This is probably a silly post to most of you - especially the more veteran cruisers, but I need some ideas. I have quite literally 250 days, 15 hours, 47 minutes (per one of my two counters - three counters including Carnival's website counter God love 'em!) and counting until cruise day and I'm not sure how I'm going to contain all of this excitement - or perhaps even channel it into something more fun and productive.
So I was wondering, how do all of you pass the time until the big day?
AVandrie - You've got the incurable CRUISEBUG--If you visit cruise-chat.com often enough you will get enough of a dose of the cruisebug cure to tide you over..... You will need to do it on a daily basis!
You might try going over to your local library and picking up some travel books on the ports you'll be visiting! They help tremendously with vacation adventure planning.
Another thing you might try is haunting all the various cruise travel sites on the 'net....there's a whole host of them!! Explore them in detail...the ships...the lines....the ports...the cruise reviews..... and.....come here often!!!!
April 2010 will come quickly enough....plus you can start planning for the cruise to follow it!!!! It's good medicine for the cruisebug!!
It seems like forever when you're waiting. Then once you board, it seems like you blink you're eyes and it's over But in the meantime, I visit this site, I look at all the bridge cams I can find, I look at webcams at various ports, and drool over all the specials the various lines are offering. If I lived in South Florida, I'd be in BIG trouble. Some of the specials are amazing, heck I spend more at the grocery store than some of the 3 day cruises are going for. I also buy lottery tickets whenever I'm in Florida or Tennessee
I do the same thing. I read all I can about the ports and live vicariously through other people's cruises. The cruises are insanely cheap right now. I unfortunately had to change my Dream cruise for work reasons this morning. I booked the Fascination for the same amount of just my deposit on the Dream. I would still have rather paid the money and went on the Dream though.
I've already prepped DH that if this vacation goes over as well as I hope and suspect it will, we'd better start saving for the next so we can try out each ship. The Dream was definitely one I knew I wanted to try the moment I started reading up on it.
Cruise webcams... now that's a link I need! Any Carnival specific webcams, Baltimore port and/or Pride deck cams?
You guys are the best for providing an extra pair of "I can't stand it I'm so excited" ears. I think I've burned just about everyone else out here at home - except of course for the party we're traveling with.
I think the waiting is part of the fun. It gives you and your family something to look forward to, plan for, and get excited about. I love to have something planned all the time just for that reason. I need to plan another cruise soon..hopefully the Oasis of the Seas.
Dwayne!!!! NOOoooooo.... say it isn't so! I am so sorry you had to cancel your Dream cruise.... I thought you were a lucky dog to be able to book it in the first place... That is indeed a shame.
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================================================== ========== Carnival Cruise Lines:
Fantasy 90, Celebration 95, Victory 05, Conquest 05, Spirit 6/06, Freedom 6/08, Holiday 7/08, Victory 6/09, Valor 9/09, Dream 6/10, Splendor 8/10,Conquest 8/11,Magic 11/11,Triumph 4/12,Spirit 7/12,Freedom 11/12, Triumph 2/13 - The fire cruise
NCL Dream October 2006, RCCL Mariner OTS June 2007
Dwayne - I am deeply saddened by the news of your change in cruise plans. I know this was a much wanted cruise and one that really got you psyched up for!! On the brite side - you booked a replacement cruise - Congratulations!!!!!! As you well know - it is the best thing you can do!!! Plus - do I detect a hint that maybe...just maybe... you saved a wee bit too??? Good for you - and a smart move!!!
Thanks so much Penny, Jim, and Billy. This was a tough decision to make. After much debate and agonizing I came to the conclusion I needed to take a work opportunity that I was presented with for that time period. It does hurt quite a bit, but I had to do the smart thing. A very nice person returned a PM to me that I had titled My Dream Denied, and said to think of it as My Dream Deferred. I'm going to follow that excellent advice and set my sights for next spring.
Billy, I had to change to another cruise as I had the Early Saver rate. Either I changed it, or lost my deposit money. They made me pay the $50 change fee as an additional Administration charge, even though I had enough deposit to cover it for the substitute cruise. So I picked the cheapest and closest I could do time wise.
At least I know how that deal works now. The first person I talked with told me they would just deduct it from my deposit.
Again, thanks everyone! It means a lot to me. I'll just buck up and deal with this disappointment.
But in the meantime, I visit this site, I look at all the bridge cams I can find, I look at webcams at various ports, and drool over all the specials the various lines are offering. If I lived in South Florida, I'd be in BIG trouble. Some of the specials are amazing, heck I spend more at the grocery store than some of the 3 day cruises are going for. I also buy lottery tickets whenever I'm in Florida or Tennessee 
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