Am I strange...

[Queen of Oakville]

we all plan for our holidays in our own way.

 

who are we to judge if someone wants to plan every detail even the minutia?

 

 

Like others have said, the planning (reading menus, reviews, etc.) - helps build excitement for the cruise. Its a way to pass the time too.

 

 

Some are fortunate to have been on several cruises, and some are fortunate to cruise several times a year. For others, their cruise is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and they want to make the most of it - which involves planning out every detail to ensure a memorable holiday.

 

I'm of the camp that learned the hard way, that you can't plan out every single detail. Stuff happens and you learn to go with the flow (a lesson I learned long before I started cruising). So yes, I read the navigators, menus, reviews etc; but I don't plan out my day until I wake up that morning on the ship ..... alright, maybe just maybe, I plan out my day the night before, somewhere between finding the navigator on the bed post-dinner and lights out.:p

[genegri]

You would be strange if you were to believe many people actually would worry about those things you mentioned. ;)

 

Of course the vast majority of people don't worry about them. They care even less than you do. They are not even on CC! :p And among those of us who come here, most of us don't get worked up either. We are just here for fun.

[tlatrice]

I think it's strange that you need validation of a system that already works for you.

 

Your way works for you. Why do you need to understand how someone else approaches their vacation? Do what you do.

[MarilynTX]

The first few cruises I went on I was an obsessive planner. I didn't want to miss anything. There are things I would have missed if I had not done my research. I didn't know about tipping or how to dress or kids clubs. I'm experienced now so I worry and plan less.

 

I found the excursion of a life time on my Alaskan cruise that I would have missed if I had not done my research. It was one of the best days of my life. :) On our cruise to the Mediterranean I didn't pre-book one excursion. I did pre-purchase tickets to L'Academie or we wouldn't have had time to see it. Michelangelo's David was on my bucket list. We hired a driver at the port. He drove my family and another family to Florence and Pisa for 200 Euros. He had a new air conditioned van and he was fun. He taught my boys about "girly mans". :o

 

This is my first cruise on Royal Caribbean and every line operates slightly different and it's nice to know in advance.

 

Cabin location is very important to me. I get horribly seasick if my cabin is forward. :p I can't stand a balcony below the lido deck because the noise will wake you up before dawn with the crew scrapping chairs. :( That being said it is a cruise ship and we are packed in so you can't expect it to be very quiet. The people noise in the hallways outside the cabins can be annoying but once again there are thousands of people in limited space. I am one of those people that care about the location of my hotel room. If I pay $300 a night I want a view, peace and quiet and high thread count sheets. At motel 6 I get what I pay for.

 

The food is the same on all of them so I never have expectations. It's difficult to feed thousands of people and have very much quality. I like to know if there is a cover charge and if I need a reservation. The anytime or my time dining varies by the line so I want to know how it works at least before my first meal. :confused:

 

We love to cruise and I have boarded cruises with zero planning other than booking the dates, telling my boss I was going on vacation and packing the night before. I seldom buy clothes for cruising unless I've outgrown my dress slack. I've been known to wear the same slacks and blouse to dinner every night.

 

I have received some GREAT deals by booking early and combining sales. That's when I do the happy dance. Don't tell anyone but I think I twerked this last time. :D This time I checked when I made my final payment to see how much I saved but I never check for price drops. My next cruise in January is now 3K more than what I paid in June when I booked it. I twerked again.

[Paul65]

- I do not worry about bringing water or soda on the ship. The ship has great tasting water available pretty much everywhere. My question; which water is better, bottle or ship?

 

Ship

[printingchick]

As others have said, not strange. But neither are those of us who feel differently. I don't sweat all the little thing syou mentioned, but I do care about a lot of them and mostly because the detailed planning is almost like vicariously living my cruise in advance. The more I know, the more I can picture it in my head and enjoy the experience before setting food on the ship. Maybe that makes me strange

 

I read all the threads here about which cabin is better, what to pack, whether to bring water, what to bring, etc. and I just cannot seem to get as concerned as some people seem to be about the "little things" of a potentially great time.

