Cruise Tips

I have had so many people ask me about cruising since I have been on 5 and James has now been on 2. I have decided to organize my thoughts on this blog post and give y'all some tips on how to get the best experience out of you cruise (although really you should ask my  mom, she's been on 10+!). 

1. Do your research. What kind of cruise do you want to go on? Are you looking for family friendly or party-ship? Find out what ports the cruise visits and what there is to do at those ports right when you dock. For example, if you plan on visiting a beach in Grand Cayman, then do your research and find out how to get to a beach. You don't get off the cruise and you are automatically at the beach, you have to get a taxi ride to the beach. Also, research the shore excursions ahead of time. There are many other websites to book your shore excursions besides through your cruise that are less expensive. Do research, find the best deals & what is legitimate, and save yourself some money for shore excursions! Also, if you think you will get seasick, don't cruise in January, the waters are more choppy and you will have a more rocky, more sea-sick experience. I have also found that leaving out of Florida is more smooth than Galveston or even New Orleans. Also, be sure to renew or apply for a PASSPORT in advance & don't forget to pack it.

2. Plan to arrive at the debarkation port later rather than earlier. On our first cruise, we got there early/on time and it was PACKED, crowded, and a long process. Our second cruise we checked in and boarded 30 minutes before the recommended cut off time and there were ZERO lines, we boarded in 5 minutes or less. (The recommendation was between 1-3pm, we boarded at 2:30 and the ship left at 4.)

3. Don't feel like you have to pose for every single photo they take of you on the ship. This can be a big waste of time. The photos never turn out that great, the poses are awkward and not flattering, and you pay $20 for one photo that you could have taken better yourself. If you do want to pose for some photos, don't feel like you have to do every backdrop for every night. Just a few are fine, and then if you really really want to, you can purchase a photo. (this photo is from our honeymoon)

4. Enter the Spa Raffle soon after boarding. If you want to take advantage of the spa services on board, enter into the spa raffle soon after boarding because they close the raffle just a couple hours after debarkation. It's better to win/get discounts on the spa packages rather than spend even more money on a spa service.

5. Shop the $10 Madness Sale. On the Carnival ships, they have what is called the $10 Madness Sale. This is only at a certain time and usually happens the morning after boarding the ship. One or more of the gift/cruise shops sells everything for $10. Did you forget a cover-up or hat for the beach? Shop the $10 Madness Sale instead of paying $30 for a hat you will never wear again. 

6. Plan your days on board the ship the night before & participate in all/most the activities. You've spent a great deal of money on this vacation, so take advantage of it and have some fun! There are tons of activities planned for you on board the ship. Housekeeping leaves a daily itinerary for you every night when they turn down the covers and leave chocolates on your pillow. Take the time to highlight what you want to do the next day and pay attention to the times. That way you can fit everything in you want to do! Even if it's not on the itinerary, write it in. Write in "fitness center" before/after breakfast, write in "breakfast", write in "lay out on deck", etc. Also, you'll have a record of what you did every day so when you get home, you can remember and record/journal it more easily. Also, do get a WAKE-UP CALL because the inside stateroom cabins have no windows and you have no concept of time. It is important to stay on a schedule, especially with early morning shore excursion appointments!

7. Eat a light breakfast filled with fruit. There's soo much food to eat. Breakfast is probably my least favorite on the cruise just because it's usually the same breakfast foods every day. On our last cruise we ate everything and anything in sight because it's all inclusive and so good. Treat your body well. Eat a healthy, light, breakfast filled with fruit. This will leave room for all the other delicious meals you will be inhaling. It will also feel better for your tummy and help with digestion during the day. We would eat bananas, cantaloupe, and Special K or Raisin Bran with fat free milk for breakfast. Then we were free to enjoy whatever else for the day!

8. Eat salad and veggies with every meal. Again, treat your body well and keep your digestion regular. The buffet always has salad, fruits, and veggies.

9. Eat early or later, but never right on time or during peak meal hours. The lines can get long. If you want pizza, don't wait until prime hours of lunch time. 4 pm is usually a good time. Plan on eating breakfast before you head out on shore for your excursions, but maybe skip the lines and have room service deliver for you (you fill it out and hang it on your door). They always have the basics (banana, yogurt, bagel, orange juice, etc.). 

10. Your Choice Dining: Early/Late/Your Time: Our first cruise we chose Your Time dining. James liked this because we didn't have to go at a specific time to the dining room, so we could plan other activities during dinner hours. Our second cruise we had early dining, which I LOVED having because I knew that dinner was every night at 6pm, we got the same table every time, and usually they will seat you with other people so you can make friends (even though this time we didn't share the table with any others). I liked having the same servers, the same table, at the same time. I recommend the early dining because then you can see the later evening shows. If you choose the late dining you go to the shows earlier, but I am used to dinner then a show, not show and then dinner. Your time dining sometimes gets crowded or there are lines where you wait a while to be seated. TIP: If you have early or late seating, always arrive like 5 mins later. Everyone waits by the door before they open and it gets hot and crowded. If you walk in 5 mins late, you don't keep your table waiting very long and you don't have to wait to get in either.

What to Pack

-An empty water bottle to fill with ice each night. You will have cold water on the beach or by the pool for the next day!

-Water shoes. Buy an inexpensive pair from Walmart or Amazon beforehand and pack them. We needed these when we hiked Dunns River Falls & rented them for $7 a pair. We also needed these when we went to the beach at Cozumel. You never know when the beaches are going to have rocks in the sand/ocean. 

-Ones and fives. It's good to bring small bills for tips. We had to tip all our drivers and we only brought 20s & 10s and it made it harder to split the tips. Save yourselves the hassle and worry and just bring the smallest bills possible. 

