Early (and I mean EARLY!) risers...

[stitches12]

... I always wake up real early when I'm home so I anticipate I'll be doing the same thing when I cruise next year. To avoid disturbing my cabin-mate, I was wondering what you "cruise veterans" do if you are an early riser like me. I know I can bring my own coffee pot and hide out on the balcony and watch the sun rise (yum), but have any of you snuck out and just relaxed somewhere on board? Come on... fess up....

 

di ~

10/98 - RCCL Rhapsody, Hawaii

11/06 - RCCL Jewel of the Seas, Western Caribbean

[LBB]

It's always nice to take an early swim with no one around. Or just walk around the upper deck. There are plenty of places to enjoy yourself.

[budaman]

Getting up early and going up to the jogging track(or should I say walking track) and watching the sun come up was one of the very pleasant aspects of our cruise. Really works up an apetite though! By the time I got done with 2 miles, which was 10 laps on the Rhapsody, the ship would start waking up and it was great seeing all the smiling faces emerge.

 

Mike

 

www.homepage.mac.com/csealove/

[Retired not Expired]

I'm always up and out on the deck enjoying the seabreeze around 4:30 in the morning. About 5:15 I come back to the cabin to wake the wife. We go get coffee and relax on deck until breakfast. Very few out there at that time as others don't start showing until around seven. Nice to have some quiet time together.

[Chicopee]

At home, I am always up by 04:00. But last vacation I was taking Bonine every nite before I went to bed to stave off motion sickness. This was the first time I did this and bot did it knock me out. Lo and Behold, I was sleeping every day til 07:00. (Guess not having my puppies to wake me up helped too.) Since coffee was available by then, I could grap a cup and go as far forward as I could on the ship. Great way to start the day!

[davidaperryman]

I always go up to the pool deck for coffee (meet other early risers there) and maybe a early lite breakfast when they open. My wife calls me on the walkie talkie when she is up and ready to go to breakfast in the dinning room.

[cruisingrightalong]

Yep....we are up and about...off to get coffee...and hot chocolate in our thermos at the "windjammer.....free spot." or wherever...then up to the top to see the view....and enjoy the quiet.....or one other thing...is call room service....order "the breakfast breads" and coffee, juice, whatever....and sit on the balcony!

 

Lou

[stillfrantic]

On Disney I ordered a pot of coffee before bed. It arrived in a white thermal carafe. When I woke up early I had my pot of still piping hot coffee to enjoy without waking up my husband. I hope on RCI it is delivered in those carafes also, but have never read how the coffee was sent from room service.

[EmJakeBubbie]

love the mini suite on NCL's STAR ... coffee pot with make-it-yourself supplies. Very nice Very convenient Very tasty! If you just get a regular balcony, you don't get a coffee making pot but you do get an electric kettle for making hot water for tea or instant treats. This is such a nice and appreciate touch! but then NCL is known for their Freestyle.

[kenandlaura06]

Up at 5 a.m. every day, hopefully will sleep in a little bit on the cruise, but I love the idea of getting a nice walk in on the track first thing!

[ckrobyn]

I like sleeping - but I'm the type that doesn't want to miss a single moment of my vacation!

 

I was awake at 5:00AM every morning of our cruise - my DH and I would sit out on the balcony sipping coffee and watching the port come in to view - at this very moment I can't recall anything more relaxing :o

[Mike & Sue]

Wow, can I relate to the replies on this post. Reading them took me right back to some wonderful memories. Thanks for making my day!!

[Travelgrrl]

I've become very adept at getting up and getting ready quietly in the darkened room, sneaking out without waking anyone, and going up on deck to have hot tea, read, write, and later have breakfast. A few hours later, everyone else is ready to face the day.

 

Usually I'll stop back at the Windjammer and bring some breakfast goodies to augment their breakfast in bed!

[pcbeck]

I liked having my exercise gear laid out the night before and around 6:00 AM or so I would wake up and head to the fitness center. I could go spend an hour or so while the family slept and I got to either see the sun rise or the day in its infancy. There were nice showers there, plenty of towels so I could get cleaned up and be back to the room in time for room service. Also, the fitness center has lots of room that time of day.

