What "odd" things do you look forward to when cruising?

[JuicyG]

wow! i have 68 days until my first cruise and i am so excited by reading this thread, some of your sentiments moved me to tears. i can only imagine what it will really be like. we have a promenade room and i long for the time we can get a balcony. it sounds truly amazing. i look forward the most to karaoke and the movie theater and ice rink and rock wall and hot tub and food, food, food. oh yeah. lets do this thing.

[Cougsie]

I LOVE the lady with the British accent who announces the deck that your elevator has reached (on RCI ships anyway, which are the only kind I've been on). Although... we avoid the elevator as much as possible - need to get some exercise when we're eating all that FOOD!:p

We also look forward to finding the Cruise Compass for the next day upon returning to our stateroom every evening. We always talk about it at dinner with our companions and how excited we are to read the events for the next day and then make our plan of attack before bed.

[Elationismyship]

My absolute favorite is throwing the used towels on the floor and when I get back there are clean towels on the rack . . . . .and I wasn't the one who took them to the basement to clean them, put them in the washer, remember to put them in the dryer before they mildewed, folded them, brought them back upstairs and put them in the closet . . .etc.

 

well, you get the picture.

 

There is so much I love about cruising but the fact that I'm not taking care of anyone is the best to me.

 

I always make all the decisions for our family from where to eat, to how to pay, etc. So cruising is the ultimate for me, I don't have to make any decisions for anyone but myself. I know dinner is at 6:00, (I don't even pick anytime dining because I don't want to be in charge of telling everyone it's time to get ready) . . . .

 

Only 4 more weeks for me!

It's the ultimate vacation for me.

[Plantlvr1]

We have taken the same cruise 3 times. When we stop at port in Cabo San Lucas we always walk around the marina looking for red colored crabs in the water. We took a picture of one the first time we were there so every time we go we look for it.

[momofmeg]

wow! i have 68 days until my first cruise and i am so excited by reading this thread, some of your sentiments moved me to tears. i can only imagine what it will really be like. we have a promenade room and i long for the time we can get a balcony. it sounds truly amazing. i look forward the most to karaoke and the movie theater and ice rink and rock wall and hot tub and food, food, food. oh yeah. lets do this thing.

 

The promenade rooms are a lot of fun-you DO mean those on RCI ships that face the RP right? They are great for "people watching." I like them almost as much as a balcony.

[Cozzette2]

Honestly what I look forward to the most, walking around the Promenade deck in the morning. The last cruise to the Mexican Riviera as I was walking the deck I saw a pod of dolphins leaping out of the water, so cool.

[shinyowl]

Ah, yes... The Bing-Bong gets me too....sends shivers of anticipation up and down my body!!

I love to watch the surf washing off the bow of the ship, and how it plays with the roll of the sea.

We sail Jan 29th for 9 days and I wish it were sooner!!

[caribb23]

I like being rocked to sleep at night, the smell of the air and the sound of the water :)

 

Same! <333 i love sleeping on cruises but i can't wait for the next exciting day. At school when its time to switch classes i imagine the bell being the announcement bells. lmao

[CruizenSusan]

I look forward to the moment when my husband and I turn off our cell phones and put them in the safe for the remainder of the cruise. This is the moment when we know we are truly "On Vacation!"

[ivywynne]

OK I know it sounds silly, but, DH and I always watch an episode of the Love Boat the night before we leave. It always puts us in the right frame of mind and allows us some pre-cruise cuddle time.

[delila-lu]

I love getting up super early in the morning so I can watch the local pilot leap out from the pilot boat and come aboard the ship to guide us into port. Afterwards, he leaps from the cruise ship back onto the pilot boat--

I feel like holding up scorecards---it's like watching a sport :)

 

I usually go to the fantail to see this, but on my very first cruise, when we stayed in a 2nd deck stateroom, I happened to look out of the porthole as I woke up just as the pilot boat was motoring alongside the ship- right at eye level...that was awesome timing!

[mr green]

OK I know it sounds silly, but, DH and I always watch an episode of the Love Boat the night before we leave. It always puts us in the right frame of mind and allows us some pre-cruise cuddle time.

 

We saw a lot of those on Coral Princess.:)

 

john

[thego6girl]

I love the way my clear little shoebag looks hanging over the front of the bathroom door with all my room-service tip envelopes, my sunscreen, and room key, etc. I love this because once that is "in place" I know we're really on a cruise!!!

[tgptmp]

There is so much to look forward to when cruising. Like others mentioned here--I love the bing/bong of the coming announcements on ship. It is a beautiful sound. I think the planning and looking forward to the cruise is half the fun. A couple of months out my wife and I create a list of what supplies need to be purchased and that process begins. I start going through clothes to make sure that I have all that I need. Then about a month out we start gathering clothes and supplies (that we won't use in the meantime) on the guestroom bed. About a week out we start finalizing this process and the day before I do all of the packing. I love this part of the cruise. Right now we are in the early stages of this process. As I type this we are 48 days out but will spend three nights on South Beach prior to sailing so in reality we are 45 days from leaving.