 

- I am not really concerned with the cabin location. As long as I am on the ship the additional walking from front to aft is good exercise in my mind. If people are so concerned about cabin location, why are they not concerned with hotel room location? The same about bed placement in the cabin. If it is near the door/window versus nearer the bathroom. Does it really make that much of a difference? For example on my upcoming Allure cruise, I am in a D8 cabin, but every single D cabin is exactly the same in terms of interior size. There is no major difference. I've never had a balcony cabin. I choose a mid-ship, ocean view cabin on a low deck to save money. I NEED the window. I can live without the balcony to save money now. Someday I'll have a balcony...but that someday hasn't gotten her yet. As others have said, I look at deck plans and avoid potential sleep-inhibiting locations.

 

- I do not worry about bringing things like irons, etc. To me if clothes wrinkle, then do not bring them. Totally agree.

 

- I do not spend hours trying to save $20. When booking airfare for example, I look for a good deal and book it. The same with cruisefare. If the price goes down a lot (I might check once a week), then I will take advantage of it. Once again, budget traveler. I booked my airline tickets at 6AM...the minute they went on sale...to save a few bucks. Every dollar I can save is a dollar freed up to be applied toward something else on my cruise. (A costlier excursion, a cocktail, a souvenir...)

 

- I usually pack the night before we leave. It takes around an hour (the most time is taken folding everything into the suitcase). Here is an area where I KNOW I'm strange. I pack about a MONTH in advance. I'm not using my summer clothes in the winter, which is when I cruise. It makes the vacation seem close when I can start packing!

 

- My wife and I do not buy clothes specifically for a cruise. We have some nice clothes we wear on the cruise, but we do not buy things to wear only on the ship. Guilty!

 

- I do not worry about bringing water or soda on the ship. The ship has great tasting water available pretty much everywhere. I am always within a few feet of water. I have the soda package and drink a lot of soda, so I will be fine. I bring a travel water bottle that I fill from the sink in the cabin. I don't drink soda, so I don't buy the soda package. Water or iced tea are my preference and they are FREE on the ship!

 

- Do not read every single review in bitter detail. At this point what else am I going to learn that I don't already know. Furthermore, perhaps I might find out things from a different point of view versus others. Love reading the reviews...again, it's that vicarious experience.

 

- I do not endlessly research every single event on the ship before I get on the ship. To me there is much more fun in arriving on the ship and looking at the cruise compass every day and seeing something cool to do that day. And if I miss something, oh well. It is not the end of the world! Ironically, just the oppositie of Marilyn, I cruised with a more impulsive nature early on. I discovered that I missed some things I would have enjoyed had I known about them in advance. Now I research. There are only so many days on a cruise vacation and I want to maximize the experience.

 

- I do not book excursions, and the only reason I book specialty restaurants is because you have to book them in advance to get the place you want to or take advantage of dining packages. Exactly opposite. Have never eaten in a specialty restaurant, but book ALL my excursions in advance after MUCH intense research. I cruise for the itinerary. I may have 8 hours in port. I don't have time to make up my mind after I get there. As Marilyn pointed out, there are so many incredibly things you could totally miss without doing any advance research. I save too long for a cruise to just get off the ship and WING IT.

 

- If little negative things happen on the ship, I always let it slide (unless it is something that can be remedied by staff). Negative things? What negative things?

 

- If I do not "get along" with the people I am seated with in the MDR, I either just grin and bear it, or eat somewhere else. It is only for 7 or so days. MyTime Dining

 

- During the cruise, I do not plan every minute of every day. In fact I do not even know what I am going to do in the next few hours most of the time. I always try to schedule some FREE time! ;)

 

- Sometimes I just sit and either people watch or watch the water going by. Me too. (During those scheduled FREE times!)

