vllygrrl
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2001
- Messages
- 390
Hi all. I'm about going crazy here waiting out the 4+ looong months until our Land/Sea vacation. I know this board basically focuses on the cruise portion, so I hope you don't mind if I include the land too. I know I eagerly look for land/sea reports so I hope my experiences help someone else.
Let's start at the beginning. Last year the company I had worked for for 10+ years was purchased by a large German company, and I was out of a job
. Not to fear though, because my severance package took me through Halloween, and we had a big family trip to POR planned the week after Labor Day 
! Of course, as per usual I was the designated planner, which stressed me out far too much
because family members kept deciding at the last minute to join us. Let's just say that our meals were booked and rebooked several times before we landed on our final total of 16 people, no small feat during free dining 
. Everyone had a fabulous trip, but then it was back to reality. Out of work, I returned home to reality, and a job hunt
.
A little about us - we are a family of 3 including DH and DS4 who is an only but not necessarily by choice. DH is a police officer who works a rotating shift schedule that moves his hours forward by 8 every week, and changes his days off any other week. This means that there is only one week every 3 months that we can act like a "normal" family - both work during the day, come home, have dinner, and spend the weekend together. Needless to say, we enjoy our vacation time, and make it a priority over other things. We cut back on what we need to in order to go, and not only go, but go in style. I was raised in a frugal family, and it sometimes bugs me out to see what our upfront costs are before we leave, but I never end up regretting a single thing.
So, back to reality in NJ - it's the week after we've come home, and I'm in a world of visits to unemployment, recruiters, resumes etc.
Imagine my surprise when DH decides that now is the time to book a land/sea vacation....albeit 15 months away ! Within a day, I have the reservation all taken care of - miracle of miracles (or perhaps the fact that we are booking the darn trip so far in advance that we might possibly be the only ones on it at this point 
) - we manage to snag one of the category 7 staterooms with the clear balcony
. When I try to express my joy to DH, he just gives me a blank stare until I explain to him that there are only 4 rooms like this on the entire ship. Then, he joins my happy dance and we act like idiots 
for the next few minutes until the reality that we have 15 months in NJ until we get to see the coveted room...
Let's start at the beginning. Last year the company I had worked for for 10+ years was purchased by a large German company, and I was out of a job
. Not to fear though, because my severance package took me through Halloween, and we had a big family trip to POR planned the week after Labor Day ! Of course, as per usual I was the designated planner, which stressed me out far too much because family members kept deciding at the last minute to join us. Let's just say that our meals were booked and rebooked several times before we landed on our final total of 16 people, no small feat during free dining . Everyone had a fabulous trip, but then it was back to reality. Out of work, I returned home to reality, and a job hunt .A little about us - we are a family of 3 including DH and DS4 who is an only but not necessarily by choice. DH is a police officer who works a rotating shift schedule that moves his hours forward by 8 every week, and changes his days off any other week. This means that there is only one week every 3 months that we can act like a "normal" family - both work during the day, come home, have dinner, and spend the weekend together. Needless to say, we enjoy our vacation time, and make it a priority over other things. We cut back on what we need to in order to go, and not only go, but go in style. I was raised in a frugal family, and it sometimes bugs me out to see what our upfront costs are before we leave, but I never end up regretting a single thing.
So, back to reality in NJ - it's the week after we've come home, and I'm in a world of visits to unemployment, recruiters, resumes etc.
Imagine my surprise when DH decides that now is the time to book a land/sea vacation....albeit 15 months away ! Within a day, I have the reservation all taken care of - miracle of miracles (or perhaps the fact that we are booking the darn trip so far in advance that we might possibly be the only ones on it at this point ) - we manage to snag one of the category 7 staterooms with the clear balcony . When I try to express my joy to DH, he just gives me a blank stare until I explain to him that there are only 4 rooms like this on the entire ship. Then, he joins my happy dance and we act like idiots for the next few minutes until the reality that we have 15 months in NJ until we get to see the coveted room...
. Fortunately, DH has great benefits, so there is no worry on that side of things. Unfortunately, we are climbing out from a mountain of debt so it is critical that I show up to work every day. The company is very generous with holidays though, that I don't get paid for, so we've had our share of budgeting challenges. The end of this year is going to get real interesting - DH and I are both losing weight, so clothes will be a factor (we rarely shop for ourselves), we have the holidays to buy gifts for (again - we don't buy for ourselves, but DS4 and our large family all get gifts). Now, in addition to those expenses, we have to figure in spending money for the trip and the fact that I will be missing 8 days of work (we leave the day after Thanksgiving, and come back on a Monday). I've started making some extra $$ with ChaCha, hoping to use that strictly for our spending money on vacation.
. I remember driving trips where we would drive until very late at night in order to find a motel for the night with a rate low enough to please him, and they were not the nicest of places. I immediately knew that there was no possible way that he would be convinced to go with the price of a balcony cabin, so I found the cheapest guarantee package and presented him with that. Little did I know that cost was no object when it came to his grandson, the little prince
! DS4 is their only grandchild, and quite possibly could stay that way. Therefore, they spoil that child rotten, giving to him all that they could not give us when we were young. Realizing that this was the last opportunity to go on an off week before DS4 begins kindergarten next year, Papa called to say come on over and book it. Then, while I was at the computer he confessed his secret desire to stay at a monorail resort and, taking complete leave of his senses in a moment of insanity, tells me to book them the same package we got - category 7, staying at the Polynesian!
...
I remember spending freezes from September-December - we were allowed to buy things, but they were put away for Christmas. My parents booked their trip in December, added on the dining plan in March, and I still haven't wrapped my brain around the whole thing! Of course, he is giving me a hard time about the $184/night suite that I booked for the night we arrive in Orlando - even though it fits all 6 of us and I'm paying with Marriott Rewards Certificates so it's not costing a penny
.
. Sunday we will check into the Poly and truly begin our vacation. Great!
. Amtrak made DSis and I actually go to the station together to change the names on our tickets - and it turned out to be an unnecessary trip because the agent didn't care if we were both there or not. 
