Cruise Tips for Newbies

I know...you all thought you were done with cruise jabber and now here I am again!! But I had a request for a post of tips for cruising, since some of you haven't been on one before. Ryan is the expert in our family. The one we just took was his 8th. So I've asked him to weigh in from the "expert" side - and I will add my two cents as a newbie. All opinions expressed below are based on a Caribbean cruise, as it's all we've done.

Ryan's Tips {AKA - the Expert}

* Four to six weeks prior to the trip, begin increasing your food intake so you can increase your stomach size, thus maximizing the amount of food you can eat on the trip.

* There will more than likely be many kids on the ship, so you should probably go ahead and just act like one. {vis-a-vis...the water slide....the water park...screaming for food at your table.}

* If possible, fly in to the port city the day before; that way you can get on the ship as early as possible the day you set sail. This gives you time to learn the ship and maximize your eating possibilities. {It also lessens the possibility of MISSING the departure of the ship due to delayed/canceled flights.} Photo below taken during our self-guided ship tour before we set sail.

* If you're not cruising with a large group, and the option exists on your cruise, the open dining is a great option, because it allows you to fit dinner into YOUR schedule. You can request the same waiter every night if you want to keep the same one.

* Don't worry that there won't be enough to do, whether on the days at sea or the days in port. There's always PLENTY to do. It's just a matter of choosing what you want to do!

* After booking your cruise, continue checking the price. If the price goes down, they'll give you on board credit for the difference. {At least with Carnival.}

* All your food is paid for with your ticket, so you can try anything...and if you don't like it, you can ask for something else. And if you REALLY like it, you can ask for more! The best way to do this is to go ahead and order two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts when you sit down. {At least.}

and then there are....

Newbie Tips - from Bekah, of course

* Take more tank tops than you think you need/want. I took some tank tops and some t shirts, thinking I would want to switch back and forth. I did not. Ran out of tank tops. Tan lines, people! Tan lines!!

* Actually, beach cover-ups ARE outfits on these ships. I didn't even know that. I should have just bought a couple more of those and skipped regular clothes.

* Though I complained about it endlessly at the time, being on the 11th deck and choosing to take the stairs for almost every single trip {minus three the whole week, I think} was the best thing for not gaining the cruise 15. Seriously.

* Having a room near {in our case, one deck away from} the food deck is great. Not so much because of snacks, although there is that, but because anytime we wanted a drink of tea or coffee, we didn't have to scale the entire ship to get one.

* Unless you are traveling with kids or in a large group and just know you wouldn't use it ever, spending a little to upgrade to a room with a balcony is great. They're so tiny, but it's nice to be able to relax without hunting for a chair or worrying about people taking your stuff. Nice, quiet, serene - and still OUTSIDE.

* Do one thing every day that constitutes adventure - even on the days at sea. And on the flip side of that, don't be so busy doing every possible thing that you forget to rest. It is, after all, a vacation. It's okay to just relax!

And last but not least...when in doubt...TAKE US!!! WE'RE FUN!!