366 Days to go!

[Overtyme]

Am I nuts? I can't be the only one, can I?

One year from now, I'll be packing and the anticipation of seeing our ship night before will probably keep our minds occupied all night long!

I can hardly wait!

When do you start your countdown?

What do you do when you have a year to go?

For me, 52 weeks to get into the best shape of my life- it gives me a target and a goal to shoot for.

Does anyone have a list that spans 52 weeks?

Holy moly!

Edited June 29, 2015 by Overtyme

[Rogueperson]

Im at 459 days till my next Royal Caribbean Cruise. However, that is not my next cruise. My next one is a scant 70 days away.

[Virtopia]

I start my countdown at 100 days. The excitement tends to die down until I then get to the 10 day mark. However, I also want to get in great shape for my two cruises next year so I'm starting now!

[Overtyme]

I start my countdown at 100 days. The excitement tends to die down until I then get to the 10 day mark. However, I also want to get in great shape for my two cruises next year so I'm starting now!

 

 

What do you do during the 100 days?

[brn2crz]

I booked mine a year out. It's June 5th 2016. It seems a long way off. But as my kiddo gets older it feels like the year flies by. So I figured this would be a good way to slow time down. Liberty here we come.

[Virtopia]

What do you do during the 100 days?

 

That's when I start to look at excursions usually. Flight and hotel will be booked by day 100 but that's about it. Now, my European cruise next fall will have slightly different preparation plans since it's my first cruise to those parts of the world so excursion research will happen way before 100 day mark.

 

I also start a packing list around final payment and take my suitcase out 30 days before sailing so that definitely helps with the countdown.

[nolesrule]

I start my countdown when the Cruise Docs are issued. Even the 7 weeks seems like a long time.

[FloatMe]

I start my countdown on the day I disembark from the previous cruise. 489 days to go (ugh). We had to wait a little longer do the the extra expense of getting married on on the last cruise. 😊 every three months or so I will pick a task to complete. Last week we picked our pre-cruise hotel (lago mar, if anyone has been there). In a few months we will start researching one of the ports and what we want to do, etc. In the meantime I just troll the boards and live vicariously through everyone else.

[FloatMe]

Am I nuts? I can't be the only one, can I?

One year from now, I'll be packing and the anticipation of seeing our ship night before will probably keep our minds occupied all night long!

I can hardly wait!

When do you start your countdown?

What do you do when you have a year to go?

For me, 52 weeks to get into the best shape of my life- it gives me a target and a goal to shoot for.

Does anyone have a list that spans 52 weeks?

Holy moly!

Not nuts!

[LuvWilliam]

200 days out- make sure we have clothes for every night

150 days out- pack toiletry bags, make sure passports and other documentation is in order

100 days out- go thru and make a detailed list of everything we need to pack, clothing list for every night... Also, make pet sitting arrangements

30 days out- make sure dry cleaning is done and pack at least one bag... Keep suitcases out and pack slowly. Then re pack about ten times before its time!

Day before- fly down and have a drink!!!! VACATION!!! Woooo

[Sherri914]

What do you do during the 100 days?

 

Here's what I do..... I plan, research, plan, dream, plan, research, plan... you get the picture right!?!?!?! Our upcoming November Oasis cruise was booked well over a year in advance. Now we're under 5 months. Woohoo! One more season change and we'll be getting ready to leave. (That's how I've timed it in my head. When we booked, we had six season changes to go till cruise time. Now we're down to ONE!!!) In the meantime, I plan. Here's the spreadsheet I use each time, and I just adjust the contents to the specific ship I'll be on. Once you plug in the sail date, the entire spreadsheet auto populates and the to-do tab will give me target dates for getting certain things done.

Cruise List (BLANK).xls

Edited June 29, 2015 by Sherri914

[dacsmom]

Love to watch the countdown clock do its thing. My current one started out at 432 days, now it is in the 100's.

[BLAMBKY]

348 for me. :D Now matter how long, I am always so excited and can hardly believe when I get to 100 days, a month and a week away from traveling.

[molsonschooner]

booked for our upcoming Indy cruise(September) last June. We are now under 80 days. Time has gone by so slowly. We have most things booked, hotels, flights,drink package, etc. I don't pack until about 1 day before we fly. DW is always packed

[bkerber]

I am cruising next May to Alaska, which will be a totally different type of planning for me from the warm weather cruises. I have much to get as I live in Florida and dont have any really warm clothes. So I am going to get what I need a bit at a time. I check CC every day, I have been researching binoculars, coats, excursions and such. I am a huge planner so I cant stay away from google!! But Im so excited to go.

[RadioRob]

I booked my next cruise 11 months and 16 months out.

 

I had started my next countdown before I was even off the ship from my prior cruise. :D

[jules815]

Our next cruise is in 68 days. To be honest, I never really completely unpacked from our last cruise back in March. It's not like I could come home to Chicago and start wearing shorts and capris.

