Late risers/non sun worshipers

My s/o and I are contemplating cruising, but I wonder how well it will work for us.

Background: He is fair. Nordic blonde fair. Show him a photo of the sun and he burns kind of fair. There isn’t enough sunscreen on the planet to protect him from the summer sun in the Caribbean.

He’s also not an early riser. Not at all.

Questions:

Is it likely to find shady spots to lounge in deck chairs, read books, listen to the ocean and just *chill* on most cruises? Or is everything SUN SUN SUN!?

It is reasonable to plan a late, leisurely meal and leave for port at say noon? 1 pm? Yes, I know we will cut into our time to do stuff on shore, but dragging my Beloved out of bed early on a vacation day—there lies the road to madness. Can you even get off the ship that late in the day?

If we decide to skip visiting a port—do most/all of the restaurants close on port days? Is everything or most things closed up until the crowds return from excursion in port?

Sorry in advance for the many questions.

Thanks for sharing your expertise!

I've been on more than 70 cruises, and for me, the ship is the destination, and not the ports, especially for Cribbean cruises. Lots of people stay on the ship when in port because its very quiet on board when most are off touring.

The only rule about ports is, if you get off the ship, make sure you're back on board at least 20 minutes before you're scheduled to depart. Cruise ships don't wait for late comers, unless you're with a ship sponsored tour. You don't want to be running down the pier as the ship is sailing away.

As for being on the ship, the casino, shops and most bars are closed when in port. And usually, only the buffet is open for lunch.

And yes, there are lots of areas where you can relax out of the sun.

My husband suffers from skin cancer and we cruise the Caribbean frequently. No need to spend a lot of time outdoors. There is plenty to do onboard.And we always find a shady spot if we are at the pool or on deck. Ports are another problem. Plenty of sunscreen and protective clothing are necessary. The Caribbean is hot and humid so that type of clothing can be uncomfortable. 100% cotton works best.

There are lots of places to sit out of the sun. Parts of the ship itself will create areas of shade, but be careful of reflected sunlight. There are also a number of lounges on the ship. Many of these are not really used during the day, but are open. You can go in one of them and sit and read.

As to ports, you can leave the ship anytime you want. Breakfast is served early in the MDR, about 7 to 9, but the breakfast buffet goes until 11 or 12. When it closes the lunch buffet opens. So your partner can sleep as late as he wants, eat and head to town.

Also, there are cruises where the sun is not as big a part of it. Alaska, Canada and New England come to mind. Also, the European cruises.

My dad and I cruise 2-3 times a year and our favorite place to sit is on the outer Promenade deck....there's always benches or loungers to relax in. It's always shaded and its very quiet and relaxing.

You should be able to find places to relax out of the sun, especially while on the ship, but have you considered a cruise outside of the Caribbean?

When I go out in the sun, I get a large itchy rash all over. I can still go out if I stay in the shade and put something over when my skin is showing. Last year I was in mexico and I was using 110 spf sunscreen, I didn't have any protection and i got large blisters all over my arms. This year im going to alaska.

Mary

Just a few things to clarify:

We live in Baltimore and are hoping to depart from either Baltimore (a 15 minute drive, woot!) or NY/NJ, so that does impact our destination choices.

We're kicking around New England/Canada in the fall (less than ideal, because I'm going to want to get up early and go to see the sites) or Bermuda or the Bahamas either as early in the season or as late in the season as possible to help mitigate the sun intensity factor. Even those, however, will require lots of sunscreen and as much time as possible lounging in the shade (and of course, tons of sunsreen to protect against the reflection from the ocean).

Any place further south is off our list at the moment due to not wishing my Beloved to become Lobster Man and be miserable all week.

Thank you for all the advice and information y'all have already shared! It assures me that we can find that chillaxing vacation we've been hoping for! :D

My wife and I no longer bring swim suits. Calm down ladies, I do not sun bathe nude. :)

Hi Metsfanmel I live in Manassas,Va. I always cruise NCL and have cruised out of flordia and New Orleans. I'm flying to Seattle in September to go to Alaska. Mary

We're kicking around New England/Canada in the fall (less than ideal, because I'm going to want to get up early and go to see the sites)...

Given the info you've provided, I would think this would work well for you. We did this cruise some years ago and it was absolutely gorgeous, especially if you have Quebec City as one of your ports - phenomenal. :)

There are lots of late risers on cruises- don't worry about this. The buffet breakfast usually goes until at least 11 am or so, when they start to switch over to lunch. Room Service is also an option for him if he wants to lounge. Sadly though, he may miss some of the ports with you - was that the plan, to go ashore without him? Curious.

The only rule about ports is, if you get off the ship, make sure you're back on board at least 20 minutes before you're scheduled to depart. Cruise ships don't wait for late comers....

