What do you do on a long flight?

[repeater]

We're taking the Grand Mediterranean, and I'm dreading the very long flight from the West Coast of the US to the port!

Anyone have any great tips for making the time pass on a plane? I'll have my e-reader, and I'm considering eating a sleeping pill at Last Bording call... I feel unprepared! I don't want to arrive feeling awful and spend the first days of the cruise jetlagged.

 

Help, please?

[pieshops]

Load a bunch of movies on my ipad and enjoy

[AF-1]

Most airlines have plenty of movies and games that are in the seats monitors. Going from West Coast to Europe is long; but not too bad. So you can take a sleeping pill, or you can stay up all day and tire yourself out. If your flight leaves during the day then watch a few movies and read. On long flights you will want to walk a couple of laps around the cabin to keep the blood flowing in you legs; also drink a small bottle of water every few hours; this will keep you hydrated.

Edited August 3, 2014 by AF-1

[NLH Arizona]

Read, watch a lot of movies and sleep.

[KirkNC]

Read, watch a lot of movies and sleep.

 

That is what we do.

[Schmoopy]

We're taking the Grand Mediterranean, and I'm dreading the very long flight from the West Coast of the US to the port!

Anyone have any great tips for making the time pass on a plane? I'll have my e-reader, and I'm considering eating a sleeping pill at Last Bording call... I feel unprepared! I don't want to arrive feeling awful and spend the first days of the cruise jetlagged.

 

Help, please?

 

Yes, download the following apps on your smart phone and before you leave "download for offline listening" as many episodes as you like (and space will allow):

 

This American Life (max 5 episodes for offline listening)

The Moth (no limit)

Radiolab (no limit)

 

All very educations, insightful and entertaining. And I don't think any of the apps cost more than $3 or $4.

 

Marc Maron's podcast (via the app) could be good too.

 

Enjoy!

[OCruisers]

Books are my friends on those! :)

LuLu

[snow1]

I would consider the ever popular glass of wine (or two) in place of that sleeping pill!!

[philip_eunice1]

Always go first class then you can lie down and sleep

[Johnny Bananas]

Having flown to Russia, Singapore and China twice I try to read a bit, watch a few movies, eat w/ a glass or 2 of wine and then sleep some to try to keep on a schedule close to where I am going to avoid terrible jet lag ( not that it really can be avoided!!!)

[mypleasure]

I find that variation is the key on long flights. I take a magazine, two or more books (kindle makes this easier than it used to be) and plan to watch some of the movies and listen to some music on board too. Tablets and laptops have made it easy to bring your own tv and movies to watch. I also try to catch a few zzz's if I can. Try not to do too much in the first few days as the jet lag will get you. You are looking at a 9 hour time difference I think. Switch to destination time as soon as you board the plane and make sure you get up and walk around a few times to ward off DVT. Avoid alcohol and try to avoid taking medications to enforce sleep.

Once you arrive and start your cruise you will know it was worthwhile.

[NMLady]

We're taking the Grand Mediterranean, and I'm dreading the very long flight from the West Coast of the US to the port!

Anyone have any great tips for making the time pass on a plane? I'll have my e-reader, and I'm considering eating a sleeping pill at Last Bording call... I feel unprepared! I don't want to arrive feeling awful and spend the first days of the cruise jetlagged.

 

Help, please?

 

Besides flying to or from Europe several times for ta cruises, I've also flown to Australia and to Malaysia. Those are really long flights!

 

Besides reading, dozing, and watching movies I also take several walks around the aisles of the plane to prevent blood clots. (You can also do foot exercises at your seat, but walking helps the entire body.)

 

I also sometimes work word puzzles to keep my mind alert.

 

Drink lots of water to stay hydrated. That helps

Edited August 3, 2014 by NMLady

[RIvacationgirl]

I have a special crossword puzzle book that I only take on vacations. I love doing crosswords and vacation is my special time to enjoy them. I also note which date, plane flight or the hotel or cruise and room number where I stayed when I did them. The puzzles keep me busy and it gives me a log of great hotel and cruise room numbers. I try to add a note if the room had a great view and such.

[samiam0403]

After quite a few 24+ hour trips from the west coast to the Middle East, I recommend a little of everything. I take a Kindle, a magazine or two, my laptop, my iPod and noise canceling headphones. I alternate sleeping, reading, just listening to music, and watching movies. Definitely drink lots of water, and I highly recommend waiting until you're airborne to take that sleeping pill. I had a friend who took 2 upon boarding for his long trip, only to find out that they had maintenance problems that kept them from taking off. He did not enjoy having to find a hotel and transportation while drugged. :eek:

[NLH Arizona]

Always go first class then you can lie down and sleep

Only way to go on long flights.

[OCruisers]

I would consider the ever popular glass of wine (or two) in place of that sleeping pill!!