 

Once our upcoming FOS is over, I'll be waiting 13 months for the next one. We sail on Harmony of the Seas in 481 days...not that I'm counting. Our first transatlantic from Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale. That trip will require lots of research, planning and also saving. It will most likely be our only vacation in 2016, unless my daughter can twist my arm this winter to go on another 5-day. Hate having to factor in air-fare though, but never say never.

 

I have a comprehensive packing list saved on my computer. A month or so before we sail I begin the packing pile ritual in our guest room. A week before, everything is refolded and put into suitcases. I've recently purchased "packing cubes" and am really excited to try them out on this trip. :)

 

I always take the day off before we leave for last minute errands and a mani-pedi. We always fly in the day before, and vacation for me starts the minute I step into the limo in our driveway. There's nothing left to do but relax. Cheers!

[MCManders99]

I am counting down , 656 days till we sail in harmony of the seas. Once the booking is made my mind flips into cruise mode. I work out, eat the proper way, portion etc. well I have more control to want to do those things. Yes it's a little less than 2 years but I have two sizes to lose.

[jules815]

Here's what I do..... I plan, research, plan, dream, plan, research, plan... you get the picture right!?!?!?! Our upcoming November Oasis cruise was booked well over a year in advance. Now we're under 5 months. Woohoo! One more season change and we'll be getting ready to leave. (That's how I've timed it in my head. When we booked, we had six season changes to go till cruise time. Now we're down to ONE!!!) In the meantime, I plan. Here's the spreadsheet I use each time, and I just adjust the contents to the specific ship I'll be on. Once you plug in the sail date, the entire spreadsheet auto populates and the to-do tab will give me target dates for getting certain things done.

 

I also use a website and phone app from TripIt. If you're into planning, and I know most of us are, I highly recommend it! The nice thing is, you can invite others via email to view your trip. Great way to share your travel info with family members who aren't traveling with you.

[Trixie21]

Booked harmony on Saturday for July 2016. 381 days to go![emoji3]

Already looking at hotels in Rome for our pre cruise city break - the planning is half the fun for me! Booked this cruise 2 weeks after coming off anthem to alleviate the after cruise blues!

[cincicruisers]

Here's what I do..... I plan, research, plan, dream, plan, research, plan... you get the picture right!?!?!?! Our upcoming November Oasis cruise was booked well over a year in advance. Now we're under 5 months. Woohoo! One more season change and we'll be getting ready to leave. (That's how I've timed it in my head. When we booked, we had six season changes to go till cruise time. Now we're down to ONE!!!) In the meantime, I plan. Here's the spreadsheet I use each time, and I just adjust the contents to the specific ship I'll be on. Once you plug in the sail date, the entire spreadsheet auto populates and the to-do tab will give me target dates for getting certain things done.

 

Love the spreadsheets! Going to put together some for our cruise.

[cruisingsince94]

My DW let's me do all the cruise planning, booking, and research. Because of that, I am pretty much always in countdown mode! Although I know how long it is still our next booking, I start focusing on it when it hits 100 days.

Airfare if needed and hotels are shopped and booked as far out as possible and I monitor them regularly for price drops along with the cruise prices. I cannot recall the last time when we did not find a lower price on some part of the trip along the way.

[aloha43]

No you are NOT nuts. Either that or we are totally crazy....lol.

 

Our countdown started at 726 LONG days. Now we are at 194 days! (still way too far off, but tolerable).

 

Needless to say....it will be almost 3 years since our last vacation and we are getting pretty cranky. :eek:

 

We always have countdowns, and ALWAYS have fun anticipating the whole waiting period. We did it with the kids when they were little. We would have a drum roll every night, taking turns crossing the days off the calendar until our much anticipated trips. The kids just loved it. :)

[Overtyme]

No you are NOT nuts. Either that or we are totally crazy....lol.

 

 

 

Our countdown started at 726 LONG days. Now we are at 194 days! (still way too far off, but tolerable).

 

 

 

Needless to say....it will be almost 3 years since our last vacation and we are getting pretty cranky. :eek:

 

 

 

We always have countdowns, and ALWAYS have fun anticipating the whole waiting period. We did it with the kids when they were little. We would have a drum roll every night, taking turns crossing the days off the calendar until our much anticipated trips. The kids just loved it. :)

 

 

My wife thinks I'm totally nuts! Maybe a bit OCD, but not nuts. [emoji3]

 

That said, I had to take these screenshots ;-)

 

[Overtyme]

Here's what I do..... I plan, research, plan, dream, plan, research, plan... you get the picture right!?!?!?! Our upcoming November Oasis cruise was booked well over a year in advance. Now we're under 5 months. Woohoo! One more season change and we'll be getting ready to leave. (That's how I've timed it in my head. When we booked, we had six season changes to go till cruise time. Now we're down to ONE!!!) In the meantime, I plan. Here's the spreadsheet I use each time, and I just adjust the contents to the specific ship I'll be on. Once you plug in the sail date, the entire spreadsheet auto populates and the to-do tab will give me target dates for getting certain things done.

 

 

Thanks Sherri!

Love the spreadsheet! So awesome!