I’ve always been a fan of Lisa’s “Always, Sometimes, Never…” series on her blog and thought, in honor of my fourth cruise coming up (five more sleeps!), I thought I would publish my own list – a cruise edition one!
While cruising, I always…
Get an ocean view room. The upgrade is completely worth it. I couldn’t imagine being on a ship and not being able to look outside. Waking up to the ocean stretching in front of me for miles and miles and miles is an experience I never want to miss. I need natural sunlight seeping through the curtains and to be able to watch the sunset while perched on my bed as I get ready for dinner. This is something I refuse to compromise on.
Choose an excursion through the cruise line. Look, I get it. I understand that when I book through Carnival, it’s more expensive and I can find cheaper, more authentic ways to spend my time in whatever port of call I’m at by searching around online. But I am just not at the comfort level yet of booking through a discount website. I have had nothing but good experiences with the excursions I’ve booked through Carnival and it gives me a level of safety and comfort that I need when I’m in a foreign country.
Buy the same drink, over and over again. I’m not a huge drinker and I can’t stand the taste of alcohol in most drinks but on my first cruise, I ordered a drink called the Mango Swirl. It’s half mango daiquiri and half pina colada and it is, without a doubt, the best drink I have ever had. I get it at least a few times when I’m cruising and I even drank it out of a coconut once. Oh, cruise life.
Come back to the ship at least an hour before it leaves port. I am a bit of a nervous wreck about being back on the ship on time. Obviously, you don’t want to get left behind in a foreign country so I make sure I know exactly when the ship is leaving, that my phone is displaying the correct time, and that I’m back on the ship usually an hour (sometimes earlier) before it leaves. Nobody wants to be stranded!
While cruising, I sometimes…
Buy the ship’s photos. Yes, they are crazy overpriced and cheesy, but how could I pass up a photo of my mom and I with a Rastafarian in Jamaica… or a pirate holding a sword up to my throat? While not all of the photos are worth the price tag, there are some priceless ones that are worth buying.
Check out the nightly entertainment. Some of it is incredibly cheesy, but there are some good shows that happen at night. When we have late dining (which starts at 8:15pm), it’s harder to get to the shows since they start when we’re still at dinner but there’s always something intriguing to check out! I especially love the comedy nights, as they have some fairly good comics on the ship. (Or I’m just easily entertained.) Some nights, there isn’t anything that interests us so those nights, we may walk around the ship but eventually end up going back to our room, putting on our jammies, and reading in bed. I love those nights!
Carry on luggage. Just as with flying, you can choose to carry on your luggage or let the ship handle it. This means handing it off to crew members outside the port and then waiting in anxious anticipation for your luggage to arrive at your door. Sometimes, this is within an hour of getting on the ship and sometimes it will be longer. I get really anxious about my luggage getting lost (it’s never happened, but I am a worrywart) so on our last cruise, we opted to carry on and we’re hoping to do that with this cruise. On our last five-day cruise, we grossly overpacked so I think we can manage to fit all our needs into our Grand Traveler. Fingers crossed!
Play in the casino. I’m not a huge fan of the casino and basically hate anything involved with gambling so it’s not an exciting part of the ship for me. But if there’s nothing going on entertainment-wise, or we have some time to kill before a show, we’ll go over to the casino and play the slots.
While cruising, I never…
Use the pool. I have never stepped foot into the pools on the ship. Mainly, because it’s always so crowded and filled with kids splashing everywhere. I’ve never been too impressed with the pools on the Carnival ships, quite frankly. (Though I have been on some of the older ships. I’m sure the newer ships have better pools. Right?)
Order room service. Even though it’s absolutely free and gives you the convenience of eating in your room, I have never ordered room service on a cruise. As introverted as I am, I like being out and eating from the buffet or going to the dinners and forcing myself to make conversation with my tablemates. I really have not seen a need for room service – yet!