 

- I do something novel in this day and age. I talk with crew members about things. I actually make it a point to talk to one upper level employee a day (not to complain, but to just chat). From these connections I have learned many things about things that have happened on a cruise. Plus you also learn about the way things are run "behind the scenes" which is of particular interest to me. You would be surprised how much I have learned from simple interactions I have had.

 

It seems some people are more concerned about the specifics of a 7 day vacation than the person that they marry. It reminds me of some local restaurants that I go to. When I walk in, it takes me around 1-2 minutes tops to read the menu, and figure out what I want. I have seen people spend 20 minutes trying to figure out what they are going to eat. Why does it take so long to figure that out for something that will only be affecting you for the next hour or so?

 

...But maybe I am strange...

[tlatrice]

 

 

lol!!!!!!!!! :d

[Seaworthy01]

Wow, you have a lot of time on your hands I see. I bet we can expect some good reviews from you.

[luvscruising2007]

I do plan, especially ports of call. But I don't read menus or compasses ahead of time. They could change before I get on the ship.

Day to day I only plan excursions and then plan what we do or plan nothing.

I do fine that planning for a cruise is more detailed than planning a land trip.

Ultimately, no matter how much you plan, everyone, or most everyone, has a great time on vacation.

[reedl]

...snip...no matter how much you plan, everyone, or most everyone, has a great time on vacation.

 

...And isn't that the bottom line? If we did not have a great time, why travel?

[matj2000]

I love the people who need to see copies of the MDR menus months before they cruise just to they can plan out what they are going to order each night..

[help04me]

I read all the threads here about which cabin is better, what to pack, whether to bring water, what to bring, etc. and I just cannot seem to get as concerned as some people seem to be about the "little things" of a potentially great time.

 

- I am not really concerned with the cabin location. As long as I am on the ship the additional walking from front to aft is good exercise in my mind. If people are so concerned about cabin location, why are they not concerned with hotel room location? The same about bed placement in the cabin. If it is near the door/window versus nearer the bathroom. Does it really make that much of a difference? For example on my upcoming Allure cruise, I am in a D8 cabin, but every single D cabin is exactly the same in terms of interior size. There is no major difference.

 

- I do not worry about bringing things like irons, etc. To me if clothes wrinkle, then do not bring them.

 

- I do not spend hours trying to save $20. When booking airfare for example, I look for a good deal and book it. The same with cruisefare. If the price goes down a lot (I might check once a week), then I will take advantage of it.

 

- I usually pack the night before we leave. It takes around an hour (the most time is taken folding everything into the suitcase).

 

- My wife and I do not buy clothes specifically for a cruise. We have some nice clothes we wear on the cruise, but we do not buy things to wear only on the ship.

 

- I do not worry about bringing water or soda on the ship. The ship has great tasting water available pretty much everywhere. I am always within a few feet of water. I have the soda package and drink a lot of soda, so I will be fine.

 

- Do not read every single review in bitter detail. At this point what else am I going to learn that I don't already know. Furthermore, perhaps I might find out things from a different point of view versus others.

 

- I do not endlessly research every single event on the ship before I get on the ship. To me there is much more fun in arriving on the ship and looking at the cruise compass every day and seeing something cool to do that day. And if I miss something, oh well. It is not the end of the world!

 

- I do not book excursions, and the only reason I book specialty restaurants is because you have to book them in advance to get the place you want to or take advantage of dining packages.

 

- If little negative things happen on the ship, I always let it slide (unless it is something that can be remedied by staff).

 

- If I do not "get along" with the people I am seated with in the MDR, I either just grin and bear it, or eat somewhere else. It is only for 7 or so days.

 

- During the cruise, I do not plan every minute of every day. In fact I do not even know what I am going to do in the next few hours most of the time.

 

- Sometimes I just sit and either people watch or watch the water going by.

