So I know I’ve only mentioned my love for cruising a bajillion times and I am not lying when I say I have a personal mission to go on one cruise a year. I don’t think I realized how much I would love it when I went on my first one last May, but it was the best five days of my life. (You can read all about my adventures here!) Even though I’ve grown up in Florida and learned to swim by the time I was four, I wouldn’t classify myself as someone who loves the beach and water. The beach can be more irritating than relaxing, what with the sand and drunk people and screaming kids and blistering heat…
But I’ve always wanted to go on a cruise. It seemed like a fun time, but I didn’t have a clue how much I would fall in love. I had planned on a simple “10 Things I Learned” post, but as I started writing, I realized I had a lot to say about what I learned. (I was up to 17 points within twenty minutes.) So, without further ado, part one of the list:
1. Make sure you pack some snacks and drinks.
My mom and I learned this the hard way. While there is plenty to eat, there are times when the buffets are closed down. (Mainly for a few hours between meals.) It was especially hard at night, a few hours after dinner when you get the urge to munch — and there’s nothing to munch on! They do have a midnight buffet, if I remember correctly, but we were usually asleep before then. This year, we will be bringing some snacks!
2. Alcoholic beverages are expensive. And if you’re a soda drinker, be sure to budget for a soda card.
I think I only got two drinks on the cruise — both being mojito’s where I asked the bartender to be light on the alcohol. (I hate the taste of alcohol.) One of my regrets is not buying a “drink of the day” since they come in some awesome souvenir glasses! But you can easily spend hundreds of dollars on your drinks. (One day, I saw a woman buying her THIRD DRINK before 10am! I shudder to think of what her drink bill looked like.) And also, soda card. A must-have if you’re a soda drinker. They cost about $6 per day you’re on the ship so for my upcoming cruise, it’ll be a flat fee of $36. (Well worth the money!)
3. Serenity Deck. The most amazing thing to ever happen to a cruise ship.
One of the best features of the Carnival cruise is the Serenity Deck. It’s a 21+ deck in the back of the ship where it’s quieter and the lounge chairs are sooo luxurious! The only issue with Serenity is that it’s very limited in chairs so it’s a first come, first serve basis (and very popular!). It was my favorite part of the cruise ship and I just loved how it was quiet and away from the hustle and bustle of the other areas of the ship.
4. The excursions are worth the extra money.
Before my first cruise, when I asked for advice, someone told me to forego the excursions and instead stay on the boat since it’s quieter and way less crowded. This was terrible advice. First of all, why would I want to stay on a boat when I could explore an entirely new country? And why would I give up awesome experiences of kissing sting rays, snorkeling in the deep blue waters of Grand Cayman, and exploring ancient Mayan ruins? The excursions are completely worth their money. You can find an excursion from $40 – $250 per person. I usually try to stay in the $80 – $100 range and have found quite a few gems. Just be sure to read the reviews beforehand, since they give you a better idea of what to expect than the descriptions. But I wholly recommend going on an excursion during your cruise (especially if you’re like me and not the savviest traveler! You can probably find things to do on your own, but I find it’s just so much easier and safer to book it through the cruise line.)
5. You will be seated with strangers at dinner. Which is weird, at first, but gets to be pretty awesome.
I had no clue what the dinner process was. I surely didn’t realize I would be seated with strangers. Luckily, we had a great group of people to sit with: a grandma and her granddaughter and then a family of three – a mom, a dad, and their 19-year-old son – who kept the conversation flowing. (We also had a husband and wife, but they only ate with us once.) At first, introvert and social outcast that I am, I was upset that I would have to make conversation with strangers during dinner. But then it got to be really cool, getting to know these people, where they were from, and their lives.
6. Make sure you bring some sort of bag as a “carry-on” since your luggage doesn’t get delivered to your door until later on the first day.
And sometimes, it takes a long time for your luggage to get to your door. So try not to freak out and alert the cruise staff that your luggage is missing while they’re preparing everyone for the safety demonstration. Not that we did that. Us? Of course not. We are not that neurotic!
7. There aren’t too many fancy dinners.
My first cruise was a 5-day one and we had one fancy dinner. I had packed 3-4 fancy dresses and most nights, the dinners were casual dress (i.e., you could show up in jeans or khakis.) This time, I’m bringing two fancy dresses but not getting too worked up over how I’m supposed to dress at the dinners. It’s a very relaxed atmosphere.
8. The professional photographs are the cheesiest things ever. Don’t waste your time or money.
Did I ever write about the time my mom and I had a lady do our photographs after dinner one night and she put us in poses that, um, well, made us wonder if she thought we were a couple. Awkward? JUST A LITTLE BIT! The backdrops they create are cheesy and fake (think pianos, plastic columns, and dorky screens), and the poses they put you in remind me of elementary-school pictures. Do not recommend. They are also a ridiculous amount of money. Take your own pictures.