Use the Internet. One of my favorite things about cruising (besides, well, everything) is that it’s my chance to completely disconnect and step away from technology. I have this problem with needing to be super connected all the time. I scroll through Twitter incessantly, think in 140-character thoughts, and feel as if I need to Instagram every major moment in time. I want to keep up with reading blogs and writing my own posts. My face is in front of a screen for more hours than it’s not. When I get on the ship, my phone goes on airplane moment once we start sailing. Aside from the first time I cruised, I never bring my laptop, opting to bring a journal and write out my thoughts when the moment strikes me. I rarely even use my phone, unless I want to capture a memory. I love being disconnected. The Internet will be here when I get back. There’s no reason for me to use it on my vacation.
Attend the deck parties. I have no idea what happens at a deck party. I’m not sure why I haven’t gone to a deck party on a cruise, but it just doesn’t seem like my kind of thing, you know? I’m sure it’s fun for people who like that sort of thing, but it’s not something that sounds like a good time for me. (Social anxiety, anyone?)
What is one of your “always” while vacationing?
I always eat too much while on a cruise – or any vacation really!
I would recommend checking out a deck party. We only went to one when we cruised, but it’s essentially like one of the shows, but on the deck. Quite funny and entertaining. If you don’t want to get involved, get a spot on one of the higher decks and just watch.
Okay, you have convinced me! I am going to check out the deck parties this time on the cruise. I will report back on how I like it. 🙂
OH THIS IS A FUN POST IDEA! I’m totally stealing this from you and Lisa and doing a travel edition of it!
I think it’s totally fine to only book excursions through Carnival. Chances are if you get off the ship, there are probably a lot of people offering excursions at the port too? I’ve booked excursions that way too, but you always feel iffy about it, which is understandable. My favorite excursions have been booked through hostels/hotels, like the reliable source basically. You’re just guaranteed to get what you’re paying for!
That Mango Swirl sounds delicious. I’m not huge on alcohol or the taste of it either, so I tend to stick to a few of my favorites. You should be pretty safe with most daiquiris, avoid margaritas (those are strong!) but chances are you’ll like rum-based drinks, which is what goes in daiquiris. You should try raspberry too, or a long-island iced tea which you may enjoy!
It’s funny – I don’t really like things that have a lot of alcohol in them but I *do* like margaritas. Only frozen ones, though! Some of them can be very strong and that’s just “ICK!” for me. I have been tasting that Mango Swirl for WEEKS! First thing I’m getting when I get on the ship tomorrow afternoon! Ha.
I am surprised you haven’t ordered room service but I think it’s awesome that you push yourself to get out there and socialize! And I think it is great to unplug. I usually try to do that when I am vacationing.
One always from when I vacation is that I always treat myself to lattes instead of drinking crappy free hotel coffee. The expense adds up over the course of a trip but it’s a worthwhile indulgence for me!
I’ve actually never ordered room service for any vacation! I don’t know why, but it’s just never something I’ve experienced yet.
Vacations are totally about treating yourself so you deserve those lattes definitely! 🙂
Oh man, this post makes me want to go on a vacation! Cue wanderlust now!
I had no idea that room service was free on the cruise. I would probably have some unhealthy late night snacks because that’s how I roll when I’m on vacation. I love this post and OMG five more sleeps! So awesome.
I went on a cruise once and the deck party was fun, since it was as we left port. the best part: free drinks! Although I was 18 and couldn’t drink then it was still a cool idea. I enjoyed the costumes and music more than anything.
I also LOVE the photo of you and the pirate. That should be your new FB picture. Just saying =)
Ummmm… you had me at free drinks! I think I might check out a deck party this time around. If I hate it, I can always leave! But I think I should at least check it out once. 🙂
I love this series…what a fun drink! I like drinking weird drinks when I am traveling; somehow it just makes things feel more vacation-like.
I always try the local beer.
I sometimes book things advance, and sometimes fly by the seat of my pants.
I never check a bag.
Great suggestions. The booking your excursion through the cruise line point — Viator and Shore Excursions Group both have a promise that they get you back to the ship before it sails or they pay. I’ve used them in Caribbean, Alaska and in the Med. Usually 30% off, give or take.