise anywhere where that is an issue.

 

But what I said is quite true. As I said, our upcoming HA cruise does go from Quebec City to San Diego....and visits ports in Canada, US, and a few other countries (plus going through the Panama Canal)...but I could not tell you most of the ports. We have a 14 day Caribbean cruise booked this year and I also could not tell you the ports (we could take a guess). Having been to the Caribbean many times, we really do not care where the ship goes :) We do not do excursions...so there is no real need to plan.

 

 

Hank

[NOVICE WELSH CRUISERS]

So pleased to hear that, Hank. I wouldn't want you to catch a dose of Hepatitis A&B, Typhoid, Malaria, Rabies, Tetanus, Dengue Fever, Mad Cow Disease, The Black Death, Dandruff, Measles or Smallpox.

Have a good cruise.... that's if you remember which ship to get on, though seems you will enjoy yourself even if it's the wrong one !! ....;)

[slidergirl]

I'm a little like Hank. I am a solo traveler. For any trip, be it cruise or land, there are certain things that I consider due diligence and not planning: Where do I want to go, do I need visa/extra vaccinations (I have my yellow book, too, with all the good stuff). Then, I will do some research into possible big things that I want to do to see if tickets are best pre-booked by my experiences like museums or historical sites. I'm not a person who likes to travel with a herd, so I don't look at excursions or private tours, but I double-check what transportation options are available to get around at a destination. I don't do on-board shows (I'm not a show person) or specialty restaurants, so I don't waste any time looking at any of that.

Unless there is some big attraction that I absolutely want to do, I truly love to just wander around and run into what I run into. Hey, it took me multiple times in Rome before I saw the Colosseum, and that was because I happen to run into it by accident! So far, I haven't missed anything that made me upset enough to want to change my habits.

I don't even start thinking about what to pack until the week of my trips. And, as for spreadsheets, etc.: I did enough of that as an engineer and I don't want to even see one anymore ;) I can do one big trip every other year and do lots of work and work in-between the trips. So, the money I put down for a vacation IS a HUGE deal for me. But, I still love the spontaneity of my travels.

[jasbo49]

We rarely book anything in advance, certainly not a specialty restaurant since we've never been to one.

 

But I do find it helpful to have some in-pencil plans for the ports. Otherwise, my wife assumes it's yet another all-day shopping excursion. She shops, I drop.

 

Jim

[SnowDiamonds]

It seems very common that people like to research their cruises, book excursions, specialty dining, and anything and everything they can in advance. Spreadsheets and time guidelines. Just wondering if there is anyone else out there that doesn't do any of these things beforehand? I have never pre-booked anything, just kind of wing-it when I get on the ship. Am I alone? :eek:

 

My first couple cruises, my sister and I didn't plan anything. Then we would attend the excursion meetings and find there were cool things we would like to do, but they were sold out! Now, I always research and see if there is something I don't want to miss. If I don't care so much, I will just wait and see how I feel later. But I find the research and planning is a huge part of the fun!! It's why we are all on here, anticipating our next cruise :o

[bonsai3s]

...most definitely changed the way we cruise. We are relatively new members of Cruise Critic. A friend from the UK asked if we were members of Cruise Critic. Our response was...."What is that?".

Before Cruise Critic...we never planned anything. Yes, winging it was the norm. Every cruise was a surprise and in retrospect...we made a lot of mistakes. We can only laugh.

We've learned so much and are truly grateful to many members of Cruise Critic. Now we can get ideas, suggestions, and detailed information on how to DIY at each port. We now plan...ask questions on Cruise Critic...revise plan...search...take notes. We now make better use of our only day, often a few hours, at each port. Thanks Cruise Critic! :)

[JustinPlusLauren]

For my first cruise.....I didn't plan anything at all! Just winged it, didn't really know about excursions, just walked around and enjoyed everything. It was a great trip! Then I found out about Cruise critic, Trip advisor, etc. and now I'm a huge planner! I love doing things this way....it was still fun when i was winging it...but I prefer planning some things in advance now!

[Cruisin' Chick]

I plan the logistics for getting to the ship: if we're leaving from the Port of LA, if we decide to hire a car service due to a lot of luggage, instead of driving to San Pedro, I'll research the companies and get quotes.

 

If we're traveling to the embarkation port, I'll research whatever arrangements we need to get to there at least a day ahead, the hotel, close by stores for last minute shopping, etc. Then how we get to the actual berth. Plus the reverse for post-cruise.

 

I'll also read up on the ports, even if we've been there before. Guide books and any websites that will have info. I'll check out the shore excursions for the ports that the cruise line offers if my family is inclined. Most of the time, we don't do any excursions or tours and just decide as a family what we might do. We sometimes even wing it, but I'll have maps to guide us.