 

- I do something novel in this day and age. I talk with crew members about things. I actually make it a point to talk to one upper level employee a day (not to complain, but to just chat). From these connections I have learned many things about things that have happened on a cruise. Plus you also learn about the way things are run "behind the scenes" which is of particular interest to me. You would be surprised how much I have learned from simple interactions I have had.

 

It seems some people are more concerned about the specifics of a 7 day vacation than the person that they marry. It reminds me of some local restaurants that I go to. When I walk in, it takes me around 1-2 minutes tops to read the menu, and figure out what I want. I have seen people spend 20 minutes trying to figure out what they are going to eat. Why does it take so long to figure that out for something that will only be affecting you for the next hour or so?

 

...But maybe I am strange...

my guess is everyone who responds will likely say they agree EXCEPT for me I check the pricing daily but as long as I am on the ship I am happy . I am not in the CABIN but to change clothes and sleep anyways LOL

[Lady Chew]

Interesting post ... I agree with much of it.

We like balcony cabins, prefer to have cabins above & below us, but that's not a deal-breaker ... don't care about bed placement or how many hangers in the closet.

Don't care about a few wrinkles in my clothes ... don't care what people think of the way I dress ...

We look for good deals on cruises & airfare & hotels, will book what we think is okay ... rarely check for price drops. We wouldn't book if we weren't comfortable with the price at the time. We like getting the perks we get as frequent cruisers but don't obsess over them.

I start packing several days before the cruise, Mr Chew the night before. We don't have cruise-specific clothes.

I sometimes read reviews if they're in the main forums sections, but don't really worry about the bad ones. Everyone has different opinions on food, service, entertainment, activities, etc ... and they're not always the same as mine!

No need to know in advance about menus, activities, entertainment. We do read the daily cruise compass, but we don't tear out the little schedule to carry it around with us, and we don't bring markers to check off the things we want to do. We don't worry about missing anything. We don't plan out every minute of the day in advance, spontaneity is part of the fun for us!

Don't care who the captain is ... or the cruise director or the hotel manager. Just be professional & do your jobs, and get us where we want to go when we're supposed to be there.

We do plan most excursions in advance, though, so that we can see what we want to see. Sometimes we just walk off and see what happens.

We both love to just sit and watch people. Mr Chew especially loves to talk to the crew - any of them. Of course waiters & stewards are usually too busy for long chats but he finds a way to get to know them a little bit. He spends so much time in the casino that he knows everyone in there by the end of the cruise, even the cashiers! And he gets some amazing stories.

When ship happens, we just deal with it and move on. We've cruised enough to have had issues with plumbing/stewards/food/key cards/drunken louts/towels/noise/sickness/whatever ... we've never let it ruin a good cruise.

I hope we're able to keep the same attitude as we continue cruising. We've met some wonderful people along the way .. although I think that just about every human on earth is strange in some way!! Myself & Mr Chew included, that's for sure!!

[1northstar]

We're on the same page!

[Robinola]

I'm sorry...I do not understand.

 

Seriously........huh?

 

:)

[BettyPC]

I agree w/ you - I enjoy looking, researching etc.... I think its important to have flexibility in planning. Our last cruise we thought we would go to Rain Forest in San Juan - didn't work out - booked a walking lunch tour in Old San Juan and LOVED it. Don't sweat the small stuff & adjust when needed!

 

 

I have a little different view. While I agree with some of what you've written and I think trying to plan every second of every day of a vacation can be overkill, I happen to enjoy reading about my upcoming vacation. For me, planning is part of the FUN and is a way to start my vacation early - mentally at least. I like reading about the places I will be visiting, be it a ship or a resort. That doesn't take away from the experience for me. It enhances it. I enjoy seeking out things that my husband and I will be able to do together in ports or on the ship. I enjoy seeing pictures and reading about the ship and what it has to offer. I take my time packing and I take my time ordering from the menu. And my husband and I exchange loving glances and meaningful conversation while doing both. :) For me, planning ahead of time makes for a wonderfully relaxing vacation.