30 minutes is generally the rule and just to be sure, we give ourselves at least 60 minutes. :)

.

 

Is it likely to find shady spots to lounge in deck chairs, read books, listen to the ocean and just *chill* on most cruises? Or is everything SUN SUN SUN!? easily done.

 

It is reasonable to plan a late, leisurely meal and leave for port at say noon? 1 pm? Yes, I know we will cut into our time to do stuff on shore, but dragging my Beloved out of bed early on a vacation day—there lies the road to madness. Can you even get off the ship that late in the day? not always a smart idea. in a few spots you will be departing very early.. like 4 and you have to be on board at minimum 30 minutes prior. now you could say, do Bermuda, which tends to have overnight stays in port which allows you much more latitude.

 

If we decide to skip visiting a port—do most/all of the restaurants close on port days? Is everything or most things closed up until the crowds return from excursion in port? yes and no. the casino and shops will be closed until you get out to sea again, and lunch options may be much more limited( say only the buffet, or room service) but the lounges will be practically empty

 

Sorry in advance for the many questions.

 

Thanks for sharing your expertise!

DH is an Irishman, skin cancer runs in my family. we never have problems finding shady areas. we PREFER to stay on board on port days, as the place is empty. Breakfast and dinner is usually minimally affected, if at all. it is only lunch/midafternoon where you may have to adjust. Like once, for instance the only open venue between 3-5 PM was the little Park cafe in the Solarium( this was Royal). the buffet had closed and the MDR doesn't serve lunch on port days.

Just a few things to clarify:

 

We live in Baltimore and are hoping to depart from either Baltimore (a 15 minute drive, woot!) or NY/NJ, so that does impact our destination choices.

 

We're kicking around New England/Canada in the fall (less than ideal, because I'm going to want to get up early and go to see the sites) or Bermuda or the Bahamas either as early in the season or as late in the season as possible to help mitigate the sun intensity factor. Even those, however, will require lots of sunscreen and as much time as possible lounging in the shade (and of course, tons of sunsreen to protect against the reflection from the ocean).

 

Any place further south is off our list at the moment due to not wishing my Beloved to become Lobster Man and be miserable all week.

 

Thank you for all the advice and information y'all have already shared! It assures me that we can find that chillaxing vacation we've been hoping for! :D

we have done Bermuda from Baltimore and will be doing Ca/NE in September. of the two lines I much prefer Royal( and Carnival is leaving in 2015 anyway so phooey on them)

with Bermuda nearly always having at least one overnight, look at that.. you can wait until late afternoon to get off, still enjoy the local nightlife( although the shopping will be harder since the shops close early) and if necessary do a quick solo shopping tour the next morning while he snores away. plenty of stuff within a ten minute walk of the pier.

Bermuda in late April or May will give you the best chance of cool enough temperatures so that your s/o can cover up against the sun.

There are plenty of places to sit on deck where you are not in the sun.

I'm a late sleeper also. On my last cruise I did not get off the ship to go into the ports until about noon. One of the nice things about Bermuda is you stay in the same port for a few days. You can get off when you want and spend the evening on the island and come back to the ship when you want.

I like to sleep late too, and that's why I usually get an inside cabin. The Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne, NJ, might be a good choice. It is a voyager class ship with shaded areas in the solarium, and on a "deck 13" area in the front (take stairs from deck 12). I like the viking crown (semi-circle glass area above and behind the main pool) to sit and watch the pool and ocean. But all ships I've been on have nice inside public areas and some shaded areas outside. You might want to stay on the ship in a port-of-call. I find it the best time to use the solarium.

Not a late sleeper but not a sun-lover any more either. I second the suggestion for Bermuda because with the ship being in port for a prolonged period, this would suit both your styles. It is easy to find shaded spots outside as most people want to return home with a tan. And the lounges are quiet for reading, playing games doing puzzles, etc.

We also did the Canada/New England cruise once and loved it. However, you must be prepared to do most of the ports on your own if you want to see what they have to offer, as you will have to get of earlier than 11 or noon. Your SO can perhaps join you for a couple of hours in the afternoon.

You may be so excited to be on a cruise, you wont sleep late. I too would suggest Alaska, it stays light late, so you will see the sights. I hope you have fun.

My s/o and I are contemplating cruising, but I wonder how well it will work for us.

 

Background: He is fair. Nordic blonde fair. Show him a photo of the sun and he burns kind of fair. There isn’t enough sunscreen on the planet to protect him from the summer sun in the Caribbean.

 

He’s also not an early riser. Not at all.

 

Questions:

 

Is it likely to find shady spots to lounge in deck chairs, read books, listen to the ocean and just *chill* on most cruises? Or is everything SUN SUN SUN!?

 

It is reasonable to plan a late, leisurely meal and leave for port at say noon? 1 pm? Yes, I know we will cut into our time to do stuff on shore, but dragging my Beloved out of bed early on a vacation day—there lies the road to madness. Can you even get off the ship that late in the day?

