"I wish I knew before..."

Miss your cruise but at least you would still have your $$

Yes, insurance is a must! For our last planned vacation our outgoing flights were cancelled due to a winter storm. It took us two more days to finally get out. We would have completely missed a cruise:eek:

Sort of our first cruise...

 

 

 

We had our honeymoon on a Royal Caribbean ship. Not even sure which one, it was so long ago:eek::D

 

 

 

Buut, 13 years and two kids later we are considering a cruise for either next year or the year after. If the price is right, we would probably go in Feb 2016, but if we have to save then it would be Feb 2017.

 

Only February because Hubs is a teacher, we don't like to pull the kids from school, and we like to get away from winter in New York.

 

 

 

Anyway, I am feeling very overwhelmed at this stage - and it's just the beginning. First, there are so many cruise lines. And while price is a big consideration, I also don't want to settle and be unhappy with the ship. Saw a great deal for a Carnival ship with our dates, perfect price, but then someone said it was an older ship and another said they smelled sewage the entire time they were on board :eek: Royal Caribbean has some, but they are more $$. We have been to WDW 3 times and think our kids would LOVE a Disney cruise, but I think I wasn't as thrilled with their port choices...

 

 

 

Phew! So how did you decide which cruise line to go with? Were you happy?

A few years ago, I was on the last flight out of Newark airport during the February break before they closed down the entire thing!! That's why this past year I took NCL breakaway (there were tons of kids!!) from New York and next year Anthem from Cape Liberty. Costs are less with no airfare, but it also limits weather delays with plane travel. You may want to check that option out.

There are sooooo many considerations when deciding on a cruise. For me, we live near enough to drive to the port of Galveston, so I look specifically for cruise deals sailing from that port. So if you are near enough to a port to drive, and still sail to a destination you're happy with, then that's a good thing. Although I personally love Holland America (I'm a senior), it would most definitely not recommend them for families with younger children. Royal Caribbean & Carnival both have great reputations for outstanding children's & youth programs. With all that being said...I sailed the Disney Wonder about 2 years ago on a 7-day western Caribbean cruise from Galveston. You can't even imagine how awesome that was! Of course children's & youth programs are outstanding, entertainment is awesome, the whole atmosphere is really fun and there are so many extra amenities that they provide. The cabins have 1.5 bathrooms, even the cheapest cabins have this. That's a fabulous feature, believe me!

Well, good luck in planning a totally awesome cruise for your family. I know you'll have fun no matter which cruise line you choose.

kruzkween

If you want to travel with young children, I would go for Carnival or Royal Caribbean; I would also suggest Disney, but they are much more expensive per person than Carnival or RCI.

"I WISH I KNEW BEFORE"

1) We will NOT drink all the pop and water we brought on board! (the allocated amount for Carnival). Its a lot to carry! We now take half!

2) Stop into the store first day and have them punch your card to attach to Lanyard. I don't need a hole punch.

3) Call Carnival in advance to confirm bookings with friends/family are linked and not count on just because you heard the travel agent book it that it will happen once on board. We were in different restaurants but thankfully they fixed the next night

4) I WILL wear all the clothes I brought! I brought day time and night time clothes and 2 formal wear (one checked and one carry-on bag). Minimum amount of shoes.

5) If you wake up late on sea days, there will be no chairs on Lido or anywhere for that matter.

6) Its perfectly safe to book excursions NOT through the ship. Wouldn't do this for full day ones however!

THINGS I'VE LEARNED:

1) Bring your travel size medicine cabinet. :) Daughter had bad ear ache with no drops. Thankfully a port had a drug store with drops that worked fine but not the same as our Canadian Polysporin Antibiotic Drops that don't need prescription.

2) Over the door shoe holder is fantastic, especially with kids in the cabin. Kept everything organized.

3) Water shoes are a must if you enjoy the beaches. Some are really rocky!

