Memories

My little sister is planning her wedding in June 2011 and I was excited to hear she and her fiance are planning on a cruise for their honeymoon. She asked my advice about cruises, and my mind just started racing! So many little tips, I think she should know. Rob and I were so lucky to have a great travel agent that knew all the ins and outs of cruising. She made the experience so much better, because we knew all the little things that new cruisers usually don’t know. I want my sister, Nikki, to have the same advantage. I’m planning on writing a series of posts, since there is so many cruising topics to discuss.

Things to know and keep in mind when planning:
1. Most cruises are all-inclusive, which means all food, some drinks, nearly all on-board entertainment are included. So what’s NOT included?

• Coke/Sodas (drinks that are free are tea, lemonade, water from the tap)
• Alcohol
• Shore Excursions
• Gambling
• Tips
• Travel Insurance

2. What’s a good price?
When looking at prices, Rob and I gage the cost by looking at cost per day. If it averages out to about $100 a day, that’s a good deal!

3. What identification do I need?
Passports are still not required for cruising, but highly, highly recommended. I know for me I have to have my Driver’s License, my birth certificate, and my marriage license (to show my name change from my birth certificate to what is shown on my driver’s license.) If you have a passport, that would be all you need. Remember anytime you get off the ship you will need either your passport or all the things I listed above. Check with your cruiseline or travel agent to make sure this hasn’t changed when booking your cruise.

4. Any recommendations on cabins?
At the middle of the ship, you will notice the least amount of rocking. Ships have stabalizers these days which really cuts down on the rocking and bumpiness. Although, when trying to make up time they take the stabalizers off. The lower the cabin the noisier it will be due to the fact it’s closer to the engines, etc. The rear of the ship is normally more noisy. I know when we sailed on the Century, we were in the back. We could hear the lowering of the anchors after docking at port. This actually worked as an alarm for us, so we would know to get up and get going.

5. What clothes do I need to bring?
Depending on the length of cruise you will have at least 1 formal night. No, that doens’t mean you need a prom dress or tuxedo. For men, blazer with khakis, and for women, a nice dress will serfice for most cruise lines. Or if you want to dress to the nines, go ahead! I’ve done both. For the other dinners, you’ll need nice casual wear (no shorts or tank tops). As far as the rest, pack like you would for any other trip similar in nature…comfortable shoes, light jacket (it gets windy on deck).

6. What if I hate to dress up?
If you would like to avoid getting dressed up during a cruise, just plan to eat your evening meal on the Lido deck during formal nights, or you could have room service. The formal night is also the night of the midnight buffet. You could plan to have a snack and then dress casually for a late night dinner at the buffet.

7. What if I start to feel motion sick?
DON’T WAIT! Go to information desk and ask for a motion sickness patch. They usually keep them there for convenience. The quicker you get the patch on the quicker you’ll start to feel better.

8. Is there a place to store valuables?
Yes, there is usually a small safe in the closet of each cabin. We always keep any valuables, cruise documents, identification (drivers’ licenses, passports), credit cards, etc. inside there when on board.

9. Don’t forget to pack…

• airline tickets
• cruise documents
• passports/ID’s
• itinerary

– binoculars
– alarm clock
– power strip (There’s usually 1 plug in the room. We usually have an alarm clock, small fan, and my curling iron/flat iron to plug in. You can usually rent these from the pursars desk, but it’s easier to bring it and not worry about being charged $25 if you don’t return it.)
– small fan (If you’re hot natured like me this is nice to have. The rooms are usually nice and cool, but the first time we brought one as a precautionary measure and we had room in our luggage.)
– Zip in Duffel Bag (These are so nice to have on trips where you may accumulate souvenirs during the trip and not have room in your suite case on your way home. Don’t forget to have a name tag on it.)

10. Anything else?
Leave emergency number that’s provided in your cruise documents for the ship with babysitter, housesitter, or relative. Let them know it’s for absolute emergencies only, as cost per minute is outrageous!

Look for my next post on cruising, which will discuss eating! 🙂 Who doesn’t love that topic?

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