9. All-inclusive? Partially.
The last night of your cruise (a sad, sad day…), an envelope is slipped under your door that lets you know the tip money that is asked of you for services provided. (This includes your server at dinner, stateroom services, and other staff.) On Carnival, it is a flat fee of $11.50 per day per guest. So, for my upcoming cruise, it will cost us $138 in total ($69 per person). You can always give more than the minimum amount, of course, but all guests are required to pay this. And the service we received on our cruise was out of this world amazing, that we had no problems paying the fee. They do a lot and they do it with a smile.
Along with tip money, you will see any other charges incurred while on the ship – alcoholic beverages, soda card, Internet charges, etc. If you chose to have an alcoholic beverage every day, well, this is when you may have a heart attack. Lucky for us, we are not big drinkers so our bill wasn’t crazy. (Our final bill came to $200 total, which included tip money, soda cards for each of us, and four drinks between the two of us.)
10. Learning to use the bathroom and shower on a rocking ship is difficult, but manageable.
This was something I was not expecting. Or perhaps just something I didn’t even think about. Obviously, it’s not as if you’re in danger of falling over while in the shower but there’s a slight unsteadiness to it all that takes some getting used to. This was the only place where I felt the rockiness of being on a boat, and even then, it wasn’t bad at all.
Do you have any questions for me about cruising? They may make them into Part 2! Did I help clear up any misconceptions you had about going on a cruise?
One of the best parts about traveling is getting home and having great advice to share with people who are considering a similar trip in the future. Your points are really thoughtful, and I know if I ever consider a cruise in the future I’ll remember to check these out a second time! I don’t know why I’ve never been on one, to be honest, after hearing so many great things about them from you and other various people. In any case, I’m definitely keeping them in mind for the future. A few blissful days on the ocean sounds very lovely to me! I think I’ve always just been especially nervous about feeling motion sick, as I’ve always been very prone to it (traveling through Greece was nightmarish, even though the ferries are relatively cruise-ship sized, I still went through an entire pack of gravol!)… but I think it depends on the cruise line you’re with? Not sure!
I was worried about being seasick, too, and brought some pills for it but I didn’t feel sick once. I’m not sure I’m prone to seasickness or not, but it wasn’t an issue for me. A lot of people wore little circular patches right under their ears which I guess is supposed to help seasickness?
In any event, we need to get you on a cruise! It’s the most fun, I promise. 🙂
I don’t remember what it was like trying to shower on a cruise, but I certainly remember how hard it was to dance on a stage on a rocking ship and having to change between performances. Now that was sickening. I mean, literally, it was a cause for nausea. But I’m really itching to go on another one, as you’ve heard me say a trillion times now, lol.
I couldn’t imagine having to dance on the ship! I commend you for even being able to do that. That would be very difficult.
We should plan for a little blogger’s cruise. I think that would be a BLAST!
My biggest concern with cruising (other than the fact that it sounds crazy expensive–$36 on soda?!) is that the excursions, while they sound fun, seem sort of “touristy,” if you know what I mean. It doesn’t sound like you really get the full experience of being in another country and experiencing its culture. Did it seem like that to you? Was it just something you weren’t concerned about? I think hanging out with sting rays and other cool stuff like that does sound like a BLAST, I would just feel like I was still kind of missing out. But then again, I like to travel more by roughing it and walking and staying in hostels and meeting the locals and eating crazy food in less touristy places, and that just may not be everyone’s ideal way to travel. I’d be open to taking a cruise, though. I love boats and you make it sound so fun!
I honestly do not think cruises are all that expensive. I’m spending less than $1,000 on upcoming one. It’s for 6 days, includes three different excursions, three-course dinners every night (as well as fancy or buffet breakfasts and lunch), and all the entertainment I need. That’s cheap compared to what it costs for other vacations. The soda card may seem expensive to you, but I assure you it is WELL worth the money. But they also have complimentary coffee/juice/water for those people who aren’t soda drinkers.
The excursions are good for people like me who are not the most savvy travelers. There’s a comfort level in knowing exactly where I need to go and exactly what I will be doing. But it’s very easy to strike out on your own and actually get a true feel for the port of call you are in! I ate breakfast one morning with a group of people who took a taxi and got a true experience of Cozumel, eating in less touristy restaurants and such. So it’s definitely possible to get a true feel for where you are — I’m just do not possess enough travel smarts for that yet. 😉 Plus, I enjoy the excursions more than I would walking around the city. That’s just me. (And you have to be careful to get back to the boat before it leaves! Ha. We had three travelers miss the boat when we were in Cozumel. Scary!)