 

But on the ship? We don't make plans as we usually go with our traditional dining (which is our preferred dining arrangement -- we don't have to think about when to go for dinner or where; we just go to the main dining room and our table when it's time and that's a major plus for us). We don't concern ourselves with the spa or specialty restaurants. At night, when we get back to our cabin, the next day's Patters is waiting for my nightly read. I might read off what's the entertainment or MUTS movies for the next night. I'll look for the trivia matches or other activities of interest to me. Hubby will probably head to the gym or go someplace with his guitar to play if he brought it on the cruise. But for the most part, it's time for this planner to simply relax.

[Happy ks]

I plan the basics, flight, hotel, excursions. After that, I've learned not to pre-plan anything else.

 

Our first cruise, I had a plan for every waking moment. Then our flight was delayed, none of us got any sleep on the red eye flight (not our choice, our one and only cruise/air package). We arrived exhausted and rumpled at the hotel, fortunately they checked us in at 10:00 am...the first day we napped, plans out the window. Waking up day #2 I told the family the "plan" and no one wanted to do that.

 

I took my carefully planned agenda, threw it in the trash and forgot the stress of all that planning and had a great time.

 

I will read up on the ship and sort of know what to look for. We really prefer not to have our time pre-planned and just want to relax.

 

To add, I'll also read a lot about the port stops and local history. Our least favorite travel days are the ones where we just get off the ship and walk around. Nothing but souvenir shopping there...boring.

 

We did do a lot of planning for our Med cruise, it was great we had a small group (& people) and private touring was more economical than ship tours. We had some wonderful excursions there that none of us will ever forget.

[Hlitner]

So pleased to hear that, Hank. I wouldn't want you to catch a dose of Hepatitis A&B, Typhoid, Malaria, Rabies, Tetanus, Dengue Fever, Mad Cow Disease, The Black Death, Dandruff, Measles or Smallpox.

Have a good cruise.... that's if you remember which ship to get on, though seems you will enjoy yourself even if it's the wrong one !! ....;)

 

ROFL. Your forgot bedbugs.......and these days that is something worth worrying about and we do take some precautions.

 

Hank

[marco]

Depends where we're going. If it's the Caribbean, as we've done an annual winter Caribbean cruise now for over 40 yrs, we don't plan ANYTHING! In fact, sometimes we don't even get off the ship. The best time to be on the ship is when it is in port and everyone else is off. We pretty much going for sunshine and 80 degree weather and if you watch your discretionary spending, a cruise to the Caribbean is a much better deal than flying to an island for 10 days.

[beachchick]

We research our cruises and other trips before we book because we want to know what we're getting. We come up with a general idea of what we want to do in port and rarely book excursions/activities in advance. We do book car rentals in advance for the ports we know we'll want one. We come up with a general dining plan, as in, "We should dine at X and Y specialty restaurants." Sometimes we know which nights we want to do that; other times we don't. In fact, the one cruise we planned all dinners in advance and then made reservations for the entire cruise the minute we stepped onboard, we ended up changing/cancelling three nights for various reasons and felt kind of constrained by having such a detailed schedule. Now, we'd probably book one specific night, but keep the rest open and wing it. We never plan any onboard activities in advance.

 

Spreadsheets? Not on your life. Time schedules? Not really. Just a general idea of things we might want to do. We do not ask for or look at cruise dailies in advance; we do not ask who the cruise director is or what shows are playing or what special activities are happening; we do not care about theme nights, etc. For port days, we do research the location so that we'll know what's there, what appeals to us, and how we might see/do the things that interest us. Only one trip have I ever planned out our days. About 4 days into the trip, I realized that the scheduling the minutia of the day was exhausting and was not allowing us to spend time doing what we really found fun or interesting. I'm boggled when I see members list itineraries that have things scheduled down to the minute, including exact times for driving ("10:00-10:30, drive 30 miles to X location for Y activity") without regard for road conditions, weather, etc., dining ("12:00, lunch for 30 minutes"), and practically to the point of "2:00, bathroom break for 5 minutes". It's just too much for our tastes, especially since we don't know from one day to the next how much we'll be up for or what we might find that's we didn't know about in advance.

 

beachchick

[dread_pirate]

I've learned that I need to research the ships, options (like beverage packages), and ports. Everyone looks to me for answers to any questions, and they assume I'll know! Even when they're sitting there with their computers on their laps, they won't go to the websites! Luckily, I already know that they like late traditional, so that's not a decision I need to make.

