Anybody else second guess all their plans??

[Laurabearz]

I am driving myself crazy! This is a silly rant and I will get over it... but I think there are others out there that have gone off the deep end too (right?)

So many options so little time.

Currently this nanosecond I am debating the time to get to the port... I have things set up to get there right around 1030. Which means we have a wait time AT the port of and hour (best case) to two hours...

We are in a Suite, so we have a seperate check in, so I dont expect check in will take very long... and we are amoung the first to board, regardless of when we arrive at the port.

Yeah I know there are lovely photo ops in the terminal, but really an HOURS worth? My family does best if they are moving.. not sitting around waiting...

We are having breakfast at Chef Mickey's that morning, so now I am thinking, kill a bit of time at the contempory gift shops and trying to catch a peek at the new DVC at the CR (giggle)

I guess we will split the difference... I mean it's no real biggie either way, but it's the whole process of second guessing.

- sigh -

I will get over it. Everyone should have my problems

 

[mmouse37]

I am driving myself crazy! This is a silly rant and I will get over it... but I think there are others out there that have gone off the deep end too (right?)

So many options so little time.

Currently this nanosecond I am debating the time to get to the port... I have things set up to get there right around 1030. Which means we have a wait time AT the port of and hour (best case) to two hours...

We are in a Suite, so we have a seperate check in, so I dont expect check in will take very long... and we are amoung the first to board, regardless of when we arrive at the port.

Yeah I know there are lovely photo ops in the terminal, but really an HOURS worth? My family does best if they are moving.. not sitting around waiting...

We are having breakfast at Chef Mickey's that morning, so now I am thinking, kill a bit of time at the contempory gift shops and trying to catch a peek at the new DVC at the CR (giggle)

I guess we will split the difference... I mean it's no real biggie either way, but it's the whole process of second guessing.

- sigh -

I will get over it. Everyone should have my problems

I don't think suite guests have separate check-in....they have separate boarding (they board first, after the handicapped).

I believe everyone has the same check-in line (there is a separate line for Castaway Club members but that line is usually longer than the regular line).

I think either of your plans sounds fine....we ALWAYS get to the port when it open as it builds the excitement for me and I like to spend as much time on the ship as possible. I like spending time at the terminal and watching all the goings on.

 

[Laurabearz]

I think either of your plans sounds fine....we ALWAYS get to the port when it open as it builds the excitement for me and I like to spend as much time on the ship as possible. I like spending time at the terminal and watching all the goings on.

I would like to spend thime there too, people watching, plus there is a big DIS group going, Trouble is the kids... (8,6,4, and 45) are not as laid back as myself. It's them I am worried about.

But this post really isn't about what time to get to the port, it's more the feelings of conflicts as the all the choices I have made for my family.

Did I book my massages at a good time, will Palo brunch timing work out, should we rent electic cars in key west of the jump off trolly tour, is the pirate encounter the right excruision for the family or would stingray city be better, and so on and so on and so on.

I must add that once the trip starts, I go with the flow and I am not uptight about anything, but BEFORE trips.... I fret a lot

 

[Magic Family]

Oh, yeah...and really turning obsessive compulsive over the whole thing. Should I have dropped the extra money to get a verandah (we don't have one)? Will the kids enjoy it? Will my mom be comfortable on this excursion or that? Am I spending too much money?!

I only hope I can relax and let it all go once I'm there! This is, after all, supposed to be my vacation too.

 

[poohs4me]

I am with you I second, third and fourth guess my self every vacation I chose. Did I pre-book enough things or did I overbook us? Should we get there early or late? Is everyone in our party going to like the category I selected? Should I order a special in-room gift for the kid? If I do that should I get one for Dbf.

I am constantly annoying DBf with my questions of what if. Eventually I just over obsess alone.

 

[jrabbit]

Re: arrival time...Do you get to the parks before they are open so that you can get it and do several of the attractions before lines build up? If yes, then same for the cruise, but if your answer is no, get to the port early anyway - Breakfast w/ Mickey, check out of the room, head on over to the port.

RE: the antsy kiddo's - once the characters start comming into the terminal, they will have something to do. It's been years since we boarded at PC (LA and Barcelona for the past two cruises) but they used to have TV's with Mickey, Donald and Goofy cartoons playing (I'm around 50 and I enjoy the cartoons - kids these days might not be so interested).

