Carnival Dream 2021 Precruise #2, 200-Day Countdown

We are now at our 200-day countdown. Normally I would be diligently making out our packing lists, to-do lists, and checking hotel rates daily. Although I have been checking hotel rates, I have not made any reservations as I know changes are coming. I just do not know when. So, we are basically in a holding pattern.

While in this holding pattern, I have discussed with my husband our options when the time comes. Depending on how the cruise is changed, we are considering changing to the Carnival Vista in March, 2022.

And so, we wait. I consider our options for other things to do in August.

Carnival Dream 2021 Precruise: #1 How did this happen?

In all honesty, we were not expecting our cruise on the Carnival Radiance to be cancelled. And yet, here we are!!! We totally understand the reason for the cancellation and we our looking forward to our next cruise leaving in exactly one year.

But let’s look back on how everything has changed since our original cruise…

On November 15, 2019, I booked an 8-day cruise on Carnival Freedom leaving out of Galveston on August 29, 2020. This was booked as a surprise for my husband even though I was sharing information with him one evening. At the time I booked, there was a $50 deposit sale going on so it was a perfect time to book. A couple of days after I booked the cruise, we had family birthday lunch at his sisters house. I asked her to give him his present from me to him so he wouldn’t suspect anything. But somehow, when he was given his “gift” he knew it was something from me. He was happy that we would be going to different ports for us and on a ship we had not been on. The ports of call would be Key West, Freeport, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau. Now all we had to do was wait for August 29, 2020 to get here. Or so we thought.

Then COVID-19 happened and everything we knew started to change everywhere. Cruise lines started cancelling cruises. People had to wear masks in public. People were asked to stay home. We sat and watched thinking we would be in the clear since our cruise was several months away. But just in case, I started looking at options for next year and even posted the options on our refrigerator so we could look at the list whenever wanted to. Occasionally we would talk about the options, but we still had hopes that we would be going on our Carnival Freedom cruise. We were wrong.

On June 22, 2020, we received an email from Carnival letting us know that our cruise had been cancelled. We were given options and decided we would rebook for August 20, 2021 on the Carnival Radiance, selecting a 9-day cruise going to Key West, Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau. The only think left to do was to wait for FTTF to become available to think about excursions. There was nothing else to worry about. Or so we thought.

On July 23, 2020, we received an email stating our Carnival Radiance cruise had been cancelled. This is something we were not expecting at all. I sent Jim a text letting him know that the cruise on the Carnival Radiance had been cancelled and we would need to think about our options for re-booking. By the time he got home, I had a list of our options listed by length of cruise.

Option 1 – 6-day cruise on the Carnival Dream going to Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel leaving Galveston on August 22, 2021.

Option 2 – 6-day cruise on the Carnival Dream going to Costa Maya, Mahogany Bay, And Cozumel leaving Galveston on August 8, 2021.

Option 3 – 7-day cruise on the Carnival Vista going to Mahogany Bay, Belize, and Cozumel leaving Galveston on August 28, 2021.

Option 4 – 7-day cruise on the Carnival Vista going to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel leaving Galveston on August 21, 2021.

Option 5 – 8-day cruise on the Carnival Dream going to Key West, Freeport, Half Moon Cay, and Nassau leaving Galveston on August 28, 2021.

While I was waiting for Jim to get home, I sent an email to our PVP, Josh Waitzman, to let him know that we would know what cruise we would want to change to by 6pm. I had a feeling in knew which one Jim would want to pick to I started looking at the available staterooms. I narrowed it down to either an interior with walkview or a balcony stateroom with an extra large balcony.

Once Jim got home and we talked about the options for maybe 5 minutes, I was ready to speak to our PVP and sent him an email letting him know we knew what we want!!! We had decided on the 8-day Carnival Dream selecting an balcony stateroom with the extra large balcony. True to form, Josh sent me an email letting me know he would be calling me shortly. Within 30 minutes, he called and everything was transferred to the new cruise! Our PVP makes everything thing happen to effortlessly. Plus he is so fun to talk to!!!

On July 24th, I sent an email to the Port of Galveston requesting to transfer our parking reservation hoping that this will be the last time I have to do this. To my surprise, I received a response within an hour with the new information for our parking reservation. I was also able to purchase Faster to the Fun. Today was definitely a good day!!! Then on August 4th, I booked a cabana for our time in Half Moon Cay. I decided that I really didn’t want to take a chance of waiting and then not being available.

