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Cruising is an excellent way to let loose and unwind from all the stress. It’s also a great way to try out tons of new things without having to make extensive plans for each adventure, meal, or entertainment opportunity. Here’s how you can get the most out of your next cruise.
How do you determine what all you can or even want to do on your vacation? Or how do you even find the time to do everything you want?
Well, the good news is that you can do many of the things you want to. You can either plan many of them before you ever get on the ship, or even once you’ve settled well in to your cabin. So don’t worry, you will have your opportunities!
Plan Your Meals
One of your first priorities should be planning meal times and locations if you intend to dine at the reserved dining times. The reserved dining times include waiters/waitresses and will usually last a bit longer as your food is served to you.
I highly recommend trying this at least once during your trip as it is a unique, beautiful and delicious experience.
If you are interested in trying one of the specialty restaurants the ship offers, I recommend reserving this before you board the ship as this often saves you money. If you decide to eat at the specialty restaurants after you’ve boarded, reserve as soon as you can, as reservations fill up quick and you may miss the opportunity, or pay the price.
The other dining options usually include buffet style dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So if you don’t want anything fancy, this is a great option that doesn’t usually require reservations, and is a come and go kind of dining. Plus, if you have a big appetite and like to see things before you try them, then this is your style of dining.
I definitely prefer the buffet style of dining for breakfast and lunch as this makes waking up at anytime much more enjoyable. Plus, when you want a quick bite to eat, eating buffet makes this convenient.
I highly, highly recommend trying the finer dining options for dinners though, because after a long day out in the sun or walking a long ways, it is so relaxing. The fine dining is an excellent way to unwind, and spend some time to enjoy your meal and talk about the day. This is also a great time to think about tomorrows plans and learn more about what entertainment the ship is offering for the evening.
Excursions and Adventures!
Excursions are a great way to fill your day with a new adventure. They can be planned ahead of time or they can be booked once your board the ship.
However, due to limited openings I recommend planning ahead of time and book your excursions through your cruise line. This avoids any loss of opportunity, and will save you money.
But if you forgot, ran out of time, or just didn’t know about this, don’t fret.
You can still book excursions once you’re on the ship, and even once you get to the ports. However, I would be very careful about booking excursions at the ports themselves.
The reason you should limit what excursions you book at ports is that if for some reason you are held up, running late, or have troubles getting back to your ship on time, the ship may leave you as they are unsure where you are. So stay on ship time and make sure you get back on time! I cannot stress this enough… get back to your ship on time!
That’s why it’s recommended to book excursions through your ship. The hosts of those excursions communicate with your ship if they are running late or have troubles, and will otherwise make sure to get you back in plenty of time.
So when you go to sign up for these fun adventures, try to plan for at least one at each port. Sometimes they will run almost all day you are at port, where others are only a few short hours. Whichever you decide, there’s choices for everyone in your cruising group!
My favorite Excursions
Some of my favorite adventures are snorkeling and time on the beach, hikes, and island tours. There are even some ports which offer food and wine tours if you are a foodie. And, there are other options where you can encounter animals like dolphins, sloths, monkeys, and other amazing animals you don’t usually see everyday.
Some options may also include a pass for a day at the beach, waterpark, and more. On my last cruise, I had a day pass for a snorkeling adventure where I could spend a few hours on the beach or snorkel as much as I wanted. The equipment was provided, and they even gave us a couple free drinks. Apparently the first one was just “a welcome” drink! Goodness I felt the second one…
But, if for some reason you decide not to try any excursions, or you have more time to play after your adventure, there’s still plenty more you can do!
Have An Idea Of What You Want To Do At Ports
There are tons of options for what to do at the ports. There is almost a 100% guarantee that any port you visit will have shopping directly on the dock, or very close by. So if you enjoy shopping, this is your chance to enjoy a variety of souvenirs and great finds.
Many ports often have duty-free, or tax free items for sale. This often includes liquor and spirits, name brand fragrances, jewelry and more. So if you love those big and beautiful brands, this is your chance to take advantage of those great prices!