 

I'll drink to that! :D

LuLu

[negc]

We have found that taking morning flights from the East Coast to Europe get you into your destination in the evening and by the time you get to your hotel and have had a quick bite, you can go to bed and awake the next morning pretty much adjusted to the time difference with minimal jet lag. When we have flown overnight a nap upon arrival helped a bit but jet lag was much more of a problem. Most of our trips were one-way and our return home involved a TA which got us back to local time gradually.

[Barb Nahoumi]

On long flights DH and I try to get aisle seats, or 1 aisle seat and the middle seat. This makes it easier to get up to walk without having to crawl over others.

 

Walk around as much as possible, or move legs frequently while seated. This will help to prevent blood clots.

 

We watch movies, read, and listen to music. Since our European flights are from the East coast, they're only 8hrs or less for us.

[TruckerDave]

Break it up and do an over night stop over on the east coast then do the final flight into your Euro destination.

[DMH15]

I have had several flights over 8 hours, a 14, 19 and 23 each round trip. And I have never ever slept while flying. I may doze a bit but I am always more awake than asleep. It is very frustrating. I read, watch movies or tv, either mine or airlines. One time I took season 1 of Gilligan's Island and had to shut it off as I was laughing hysterically. :)

 

I have travelled extensively with my mom. I have a low tolerance for medication and alcohol so I don't take a sleeping pill and I limit drinks, even when in first class. I worry. What about an emergency? Would have needed my wits about me. Especially with mom as my concern. She is almost 80.

 

That being said, I love travel and like flying. All part of the adventure.

[callmehalia]

Basically you take your Kindle full of books, a couple of magazines, offline games on a phone, things to watch on a tablet, and then what you really do is stare at whatever nearly-new movies the plane puts on before watching the repeats of the comedy shows. Then you'll spend an hour or so staring at the map and wondering how you're going to make it without smothering the person next to you - who is, of course, sleeping without a care in the world. Bonus points if this is your husband/wife, who will deny getting any sleep at all.

 

Around about now is when you'll fall asleep for about 20 minutes.

 

Then you wake up, realise that the flight attendants leave a trolley in the back with drinks and snacks from which you can help yourself, and everything is right again in the world. Now is when you'll read a little and maybe get an hour or two of sleep. You'll probably just watch another movie, though, making all the things you prepared and brought with you to do on the plane an exercise in futility.

 

Seriously, in all honesty, prepare to be a bit miserable but know that it won't matter anymore the second you step on the ship!

[Tiggertastic]

I hate long flights but it's broken down into; films, reading, snooze, eat, walkabout, film again and the best thing is to take off my watch. If I check the time and there is longer to go than I thought, it seems to drag

[dalgirl]

We have made many overseas flights to Europe and will be flying to Hong Kong in April. Everyone has given some good advice, but keep this in mind:

 

Do not take a sleeping pill if you have never taken them before. On an overseas flight last year I took an Ambian, my first every sleeping pill. My doctor prescribed 2 (one going and one coming back) for the flight saying it would make the trip better. Well when I "woke up" on the trip over my family told stories of some of my "antics" on the flight -crazy, unbelievable stuff not like me at all! If you have read all the stories of how crazy some people are on that stuff, it is all true. The pill for the flight home was flushed at the hotel.

 

As for the wine - many people think that wine is a good way to fall asleep, but in fact all alcohol is a stimulant. It might initially put you to sleep, but for me it wakes me up in about an hour and I feel terrible.

 

"Sleep aids," for me personally, don't work well. And I feel better missing some sleep on the plane and just getting active as soon as we land, making it an early night, than trying to make myself sleep.

 

As for the in flight entertainment: you may not have any entertainment on the flight - this happened on a flight to Copenhagen and also coming back once from Barcelona. The system was down. Thank goodness I had some movies and books on my "Tab" - otherwise it would have been a really boring flight.

 

Flying overseas is difficult, but the rewards outweigh the downsides. Keep your eye on the price, a fantastic vacation!

[NMLady]

 

Then you wake up, realise that the flight attendants leave a trolley in the back with drinks and snacks from which you can help yourself ...!

 

In all of my international flights there has never been a "help yourself" trolley of drinks and snacks. And I'm often in the back of the plane on my many walks.

[callmehalia]

In all of my international flights there has never been a "help yourself" trolley of drinks and snacks. And I'm often in the back of the plane on my many walks.

 

 

I've had it numerous times. Most recently on my Air France flights London to Rio and back again in May :) Before that it was on American flights from London to Chicago and back again.

 

There was ice, water, soda and juice, plus tea and coffee. Individually packed pretzels and cookies, too. On the way back they gave us chocolate ice lollies when most everyone was asleep, and had the extras of those, too.

 

I think most people think it's just being stored there, but it's not the case (they'd always put it away properly when not in use). It's usually that time of the flight when most of the cabin crew are having their in flight rest break.

 

Maybe we just fly different airlines!

Edited August 4, 2014 by callmehalia