Now we wait one year for our cruise. During this time, we will consider our excursion options for Key West, Freeport, and Nassau. I will also be watching for hotel options for our pre-cruise stay and will make endless to-do lists and packing lists. Luckily I know how time flies and before we know it, we will once again be boarding the Carnival Dream for another fabulous cruise.

Happy New Year! 2019 in review.

Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a wonderful time over the holidays.

I thought I would have my first blog of the year 2020 be a review of the highs and lows of 2019 that I encountered.

It seems that my life was rather boring during the first half of the year, but things really picked up when the countdown to our August Carnival Dream cruise got near. Of course, things were really busy leading up to the cruise and we truly enjoyed our time away. I plan on doing a more in depth review of our cruise including the scrapbook pages I will be making to coincide with this cruise.

Immediately following this cruise, sometime in late August, early September, my mother fell in her apartment while trying to reach something in the cabinet above the refrigerator. It is important to know that my mother has vascular dementia and she definitely does not think things through. By this I mean, she was using a dining room chair with rollers to try to reach whatever it was that she was looking for and fell. She finally told me about her fall several days later when her back was hurting her so bad, she could not stand the pain. I took her to the emergency room to be evaluated and she ended up there for several days then transferred to a rehab facility. Needless-to-say, she has now been moved to an assisted living facility less than a mile from the house. Definitely the first low point of the year.

At least the month of September ended with a celebration for my youngest granddaughter’s 3rd birthday! She is just so precious to us.

Then October rolled around and my husband had another birthday. So what did we do? We spent time cleaning out my mothers old apartment!!! It was a family affair and it took a lot of work. I can honestly say my house is busting at the seems. Well, at least my craffice is, LOL

Up next for October, my one and only grandson broke his arm. His right arm. The one he uses for everything. He was definitely a trooper during the entire experience and we are so grateful that he did not have to have surgery. Being the Mimi that I am, I immediately went to the store and got him one of the large pie size cookies for him to enjoy.

Unfortunately, October didn’t end so well as my first granddaughter had to have an emergency appendectomy. And to make matters worse for her and her mother (my daughter) was very sick and not able to take her to the hospital. I was more than happy to take her and make sure she got the proper care she needed. The procedure was done as an outpatient so she was able to go home after she started to come out of the anesthesia.

99CD336E-15A4-465F-81F5-2FAFD73E93A2

On November 15th, I booked another cruise. This time we will be going on an 8-night cruise on the Carnival Freedom. I was so excited to book this cruise and I was able to keep it a secret until we had family birthdays with his family on November 17th. I asked his sister Sharon to give him a folder that had the cruise information in it. He had no idea. This will be the second cruise we have gone on that does not go to Cozumel. But it is also an itinerary we have never done.

2483BEF7-9B4C-47EE-8ABD-E7B80A0220FD

Thanksgiving was spent decorating my mothers apartment for Christmas while she was at her sister’s apartment. I am so happy she loved how everything turned out. I made the garlands that were on her front door and over her windows.

What is December without taking your fur babies to have a picture made with Santa???? Somehow I didn’t get very many pictures of Christmas, but I do know that we had a wonderful day spent with family.

1F4752E8-9EF5-4231-AF99-D9FA64BD938F

Which brings us to today. And the only thing I can say about today is that I have re-started Noom. And I had to work. But that’s ok. I love my job. My plans for the new year are to work on scrapbook pages, take more pictures, and enjoy every day.

Carnival Dream 2019 – Precruise#7: Evening Attire

First, let me apologize for this blog being late. Sunday we celebrated my mother’s birthday and I had my daughter take some pictures of my husband and I in our evening attire. While the pictures came out okay, I wasn’t happy with the way some of the clothes made me look so I had to re-think a couple of outfits. Which meant I had to retake photos. I will post the ones my daughter took but please be kind. It was hot, the clothes still need to be ironed, and there was a party going on inside my mothers very small apartment. Now, on with the post!!!!

We are 6 weeks away from sail-away!!!! The next 42 days will go by very fast and I feel like I still have a lot to do!!! Clothes need to be ironed. Others need to go to the cleaners. And of course, there is still the stop at Spec’s for our champagne and wine we will be carrying on board!!!!

