Stuff you didn't think to do until you were a repeat cruiser

Hi Silverspringcruiser :)

 

My answer is slightly outside of the box and really doesn't have anything

in common regarding having more fun, however it is has a common aspect

concerning the title of your post, 'Stuff you didn't think to do until you were

a repeat cruiser'...

 

After our very 1st voyage 31 years ago, my wife & I wrote down everything

we experienced when we got home. From our 2nd voyage on, until the present,

we decided to keep cruise journals.

 

Prior to going to sleep each evening my wife & I discuss the days events and

log them.

 

We have been doing this for over three decades now and have many journals.

The strolls down memory lane are wonderful. In some ways more entertaining

than the photo's or video we have collected over the years.

 

Even picking out/purchasing the journal prior to the cruise has become

a fun task in itself.

 

To us, it is another way, an interesting way, to save and also relive the

voyage...

 

 

 

 

:)

Great ideal!!

I love so many of the tips in this thread!!! I've been on 2 cruises so far... one for my honeymoon, and one last year with our 4 kids and my parents. I wish I had read through this thread, or known about CC, before that last cruise! We're going on another in Jan 2017, and including my niece with us this time. So there will be 9 of us total.

I love the idea of the notes/journal everyday. I tried to get the kids doing that last year, and they were all agreeable, but fell through on the execution of it. I *think* what I may do this year is take a notebook and tape in any souvenier/tickets/whatever with pages labelled for each day. Then instead of writing down all our memories, I may video everyone discussing their day. I can later go back in and write the highlights, etc in our notebook when I get home, but the video will show the interaction between everyone. Then, perhaps I'll do as one suggested and make dvds with our pictures, videos, etc. Would make a great Christmas present for my parents and niece! (along with a photo book that I've already decided I'd make).

always do ytd - always! If you find a good team, ask for them every night after. Have always had wonderful dr service, especially after we found a great team.

ytd?

ytd?

stands for your time dining

Need multiple copies of that expensive 8x10 formal night photo? Just buy one copy and when you get home, scan it, and upload to something like Walmart to print for a fraction of the price.

Go ahead - it's legal. Here's a letter from Carnival http://www.carnival.com/cms/FAQs/PhotoRelease.pdf

Also, After our first couple of cruises, we pack much lighter.

Despite the insightful advice of other seasoned cruise critics, we no longer lug around our own coffee, flavored creamers, hot sauce, bottles of water, munchies, sugar substitute, sanitizing wipes, extensions cords, power strips, over the door shoe organizers, post its, magnetic note boards, bungee cords, special envelopes to "give extra", big travel cups, clocks, night lights, highlighters, coffee filters, our own beach towels, or walkie talkes.

Somehow, we've been able to rough it...

I love this thread!

Make sure to journal your vacation! I like to save a blank page after each entry so I can tape in things tickets or napkins. Next cruise, I'm going to take a pair of scissors and some tape so I can add them in right away.

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We'll be going on our second cruise in December. What I learned from the first:

Bring the duct tape. They were right, you need duct tape. I'm going to pack a whole roll!

Prepay for the hotel before the cruise, so maybe we'll get the room we requested.

Buy more camera memory. Turns out my DSLR has a lot less memory than I thought.

Buy an Internet day to upload/download pics from my phone. I lost it in New Orleans with a lot of great pics :(

When my daughter was going into 12th grade (several years ago) we were going on a cruise. We decided prior to packing that she should bring several outfits to use for senior pictures. The "sittings" are all FREE! She had pictures done during the first formal night in a couple different dresses. One photographer recognized she was the same guest in a different dress - we had a good laugh! :p When we told him what we were doing he explained that the next night the photos would be more "casual" so she dressed accordingly & went to several "sittings" that night. We were able (with grandma who was also on the cruise) to choose from SEVERAL poses/shots & had them make up the desired sizes & quantities for each pose we picked. We got a great deal on the photos. The package was delivered to my room on our last night (7-day cruise) and the pics were perfect! Grandma even got one she loved blown up really big and it was prepped for travel for her. Saved lots of $$ & my daughter had a blast changing & trying all the different backgrounds. I would do that again in a heartbeat! :cool:

Avoiding Lido buffet on embarkation day.

Wearing a swimsuit onboard and enjoying the aft pool while many are touring the ship.

Skipping formal night and spending the evening in an otherwise empty hot tub.

Packing less!

I'm just "curious." :)

I see many of you ordering food into your room for breakfast, etc.

My question, after the food is brought in, do you "tip" 10 or 15%?

I'm just "curious." :)

 

 

 

I see many of you ordering food into your room for breakfast, etc.

 

 

 

My question, after the food is brought in, do you "tip" 10 or 15%?

