Pre-cruise Ramblings...

[riffatsea]

Have you guys done a lot of driving trips??

I ask because we used to do lots of hard core long driving day trips. 10 hours without stopping is a loooooong day! It is hard to picture that with children in the car! Even 8 hours with stopping for breaks will be a long day too!

Just saying that we've done 12 hours days with only short stops for gas and that was 2 adults so hoping your family can manage what you are planning.

[Tuckers Mom]

I love the planning too. We are cruising on Glory on April 29/17 and we booked just a bit more than a year in advance...we are now down to less than 9 months! This will be my first cruise on Carnival and my husband's first cruise ever. I am hoping he will love it as much as I do and that it will be the first of many. Not sure that he really "gets" the excitement of the planning yet but I am sure he will. He was a bit concerned when I obsessed over getting our pre-cruise hotel booked immediately after our cruise booking was confirmed. We cruise out of Miami and I really wanted to stay at The Holiday Inn Port of Miami...when we first booked, they weren't taking bookings that far in advance and then once they were, I checked the rate multiple times every day and watched the exchange rate closely before I pounced! I ended up pre-paying for our stay and I am glad I did as the exch. rate is worse now and we have our room for sure.

 

I have been to Montego Bay on 2 cruises with my ex. On our first visit, we decided just to wander around town a bit. A local gentleman attached himself to us, offering to take us to the "best shopping." When we went into stores, he was waiting for us when we came out. We finally decided to check out this shopping area with him but when he took us to a street where there were absolutely no tourists anywhere, we got uncomfortable and turned back. He stuck with us and eventually, my ex paid him to leave us alone. We were happy to jump into a cab and head back to the ship until we saw a very large knife that the driver had tucked down beside his seat. It was quite an adventure. On our next visit, we grabbed a cab as soon as we got off the ship and went right to Margaritaville. We had a great lunch and really enjoyed swimming in the ocean right behind the restaurant.

 

So what I am trying to say in my long-winded fashion, is that I would book an excursion or at least or at least have a plan to go somewhere specific when you are in Montego Bay...that is just my opinion though, I am sure others have not had similar experiences.

 

And now my hunt for flights is on...:)

[ZoeyVictoria]

I am finding that the more I cruise, the less I am inclined to take a road trip. I add up gas, hotel, meals and entertainment and realize what a good deal cruising is. Reminds me of that old tv commercial, "I could have had a V-8".

[DashOhQ]

566 days until cruise

 

 

We went to the beach twice, we went to Canadas Wonderland. Other then that we just did some visiting. We felt we were busy enough. Especially with a 2 year old..

 

I loved Canada's Wonderland. Too bad I hit 30 and can't do the rides anymore....headache and nausea don't make for a fun day :( :(

[Cruzin4fam]

A lot of people have suggested that you pack separate bags for the cruise vs. the drive. I'm not sure what type of vehicle you will be traveling in. But my BIL and SIL drove down for Spring Break 2015 with their 5 kids. They have a suburban. They did just as other posters mentioned. However, as they stayed in Houston the night before the cruise, their vehicle was broken into and all of the luggage was stolen. They had 4 hours to shop for replacement luggage and clothes for a 7 day cruise and make the hour plus drive to the port. Not fun!! So just make sure your luggage is out of sight.

[canadaman111]

I love the planning too. We are cruising on Glory on April 29/17 and we booked just a bit more than a year in advance...we are now down to less than 9 months! This will be my first cruise on Carnival and my husband's first cruise ever. I am hoping he will love it as much as I do and that it will be the first of many. Not sure that he really "gets" the excitement of the planning yet but I am sure he will. He was a bit concerned when I obsessed over getting our pre-cruise hotel booked immediately after our cruise booking was confirmed. We cruise out of Miami and I really wanted to stay at The Holiday Inn Port of Miami...when we first booked' date=' they weren't taking bookings that far in advance and then once they were, I checked the rate multiple times every day and watched the exchange rate closely before I pounced! I ended up pre-paying for our stay and I am glad I did as the exch. rate is worse now and we have our room for sure.