So, anyway, I do think you should try a cruise out and see how you like it. You may end up thinking it’s too touristy for your tastes, you might not. You can find 4-day cruises for really great prices so maybe get your feet wet with that!
This was so helpful! I hope to go on a cruise sometime in the near future. I would not have known about the drink card/soda card or tip envelope. Or No. 10. hahah.
I think you should! They are so much fun and such a great way to relax and unwind but also have a lot of fun experiences at the same time!
I have a question. I have heard about the booze being expensive, but was told that you were NOT allowed to bring your own. So, as far as your “snacks and drinks” advice, are drinks allowed? Or do you have to sneak them in? You can email me privately if need be 😉
You actually are! On Carnival, you can bring one bottle of wine or champagne per person and you’re allowed 12 cans/bottles per person of nonalcoholic beverages. You’re not allowed to bring beer or hard liquor, though.
And, quite frankly, I’m not sure about the snacks! I’m going under the assumption that I can and if they get confiscated, oh well. 🙂 I looked on the website for what they confiscate and food wasn’t listed… but it also wasn’t said you CAN bring it. Sooo… I guess I’ll find out when I get on the ship!
I agree that the shore excursions are totally worth the extra money. We always pre-pay the minimum suggested tip amount when we book our cruise. That way we don’t have to worry about tipping at the end of the cruise. However, if someone does an exceptional job then we will always tip them extra at the end of the cruise. It makes it a lot simpler.
Prepaying is a good idea! It would help get something off your plate, at least. 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I’ve never been on a cruise but theses are some great tips to keep in mind if that ever changes, thanks!
Awesome! I highly recommend them. They are pretty affordable for all you get and it’s just an amazing fun & relaxing time. 🙂
That is a great post full of great tips! I have never been on a cruise and don’t know that I ever will, but it’s nice to have some tips to rely on when/if I do take a cruise! I love how much you love cruising. 🙂
My love for cruising knows no bounds. I don’t think I realized I would love them so much but I had the best time on my last cruise, so I’m super excited for my next two. And I may be planning my 2013 cruise already. Shh. 😉
I really don’t know if I would/could be a cruise person, but you sure make it sound amazing! Maybe I should try it – there are affordable cruises from SoCal to Mexico for a couple of days all the time that I could try and get my feet wet 🙂
That’s a great idea! Three- or four-day cruises are a great way to get a taste for cruising to see if you’d like it. I had the best time on mine but I know it’s not for everyone.
cruising is one of my all time favorite vacations. I have been on all the major lines – mostly to mexico and caribbean. I want to do an alaskan cruise so bad! If you haven’t yet, do the swim with the dolphins (not stand, swim) excursion. AH-MAZ-ING! I think it would be absolutely amazing to one day do an around the world cruise! My advice that I would add – is pick the later seating if you are not with young kids. having the 5pm dinner slot is difficult especially on excursion days. You don’t want to cut your day short just to get ready for dinner! okay so time to plan my next cruise…..
That’s a really good tip! On my first one, my mom and I did the later seating since we like to eat later anyway. It meant we couldn’t go to some of the nightly entertainment which was a bummer but I liked it a whole lot more!
I’m doing a dolphin excursion on my upcoming one but I think it’s the stand one. The swim ones didn’t get great reviews, surprisingly! So we’ll see. I really want to do a swimming one, though. Maybe on my next cruise! I think the ones in Mexico are better but with this one, we’re not stopping there.
And I’m already planning my 2013 cruise. AH! I have an addiction, I think. Ha.
Great post! I know the cruise you did before and the one you’ll be on soon are tropical-type destinations – would you ever go on one that wasn’t necessarily warm? (Like Nova Scotia or Alaksa?)
I have dreaaaaams of going on a 14-day European cruise. The one I saw stops in Italy, Greece, and Spain. It sounds amazingggg! I’m not sure I could a) afford it and b) get a whole TWO WEEKS off work, ha, but it’s a dream of mine sometime down the line.
I really like the tropical cruises. Alaska sounds great but right now, it doesn’t appeal to me as much as the Caribbean ones. One of my boss’s went on one last year and the pictures he took are incredible!
YAY, I’m glad you posted this because guess what!? Tyler and I are seriously going on a cruise in September with his family. I’m soooo excited!! We’re going to Mexico & haven’t booked any excursions yet. I didn’t know about the soda cards which I definitely need to get stocked on! I think we’ll be okay though since Tyler’s mom has been on like 6 cruises before.