[dmc]

It's so nice to know that I am not the only one who gets up early...usually between 3:30 and 4:00 am. I really hate that I wake up at that time but staying in bed doesn't help, I just can't go back to sleep. When on our cruises, I will wait until about 5:30 and then go up on deck and get a cup of coffee from the Windjammer and sit at a table on deck and watch the sun come up. It's a lovely time of day and I've had some nice conversations with other early risers. You usually see the same people every morning and it's kind of nice.

Donna

[kenandlaura06]

I liked having my exercise gear laid out the night before and around 6:00 AM or so I would wake up and head to the fitness center. I could go spend an hour or so while the family slept and I got to either see the sun rise or the day in its infancy. There were nice showers there, plenty of towels so I could get cleaned up and be back to the room in time for room service. Also, the fitness center has lots of room that time of day.

 

And that way exercise is out of the way and you have the rest of the day to look forward to!

[stitches12]

I love this board... what terrific suggestions. Thanks everyone!!!

 

di ~

[ebonybee]

I go shopping! At least window shopping. I also tend to peruse the picture gallery if they allow access. I found this a neccessity when my 75 year old mother wanted every picture that was snapped. I swear the photographer was following us around!!! I'm not sure she knew they cost. When the total reached $700.00 ( she was ordering reprints on some) I wised up and started beating her to the gallery placing them in the recycle basket. She's up at 6am which meant nlt than 5am for me!

[DEL67]

Like some of the other posters, I get my exercise early in the morning. Its great to fo around the jogging track or the Promenade deck when its cool and very few people are out.

 

Last spring, when we were on HAL, after I had finished walking, I would go get some fresh OJ and take it down to my husband to enjoy on the balcony together.

[Merion_Mom]

Who ARE you people???? :D :D

 

3:30 or 4 A.M.? Getting UP? I'm sometimes just going to BED then!!!!

Carol

[caviargal]

I am up at 5 or 5:30 every morning. Sunrise is a favorite of mine so I will head up on deck and watch, depending on the time. I am always in the gym as soon as it opens and that is generally 6am. I work out for an hour or so and then grab some coffee and sit somewhere quiet. If I am travelling solo and have a balcony, I order room service and enjoy. If not, I try to stay out of the cabin til 8 or so to give my roomie a break. Ny friends know my habits and I always put my clothes in the bathroom the night before so I don't wake anyone.

 

Sometimes I will shower in the fitness center, put on my swimsuit and take a swim while the pool is still quiet. I love the ship at these times when there are fewer people around.

[floridaboyz]

I'm usually up early at home -- 5:30 to 6:00 -- and nothing changes on a cruise. I try to get clothes ready before bed and get up, grab the camera and get coffee on the Lido deck. Then I just find a nice spot to watch the sun come up and start shooting pictures with the digital. If we are coming into port, I get pictures of the arrival and then go wake up my DW and we start our day. As others have said, this is the most relaxing part of the day!

[Retired not Expired]

Who ARE you people???? :D :D

 

3:30 or 4 A.M.? Getting UP? I'm sometimes just going to BED then!!!!

Carol

 

What can I say, Carol, I'm old. And the fact that I partied too much when I was young probably has a bearing on it too. And standing all alone, on a big ship, watching a sunrise is a beautiful experience, only exceded when my wife joins me for that sunrise.

[terri23]

Who ARE you people???? :D :D

 

3:30 or 4 A.M.? Getting UP? I'm sometimes just going to BED then!!!!

Carol

 

LOL, I was thinking there's some good info on this thread that I will never use ;)

[divaofdisney]

Well, speaking for me- I am a nurse and I am so used to getting up around 5-5:30am every morning it is just in my blood. I actually love that time of the morning- very peaceful! I just get some hot delicious coffee and sit out on the balcony enjoying God's beautiful world and watching the sun rise. :D