[Familygoboston]

No more or less strange than those of us who do the opposite, and no more or less need to defend it:D

[reedl]

No more or less strange than those of us who do the opposite, and no more or less need to defend it:D

 

As a fellow Boston area person, I am not defending my actions at all. Just pointing out that some people take vacations differently than others.

 

Look, I fully understand people who plan every second of a vacation. You are paying good money to be there and do not want to be disappointed. But I dislike taking a vacation after which I need a few days off to recover from the "military operation" of the vacation.

 

For example when I go to Disney, I do not go to the parks every day. Some days the family gets up late, swims in the pool, or goes and does something else for a couple of hours. We have found interesting things to see and or do because of these unplanned trips. Sometimes just relaxing for a trip on the boats that run from Downtown Disney to Port Orleans are a great way to enjoy the day for example.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Remember the Doors song? "People are Strange?"

 

Anyway, your attitude is very similar to mine. I don't swaet the small stuff, or try to schedule every minute of every day. I don't care where my cabin is located, as long as it is an ocean view or balcony. My only requirement is that it mot be over or under a noisy venue.

 

We just booked My Time Dining, because we don't want to be tied to a meal schedule. No "OOOh, we have to hurry and get ready for dinner," There is always the buffet.

 

We'll probable book excursions while on board. Anyway, I tried to download the list from the website, and it wouldn't work.

 

Like you, we have plenty of nice clothes. No need to shop, unless I want to.

 

I don't think that it is strange to not stress out over little things.

[squadron]

Where's the novelty/excitement of a holiday if every minute detail down to kind of tea bag has to be known before cruising!!!!! How do these people function in real life with no ability to be flexible.

[Onessa]

While I have always supposed there are cabins to be "avoided" - basketball court directly above, door opens directly into the elevator area, life boat two inches outside of porthole window -- those are the things I think about. And most ships designed after 1980 don't have too many of those kind of problems. So I will do a quick search to see if there is a reason why I might not want a particular cabin. Beyond those, I really don't have a preference work out great.

 

I'm not going to sweat the small stuff -- and really haven't run into anything that I would classify as anything other than "small stuff"

[goodycruising]

We didn't know much about CC before our first trip. I feel that now that we have read more about all sorts of things like savings, specialty eating, cabin differences etc, that we feel we get better value for our cruise, and we have so much fun reading about some of the "small stuff".

 

After reading on here about price drops, and not wanting to get too obsessed, we looked at a recommended research web site. We were going to book on a Sunday on the RCI site, but wanted to find out about our C&A discounts etc, so we reserved a cabin and intended to pay next day in the afternoon. An hour or so before that we got an email about a price drop and for the $10 we spent getting the email alerts we saved over $200. So my point is, you may feel like people obsess over every $20, but sometimes a simple tip can save you hundreds. To me, that is quite a few hours I have to work to make that $200+, so maybe it depends on how hard you have to work for $20 before it matters if you can save $20?

 

I am still not sure if you actually think you are strange or if you are just putting down the people that discuss the subjects you list. If you are not concerned about all the trivial things, why are you here reading about them and posting this question? That goes for the rest you that agreed!

[bouhunter]

I read all the threads here about which cabin is better, what to pack, whether to bring water, what to bring, etc. and I just cannot seem to get as concerned as some people seem to be about the "little things" of a potentially great time.

 

- I am not really concerned with the cabin location. As long as I am on the ship the additional walking from front to aft is good exercise in my mind. If people are so concerned about cabin location, why are they not concerned with hotel room location? The same about bed placement in the cabin. If it is near the door/window versus nearer the bathroom. Does it really make that much of a difference? For example on my upcoming Allure cruise, I am in a D8 cabin, but every single D cabin is exactly the same in terms of interior size. There is no major difference.