There is something you should know about me before I continue. I love to get dressed for dinner. Not necessarily over-the-top dressed up, but something I would not consider wearing after dinner. So, after dinner I change into something more comfortable for any situation such as mini golf, movies under the stars, piano bar cocktails, or giving money to the casino. Most nights, with the exception of the first night, I will have 2 evening outfits. I’m old and set in my ways so please bear with me.

Dinner the first night usually means the photography staff will come to each table and take your picture with a pirate!!!! Since we are celebrating the 17th anniversary of our honeymoon cruise, we will not be wearing the clothes we wear when we take our embarkation photo. Instead, we will wearing something casual and comfy. This is our choice… okay, it’s my choice and it is what we WILL be doing, LOL! Tonight I will be wearing an asymmetrical top in shades of blue, turquoise, and white with a pair of white capris, white sandals, and a necklace and earrings in a shade of turquoise. Jim will be wearing khaki’s and a light green golf shirt. My top and capris are from Steinmart, sandals are from Amazon, and the necklace and earrings are from BaubleBar. Jims shirt is from Amazon. He’s had his pants for so long, I do not know where they are from. Could be Dillards, could be Ross, and it could be Burlington’s. I just do not know about any of his pants or shorts. I can only account for this golf shirts!!!!

Cruise Elegant Night!!!!! I love this night!!! I like to be able to get dressed up since I rarely do it at home and I definitely do not do it for work. Tonight I will be wearing a white one shoulder jumpsuit and a pair of black heels, both from Venus.com. The jewelry I will be wearing is a black and gold braided necklace I found on Amazon and some black earrings I picked up at Charming Charlie. Jim will be wearing a blue and white shirt and navy slacks or maybe his khaki slacks. We will be dressy but not formal by any stretch of the imagination.

After dinner I will be wearing a tan colored halter with some bling to it and black capris I purchased at Venus.com. The earrings I will be wearing were purchased at one of those jewelry home show things, but I do not remember which one. I will also be wearing black flip-flops. I will need some comfy shoes after wearing heals for a few hours!!!! Jim will be changing into a red golf shirt and shorts.

Recovering from a day in Cozumel means light, comfy clothes that is something we would wear out to dinner if we were at home. I will be wearing a cream colored top from StitchFix that I am pairing with a tan and white very narrow stripe capris that I purchased at Steinmart. Tan sandals are from Amazon. Earrings from BaubleBar and necklace from Amazon. Jim will be wearing a gray golf shirt from Amazon with a pair of slacks.

After dinner I will be changing into my white capris and a blue and white stripe top with pink flamingos. Of course I will be wearing white flip flops I bought at DSW. And lets not forget the pink flamingo earrings from BaubleBar and the pink flamingo necklace from Charming Charlie. Jim will switch his slacks for a pair of shorts!

Since we have no plans for Progreso, I have chosen this night for a dinner in the steakhouse. This will be our first time to go to the steakhouse that Carnival Cruise Line has. I am beyond excited to do it on this cruise!!! I will be wearing a navy floral maxi dress from StitchFix, with pink wedges from Payless Shoe Source, a necklace with a pink drop that I think I purchased from Charming Charlie online, and pink earrings from BaubleBar. Jim will be wearing either a teal golf shirt from Amazon or a short sleeve button down shirt and slacks. Maybe you can help us decide which one he should wear.

After dinner I will be changing into a blue, black, and white halter and black capris along with black drop earrings and black flip flops. Jim will be changing into shorts and depending on which shirt he wears to dinner, he might be changing into a golf shirt as well.

Our last dinner on the ship is always so sad for me. But that doesn’t mean I will not dress comfortably. Tonight I am planning on wearing a white and blue stripe jumpsuit I purchased at Steinmart with white sandals from Amazon. The jewelry I will be wearing is also from Steinmart. Jim will be wearing a blue and white stripe golf shirt from Amazon and slacks.

No doubt, after dinner we will be changing one last time. I will be changing into a pair of blue capris from Steinmart and a tropical print halter from Venus.com, White flip flops and blue earrings will round out my after dinner outfit. Jim will obviously change into a pair of shorts.

For my own peace of mind, I am also taking a couple of dresses should I decide I do not want to wear the dinner outfits I have selected. Both dresses were purchased at Steinmart. At least I will have an option for the drive home after the cruise and the force us off the ship.