 

I have been to Montego Bay on 2 cruises with my ex. On our first visit, we decided just to wander around town a bit. A local gentleman attached himself to us, offering to take us to the "best shopping." When we went into stores, he was waiting for us when we came out. We finally decided to check out this shopping area with him but when he took us to a street where there were absolutely no tourists anywhere, we got uncomfortable and turned back. He stuck with us and eventually, my ex paid him to leave us alone. We were happy to jump into a cab and head back to the ship until we saw a very large knife that the driver had tucked down beside his seat. It was quite an adventure. On our next visit, we grabbed a cab as soon as we got off the ship and went right to Margaritaville. We had a great lunch and really enjoyed swimming in the ocean right behind the restaurant.

 

So what I am trying to say in my long-winded fashion, is that I would book an excursion or at least or at least have a plan to go somewhere specific when you are in Montego Bay...that is just my opinion though, I am sure others have not had similar experiences.

 

And now my hunt for flights is on...:)[/quote']

 

That sounds scary. I have read this many times about Montego Bay. I am thinking that we won't be doing to much in Montego Bay.

[canadaman111]

553 days until cruise

 

We have been talking a lot about how we are going to get to Galveston lately. The wife is getting much more into it lately.

 

I have figured out driving will be around $1500 round trip. I break it down as follows..

 

$80-100 a night at comfort suites. 6 nights, 3 there, 3 home. Total $480-600

Food for the three days on the road. $100 a day. 6 days. Total $600

Gas. AAA gas calculator says it will be $260 for gas at current prices.

 

Grand total $1340-1460.

 

Obviously this is just rough numbers but I feel it should be close.

 

Last week I got the idea of taking the train. I looked at amtrak. We would have to drive to chicago to get the train. That would be a 8 hour drive. We could get the train in Buffalo, but it then goes to Chicago anyway then towards Texas. From Chicago the train takes you to Longview Texas, where you get on a amtrak bus that takes you right to Galveston. The train would make us have to spend a night sleeping on the train and would get us to Galveston the afternoon, the day before the cruise. We would still need a hotel and transportation to the port in Galveston. The train is $1100 for the six of us. Buy the time we get the hotel and any food we need to buy we are at around the $1500 mark I have budgeted for driving.

 

We then looked again at flying. I have been using pricing for the next February since obviously you can't get pricing for Feb 2018 yet. Flying from Toronto is out cause it is way to expensive to fly out of Canada. We can get to Buffalo in 3 hours but they have no direct flights to Houston. We have only flown a few times and don't want to do connecting flights. The closet place for us to get direct flights at a reasonable place is again to drive to Chuiago. We can get direct flights to Houston on southwest for $44 each on the way there, and $119 on the way home. For a total of $972. But then we still need to pay to park the car get a shuttle to Galveston from Houston and a hotel in Galveston, again putting us up to the magic $1500 mark.

 

All three seem to add up to around the same amount. Driving is really growing on us. We just feel we have control, and don't have to be at certain points at exact times to catch trains, or planes. If we drive we leave and don't have to be anywhere until the morning of the cruise. Obviously he drive takes much more time, but I am leaning that way right now.

 

We will just keep an eye on pricing and by this time next year we will be able to book flights or the train. We will just have to keep talking about it for the next year or so......

[jamscckmc]

Welcome to the world of cruising and CC. I've never booked that far ahead but as soon as I cruise I'm looking for a new cruise to start planning. Then I'm back on CC every day. There's probably not a roll call yet for your cruise but keep checking. It's fun to get to know your fellow cruisers and plan activities together.

[tgirl25]

Ok, I just read through the whole thread! WOW, you are in for some fun.

 

Ok, you ask about ocean. I would if I were to pick 1 think is Grand Caymen doing the snorkle trip feeding the Stingrays. You get to pet them and feed them and see all the other fish on the reef. It really is a great excursion and you can swim a bit away with your family so you are not mobbed by all of the other people after you feed the stingrays. Bring a waterproof camera for this because you will all have so much fun event the tiny 1. They give out lifevests so no worries if someone is not a good swimmer.

 

Montego Bay Jamaca I stayed on and enjoyed Magic, was great to have the boat mostly to ourselves plus everything was pretty pricey there. Even the shuttle to shopping was 20$pp, no thanks.

 

Have been to Cozumel a couple times and it was nice. This time I did the 4 tracks and that was alot of muddy fun.... They do have some nice beaches so it might be a good place to wander to the beach off the ship and just meander or caught a cab and ask to goto a great beach....

