Countdown to Cruise

The Quick Update on Goings On:

• I might have gallstones.  Ultrasound tomorrow to find out.
• Hubby is interviewing for new jobs but no word yet on how that is going
• Byron's ears are staying up!
• Bernie had a great vet checkup right before Christmas, results are all positive and she is very healthy
• Basil is getting ready for his first NADAC trial on the first weekend in February
• Can't believe the new year is already upon us
• Found out the lady I use for doggie boarding will feed raw so Bernie is in the clear when we go on vacation in March

 And that brings us to the main topic today, countdown to my cruise in March!  We took our first cruise last March and absolutely fell in love with cruising.  There were things we loved and hated about the cruise in general but for the most part I think it was the best vacation we've ever taken together for one big reason - I wasn't stressed out the whole time.  

In the past I've had major anxiety about going to new places and with a bit of therapy I've gotten better.  I still overplan to compensate and will have detailed driving directions, daily itineraries and books whenever we go somewhere new because I have a tendency to worry about being in a new place and not knowing where things are.  A cruise solves a lot of these problems.

For one, you are on a big ship when you aren't in port.  If you get lost, you can ask a trustworthy staff member for directions or reference one of the many maps posted around the ship.  (Heck, there is even an iPhone app with deck plans if you want it.)  You can't really get too lost as the ocean prevents that. 
When you are in port most people either stay in the port area or go out on a tour that is planned ahead of time.  For a Caribbean cruise you are generally on an island so again, it is hard to get TOO lost.  

Can you tell that getting lost was probably one of my greatest fears in life at one point in time?  Now, I don't really worry about it.   

During a cruise you generally don't have to drive, don't have to cook, don't have to clean (other than general picking up around your stateroom), don't have to wash clothes, don't have to answer a phone or e-mail and you don't have to worry about who fed the dog.  

This leaves you with a lot of free time.  I don't sleep well in strange places so during the cruise I didn't sleep a lot at night.  I woke up to watch the sun rise on our balcony most mornings which was nice.  I spent a lot of time on our balcony reading or relaxing.

The ports were fun to explore and we did one excursion last time which was a blast.  

Cruising is an easy vacation to plan and really relaxing once you get on the boat.  I'm a complete addict now.  We convinced two of our friends to go with us and we're working on convincing a few more.  For now - I'm counting down the days until we get to go.  Cruisecritic.com boards are keeping me sane until then.  :)