-A cardigan. It gets freezing cold from the air conditioning on the cruise ship. I forgot a cardigan this time around and had to wear my owl print hoodie jacket everywhere! It's a cute jacket but it got dirty, smelly, and didn't go with all my outfits, especially on the two elegant nights! Bring a white or black cardigan that will match your outfits & will keep you warm from the AC.

-A jacket. You think that it will be all sunny & hot on your cruise, but more often then not it sprinkles/rains/storms in the tropics! I'm so glad I brought my jacket with a hood because it saved me from getting wet from the rain more than once. Plus, it gets windy and sometimes chilly when you are hanging out or reading on the deck.

-A waterproof camera. I made the mistake of bringing our nice camera with us on all shore excursions. I was worried sick about it when we climbed the 600 foot waterfall. It was a pain to get back on the boat to get it out for the stingray encounter. Just bring a waterproof camera so that you don't worry about your nice camera getting ruined or losing all pictures forever. Canon has some really nice waterproof & underwater cameras for not too expensive. You can get the disposable underwater cameras, but I personally think it's a waste of money because you can't see what your photographing underwater, the photos don't always come out looking that great, and you have to pay for developing them too. 

-Thank You cards. We got to know our servers in the dining room pretty well eating dinner every single night and having them serve us. I wish I would have left thank you cards for them because they made our time so pleasant and fun and they got to know you and you got to know them. I wish I could have wished Ida good luck on his new baby & told George to take care and have fun on his days off. The cruise includes gratuities at the end of the cruise, but I wanted to do something a bit more personal to show my gratitude.

-Snacks/water for excursions. They won't let you bring food back on the ship, but you can bring food going out. Save money by bringing your own snacks on shore excursions instead of paying $7 for a stack of Lays Stacks in Jamaica. Ridiculous. Plus, mini cereal boxes of Fruit Loops & Cinnamon Toast Crunch just don't cut it when you are on the shore for 6-8 hours a day. 

-SKIP packing beach towels. The cruise provides fresh beach towels for you to use throughout your whole cruise experience. You can even take them off the ship with your on your excursions, just be sure to return them to avoid any fees. You can trade them in for fresh towels as long as you have the used ones at any time on the pool deck.

-Motion sickness medicine & ibuprofen. I only got seasick on one cruise about 7 years ago. It was helpful to take motion sickness medicine. The cruise does have some medicine, but to avoid them selling out or spending a bunch of money, just pack some just in case. Everyone reacts differently to cruising, especially while at sea for a week. I always pack ibuprofen too in case I get a headache or bad sunburn.

-SUNSCREEN & Aloe Vera. Be sure to apply sunscreen every hour and to apply 30 mins prior to sun exposure or swimming. Reapply after swimming or sweating a lot. Nothing is worse than burning your first day and being burned all week long. Be smart. 

-Sunglasses & Hat. Bring extras in case sunglasses break.

-Workout clothes, shoes, & socks. We enjoyed exercising at the fitness center, so be sure to bring appropriate clothing to work off all the calories you will be consuming!

-Books, iPod, earphones. I read 3 books, James read 2, and I listened to music when I exercised or you can listen to music while laying out. 

-A watch. Set it to the ship's clock. Wear it. It's important to keep track of time while on and off the ship!

-Hairdryer. If you have thick hair like me, bring your own reliable hairdryer. The ships' hairdryers just don't get the job done and are small, hot, and frustrating. 

-Phone charger. Turn your phone off once on the cruise to avoid roaming and unwanted long distance charges. But do bring a phone charger just in case your phone dies and you need to communicate once on land.

-Camera Charger. DON'T FORGET TO CHARGE THE CAMERA!

-Airfreshener/Roomspray. For the tiny enclosed bathroom in the tiny cabin. There are no fans in the bathroom.

-Multiple swim suits. Lots of swimming and pictures! They do have laundry services on board the cruise or you can wash your own in the washer/dryers provided but I think they are coin operated. There is also a line to dry your clothes that pulls out in the tiny shower in your tiny bathroom in your stateroom cabin.

-liquid soap with pump if you don't like bar soap like me

-hand sanitizer to eliminate bacteria & avoid getting sick

The Big All-in-One List

-underwear & socks
-light-weight shorts or capris
-light-weight tops (I like them flowy and not confining)
-2 elegant night dresses or nice slacks/dress shirt or suit & tie for guys (2 if week long cruise, 1 if 3-5 day cruise)
-cardigan
-jacket
-water shoes
-pajamas or sweat/track suit for stormy days (we had a stormy day at sea in July and I was chilly indoors in my capris & short sleeved top. I wish I brought my juicy tracksuit to keep comfy and warm).
-2-4 swimsuits
-cover-up
-water shoes
-workout clothes & shoes
-flip-flops, elegant dress shoes, sandals, flats
-sunscreen, Aloe Vera, after-tan lotion to keep skin hydrated
-motion sickness medicine, ibuprofen, feminine hygiene products, anti-diarrhea medicine, laxative medicine
-jewelry but nothing expensive. they do have safes in your room but even those get broken into
-hairdryer, curling iron, flat iron, brush, hair ties, bobby pins, headbands
-makeup, waterproof mascara
-makeup remover, facewash, face cream/lotion
-contacts/solution, glasses
-hairspray & mousse 
-favorite shampoo & conditioner (the ship provides standard shampoo & soap in dispensers in shower)
-toothbrush & toothpaste
-beach bag
-empty water bottle
-snacks for excursions
-ones & fives
-waterproof camera & charger
-phone charger
-thank you cards
-books, ipod, earphones
-inexpensive watch, possibly waterproof
-airfreshener/roomspray
-liquid soap with pump
-hand sanitizer
-PASSPORTS & IDs & other documents. Keep these handy.