Cruise # 7 comming up in February, wouldn't do much different now as kind of been learning the ropes.

Have learned that Carnival still rocks and Celebrity sucks.  Enjoyed HAL but the dollar value with Carnival is hard to beat.

Like late dinning and still like formal nights, don't partake in many excursions anymore but always get off the ship.  Always looking at itineraries as want to see as many places as possible but not adverse to going back to some of our favorites.

This time for first time doing west side out of San Diego and will be back on the Spirit which was our very first cruise back in 02 and the Spirit was only about 12 weeks old.  Looking forward to seeing how she has weathered.

Good content!  Still like the formal nights.  That's great.  Got to enjoy one at least on a cruise.  Like you enjoy the late night dinning. Hate cutting short the late afternoon sun, fun and pooling to go to dinner at 6PM.

Enjoy the Spirit. 

It would be tempting to agree with the two "Eat less" and "Drink Less" points, but it's such a big part of the cruise so we just try to live healthy before and after the cruise to make up for everything we eat and drink. BTW we never use the elevators while we are on board. We feel that that's the least we can do to try and stay in shape.

One thing we are changing is the dining time. We used go for late seating as well, but we love my time dining, so that we will do on future cruises. We will still go to the dining room late on most nights, but it's nice to eat earlier on evenings where they have late night buffet.

Besides that I can't really think about anything specific I would do differently.

uCruiser wrote: It would be tempting to agree with the two "Eat less" and "Drink Less" points, but it's such a big part of the cruise so we just try to live healthy before and after the cruise to make up for everything we eat and drink. BTW we never use the elevators while we are on board. We feel that that's the least we can do to try and stay in shape. One thing we are changing is the dining time. We used go for late seating as well, but we love my time dining, so that we will do on future cruises. We will still go to the dining room late on most nights, but it's nice to eat earlier on evenings where they have late night buffet. Besides that I can't really think about anything specific I would do differently.

uCruiser, we are considering that option on our next cruise.  Like you, we have always done late seating for dinning, in the last 2 or 3 cruises we just did not want to rush around and make that seating.  We ended up going to the buffet 2 or 3 nights on RCL Voyager of the Seas and Carnival Ecstasy and Fantasy last year.  Looking at CCL Conquest for Oct. . .just can't commit to yet might have to be a last minute booking.

We have talked about the anytime/my time dining option but like Texas we hate to give up deck time or shore time as we are confirmed beach bums and love the sun.  We also usually travel alone and get a table for 6 to 8 where we get to no only meet fellow diners but over the course of the cruise usually form a friendship with at least one of the other couples.  We have formed some lasting friendships over the years and are still in contact with a couple from our first cruise.

One of the other things on the original list was photos and we laugh when we think back on it now.  Our first cruise we purchased god knows how many and then the next couple weened ourselves down  to by cruise #5 only one. Last year we didn't buy any.  We generally shy away from letting them take too many as we know we probably won't purchase but always get something taken on one of the formal nights and maybe a candid one at pool or on shore somewhere.

Jigerman, glad to hear we are not the only ones who hate to leave the pools, sunsets, drinks, people and have to rush back to the room and shower, dress and rush to dinner.  Me, no problem. . .15 min and I am ready.  My sweetheart. . .try 2 hours and it might be close. . .so she is more open to easy dinning where ever.  We often go up to the Viking Lounge on RCL ships and have drinks and meet with folks we have met on the ship. 

Photos. . . .OMG. . .my wife is a photo addict . . .never met a camera she did not like.  I have talked her down to the boarding photo, formal night photo and maybe one other. 

I have to admit, we do have some nice photos of each of us and of course my wife. . .she is my model for all my photos that I take.  No she did not win on the slot . . .just posing.  This is on Carnival Conquest out of Galveston 04/28/08 7 Day Western Caribbean