4) When venturing off on your own be cautious of who you travel with! We rented a cab in Roatan with another couple from our cruise who wasn't as concerned about time as we were. They wanted just one more stop! Got back with only 20 minutes to spare. Too close for our comfort!

5) Step out of your comfort zone. Volunteer to play the games on stage or sing with the band. You'll have so many more memories!

6) I didn't drink as much as I thought I would. We don't need the drinking plan!

7) Packing cubes are awesome! Just bought them for my last cruise and LOVE them!

8) Read as many message boards as you can! AMAZING ideas on ports, transfers, hotels, etc. can be gotten from fellow cruisers. Everyone is amazing with sharing what they know!

I think the biggest thing I can share goes with #8. Do all your planning in advance. Once on the ship...RELAX!! I don't just mean physically. Sometimes the food is not prepared to your liking or you can't stop at a port for reasons out of the ships control. There WILL be things you can't plan for HOWEVER...its up to you on how you choose to deal with these things. There are lots of food! You will NOT starve and you are on vacation and away from WORK!! Try not to let these things ruin your experience!

Thanks for all the advice.

thank you so much for starting this thread ... I have only got to page 20 and I have been on this laptop for hours ... dh will think I have gone out ... lol ... will be back tomorrow to read some more

thank you all for taking time to post your ideas and lists

happy sailing

Sandy :)

ps I even managed to insert a sailing clock ... as you can see I am off pretty soon

We have always used the 7 day pill containers and have never been questioned. We have traveled internationally both in Europe and the Caribbean as well as within the U.S. With the vitamin bottles being so large it would take up a lot of space. Our prescription drugs are in the weekly pill containers as well.

People USUALLY are not questioned, but some are, and whether or not you may have trouble also depends on the country you travel to. Elderly at airports and customs are questioned less than younger people about loose pills without prescription labels. I have been questioned and it is not always pleasant, and can slow up security passage at customs. Never a problem with meds in their labelled bottles. At a Canadian border when I was younger and traveling alone my entire luggage and rental car were gone through because I had one loose green headache capsule in my purse without a prescription label that aroused suspicion. Two-hour delay, counting the interviews. There have been other incidents as well I know about from people I deal with professionally, including issues with some narcotics drug-sniffing dogs ( depends on the dog) in Central America.

It is best to have all your prescription or non-prescription truly essential drugs (not vitamins) in bottles with labels on them, and absolutely do this if you carry any controlled substance ( narcotic pain meds, sedatives, testosterone) and anything requiring injection needles or medicinal liquids ( unofficially, even more so if you are young). New Zealand ports also officially require a letter from your doctor listing what you need to be on and carry, though I was not required to show this at security in NZ recently despite my obvious ziplocks full of meds in their bottles which the agents saw ( they were more interested in confiscating powerbars and leftover soda as NZ and Australia have strict prohibitions against bringing any food or beverage into the country without declaring it for clearance)

And this may be obvious, but be sure and have any med you cannot live without on your trip ON you, in your purse or carryon, rather than checked. It is amazing how many people check their meds and then are frantic when their bag disappears.

And if you have sleep apnea, do take your CPAP, even though it is heavy ( also in your carryon). Many a journey has been ruined with fatigue by people thinking they can skip their CPAP " for just a week of cruising."

I know it takes up add'l luggage space but I always carry my meds in the original bottles with the labels in my carry on bag. I know that it is not the norm to get stopped and questioned, but I also know it happens. Easy for me to take 5 minutes, once in my cabin to fill the empty daily med container.

I put strips from all in a sandwich bag then put the dispensary stickers from each med on the front of the bag.

If you don't want to take big huge bottles of your prescription meds on your cruise (i.e. want only enough to get you through a week or two) to save on space, when you get your Rx filled at the pharmacy, ask them to split it into two vials. Each vial will have its own label. You can tell them how many pills you want in the one vial to get you through your trip, and the remainder can go in the other.

also consider taking MORE than enough to get you through your trip if your meds are life-essential ( insulin, pituitary replacement meds like hydrocortisone , heart rhythm meds, inhalers) in case your trip inadvertently lasts longer than it is supposed to and there is no practical way to get more meds.

