Your Cruise Girl’s 2019 Travel Plans

I am a type-A planner, so when I went back to work after the new year, I was able to put in my vacation time for the entire year.  I really only have three week-long trips planned, so I feel a little light on travel.  

New York City – May 2019

I haven’t been back home since 2013.  It is long overdue.  Mom hasn’t been back since 2014.  She’s so excited that she has already called her friends to let them know she’ll be there and their plans are already set. 

Me?  I only have plans for one thing so far – my God Son’s graduation ??‍?.  That’s really the whole purpose of the trip.  He’s graduating from high school with plans to attend college to study accounting.

He actually lives and attends school in White Plains, so I’m flying directly into HPN (Westchester County).  I’ll be staying at the Residence Inn White Plains Westchester County which is not far from my cousin’s home.  Hilton didn’t have any nearby properties, so I’m at a Marriott property this trip.

I decided not to get a rental car for the duration of the trip.  I can just take the Metro North to get into the city.  It’s otherwise an hour drive.  While on vacation, I prefer to just relax and enjoy the ride.

While there, I will try to set up some face-time with family and friends. And EAT WELL!  Oh, how I miss the food in New York City!

MSC Seaside Western Caribbean Cruise – July 2019

This was the ship chosen by the family as the next family cruise.  Guess how many of us are going?  From our regular crew of seven down to just Mom and I.

My brother was super excited to go on this ship. It was actually his choice. But, unfortunately, duty calls and he is unable to go. He currently serves in the Air Force ?? and is being sent overseas during this time . He wants to live vicariously through me while on the ship, so I plan to make sure he can.

This is my first time planning an MSC cruise, so there were lots of things to research and learn. I’ll give you details in another post. We’ll visit the following ports: Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Mexico and Nassau, Bahamas.

I am already excited and can’t wait to go.  Time is not counting down fast enough.

Christmas at the Beach – December 2019

This is the best tradition we’ve ever had.  I love relaxing at the beach during the holidays.  Even if we’re stuck indoors, it’s great to just see the ocean from our room.

We have the same routine every year.  We order a dozen bagels from Panera bread for breakfast, take five or six meal kits for days we don’t go out and have dinner on Christmas Eve at Captain George’s.  We take a trip to the grocery store to get lunch and anything else we may have forgotten.  I take my AppleTV and we watch Christmas movies and whatever else we can find.  It’s the most relaxing thing I do all year. This is a staycation done right.

Having planned all of the above, I found myself with 5 or 6 extra days to take. Now I’m trying to figure out how to fit another cruise into my budget. I just did some major repairs on my car which put a dent in my discretionary funds. Here’s what I’d like to fit into my schedule if the Cruise Fairy will bless me:

My sorority hosts fundraising trips every year with proceeds going to the Sarah Scott Schofield Scholarship.  It’s fun for a great cause!  We give out scholarships to local high school seniors every year.  You can get more information on the cruise here or general information about our scholarships here.

I told my supervisor that I needed a really good raise so I could better utilize the PTO the company gives me ?.  We had a good laugh, but seriously ?.  I’d love to make this cruise a reality.  Keep your fingers crossed! ??

 

What are your travel plans for 2019?