Another thing that we are looking forward to is that this time we are sailing with 3 other couples. Two of those couples have never cruised before. It has been fun sharing thier joy ( I very clearly remember the anticipation that I had leading up to my first cruise). I can't wait to see thier expressions when we first board.

[thego6girl]

There is so much to look forward to when cruising. Like others mentioned here--I love the bing/bong of the coming announcements on ship. It is a beautiful sound. I think the planning and looking forward to the cruise is half the fun. A couple of months out my wife and I create a list of what supplies need to be purchased and that process begins. I start going through clothes to make sure that I have all that I need. Then about a month out we start gathering clothes and supplies (that we won't use in the meantime) on the guestroom bed. About a week out we start finalizing this process and the day before I do all of the packing. I love this part of the cruise. Right now we are in the early stages of this process. As I type this we are 48 days out but will spend three nights on South Beach prior to sailing so in reality we are 45 days from leaving.

Another thing that we are looking forward to is that this time we are sailing with 3 other couples. Two of those couples have never cruised before. It has been fun sharing thier joy ( I very clearly remember the anticipation that I had leading up to my first cruise). I can't wait to see thier expressions when we first board.

 

 

I TOTALLY agree...the bong when you put your card into the security screener when you first get on the ship is the BEST sound ever!!!!!:)

[bundito]

Sorry if these have already been mentioned, or were mentioned 2+ years ago... :p

 

I am absolutely entranced by the GPS track of the ship. My wife laughs at me when she finds me up close to the TV, wishing it would zoom in. My cell phone has GPS and Google Maps - this might be the only valid reason to turn the thing on during the trip.

 

I also love coming back from dinner and/or the show and reading the next day's schedule and the newsletter. Even if we don't do much but sit around and relax, I love studying that schedule hoping to find an offbeat activity.

[Ben222]

Alright, this is probably a weird one...I don't know if it has been posted before but:

 

I look forward to watching the the shore excursion channel for the first time, and hearing that guy's distinctive voice that all the cruise lines use for those videos. Also, the elevator music played in the background of the videos. It officially confirms that I am on the cruise! Best channel on the ship, I tell you! :p LOL

 

But really, I could probably go on for hours about the odd things that I enjoy.

[kukaeatr]

Years ago I was outside the disco late at night and noticed like 6 wheel chairs and secuirty personal to go along with it. I must admit I closed the disco so plenty of alcohol was consumed. Since I was in a talkative and friendly mood (aka drunk) I asked one on of the security guys whats the deal with the wheel chairs? He said they are to make sure everyone gets back to there room safe. Even though most times I can walk to my room after a late night. I usually enjoy one sheel chair ride each cruise. Moral of the story, captain is driving the boat and the bar doesnt hardly ever stop serving so drink up and remember, instead of calling a cab when on shore, on a cruise ship when you have had to much to drink you can call a wheel chair!!!

[mrsneurotic]

I'm an early riser and I just love walking on the promenade deck totally alone and watching the sun come up. I find that to be a really important part of my cruise.

 

Me, too! My fav.

[GrammyJill]

I always call my stuck at home friends from the lido with a drink (or 3). Believe me they have called me when I was stuck at home too! I have made this a tradition now & I suppose it's a bit odd.

 

My 2nd oddity is I love seeing those lifejackets hanging in the closet. Means I'm on a ship!

[tgptmp]

I always call my stuck at home friends from the lido with a drink (or 3). Believe me they have called me when I was stuck at home too! I have made this a tradition now & I suppose it's a bit odd.

 

My 2nd oddity is I love seeing those lifejackets hanging in the closet. Means I'm on a ship!

 

 

I have to tell you---that is one great picture you have on there---I love it.

[MiamiSpartan]

One of the things I love is the whole process of getting to the port, experiencing all the excitement with everyone else who is glad to be on vacation, getting our Sign and Sale cards, walking up the ramp to the ship, and the first welcome onto the ship from the crew....

I love the first couple of hours of exploring the new ship, too, and trying to figure out the best places to people watch, the best theater seats, the best place for pre dinner cocktails, the best places to chill, the best places for post-dinner cocktails, etc.....

 

Just about 2 more weeks for me!!

[cupitt]

Getting into the lifts,pressing the button for deck 14(Princess) and hearing those magic words..Lido deck 14..an invitation to eat! Yum

[mumof3qts]

Gee, so many things I look forward too... the bell they ring before the captain speaks (at all hours)... the coffee room service first thing in the morning THEN having a proper breakfast later... the crossword puzzle table on HAL ships... meeting new friends every night at dinner... dropping my 7 yr old off in Club HAL and him begging, "please don't pick me up early mom"... spending hours looking for whales, dolphins etc... the slam of the cabin door... and finally, the all to unfamiliar and sometimes disconcerting feeling I have when we're "at sea" and I can't take customer calls, clean the house, fold laundry, drive to soccer, help with homework, pack a lunch or make a dinner! Ahem! Come on August 14th... next HAL cruise in the Baltic Sea then So. America and Antartica with the whole Fam Damily in December... Here's cheers!

[The Dragon]

looking at the menu at dinner on the first night and thinking, "ooh I can't choose" then realising that I don't have to!