Small world...we're in Chicago, too, though not originally from there. I'm from New York, John is a Brit. We live in the western suburbs.
I know how far away the trip sounds, but it goes much faster than you think. Plus I believe the best way to make the most of it is to really work the anticipation angle. On my honey and my first cruise, we had over six months to wait. We took books out from the library or bought the guides on the Bahamas and cruising, read the trip reports on Disboards and other sites, watched the cruiseline
travel agent video, pored over the printed guide over and over again...plus, we went shopping! We each bought cruise clothes (ok, enough for a twenty five day cruise, but still) when they went on sale. It was a great source of joy to try on and pick out tropical shirts and capris and sandals and cocktail dresses and nautical jewelry using coupons and watching the sales, getting just one or two items at a time.
By the time the actual cruise came along we had worked ourselves into such a state! But it was wonderful to have had the "insider knowledge" gained from all that research. And we got to regularly fondle the new clothes and books and swim fins kept in a "cruise drawer." It was nice to have something tangible to remind us the cruise was distant but ever approaching.
We might even be on the same plane heading down to Orlando...it might be fun to use each other as "countdown buddies" this next year to keep our spirits up when the voyage seems so distant. And we'll certainly rendezvous on the ship.
Talk to you soon...