Things you wish you’d known before you cruised for the first time
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Anonymous
| Make sure you have travel insurance. |
Anonymous
Put it in a mouthwash bottle. |
Anonymous
What documentary is this? I need to watch! |
Anonymous
| I know ll i need to know that is why I haven’t cruised for the first time. |
Anonymous
-Book yourself a nice spa appt. Yes they will be way overpriced but there’s just something special about a spa treatment on the ship. I personally love getting a pedicure during sail away, watching the land get further and further away. I also get the weekly Rainforest room pass on Disney cruises, gives unlimited all day access to the whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms, special showers and heated stone loungers. It. Is. Bliss. -Book a placeholder for your next cruise while onboard to save some money and maybe get extra perks. The ones with Disney are refundable if you end up not using it within 2 years. -You won’t have time to do everything, so google before your trip to see what activities your ship offers, and what you don’t want to miss. Plan your days around those things. -Try to take an hour or so to explore the entire ship, end to end, top to bottom. They’re pretty cool and you’ll discover all kind of hidden gems, nooks and crannies. -There is nothing special that we pack for cruises. We pack like a normal beach vacation. For week long cruises, we pack 3-4 days worth of clothing in a carry on and do laundry on day 3 or 4. Works perfectly for us. -Don’t worry about forgetting anything, the ship will have shops to get anything you might have forgotten or didn’t know you need. My cycle started unexpectedly early during our last cruise and the ship store had stacks and stacks of affordable tampons and pads for me to buy. Tons of meds like tylenol and advil, dramamine etc. -We take a bonine at night before bed to help curb motion sickness. Bonine and dramamine will make you feel sleepy and out of it, so do not take them during the day. -You can order as many apps, entrees and desserts as you want at dinner. If I can’t decide bw two apps or soup vs salad, I get both and see which I like better. Same for dessert. You’ve already paid for it so why not. -Room service is great for when you don’t feel like leaving the room or dealing with waits and crowds. Perfect to order a cheese plate and fruit when you get back from excursions. If you’re on Disney and like sweets, ask the Room svc attendant what’s the Cake of the Day. And get your kids warm cookies and milk. Have fun OP, cruises are the best! |
Anonymous
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Check fine print but most cruises let you bring at least one bottle of wine onboard. And you can buy a bottle at dinner and take rest of it to your room.
I read that reservation only restaurants have free lunches, ie already included in your cruise. I like bringing lanyards for the cruise card |
Anonymous
Anonymous
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Good tips here. Have used the super-powerful magnets for bags, wet stuff, accessories, etc.
You can "check" a sealed 12-pack of bottled water that will be delivered to your stateroom with your luggage. Bring the preprinted luggage tag and some tape to affix the label. I didn't try this, but you could probably bring a reusable water bottle or 2 filled with booze back on board with you after an excursion if you pass a liquor store while you're out. As I recall, they weren't opening these as you go thru security. Check out https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/ for alternatives to cruise ship offerings. This is a well-known brand that travel agents use. |
Anonymous
Why not just lay by pool at a resort or private balcony? |
Anonymous
DP but when you wake up the next morning you’ll probably be in an entirely new country (without dealing with airports, rental cars etc) |
Anonymous
And anything digestive - nausea, diarrhea, constipation. You’ll probably be eating richer foods, some you’re not used to, trying out a few new ones, eating a different than usual. |
Anonymous
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Google packing list for a cruise. Several suggestions I used that would have never occurred to me.
There’s Facebook pages for both cruises and cruise ships. Find one from a current or recent cruise on your ship and there will be all sorts of tips. Extra not as crowded seating in the main buffet dining room, quieter or shadier decks. We found out out ship was still somewhat short staffed and it was quicker to go order a drink from the bar yourself than wait for a server. Servers were great but you could wait 30-40 minutes for one at times. |
Anonymous
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Not sure how long you have before your cruise but start getting some good walks in now, bonus if steps are included. Elevators are crowded, stopping on almost every floor. You may have to wait for several elevators before you’re able to get one.
I took the steps as much as possible and cannot tell you how much time that saved. DH would wait for the elevator, and I’d frequently be 5-6 floors away waiting at a bar sipping my drink for 20 minutes before he showed up. |
Anonymous
This post and some of the other PPs talking about how crowded it gets pretty much sums up why we don't do cruises. And we don't even really drink. |
Anonymous
| Ugh don't go. It's awful. You don't really get to experience the places you go and you don't want to experience the people on board. |