Thinking of Cruising? Tips to Help You Have an Amazing Experience
If you read my blog this week you learned that The Berry family LOVES cruising! Now with that being said I know cruising is not for everyone, but I promise if you have not tried it you really should! It is a really neat way to go to some really cool places and all you have to do is relax!
We have been on a total of 5 cruises as a family and I went on one with my family as a teenager so I have some tips, but I am no means a pro as every time I go I seem to learn something new. With all that I would love to share with you the tips that have helped us.
MOTION SICKNESS
First, the number one question I always get or concern is motion sickness. Honest to God I have NEVER had an issue and I do get carsick and I do NOT ride round and round rides because of this. I know people really worry about this and I get it, but MOST of the ships are so big you really do not feel it. I will not lie and say you never feel it, but I promise it is rare. There are things you can do to prevent motion sickness as well. Here are a few options that I asked people about, but have never used as it has never been an issue for us.
Again I have never had to use these but I did take the time to ask people who I saw wearing them on the ship and they swore by them. I would also say the majority of people I talked to liked the patch over the bracelet and again not real sure why.
Now that we have that out of the way let's talk packing! We have only been on 7 day, 7 night cruises so here is exactly how I pack.
PACKING
Water shoes were definitely needed on this tour!
I NEVER bring a purse on a cruise. You do not need it unless you want a tiny purse for nighttime for lipstick and powder. I always have a back pack with our swim suits, sunscreen, and cover up so once we board the ship we can change and get to the pools and lunch! The minute we are on the ship we get to our room, lock up our billfolds in the safe, change and let the fun begin! I make sure everyone has a reusable water bottle and pack as many of those in my backpack so we have them once we board as your luggage does not get to your room right away. In my luggage I pack a sundress for each night (pretty much same ones I wore in New York and you can see those here )so 7 dresses, 3 bathing suits, 2 sets of work out clothes, 2 cover ups, depending on my excursions maybe shorts and t shirt for that, a pair of shoes that will go with all of my dresses at night, tennis shoes, walking/water sandals for excursions that are rocky and wet, and flip flops. On excursions if we are going to the beach I just wear my swimsuit and cover up off the ship and shop or play and explore in them as every cruise I have been on is in the Caribbean and that is dress code! If we have an adventure like zip lining or tubing I wear my bathing suit with cut offs and a tank and bring in my backpack a dry bathing suit and cover up to change into. That is pretty much all you need. They talk about dining room dress code and two nights are "formal" and yes you see everything from sequins to a sundresses like mine so if you want to dress up then pack two formal or semi formal outfits. Me, I like to just stick to the sundress and dress it up with some jewelry. I am on vacation for crying out loud. Men do have to wear pants to dinner but khakis are fine, jeans even. My teenagers do get away with khaki shorts, but not sure that would fly with an adult male. Have not tried it. I also bring a fold-able bag for the pool and excursions that I can put in my backpack in the event I need it. Toiletries-I always bring my own, but I will tell you it has been my experience on a cruise all they supply you with is a cheap bar of soap and shampoo so I just bring it all! Besides you can get anything travel size now so I just am happier with my own toiletries. I always pack an umbrella in the event it is rainy, ziplock bags to keep our phones safe from the sand and water, or a waterproof pouch for your phone, sunscreen, and everyone should have a lanyard. You can get these on Amazon, but we always get them on the ship or as we board and everyone gets whatever design they want. Seems like a lot, but I have a secret that helped me out!
My girlfriend Corrine loaned me her cubes and I already bought my own for our next trip! These bad boys are amazing for packing and it kept everything organized and neat and I packed everything above and still had room! So I HIGHLY suggest these and I promise you I will be using them on ALL our trips in the future!
WIFI
In the past we never got Wifi, but these past two cruises we did for a number of reasons and I have to say I just went with the package on board. I am not sure if there is really a way around this and I assure you if you do not do this your bill will be stupid high! Something I did learn though is if you do not want to purchase the Wifi just ask your room steward or waiters or any crew member when you are at port where is the free Wifi. They all know trust me! If you choose to unplug from the world like most of our family does, MAKE sure your phone is in airplane mode!
ATM
We always bring enough cash as there is a safe in your room, however, if you find you're in a bind and you need more DO NOT USE the ships ATM. You will be charged a min. of $5. There is a way around that. Use your sea pass card and go to the Casino. Find a slot machine, put your sea pass card in and deposit the amount you want to withdraw. Once the money is loaded into the slot machine hit the cash out button and take the ticket to the cashier as your sea pass card has now charged your onboard account the amount you wanted minus the extra fees.
CASH
Jeffery with Tree Top Canopy Adventrues in Roatan in 2016!
Speaking of cash we always make sure we have a lot of $1 and $5 so in port we have plenty of money to tip and shop. I found out the hard way in Mexico a lot of the shops did not want to use my credit card so I had to run back to the ship to get more money. I was not far from the ship, but now I know.
Jeffery this year! 2018 with Tree Top Canopy Adventures!!!!! Love this kid!