The first dress is a navy tank top dress with a gold anchor on it that come just below my knees. If you know me, you know I love anchors!!!! I will be wearing it with navy canvas shoes from Target, gold earrings, and white bracelet with an anchor on it and another bracelet with a blue and white anchor all from Charming Charlie.

The other dress is a bit over the knees and very flows beautifully. It is a precious tropical type print and I will be wearing it with gold earrings and my white sandals.

On the drive home, Jim will be wearing a blue golf shirt and shorts. Please note that this is the last golf shirt I have packed for him!!!

As you can see, I am definitely an over-packer. But this time, if I have planned everything correctly, I should only be coming home with one outfit that I did not wear.

Next week, precruise blog #8 will be what we have in our first aid kit.

Carnival Dream 2019 – Precruise #6: Daytime attire.

We are down to 7 weeks precruise!!! I have a very specific way to selecting my clothing for a cruise. This includes writing down every day and dividing it by day and evening. I do this in hopes of not over-packing, but I still do. So this blog post will concentrate on what I will be wearing during the day beginning with the first sea day.

On the first sea day, which is sometimes referred to the first full cruise day, I know my hubby and I will be going to the Sea Day Brunch so I will definitely be dressed casually knowing that after brunch, I will be running to our stateroom to change in to my swimsuit so I can soak up some sun. Today I will be wearing a white t-shirt with VACATION across the front. It is a v-neck with a criss-cross design, some pinkish shorts, a rose-gold with pink and crystals necklace and earring set and flip flops. The shirt was in a Stitch Fix box from last year, the shorts are a recent purchase from Steinmart, the jewelry is from Amazon, and the flip flops are from DSW I made last year.

On our second full cruise day, we will be docking in Cozumel. We have been there so many times and we know exactly what we want to do. Today I will be wearing a pink t-shirt that says FIESTA THEN SIESTA, some denim shorts, flamingo earrings and necklace, and black blingy flip flops. The shirt was purchased last year from Old Navy, denim shorts were in a Stitch Fix box from last year, flamingo earrings are from BaubleBar, flamingo necklace is from Charming Charlie, and flip flops were purchased years ago from Academy.

The third full cruise day will find us in Progreso. This will be our fifth time here (I think). The only thing we are planning on doing is shopping around the pier then returning to the ship to explore and take pictures. And also to spend time in the sun and on the water slides. Today I will be wearing a green t-shirt, floral patterned shorts, a palm leaf necklace with gold earrings, and the blingy black flip flops. The shirts and shorts were purchased from Old Navy, the necklace and earrings are from Charming Charlie.

On our last day on the ship, a sea day, I will be wearing a navy shirt with criss cross v-neck, navy shorts with white anchors, a white beaded necklace with white earrings, and white flip flops. The shirt is from Amazon, the shorts are from Steinmart, the necklace was in a Stitch Fix box last year, and the earrings are from Charming Charlie.

As for my husband, he will be wearing a selection of shirts I have chosen for the daytime and shorts. I do not know where the shirts or shorts are from.

There is a good chance this could change as I am currently looking at options on Amazon!!! I guess I was giving myself false hope of having finished my Amazon shopping!

The next blog, precruise #8 will have our evening attire which includes what I will be wearing for dinner and what I may or may not change into after dinner. That all depends on our plans!!!

Carnival Dream 2019 – Precruise #5… The sunny side of cruising!

We are down to 8 weeks until our ship sets sail! Time is really flying by!!!!

Working from home, there is very little time for me to spend in the sun. Often when I am outside, the heat and humidity does not play nice with my COPD. But that’s okay. One thing I truly enjoy about cruising is spending time in the sun and breathing in the warm salt air. I rarely have to use my rescue inhaler on a cruise unless I’m in an elevator with people who apply their perfume rather heavily. My mother was guilty of that on our Carnival Vista cruise. I survived by using the stairs which we typically do most of the time any way.

Part of being in the sun means using sunscreen. While I prefer the lower number SPF, my hubby like the higher number. I will be using Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch lotion sunscreen with an SPF of 15 and also Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration with an SPF of 30. I love the Hawaiian Tropic line of sunscreen products. I particularly love the lotion and the spray sunscreens. So easy to apply and goes on smoothly. Jim will be using NO-AD with an SPF of 60 and Coppertone Sport with an SPF of 100. When we have finished soaking of the sun for the day, we will be using Banana Boat Aloe After Sun lotion. I have been using this for several years. I love the way it feels on my skin and is not greasy like some can be.