Either would be fine

I failed to ask when ordering room service for "food," how do you know what to order? In other words, were you served this food earlier at one of the eateries, or was it on one of the menus where you ate?

I'm just "curious." :)

 

I see many of you ordering food into your room for breakfast, etc.

 

My question, after the food is brought in, do you "tip" 10 or 15%?

Breakfast is generally off the card placed outside the night before which has various options. They are fairly self explanatory. There are no prices as it is 'free'. Not sure how you would calculate a percentage of zero however we always tip between $1-$3, depending on what we have brought to us.

There are a few items on a menu at a small price and I guess you could tip based on that but most are only between $3-$6 dollars so they make out OK the other way! :p

I'm just "curious." :)

 

I see many of you ordering food into your room for breakfast, etc.

 

My question, after the food is brought in, do you "tip" 10 or 15%?

I've only been on Carnival and Royal Caribbean, but on each we've enjoyed using the cards/door hangars to pre-order continental breakfast. We're not breakfast people, so that's generally fine for us. (Royal Caribbean had a wider variety of room service breakfast foods.) We generally tip $3-5.

I love this thread! As a new cruiser, I've learned so much from it. I had no idea you could eat breakfast or lunch in the MDR. And I had no idea you could use the showers in the spa.

For my 2nd cruise, I am going to do more on the ship. With my first cruise, I was with a party group and I really didn't fit in. We didn't do any ship activities.. so I am looking forward to going to tea..bingo.. the dive-in movies :)

I'm also going to pack less..and bring a bottle of wine :D I had no idea you could do that!

I have enjoyed this thread.

We seem to try to see and do it all. We like the dining, shows, comedy shows, music, etc. We always snorkel or beach time which sometimes includes drinking. :D After a few cruises we started claiming one night as a major chill night. Usually on a port day when we come in tired, we shower get in our robes and take the night off to relax in the room and spend time on our balcony. We have a bottle of wine or a bucket of beers and order room service. As much as we love the hustle and bustle, the constant noise begins to be too much. We've found this break is greatly needed and always ends up as one of our favorite nights. :)

We tend to pack a little less each cruise also.

Play some of the trivia games and win a ship on a stick and/or a medal.

Order more than one of any item in the MDR (not applicable for the steakhouse).

If you are a foodie, check out the Chef's Table ($75 per person), the Taste Bar (free), tea on Sea Days (usually at 3pm in the aft dining room), the American Table/Feast Ports of Call items (I highly recommend the jerk chicken appetizer after the Jamaica visit).

Enjoy the free pasta bar at lunch time (for ships with Cucina del Capitano), including embarkation day

If you're not enjoying a show or event, just walk out! (it's admittedly easier as a solo)....

Bring extra $1 bills for cash tips, always appreciated by anyone who has gone the extra mile for you, and/or tipping in ports. I save my crispy $1 bills throughout the year, it's become a habit!

I'm also going to pack less..and bring a bottle of wine :D I had no idea you could do that!

Bella, if you have a Thirty-one representative, they make a beverage carrier that is perfect for a bottle of wine. If you fly in, take it out of your luggage when you get to the port and you can just carry it in with you, along with your carry-on. They come in different colors and patterns. I started doing that a few years ago when I left my wine in my luggage and it was confiscated. I pitched a fit with guest services and got it back, but they still kept my fan. That was on Carnival. Sometimes I could leave it in the checked luggage and sometimes not. Didn't want to take that chance again.:D

I'm just "curious." :)

 

I see many of you ordering food into your room for breakfast, etc.

 

My question, after the food is brought in, do you "tip" 10 or 15%?

$2 or more depending on how much you ordered.

 

Lastly... learning where the ice cream machines are and getting it in a bowl instead of a cone :)

One better, get it in a coffee cup instead of a bowl, so much easier to carry.

I have never gone to any of the shows or comedy clubs. I'm doing those in September. My daughter wants to try room service. We did do trivia on our second cruise and we won a ship on a stick!!! Definitely going to more trivia games this time around.

We always go to the sea day brunch

We use the extra large showers in the gym and the sauna to relax before dinner

Walk the track at sunset to decompress and work off some food and booze

Pack light. Not perfect yet but much better each trip. This last time we didn't try to eat breakfast the last morning. We could have done self assist and got right off. 1 bag and backpack per person.

I love getting to embarkation as soon as possible. I actually enjoy every second of the lines and waiting around. I end up singing in my head "I'm going on a cruise, the ship is so close, I'm going to (insert state/country)"

Carry on our luggage.

Our first two cruises were on RCI. On one of those our luggage was brought into the wrong cabin (At the time RCI brought the luggage into the cabin.)

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