 

- I do not worry about bringing things like irons, etc. To me if clothes wrinkle, then do not bring them.

 

- I do not spend hours trying to save $20. When booking airfare for example, I look for a good deal and book it. The same with cruisefare. If the price goes down a lot (I might check once a week), then I will take advantage of it.

 

- I usually pack the night before we leave. It takes around an hour (the most time is taken folding everything into the suitcase).

 

- My wife and I do not buy clothes specifically for a cruise. We have some nice clothes we wear on the cruise, but we do not buy things to wear only on the ship.

 

- I do not worry about bringing water or soda on the ship. The ship has great tasting water available pretty much everywhere. I am always within a few feet of water. I have the soda package and drink a lot of soda, so I will be fine.

 

- Do not read every single review in bitter detail. At this point what else am I going to learn that I don't already know. Furthermore, perhaps I might find out things from a different point of view versus others.

 

- I do not endlessly research every single event on the ship before I get on the ship. To me there is much more fun in arriving on the ship and looking at the cruise compass every day and seeing something cool to do that day. And if I miss something, oh well. It is not the end of the world!

 

- I do not book excursions, and the only reason I book specialty restaurants is because you have to book them in advance to get the place you want to or take advantage of dining packages.

 

- If little negative things happen on the ship, I always let it slide (unless it is something that can be remedied by staff).

 

- If I do not "get along" with the people I am seated with in the MDR, I either just grin and bear it, or eat somewhere else. It is only for 7 or so days.

 

- During the cruise, I do not plan every minute of every day. In fact I do not even know what I am going to do in the next few hours most of the time.

 

- Sometimes I just sit and either people watch or watch the water going by.

 

- I do something novel in this day and age. I talk with crew members about things. I actually make it a point to talk to one upper level employee a day (not to complain, but to just chat). From these connections I have learned many things about things that have happened on a cruise. Plus you also learn about the way things are run "behind the scenes" which is of particular interest to me. You would be surprised how much I have learned from simple interactions I have had.

 

It seems some people are more concerned about the specifics of a 7 day vacation than the person that they marry. It reminds me of some local restaurants that I go to. When I walk in, it takes me around 1-2 minutes tops to read the menu, and figure out what I want. I have seen people spend 20 minutes trying to figure out what they are going to eat. Why does it take so long to figure that out for something that will only be affecting you for the next hour or so?

 

 

 

I couldn't make it thru the first 20% of your post........:rolleyes:

[Thetrail]

I read all the threads here about which cabin is better, what to pack, whether to bring water, what to bring, etc. and I just cannot seem to get as concerned as some people seem to be about the "little things" of a potentially great time.

 

- I am not really concerned with the cabin location. As long as I am on the ship the additional walking from front to aft is good exercise in my mind. If people are so concerned about cabin location, why are they not concerned with hotel room location? The same about bed placement in the cabin. If it is near the door/window versus nearer the bathroom. Does it really make that much of a difference? For example on my upcoming Allure cruise, I am in a D8 cabin, but every single D cabin is exactly the same in terms of interior size. There is no major difference.

 

- I do not worry about bringing things like irons, etc. To me if clothes wrinkle, then do not bring them.

 

- I do not spend hours trying to save $20. When booking airfare for example, I look for a good deal and book it. The same with cruisefare. If the price goes down a lot (I might check once a week), then I will take advantage of it.

 

- I usually pack the night before we leave. It takes around an hour (the most time is taken folding everything into the suitcase).

 

- My wife and I do not buy clothes specifically for a cruise. We have some nice clothes we wear on the cruise, but we do not buy things to wear only on the ship.

 

- I do not worry about bringing water or soda on the ship. The ship has great tasting water available pretty much everywhere. I am always within a few feet of water. I have the soda package and drink a lot of soda, so I will be fine.