 

Galveston Port was ok. If I had 1 pc of advice to share would be to park at the port or at least find covered parking. Our ship pulled in in the middle of a downpour and I don't mean a little, we had to "swim" to the shuttle and then had people and their umbrella's dripping all over us(tons of people were standing because there were no more seats and were not wanting to wait till next shuttle) and then the lot had tons of huge puddles including right by our car. All the wet bodies kinda did not smell great for the trip back to the airport(we rented a car for the week since we wanted freedom during our visit).

 

If you want to stick to that food budget with 6 people you are going to have to make sure everyone knows what they can spend. Otherwise you could easily spend at least 150day. Shoot Galveston 2 people with Baked potato and soup each and a iced tea and coke was 60$ before tip(I hate budgeting and my CC suffered greatly on this trip). Part of the reason I prefer to fly is saving on hotels and food bills which always end up more then I expect.

 

Oh and a trip advice, prebook your rooms and even prepay for them when the exchange rate is in your favor. It will save you $ and give the kids a destination when they ask how much longer. On top of it you can research what is around in case there is something fun to do, even if it is just the grocery store to let them pick their favorite snacks for the day. Another idea since you need the space is maybe look at trying to get a 2bedroom suite like Residence Inn(I have booked these at about 150nt), Staybridge or even cheaper Valueplace(not as nice by far) and they include private space for parents, and for the younger kids and leave space for the older kids to stay up longer on the sleeper. they also have a FULL hot breakfast and a full kitchen in their rooms so you can cook each night for dinner if you want to save those $ as well so you only are out of pocket for lunch and prep food for dinner...

 

Ok now I am the 1 rambling

 

Good luck, I look forward to your adventures!!

[h-sar]

Just read this entire thread in one shot. So excited for you and your family as you prepare for your first cruise. Lovely to see the enthusiasm of the first time cruiser. :)

 

I also recommend Mr. Sanchos as a great beach excursion in Cozumel. Given the ages of your children, I would recommend that you choose the non-inclusive side as we have done in the past. You do not have to pre-book and there is no entry fee for this pay as you go side. You simply have to buy a few dollars worth of food or drinks. It is a beautiful beach and one we would return to time after time, if given the opportunity. As well, it is only about a 10 minute taxi ride from the port and will only cost about 4-5 dollars per person each way for cab fare. Check it out on trip advisor, tons of pictures and reviews.

 

In Grand Cayman, if you wish only to do a beach stop at 7 mile Beach, taxi vans again are about 5 dollars one-way per person, or you can get a public bus very close from the pier for $2.50 one way per person. That is what we did last year, and it could not have been easier or safer. In Cozumel and Grand Cayman, I would not take cruise ship excursions as it is so much cheaper and just as safe to do it on your own. At both of these ports, a cruise ship excursion just to take you to the beach and back might cost $40-$50 per person when you can easily do it in a cab for a quarter of the price.

[Oldrip]

I have not read through all of the replies, so this has probably been mentioned... Even though you are in Canada, there must be deals for Carnival Gift Cards, offering a discount.

I get mine through Verizon, but they are offered through AARP, AAA, and many other outlets... You pay 10% less than the face value, and with the size of your crew it will not take long to add up... and it makes it easier to be on a "payment plan"

The only problem you are going to have is that you will really be hooked after the first cruise!! ENJOY!!!

[mchlhaystead]

Canadaman111

What town ijn ontario?

[mrsdoc3]

Love your ramblings....also have a husband who is willing to cruise but just wants to show up at the right time to the right ship:) Planning is a big part of cruising and can be so much fun.

 

We did our first 7 day cruise on the Destiny...in 1996...with our two boys...it was also our first balcony!

 

Don't let anyone talk you out of this trip...you will have a great time...not sure about the three days in the car with four kids though:D

 

I have four kids that are currently 22, 20, 18, and 16. When they were little, we used to take road trips across the country a couple of times a year, not to mention long week-end trips as well. People would comment all the time that we were crazy, or ask how much Benedryl we game them, etc. None of the above. They slept some, we played games, we listened to (and sometimes sang along to) music, and we stop at rest areas to eat and have the kids burn off some energy. No movies. No personal electronic devices. We were on vacation, and we were enjoying the adventure.

 

Kudos to you for making the journey part of the adventure and not focusing just on the destination!

[canadaman111]

Canadaman111

What town ijn ontario?