A friend of mine got stuck in a notoriously politically instable South American country for several days longer than expected a few years ago at an airport due to a combination of weather and local labor strikes. The airline put her up in a hotel each night but then she was shuttled to the airport daily, then back again, hoping the flight would be cleared, with no opportunity to try and find more emergency meds. Meds do not weight much, so take at least a week extra, better to be safe and prepared than panicky, or you might even be able to help someone else.

Haven't read all 99 pages so sorry if there are repeats:

-Only pack within a certain color scheme. I only pack pink, purple, orange, gray & black. They work well with each other & allows me to pack less.

-AFA shoes, I wear boots onto the plane, pack 2 pairs of comfortable walking shoes & a pair of strappy sandals for the dining room. Never had a problem.

-I have a little bag from Travelsmith that I love. It's a small purse with a fold over flap, lots of zippered pockets and the strap has a metal cord so if purse thieves try to cut & run they can't. I've carried it a lot & it's still going strong.

also consider taking MORE than enough to get you through your trip if your meds are life-essential ( insulin, pituitary replacement meds like hydrocortisone , heart rhythm meds, inhalers) in case your trip inadvertently lasts longer than it is supposed to and there is no practical way to get more meds.

A friend of mine got stuck in a notoriously politically instable South American country for several days longer than expected a few years ago at an airport due to a combination of weather and local labor strikes. The airline put her up in a hotel each night but then she was shuttled to the airport daily, then back again, hoping the flight would be cleared, with no opportunity to try and find more emergency meds. Meds do not weight much, so take at least a week extra, better to be safe and prepared than panicky, or you might even be able to help someone else.

Having learned why the hard way when we traveled to China back in 1984, we always pack both a full set of pill organizers (the little containers one can purchase at any drug store that lets you set up your daily doses) and a full set of original labeled pill bottles, which we pack separately. That way we always have more than enough and have some proof of the lidentity and legitimacy of each medication.

Needless to say, in the 30+ years since that trip it's never been a problem, but we'll still do it whenever we travel outside the USA.

Hey there.. What does don't 'rebook excursions.. rain' mean? Sorry this is my first cruise

Saving this info! Thanks everyone!

Loving this thread. I think i will be coming back to it over and over in the months leading up to my first ever cruise. A massive thankyou to everyone that has contributed. Personally i quite like the tips that are repeated - a) it means more people think its a good idea/useful and b) this thread is soooo long its hard to get through it all so good to see stuff in the recent posts.

The two things we really wished we had on our Mexico cruise were adult-sized rash guards (some excursions didn't allow sunscreen because you were swimming with sea creatures) and water shoes (rocky beaches).

The two things we really wished we had on our Mexico cruise were adult-sized rash guards (some excursions didn't allow sunscreen because you were swimming with sea creatures) and water shoes (rocky beaches).

Can you tell me what "rash guards" are?

Thanks.

Can you tell me what "rash guards" are?

 

 

 

Thanks.

High spf rated swim clothing.

Can you tell me what "rash guards" are?

 

Thanks.

High spf rated swim clothing.

Ahhh.... Thanks! :)

I have only been able to get through the first few pages, but thank you to everyone!! We will be going on our first in April 2016 and I'm freaking out about making sure I pack just enough, have enough money, what to pre-book, what to wait to book, what to pack and not pack...etc., etc., etc.. This will help immensely over the next 11 months :-)

From Wikipedia re: rash guard

A rash guard, also known as rash vest or rashie, is a type of water wear, an athletic shirt made of spandex and nylon or polyester. The name rash guard reflects the fact that the shirt protects the wearer against rashes caused by abrasion, or by sunburn from extended exposure to the sun.[1] These shirts can be worn by themselves, or under a wetsuit. A rash guard by itself is used for light coverage in warm to extreme summer temperatures for several watersports including surfing, canoe polo, water survival training, jungle environment survival training (JEST), scuba diving, snorkelling, freediving, wakeboarding, body surfing, body boarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking, or simply for stand up paddle surfing or swimming. There are also lower body rash guards, which are similar to compression shorts to be worn under the surfers' boardshorts, but more specialized for surfers.