 

- Do not read every single review in bitter detail. At this point what else am I going to learn that I don't already know. Furthermore, perhaps I might find out things from a different point of view versus others.

 

- I do not endlessly research every single event on the ship before I get on the ship. To me there is much more fun in arriving on the ship and looking at the cruise compass every day and seeing something cool to do that day. And if I miss something, oh well. It is not the end of the world!

 

- I do not book excursions, and the only reason I book specialty restaurants is because you have to book them in advance to get the place you want to or take advantage of dining packages.

 

- If little negative things happen on the ship, I always let it slide (unless it is something that can be remedied by staff).

 

- If I do not "get along" with the people I am seated with in the MDR, I either just grin and bear it, or eat somewhere else. It is only for 7 or so days.

 

- During the cruise, I do not plan every minute of every day. In fact I do not even know what I am going to do in the next few hours most of the time.

 

- Sometimes I just sit and either people watch or watch the water going by.

 

- I do something novel in this day and age. I talk with crew members about things. I actually make it a point to talk to one upper level employee a day (not to complain, but to just chat). From these connections I have learned many things about things that have happened on a cruise. Plus you also learn about the way things are run "behind the scenes" which is of particular interest to me. You would be surprised how much I have learned from simple interactions I have had.

 

It seems some people are more concerned about the specifics of a 7 day vacation than the person that they marry. It reminds me of some local restaurants that I go to. When I walk in, it takes me around 1-2 minutes tops to read the menu, and figure out what I want. I have seen people spend 20 minutes trying to figure out what they are going to eat. Why does it take so long to figure that out for something that will only be affecting you for the next hour or so?

 

...But maybe I am strange...

Sounds like my perspective regarding cruising, I'm sure all of your cruises are wonderful as mine have been! Nice to read your thread!.....K.O....:)

[teajak]

Interesting post ... I agree with much of it.

 

We like balcony cabins, prefer to have cabins above & below us, but that's not a deal-breaker ... don't care about bed placement or how many hangers in the closet.

 

Don't care about a few wrinkles in my clothes ... don't care what people think of the way I dress ...

 

We look for good deals on cruises & airfare & hotels, will book what we think is okay ... rarely check for price drops. We wouldn't book if we weren't comfortable with the price at the time. We like getting the perks we get as frequent cruisers but don't obsess over them.

 

I start packing several days before the cruise, Mr Chew the night before. We don't have cruise-specific clothes.

 

I sometimes read reviews if they're in the main forums sections, but don't really worry about the bad ones. Everyone has different opinions on food, service, entertainment, activities, etc ... and they're not always the same as mine!

 

No need to know in advance about menus, activities, entertainment. We do read the daily cruise compass, but we don't tear out the little schedule to carry it around with us, and we don't bring markers to check off the things we want to do. We don't worry about missing anything. We don't plan out every minute of the day in advance, spontaneity is part of the fun for us!

 

Don't care who the captain is ... or the cruise director or the hotel manager. Just be professional & do your jobs, and get us where we want to go when we're supposed to be there.

 

We do plan most excursions in advance, though, so that we can see what we want to see. Sometimes we just walk off and see what happens.

 

We both love to just sit and watch people. Mr Chew especially loves to talk to the crew - any of them. Of course waiters & stewards are usually too busy for long chats but he finds a way to get to know them a little bit. He spends so much time in the casino that he knows everyone in there by the end of the cruise, even the cashiers! And he gets some amazing stories.

 

When ship happens, we just deal with it and move on. We've cruised enough to have had issues with plumbing/stewards/food/key cards/drunken louts/towels/noise/sickness/whatever ... we've never let it ruin a good cruise.

 

I hope we're able to keep the same attitude as we continue cruising. We've met some wonderful people along the way .. although I think that just about every human on earth is strange in some way!! Myself & Mr Chew included, that's for sure!!

 

 

 

 

Wow, couldn't have said it better.:cool::D;)