 

Hanover Ontario

[canadaman111]

530 days until cruise

 

Surprisingly time seems to be going fast. The kids are back to school, summer is pretty much came to an end, and we are 530 days until we set sail.

 

I am really looking forward to when I can say we are one year out!!!

[drerickson77]

530 days until cruise

 

Surprisingly time seems to be going fast. The kids are back to school, summer is pretty much came to an end, and we are 530 days until we set sail.

 

I am really looking forward to when I can say we are one year out!!!

 

Congrats but I gotta ask...You joined in '09 and your first cruise isn't until 2018? I admire your patience.

Edited September 14, 2016 by drerickson77

[youagain]

We also booked way in advance. Started at 747 down to 556. We are a family of 3 so could not imagine your big family and making plans.Just wanted to say the 2 sets of suitcases are a must. One for travel and one for cruise.Also we like to get a hotel after a big city. The traffic is less hectic when you start your traveling day . Try to go around big city's or travel at non rush hours.The hotels are usually cheaper also.About 5- 20 miles out cuts your rates on rooms. We sail out of Port Canaveral and New Orleans .Got a separate garage in New Orleans and it was a nightmare. The convention center was having a event and a lot of the parking was taken and the traffic was terrible. Port Canaveral we stayed at Radison at the port. Radison ran a shuttle to the port. Lets just say I did not have a head ache when I boarded in Port Canaveral. Hope your travels are worry free ,Have a great time!

[canadaman111]

Congrats but I gotta ask...You joined in '09 and your first cruise isn't until 2018? I admire your patience.

 

LOL. I never thought of that. I have wanted to cruise for a long time. I joined these boards and it just never worked out. Finally I have been able to get it to work....

[KRF326RN]

I am the planner for my family! We're about 260ish days out on our first cruise. We're cruising for the same reasons...not much time left with our oldest. He'll be 16 next year and we told him to pick a trip. He decided he wanted to cruise, wanted to leave out of NOLA, and wanted to go to Belize and Cozumel...pretty much picked the cruise right there.

 

I have a really long post on here going through all the planning. Since you like planning, you might enjoy it. We'll be on the Dream, but it might still be interesting. I also plan to do an extensive trip review when it's over.

 

Enjoy the planning, I know I do (I have a spreadsheet for everything-budget, to do before, shopping list, packing, weight loss-it's a little insane). Helps keep me excited and I know I can relax when I step onboard!

 

Also, you may be a little far out, but remember to look for price drops. I got my first one this week and was super excited ($97 and $50 OBC, not a ton, but every little bit helps!)

 

Enjoy the board! :D

[pyropoodle]

We booked at around 156 days out for our upcoming cruise (down to 115 days yay!) and by the time we cruise, we will have been waiting 3 years...well, I will have been waiting for 3 years, my hubby hasn't been since 2012 . he is not a fan of the cruise, but he does it because I love it. plus, after the birth of our son, he promised me that we could go when I was ready to go. boy, am I ready!

 

he also promised me a B2B, so hope to start planning that one as soon as I get his 2018 work schedule. It must be terrible to be the person who just gets to show up for the cruise and enjoy the fruits of the spouse's labor of planning. such a hard life :p

 

for me, planning is half of the fun. not his thing, but it's mine, and I always try to make sure he has a great time.

 

this will be my son's 1st cruise and he'll be 2 1/2 at time of sailing, so I'm planning fun stuff for him as well.

 

 

I echo those that say the drive down in winter can be treacherous. I know you are used to snow living in Canada, but what you would really need to worry about are the towns/ cities that aren't used to snow getting socked with it! they may not have resources to plow or clear the streets frequently like they do up north. I say this as a person who drives from NYC to Alabama at least once a year, sometimes twice. when winter travelling, sometimes the further south we go, the worse the roads get. just be mentally prepared for that. or better yet, pray that there will be no snow at all. we are hoping for NO SNOW as we fly to Miami in January. I've been lucky so far on my January cruises, but it's always a risk.

 

Good luck in passing the time. don't wish time away too fast though, seeing that 2 year old suddenly become 4 will remind you of how little your baby was when the cruise was booked.

[canadaman111]

We booked at around 156 days out for our upcoming cruise (down to 115 days yay!) and by the time we cruise, we will have been waiting 3 years...well, I will have been waiting for 3 years, my hubby hasn't been since 2012 . he is not a fan of the cruise, but he does it because I love it. plus, after the birth of our son, he promised me that we could go when I was ready to go. boy, am I ready!