Rash guards are most often worn in surfing when the weather is too warm for a wetsuit, and to prevent wax-based chafing from sliding on and off of the surf board, on either the torso, or the legs. A surfboard's wax holds sand from the beach that could rub against a surfer's torso while paddling out to the break, or legs while sitting atop one's board. Rash guards also offer some protection from the sun (measured by its Ultraviolet Protection Factor) and slight protection against jelly fish stings and are sometimes worn under wetsuits to prevent chafing. A rash guard helps to prevent irritation caused by rapid impact with surface water and waves as well.

Thanks for the helpful tips! I'm going to be cruising for the first time in a few months, so I've read every single one of these 99 pages carefully and made notes.

Btw, I did learn that I can turn off signatures and have fewer pages, but some are so interesting! I like to look at the cruise tickers and I enjoyed feeding someone's fish, lol.

Regarding the bundling method mention from a couple of pages ago, I have used that packing method and found that it really works well to prevent wrinkling. I like it much better than rolling. I would think it ideal for cruising vacations, where you only unpack once. We'll find out soon! :)

Biggest tip I can give, it was not totally explained to me, or I did not pay attention. You only need dress clothes for the dining room 2 nights. Captain's dinner, and elegant night. The other nights, jeans, capris, shorts, etc are all worn. I packed daily clothes and dress clothes for each day. I definitely would not have need this.

the binder clips for the bottom of the shower curtain, YES, they worked perfectly,

I use a CPAP machine and boy was I ever glad I took 2 extension cords. I sleep on the far side of the bed and even with running the cords under the bed, just had enough cords to reach the plug and have the cord lay on the ground so I did not trip over it in the middle of the night going to the bathroom.

We got a battery operated LED light for the bathroom. I took like 3 sets of extra batteries, figuring leaving it on all night and dollar store... well, the light worked perfectly the whole trip on the first set of batteries. It has a little pull string, can either be mounted or lay on the shelf. We just laid it there and gave the perfect amount. Left the bathroom door slightly cracked so as to see it. Would highly recommend this!

We ate breakfast in the dining room ever sea day. Wonderful start to the day. On port days we ordered room service and actually wrote in a BLT sandwich on the form. It made a great breakfast.

Make sure you try the chilled soups for appetizers at dinner. They are WONDERFUL! Especially the peach.

Loved the balcony room, left the curtain open and woke up to beautiful blue skies and ocean! Would never ever have an inside room!

Take extra hangers, I had some of the old wire ones, that way all shirts could be hung up and left the shelves open for other things.

the hair dryer as said before is about worthless. I have short hair, so it was doable. If you have long hair, be sure to bring your own.

Check out the channel on the tv that shows where you presently are in your travels. it was quite interesting to follow.

Get your picture taken at the portrait section with every background. Even if you think you will not purchase any, this is so fun to do. We decided to purchase the 10 picture package and I am so glad we had so many to choose from. I am not one to have my picture taken, and now that I'm home, I have some great pictures of my husband and I.

Make sure if there is something you really like or want to buy, t-shirt, mug, etc, you get it early. Yes, they put them on sale the last day, but at that time supplies are limited or out.

sit and people watch in the atrium. I loved doing that, just enjoying it all.

If you are going to Half Moon Cay, rent a villa or cabana. These sell out early. Yes, they are expensive. We were fortunate and got to go in on a villa at the last minute. It was 90 plus degrees. We would have never been able to take the heat of just being in the sun the whole day. They are air conditioned - open area with fans blowing so you keep cool on the deck. It was amazing. We did not want to leave at 3 pm. could have stayed there forever.

Most of all, relax and have fun. I was scared to death as this was my first cruise and I loved it. Will definitely do it again.