 

If we decide to skip visiting a port—do most/all of the restaurants close on port days? Is everything or most things closed up until the crowds return from excursion in port?

 

Sorry in advance for the many questions.

 

Thanks for sharing your expertise!

Welcome to Cruise Critic! Feel free it as many questions as you wish. You need to know these things in advance. :)

You can get off the ship at any time while you are in port.

There will certainly be places for you to eat on the ship while in port. For lunch the main dining room is normally closed but the buffet, grill (hamburgers/hot dogs), pizza area, etc. will be open.

There is not as much organized activities on port days but bars will be open. Shops and the casino will NOT be open.

There are many places to sit on the deck in the shade.

Ask any other questions you wish and look forward to having a wonderful cruise! :D

LuLu

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It won't be a problem at all. I'm strawberry blond, Irish decent, and burn with a full moon. I haven't had any problems in the Caribbean. With sun screen and watching my time in the son I've avoid any major burns. There is plenty of shade on the boat as well as indoor activities. I don't know what age he is but he kids centers have lots of indoor things to do.

I typically cruise late September early October... The sun then probably isn't as strong. I'm also a late sleeper... Despite being in my 30s I sleep like a teen on my days off. There is a good mix of sea days and port days to get plenty of relaxation in without feeling like you have to wake up at dawn and go, go, go. One thing going for you is you already live in the time zone you are cruising (the ship keeps the time of the starting port) so your son won't need to adjust to that. If you check out your cruise options they all arrive at ports at different times so you might find an itinerary that is more suitable to your schedule... Either later arrivals or longer stays at the ports.

You and your son will have a blast!

Kari

Sometimes trying to put a square top on a round bottle is not very effective. For the OP we would suggest trying some different itineraries such as Alaska or Norway or perhaps a cruise around the UK.

Hank

The thing about cruises is that you can do what you want to and the only clock to keep an eye on is the time the ship leaves port so you don't miss it.

There is so much to do on board in port and not in port and when all those people are off the ship, you get it all to yourself. No queues for slides etc and lots of sun beds to be had wherever you want.

most of the ships have an overhang near the pool where at least 1 row and sometimes 2 rows of beds are. some have an indoor solarium too (celebrity) with its own pool and no sun at all.

We often go off the ship at lunch and enjoy a bite to eat and a wander rather than a full trip

Do whatever takes your fancy and on some trips we never sit on a sun bed - there are often some lovely areas with comfy seats (sun and shade) to be found elsewhere

take a look at the lawn decks on celebrity solstice class ships - great for sitting, reading etc and you can push the chairs back under the overhang too

.

Remember everyone, OP said this:

We live in Baltimore and are hoping to depart from either Baltimore (a 15 minute drive, woot!) or NY/NJ, so that does impact our destination choices.

I think we should respect this when helping her in this thread. :)

.

Explorer of the Seas has a 7 day cruise to Bermuda thru-out October. Prices are pretty good, residence rates apply for now. It docks for 3 days in Bermuda so you can come and go as you please. You can check this out on the RCCL website if you are interested. Next year I believe they are only doing 5 day cruises to Bermuda. Oh, this leaves from Cape Liberty NJ.. almost forgot that part.

Explorer of the Seas has a 7 day cruise to Bermuda thru-out October. Prices are pretty good, residence rates apply for now. It docks for 3 days in Bermuda so you can come and go as you please. You can check this out on the RCCL website if you are interested. Next year I believe they are only doing 5 day cruises to Bermuda. Oh, this leaves from Cape Liberty NJ.. almost forgot that part.

I never even thought to check on Port Liberty. Oh, my travel agent is going to kill me when I ask her to check on this for us.

Great idea! Thank you!

Thanks again, also, to everyone who shared their advice and wisdom. We have it nailed down to Bermuda in Sept or October, on either NCL's Breakaway out of NYC, RC's Grandeur of the Sea out of Baltimore or the Explorer of the Sea out of NJ. Thanks SO much for helping us get this close.

Now comes the fun part of sitting with my Beloved and comparing notes, checking prices and making The Big Decision. :D

My DH has never eaten breakfast in the dining room or at the buffet on a cruise. Not once. The only time he ever set foot in a dining venue at breakfast time was once when we sailed Princess & we had to be out of the cabin before disembarkation. We usually sail NCL & can wait in the cabin.

On those very rare occasions when we have an early excursion, I will order room service.

To DH a vacation means getting to sleep past noon; he's kind of p.i.t.a. to the cabin steward who wants to get in & clean so I have to assure that poor person that honestly letting DH sleep is the best thing.

There are always indoor activities on a ship. The promenade deck -- under the lifeboats -- is a lovely shaded spot ideal for outdoor reading & napping.