Jim and I will be taking 3 swimsuits. I will also be taking 3 swimsuit cover-ups while Jim will be wearing t-shirts over his.

Of course, there are other necessities one should have while relaxing in the sun. You will need your camera or cell phone to take pictures of things going on around you. We have a water proof cases we purchased in the Cherry On Top while we were on the Carnival Vista. We will be using them again on this cruise!!! Make sure you have a Watching the water can be mesmerizing. We also make sure we have our Boca Clips so our beach towels will stay in place. We also have battery operated fans with us to keep the air flowing nicely. Don’t forget your flip flops or water shoes. The deck gets hot and your feet will not like it!!!! Protect the top of your head with a hat. I like to bring a book to read while I’m lounging on deck. I’m old school in that area and will be bring a paperback book on this cruise. This cruise I will be reading The Summer Sail by Wendy Francis. O will have my Tervis cup with me so I can stay hydrated while Jim will be using his bubba mug!! We take these with us on every cruise!!!

If we decide to go to The Melia Golf and Beach Resort for the day when we are in Cozumel, I will be using this beach bag to carry our stuff in. It should hold all of our things in it easily. If we go there, I’m sure we will be spending a majority of our time at the swim-up bar or the beach bar. It will just depend on where our favorite bartender is!

For now, this is all I can think of that we will be using while we are in the sun. There is a possibility that I might be bringing our own beach towels. I just have not decided for sure at this point.

If you have any suggestions on things I can add to the list of my haves while being in the sun, please let me know. I’m always looking for suggestions and to try other products.

Carnival Dream 2019 – Precruise #4: My Amazon purchases for this cruise.

Amazon Prime can be dangerous and oh so much fun! I’m figuring this out now that our countdown is at 9 weeks. At least I haven’t had to dip into our cruise fund to pay for any purchases!

Since we decided that we want to TRY to do carry-on only, I decided that I would need to make a few LUGGAGE type purchases. In browsing the many options on Amazon, I decided that I wanted to get 2 bags that have a sleeve that goes over standard luggage handles (1 for Jim and 1 for me), 1 rolling duffel bag for myself since I bought one last year for Jim at Costco, a travel toiletry bag for Jim, and packing cubes for both of us. I purchased some last year but I wasn’t thrilled with them over-all. Please excuse the wrinkles in all clothing purchased. I promise they will be wrinkle free when we cruise. Know that I’m just not in the mood to drag out the iron and ironing board at the moment. But I will when we get closer to our travel date.

BAOSHA HB-29 Ladies woven canvas travel weekender in blue dots. Sold by: BAOSHA. Dimensions are 16″ x 12″ x 8″.

Canway 65L Travel duffel bag in Heron Gray. Sold by Crdc. It is waterproof and tear resistant. Dimensions are 26.3″ x 13.7″ x 12.2″. Folded size 10.6″ x 9.4″ x 3.9″.

Olympia luggage 29″ 8 pocket rolling duffel bag in navy. Sold by Amazon.com Services Inc.

Travel toiletry bag with 3 zippered compartments. Sold by IQTRAVELS.

6 Set packing cubes in 3 various sizes. One set is in navy dots, the other set is black. Sold by Bagail. Dimensions are: large – 17.5″ x 13.7″ x 4″, medium – 13.7″ x 9.8″ x 4″, and small – 13.7″ x 5″ x 4″. Obviously our Shih Tzu/Bichon mix knows something is up as he has managed to make his appearance known.

My hope is that we put all of this to use and our plan for carry-on only works!

Another couple of items I was looking for were power strips that did not have a surge protector. I found 2 and since I could decide on which one, I purchased both. Now we will be able to try them both out and see which will work best for us.

Cruise power strip with 3 USB charging ports and 3 outlets. Sold by Surge Pro Source.

Cruise power strip with 3 outlets and 2 USB charging ports. Sold by TROND Official.

I am really looking forward to trying both out. Have no fear, we will definitely review them in our post-cruise blogs.

Something I have never purchased before on Amazon is polo/golf shirts for my hubby. I decided, now would be a good time to see what I could find and get him a few. Well that few turned into 6. He definitely needs new shirts since he wears them daily for work. The new shirts are now set aside for the cruise.