RE: Second guessing your choices -- Only you know what you want to do and what your family wants. Remember, there really is no such thing as "Perfect" and that seems to be what you are trying to plan. And the two absolute hardest things about a DCL cruise: no matter what you choose to do (and when), you are choosing not to do something else you want to do (You CAN'T do it all -- Don't try) and the second thing is leaving the ship that last day

BTW: Have a Great Cruise!

 

[jrabbit]

Bottom Line:

There's the cruise and then there's the stuff.

I don't need: Palo, a verandah or porthole to have a great vacation. I don't worry about dinning rotation (they are all great). I don't need (nor want) a gift basket with more goodies - there's plenty of "free" food on board.

Excursions - yep we do them - but we don't worry if we got the best/perfect one - we usually have a hard time picking THE excursion for each port from the top 5 choices.

Being on the ship with my family, being taken care of very well by the wait staff, stewards, cruise staff, entertainment and everyone else involved in making the magic is what makes the cruise special and keeps us comming back.

Lastly, I avoid "expectation inflation" - I've been on 5 cruises with DCL and I've had my share of the "magic". I've read all of the cool things that have happened to others on their cruises. I don't go looking for those things to happen to me - 'cause looking for the magic and checking it off of your "to do" list isn't really magic, it's ho hum "that was supposed to happen" and you will miss out on the really fun stuff that can just happen for you.

Relax, you can't preplan every second of your trip (easy for me to say now that my 4 week european vacation is over). Book what you want, for when you want it, then don't worry about your plans. Go, Have FUN!!! Because that's what vacation is really about.

 

[101DalmFan]

I too used to plan every detail of every vacation. Kind of like the "I've spent all this money so I want to make sure every minute counts!" attitude. So I understand completely. I even had stuff timed -- let's get to the park at such-and-such a time, we must eat lunch at such-and-such a time etc etc.

But here's a little perspective: last year I went on my first-ever cruise, the 11-night DCL southern caribbean. My girlfriend and I booked it extremely last-minute, I think 3 weeks out. So I had hardly any time to worry about details. We just went with the flow. And you know what? Everything worked out way beyond my (limited) expectations. True, we didn't get to port early in the morning -- but when we got there, we just waltzed right on the ship. Again, while we weren't first onboard, we still managed to snag both dinner and brunch at Palo, at times that really suited us too. No pre-booked excursions, but we hooked up with our tablemates and ended up doing some private island tours with them, and had great fun. We had no idea what room we'd end up with (it was a Cat 9 GTY) and so were pleasantly surprised at our great stateroom. I thought the bus ride from MCO to the port would be boring so again we were pleasantly surprised by the little pre-cruise Disney film highlighting the cruise shown onboard the bus.

I could go on and on and on. My point is that your experience will be absolutely delightful no matter what your plans are. It seems your biggest worry is keeping your kids occupied at the port? When we got there last year, Captain Mickey was there too! Definitely an antidote for boredom! And there will be other kids waiting as well and who knows -- your kids might make some pre-boarding friends?

Relax and ENJOY! You're going to have a wonderful family vacation

 

[outahere]

I don't think suite guests have separate check-in....they have separate boarding (they board first, after the handicapped).

Actually, there is a Concierge check in. It is at the far right end of the desk, right next to the Supervisor's station. Once they check you in, they come out and escort you to the waiting area, or take you to the head of the line if boarding has already begun. We've checked in there 4 times, and had the same person check us in 2 out of the 4 times.

 

[MBPrincessMoM]

Yes the special check in is wonderful. They totally take care of you in the terminal. We always go early and get on first. We always bring our suits and go straight to the pool with the kids. It is the best hour or two of pool time while everyone else comes on board. Send one adult down to the "reception" to deal with whatever you need to with the conceirge.

 

[slindamood]

Go with what is best for your family. There is no one right way to cruise or to spend embarkation day.

On our cruise last November, we discovered that we liked arriving at the terminal just after eveyone had boarded. We were a large family group and the timing was not our choice set according to the last flight arriving that day.

So - arriving at the port about 1 PM, checked right in, spent a little time talking with family members, seeing a character or two, then leisurely walking onto the ship when we decided we were ready. Had a nice group photo taken with a photographer with plenty of time, then to Parrot Cay then rooms were ready.

Now some people like the excitement, but others do better in a calm and speedy boarding. We found we are the latter, as did a few other surprised family members.

 

[yndygo]

yep... totally normal for some of us! The second-guessing (and third and ninth!) is just part of my make-up.

Part of the reason that I restrict myself from coming to the boards to discuss a cruise outside the 90-day window... because otherwise I'm 'rethinking' everything all the time... 3 months of that is enough for anyone!