In addition to the more costly shopping opportunities, you will find yourself with many other options as well. Including prices that most anyone can afford. These shops have tons of great souvenirs with your choice of t-shirts, shot glasses, magnets, postcards, jewelry, and so, so much more. This is your chance to buy many items and gifts for yourself, or friends back home.
Many of the ports you visit even have dining options available from a cafe and bakery, to finer dining. So if you want a bit more variety than what your ship has to offer, this is your chance to try the local cuisine, and tickle those tastebuds!
Entertainment on the Ship!
Lastly, you will want to consider what entertainment your ship has to offer. This will vary and depend on your ship, the size of the ship, and your cruise line. So when you are booking your cruise tickets, you will want to keep this in mind so that you and everyone in your group will have something they can enjoy.
If you are choosing or interested in booking a cruise through Princess Cruises, I suggest reading this Princess Cruise Guide by my blogging friend Catrin, also known as the Glampacking Lawyer. According to Catrin’s guide, Princess Cruises often caters to, and is a perfect choice for celebrating milestones, romantic getaways, or just treating yourself to a super relaxing vacation. The Princess Cruise Line also markets quite a bit to destination weddings, and weddings at sea.
Catrin also mentions a neat trick for snagging a great deal on a better room while paying less, so make sure to check out her Princess Cruise Guide.
And if you’ve ever considered whale watching, be sure to also check out Whale Watching on the Sunshine Coast.
The last cruise I went on was a larger ship and had heaps for entertainment of all ages!
My favorite was the ice show, and the water show. But they also had a movie theater and auditorium for shows and musicals. For more details into ship entertainment, check out the 10 best things to do on a cruise. Plus I even include some pictures of the incredibly yummy food!
On each of the three cruises I’ve been on, they have all offered a movie on deck. This was always one of my favorite ways to unwind at the end of the day because I could grab some ice cream or other snack and watch a movie under the stars. And what an excellent way to spend some quality time with your family, friends, or significant other. Absolutely love this part of the cruise, and I always look forward to having this in future cruises.
Other entertainment can include bingo, time spent at the casino, shows and musicals, shopping on the ship, classes at the gym and so much more. Your ship will be unique in its choices of entertainment, so make sure you take advantage of all the time you have on the ship. The evenings will give you the most time to enjoy what the ship has to offer.
So if you can schedule or plan your entertainment while on the ship, I highly recommend it.
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Final recommendations!
Hear me out on this last little section because it is important, and will help you improve the quality of your vacation.
Firstly, If you have to fly out to your port of embarkation, I cannot recommend strongly enough that you stay the night in a hotel, B&B, or at a friends house in the same city as your embarkation. This is because if for any reason your flight is delayed, or even worse, canceled, you may have no way of getting to your ship before it leaves the port. I have actually had trouble with this in the past where a flight was delayed and pushed up in time, so we had to leave even sooner than expected.
This adds a tremendous amount of stress to your trip, and may even cost you the trip itself! So don’t let this be you. Plan ahead, and book the night before in your embarkation city.
Don’t pack too much.
Secondly, you don’t need to pack as much as you might think. If you plan on buying any amount of clothing at shops or at the airport, you will have plenty of clothes to wear by the time you are done with your trip.
I especially have a thing for buying tons of t-shirts, so I try to pack less shirts than I need by at least 2-3. For pants, I will usually pack a couple longer pants, shorts, and one nice outfit. Most cruises will have an evening where everyone will dress up. So as for laundry, most ships will offer this at an added cost.
Lastly, make sure you have any and all paperwork, money, cards, and other documentation packed safely away. I would suggest having a small portfolio, fanny pack, or other other small container protecting things like your passport, driver’s license, and tickets. And make sure that you can easily and quickly access these from your main bag or carryon items. Essentially, avoid leaving these in your vehicle at the airport, or risk them getting lost in transit.