 

The one time I didn't plan a port, we had one place we wanted to see (that we had seen before but our daughter hadn't). We saw it, she was bored with it but politely waited for us, and then they looked and me and said, "Where to next?" I said, "I don't know - I told you I hadn't planned anything." Since none of us are shoppers, we ended up back on the ship! Which was fine, but not quite what they were expecting!

 

Now, I don't have specific plans unless it's something, like a snorkeling trip, that requires an excursion (usually a private one), but I do know what the choices are!

[Skywench]

I'm really easy going and just take things as they come. About the only planning I do is maybe read up a bit on places that I may not have been before. Once in a blue moon we might check out an excursion that interests us and book it on the ship the day before. They are usually some sort of sightseeing excursion. Not into any excursions that take more effort than that lol. I've never had anything booked before I get on the ship. I just want relax and enjoy my vacation time and not be stuck to a time schedule. I have to do that at work, so won't do it on MY time! We just like to play it by ear and see how we feel and do what we want at the time. I don't do specialty restaurants and we prefer Anytime Dining so that we can eat when we want. Half the time we don't feel like eating in the MDR anyway and just grab something at the buffet or grill.

[Stelladoro]

Have to admit I'm a planner. For me, that's part of the excitement of an upcoming trip. We usually cruise to destinations other than the Caribbean, so learning ahead of time about the culture, etc. is part of our preparation for the trip. Can't imagine arriving in Paris with absolutely no plans!

 

Europe is our favourite destination so far, where in some ports, we book small, private group excursions, and in others, we do our own thing. Both examples require some planning. However, we don't get hung up if we don't see everything on our list. We've learned to pace ourselves and enjoy a drink at a cafe, rather than just being on the move.

 

On the ship, our plans are kept to a minimum. Usually opt for Anytime dining, especially on port intensive cruises. DH will look over the daily planner and highlight anything of interest. End up missing most of the planned ship's activites.

[Velvetwater]

Not alone at all.

 

I am not a tour guide/excursion type and I like to do things myself.

 

Only reason we booked a st petes tour for our Baltics cruise was because of visa costs that were the same price. Rest of the ports we are going to wander and see what happens. As far as the ship goes I will just see what happens although I have looked at a lot of dining menus and photos because I am a foodie. We will check out some transport links as its Europe but only because we have to.

 

Places are best when explored ;)

[slidergirl]

A little lighthearted banter between Hlinter and Novice Welsh Cruisers about immunizations did bring up something that is absolutely an important part of planning - immunizations and vaccinations.

I would think that most people would really only think about this if they are going somewhere "exotic". But, does anyone think about checking to see if their basic immunizations and vaccinations are up to date? Yep, I've gotten the Yellow Fever shot and took the Malarone pills when I did Kenya. For a cruise in Egypt, my doctor made sure that all my usual immunizations were up to date and also did a Hep A&B for me. It was then that I realized that perhaps I really should have kept those up to date earlier and had the Hep A&B even for travel to the Caribbean.

 

Does anyone put their preventative health issues in as part of their planning? Check on your DPT last date, do you have Hep A&B, anything else? Are you older and should get those polio boosters again? A pneumonia vaccination? Just wondering.

 

My list of what I'm now keeping absolutely up to date:

Current vaccinations:

Hepatitis A and B

Pneumococcal

DPT (Diptheria, Pertussis, Tetanus)

MMR (Mumps, Measles, Rubella)

Yellow Fever

Typhoid

Polio (IPV)

[Terpnut]

A little lighthearted banter between Hlinter and Novice Welsh Cruisers about immunizations did bring up something that is absolutely an important part of planning - immunizations and vaccinations.

I would think that most people would really only think about this if they are going somewhere "exotic". But, does anyone think about checking to see if their basic immunizations and vaccinations are up to date? Yep, I've gotten the Yellow Fever shot and took the Malarone pills when I did Kenya. For a cruise in Egypt, my doctor made sure that all my usual immunizations were up to date and also did a Hep A&B for me. It was then that I realized that perhaps I really should have kept those up to date earlier and had the Hep A&B even for travel to the Caribbean.

 

Does anyone put their preventative health issues in as part of their planning? Check on your DPT last date, do you have Hep A&B, anything else? Are you older and should get those polio boosters again? A pneumonia vaccination? Just wondering.

 

My list of what I'm now keeping absolutely up to date:

Current vaccinations:

Hepatitis A and B

Pneumococcal

DPT (Diptheria, Pertussis, Tetanus)

MMR (Mumps, Measles, Rubella)

Yellow Fever

Typhoid

Polio (IPV)

I too always make sure my immunizations are up to date and definitely follow any travel and immunization advisories for my trip destinations. So whether you are a "wing-it"-type, DIYer or regimented scheduler, I think we can all agree that some planning is always a good thing! :)