3 Amazon Essentials men’s regular-fit, quick-dry golf polo shirts in size XX-Large. One in aqua, one in deep teal, and one red stripe. Sold by Amazon.com Services Inc.

Dockers men’s short sleeve performance polo in nebula blue, size XX-Large. Sold by Amazon.com Services Inc.

WANNEW polo shirt, short sleeve, regular-fit, size XXL in gray. Sold by WANNEW-USA.

IZOD mens golf clubhouse short sleeve stripe polo, size XX-Large in placid blue. Sold by Amazon.com Services, Inc.

And then I started getting things for me. No doubt I went over-board. But I’m sure there is a reason for my madness!

Two clothing items were purchased, one swimsuit cover-up and one shirt. Not bad, right?

TECREW women’s sleeveless beach dress, size large, in white. Sold by Tecrew.

Sipaya tops for women criss cross short sleeve t-shirt, size large, in navy blue. Sold by Sipaya.

And, of course, I would also need shoes. As you will see, I bought a pair of water shoes. My plan is to wear these while catching rays on deck. Jim and I both have water shoes that we always use when we go to the beach in Cozumel.

Water shoes, quick dry in blue/pink. Sold by SNH_cbinet.

Guilty Shoes Fifi-1 white. Sold by Guilty Shoes.

Guilty Shoes Ruby-61 Tan6. Sold by Guilty Shoes.

And then came the jewelry. Now this is where the method to my madness come into play. My theory is that I do not want to travel with jewelry that is expensive to replace if lost or stolen. I like to find quality costume jewelry pieces that will not break the bank if they are misplaced. With that in mind, these are the pieces I purchased.

Tassel pendant necklace. Sold by Urwomin. This piece was specifically purchased to go with a pair of earrings I purchased from BaubleBar last year.

Espere CZ pear drop lariat necklace. Sold by ESPERE. To be honest, this piece may or may not make the final jewelry cut for this cruise.

OUFO jewelry set crystal rose gold plated necklace and earrings. Sold by OUFO.

COOLSTEELANDBEYONE gold black statement necklace. Sold by COOLSTEELANDBEYOND. I’m looking forward to wearing this on the cruise elegant night.

Viennois cubic zirconia stud earrings with blue crystals. Sold by Viennois Jewelry.

GEMSME necklace/bracelet/earrings/ring set. Sold by GEMSME. Why this? BLING, DUH!!!

Rounding out the Amazon shopping is one purse, one beach bag, and one craft organizer to use as storage for my jewelry while traveling.

Crossbody purse/messenger bag. Dimensions are 10.5″ x 9″ x 0.5″. Sold by SUPON.

Serenita extra large canvas beach bag stripe 3 navy. Dimensions are 23″ x 18″ x 6″. It is foldable, lightweight, has in inner pocket with zipper, and a soft rope shoulder strap. Sold by fasion2100.

Creative Options pro-latch utility organizer, medium. Dimensions are 10.9″ x 7.4″ x 1.8″. Sold by Amazon.com Services Inc.

This should be all of the Amazon shopping I will be doing for this cruise. If you have any questions about any of the items, please let me know.

Please come back for next weeks precruise blog. I will be showing what I am packing for myself and maybe my hubby for our time catching rays on deck or at the beach.

Carnival Dream 2019 – Precruise #3: Our travel binder is ready to go!!!

I have always been afraid of losing my cruise documents. After reading some posts on a popular cruise site that has reviews and other information for every possible cruise line, I realized that there is a better way to keep our documents together. And what I have found works for me, is to use a binder.

I typically use a 1 1/2 to 2 inch binder, page protectors, dividers to separate the items I will be putting in the binder, and a pencil pouch that has 3 holes. I For this cruise, I am using a binder with a zipper closure. It also has a zippered pocket on the front. The inside front cover has two pockets with a Velcro closure on the top and open underneath, and the back cover has one pocket. So it definitely has plenty of storage.

I picked up this pencil pouch at Walmart one day. There are two zippered pockets on the front and one on the back. I use this to put cash in that we will be using for tips and to keep receipts. I might even use it this year to keep some pens in!!!