BOOZE
Our AMAZING cabin Steward from our 2017 Cruise
So here is the deal. If you are the kind of person who when you are on vacation you like a cocktail in your hand then I HIGHLY suggest you get the drink package. We do not drink soda pop and we are fine using our reusable water bottles and filling that with water, but they do have packages for Evian Water, Soda Pop, fancy coffee, and booze. I always tell people decide if you would like it and just get if you think you might be drinking anything from pop to special coffee to booze daily. It will save you money. With that being said each state room is allowed 2 bottle of wine and amazon has some amazing containers you can purchase to bring your own booze on if you are smart. Lucky for our family Trey does not drink and I do not drink that much so we really don't need them as we have two state rooms and 4 bottles of wine is plenty for me. But here are some ideas for you to bring your own in the event you want to, but remember to bring your mixer too as you will get charged for soda water or anything other than tea and lemonade. You can buy booze on the ship in their store and use it, but it cannot leave the ship. What do you do at the end of the cruise if it is not finished? You give it to your cabin steward with a note and his tip and say thanks for taking care of us! We had an amazing week and you played a role in that!
SNACKS
You really don't need snacks while on the ship as there is plenty! With that being said I like my gold fish and wine at 5 so I bring gold fish and I always have protein bars, peanut butter and crackers, cheese and crackers, and nuts for excursion days as sometimes those can be long or the kids do not like the locals food.
SHIPS TIME
This is huge! No matter what time it is at whatever port you are at, the minute you start your cruise until the minute you end it you are on ships time! This is very important as your phone will be in whatever time zone you are in so make sure you remember this! You don't want the ship to sail without ya because that would really cost ya!
DINNER TIME
See my rainbow laynard? That keeps my sea pass card safe and with me at all times.
There are two different times to go to dinner and like everything else in life there are pros and cons to both. You have to choose one or the other as you will sit at the same table every night and have the same wait staff which we always enjoy because you really get to know them. We choose the 5:30 seating for a number of reasons. Kids club is closed on the Royal Caribbean from 5-7, BUT some nights you can send your kid to eat at kids club during those hours which makes for a nice dinner if you have little ones in tow. The other seating is at 8 so yes you will have more pool time, but if you are eating at 8 you miss the 8 o clock show so you have to see the show at 6 unless you are still at the pool, which the shows are amazing so you really want to see them! So as you can see there are pros to 8, but cons and pros to 5:30 but you are leaving the pool early. Con! So decide what is best for your family and just go with it and enjoy! There is an option if you do not want a set reservation. It is called Anytime dining. The pro is you can go anytime. The con you do no get the same table and wait staff which my family always loves getting the same staff so we can really get to know them and learn about their country and families. With all that, however, my friend Ashley said they chose the anytime dining and she called the Royal Caribbean BEFORE they boarded and made a reservation for 7:00 every night and they got the same table and the same staff! So maybe you can and it my opinion it is worth a try if you don't like the 5:30 or 8:00 times because honestly you get the best of both worlds. Same staff and a time that fits your needs.
EXTRA STUFF OTHERS PACK BUT I NEVER HAVE
So if you google how to pack for a cruise you can get a ton of great tips. Things I always see people discuss are an extra power cord to plug in more electronics, an over the door shoe plastic shoe rack to keep things organized, a flashlight, and chip clips or towel clips for your towels to save chairs. Here is the deal. I did all of this on our first family cruise in 2012 and all this extra stuff did was take up space. The extra power cord was not used nor was the over the door shoe rack. Flashlight, well you have that on your phone now. Chip Clips-if you are weird about your towels flapping ok, but you will get a chair. In other words all this extra stuff does is take up space, but if you think you need it and you have the space by all means bring it if it makes you feel better, but I promise you will be fine without it.
WHO WE USE TO BOOK OUR CRUISES
There are all kinds of ways to travel, but I promise you if you have someone who knows what they are doing you get undivided attention for any and all questions and they handle most of the details! We use Brandon with Select Cruises for all of our cruises and we found him because he works with my husband at Southwest Airlines. Very patient, Very kind, and EXTREMELY knowledgeable in the area of travel and cruising! So if you would like to investigate cruising a little further you can find Brandon at cruisewithbrandon@gmail.com or call him at 407-374-9637. Tell him Amy Berry sent ya!
So there you have it! Some useful tips to help you out if you are thinking of cruising. I LOVE cruising and so does my family! Funny story-When Trey and I first got married he was a pilot in the US Navy and he literally said, "We will NEVER go on a cruise!" For those of you who do not know, being in the Navy requires most individuals to do six month tours over seas on a ship, unless of course you are a submariner, then you are on a submarine. So Trey had his share of cruising! But once he had been out of Active Duty for about 7 years we finally convinced him to give it a try and he has NEVER looked back! So we Berry's think you all should give a cruise a go! You might be surprised at what you discover!
Message me with any questions as I always love to help people thinking of taking a cruise! And if you are like me and love cruising and have other useful tips I don't know and could use and share, PLEASE let us know!
Until next time!
XO,
Amy
Hello, World!
Even if you are not going on a Cruise I highly suggesst packing cubes! I will NEVER travel without mine again! The secret is....Roll your clothes! You will be amazed how they look when you get to your destination and how organized you will be!