 

he also promised me a B2B, so hope to start planning that one as soon as I get his 2018 work schedule. It must be terrible to be the person who just gets to show up for the cruise and enjoy the fruits of the spouse's labor of planning. such a hard life :p

 

for me, planning is half of the fun. not his thing, but it's mine, and I always try to make sure he has a great time.

 

this will be my son's 1st cruise and he'll be 2 1/2 at time of sailing, so I'm planning fun stuff for him as well.

 

 

I echo those that say the drive down in winter can be treacherous. I know you are used to snow living in Canada, but what you would really need to worry about are the towns/ cities that aren't used to snow getting socked with it! they may not have resources to plow or clear the streets frequently like they do up north. I say this as a person who drives from NYC to Alabama at least once a year, sometimes twice. when winter travelling, sometimes the further south we go, the worse the roads get. just be mentally prepared for that. or better yet, pray that there will be no snow at all. we are hoping for NO SNOW as we fly to Miami in January. I've been lucky so far on my January cruises, but it's always a risk.

 

Good luck in passing the time. don't wish time away too fast though, seeing that 2 year old suddenly become 4 will remind you of how little your baby was when the cruise was booked.

 

My wife has said that many times. Not to wish the time away. I agree 100%.

[cmukid87]

My longest booking was about 90 days out until the last two. The closest is now 45 days out (from 293) and the killer for us is still about 450 days out (from 630). It's a real struggle...but allows time to get finances in order.

[canadaman111]

We booked at around 156 days out for our upcoming cruise (down to 115 days yay!) and by the time we cruise, we will have been waiting 3 years...well, I will have been waiting for 3 years, my hubby hasn't been since 2012 . he is not a fan of the cruise, but he does it because I love it. plus, after the birth of our son, he promised me that we could go when I was ready to go. boy, am I ready!

 

he also promised me a B2B, so hope to start planning that one as soon as I get his 2018 work schedule. It must be terrible to be the person who just gets to show up for the cruise and enjoy the fruits of the spouse's labor of planning. such a hard life :p

 

for me, planning is half of the fun. not his thing, but it's mine, and I always try to make sure he has a great time.

 

this will be my son's 1st cruise and he'll be 2 1/2 at time of sailing, so I'm planning fun stuff for him as well.

 

 

I echo those that say the drive down in winter can be treacherous. I know you are used to snow living in Canada, but what you would really need to worry about are the towns/ cities that aren't used to snow getting socked with it! they may not have resources to plow or clear the streets frequently like they do up north. I say this as a person who drives from NYC to Alabama at least once a year, sometimes twice. when winter travelling, sometimes the further south we go, the worse the roads get. just be mentally prepared for that. or better yet, pray that there will be no snow at all. we are hoping for NO SNOW as we fly to Miami in January. I've been lucky so far on my January cruises, but it's always a risk.

 

Good luck in passing the time. don't wish time away too fast though, seeing that 2 year old suddenly become 4 will remind you of how little your baby was when the cruise was booked.

 

My wife has said that many times. Not to wish the time away. I agree 100%.

[First and Ten]

We also booked way in advance. Started at 747 down to 556.

 

I give you "planners" credit, I really do....You planned on booking a cruise over 2 yrs in advance!!!!???? :eek:

 

If I book a cruise 6 months out, I feel like I am the early bird

Edited September 14, 2016 by First and Ten

[canadaman111]

We also booked way in advance. Started at 747 down to 556. We are a family of 3 so could not imagine your big family and making plans.Just wanted to say the 2 sets of suitcases are a must. One for travel and one for cruise.Also we like to get a hotel after a big city. The traffic is less hectic when you start your traveling day . Try to go around big city's or travel at non rush hours.The hotels are usually cheaper also.About 5- 20 miles out cuts your rates on rooms. We sail out of Port Canaveral and New Orleans .Got a separate garage in New Orleans and it was a nightmare. The convention center was having a event and a lot of the parking was taken and the traffic was terrible. Port Canaveral we stayed at Radison at the port. Radison ran a shuttle to the port. Lets just say I did not have a head ache when I boarded in Port Canaveral. Hope your travels are worry free ,Have a great time!

 

Wow, you booked even father out then us!!