I purchased the dividers at Office Depot. They are wider than the sheet protectors as they extend beyond them which makes it easy to get from one section to another. The dividers are labeled according to when I will be using/needing them. Typically the sections are for hotel reservations, parking reservations, and stuff like that. But this year, I have adding one for driving directions. Although we have been to Galveston many times, with all the construction on I-45, we might try an alternate route this time. With this in mind, this years cruise dividers are: driving directions, hotel reservation confirmation, cruise parking reservation confirmation, luggage tags, boarding pass, reservation and excursion confirmations, booking summary, and information about our travel insurance and the cruise line legal information.

Since I love to scrapbook our cruises, I will have empty sheet protectors at the back of the binder to keep any daily newsletters and also for any photos we purchase.

So now that are countdown is at 10 weeks, I’m sure the time will fly by.

Please come back for the next installment which will be what I have purchased from Amazon for this cruise.

Carnival Dream 2019 – PreCruise #2

14 weeks, 98 days, until our cruise on the Carnival Dream. Today I watched the Galveston webcams to see her sail into port!!! She is such a beautiful ship and I cannot wait to get on her!!!

So, what have I been doing to prepare for this cruise??? I have been doing some shopping on Amazon and Steinmart had a 12-hour sale. And I still have stuff in my Amazon cart I want to get. And I will, a little at a time!

Lets start with Steinmart. Their 12-hour sale is always great plus I had a coupon! I bought one shirt and 1 pair of crop pants. I have the perfect earrings for the shirt that I bought last year from BaubkeBar. The crops were purchased to go with a top I got last year in a Stitch Fix box! I’m looking forward to wearing the shirt this weekend to a dart reunion We are going to!

My Amazon purchases has included:

Tassel Pendant necklace to go with earrings I purchased last year from BaubleBar.

Women’s Sleeveless Beach Dress.

Water shoes but I actually purchased them to wear when exercising around the house.

And 2 pairs of shoes.

An Amazon purchase that is coming this week is an Extra Large beach bag.

And what is yet to come…

Necklace and Earrings sets, one in green and one in neutral colors. My plan is to only get one of them, I’m just not sure which one it will be.

A 22″ rolling duffel bag.

Pink Shorts

Flamingo print shorts

2 Microfiber towels, but this is a maybe. I might not get these as I might just take regular beach towels or I might buy some while we are on the ship or at a port. Yes I know they are not necessary.

Another duffel bag that has a luggage sleeve so it will fit over our carry-on bag.

A duffel tote bag that also has a lubbage sleeve to fit over a carry-on bag.

And lastly a crossbody purse thingy.

I’m hoping that this will be the end of my shopping, but I doubt that it will be.

Carnival Dream 2019 – PreCruise #1

We are 15 weeks or 105 days away from our cruise on the Carnival Dream. And to think is started out as a secret from my husband and told him about on Christmas. Times is really flying by!!! This cruise has special meaning to us as we will be celebrating the 17th anniversary of our honeymoon cruise. The dates are the exact same. We are leaving from the same port. The only differences are the ship and one port of call. But that doesn’t matter to us at all.

So with the cruise quickly approaching, it is time for me to start making my lists. I will have a checklist for everything. Our goal is to limit ourselves to carry-on only. I’m not saying we can do it but I’m not saying we can’t. But we are definitely going to give it a try.

The important list is the clothes we will need. I make a list by day and what we would need for that day. I do this in an attempt to control the number of items I take. Typically I still end up over-packing. But it has helped me cut things down tremendously.

Then I have the very important travel first aid kit. This is important and can come in handy. But the goal is to not need it if at all possible. Of course, the antacids will definitely been used because… well, Warm Chocolate Melting Cake…. HELLO!!!!

And then there is the master list. Everything I think I will need goes on this list. Once the list is completed, I will break it down by category and how it will be packed. By doing this, I will know where everything is. Hopefully, that is.

I should mention, on our last cruise, we used packing cubes for a big majority of our clothes with minimal in a garment bag. I’m not sure how things will play out once we starting packing in August. But I am excited to use the cubes again!

So now we wait. My plan is to be packed early so the days leading up to our travel day is less stressful. I know on the drive to Galveston, I will constantly be checking to make sure I have our boarding passes, passports, reservation confirmations, and other necessities because that is just how I am.

My plan with this series is to update weekly on things that we are planning on doing in the ports of call and what I have already put aside to pack… in August!!!!

Thanks for reading and please come back!