How do you "personalize" your cruise experience?

[Champagne Cruiser]

What do you do onboard to make your cruise more relaxing, fun, memorable? Any on land favorites? After many cruises and thousands of posts here on CC I thought it would be nice to gather them together.

 

We like to go back to our balcony on sea days for Happy Hour. We grab our drinks and then order a snack from room service. For breakfast when we are not cruising AQ we grab our coffee and croissant from Cafe al Bacio and sit at the pool in a lounger where it is much quieter. After we have woken up (I am not a morning person before that first cup) we then venture into the buffet for our food.

[DZalumni]

We order fresh flowers prior to departure to have in our room like we do in our house. I also pack battery operated holiday lights & putty & post the lights on our balcony or in the room as a nightlight / mood lighting. We also pack one "lounge" outfit (nothing I'd wear outside of the cabin) that we wear on rain days while watching movies in our state room. We watch the movies by hooking up our iPad to the TV.

Sometimes we bring microwave popcorn & have our stateroom attendant pop it for us :) it's our special treat for us.

[tangerinebunny]

Breakfast and/or lunch on the balcony if the weather permits.

 

Then we sit there with our Kindles and chill.

 

That's the feeling we cruise for.

[dkjretired]

I spend sea days in the Solarium since I'm a previous Melanoma patient. I take my iPhone, earphones and just relax with music and other things on the phone. I am an early riser and usually are there by 7:00A.M. and one of us will be there all day. When I want to, hop in the pool.

[jelayne]

When we are in an aft cabin we bring a nightcap back to the room, sit on the balcony and watch the wake. If we don't have a aft cabin we sit on the balcony with the nightcap and count stars.

[emerson621]

How do you hook up your iPad to TV?

[ladylemondrop]

I love a cup of tea in cafe al bacio, its such a lovely place to sit and unwind after a long day in port...

[4774Papa]

We are all different.

 

DW and I are retired and don't cruise to relax. We travel to see the World. We live on an island in South Georgia with a beach and a beach vacation is the last thing we want.

 

We like meeting new people at the cruise critic meet and greet or on tours organized on the roll call. We socialize with others at elite happy hour as well.

 

I like working at the fitness center on sea days in the morning. We both like to sit on our balcony and watch the ocean, occasionally spotting wildlife.

[Mr. Click]

We enjoy lots of balcony time just watching the world go by. If we have an early tour on a port day breakfast on the balcony is pleasant and a time saver. On the older S class ships I really enjoy watching the hot glass shows. On any ship I spend a lot of time on sea days just walking around and exploring the nooks and crannies of the ship so I can get my daily miles in. Those explores always seem to end up next to the ice cream, not sure why that happens..

[sleepless]

My balcony - first place I go in the morning and last place I go before bed time. Peaceful and beautiful.

[DZalumni]

How do you hook up your iPad to TV?

 

Emerson621, we use an Hemingway cable & plug into the tv just like you would at home or you can purchase the Apple Digital AV Adapter.

 

We also charge our USB items via the USB plug on the back of the tv & have for years when traveling.

[ClaudiaB]

We like to start at the beginning by relaxing with a leisurely served-to-us lunch at Bistro on Five.

We like to meet new people and hang out with an adult beverage and chit chat.

We like to come back from an excursion and shower and just chill out with a movie in our room or sit with a glass of wine on the balcony.

 

Love the idea about the battery-operated lights on the balcony or in the room. Not sure I'd ever bring them but I kinda think I want to be your best friend.

[travellerin1984]

We like to enjoy a pre-dinner drink on our balcony. My husband picks upp two glasses of Domain Chandon and couple of pieces of sushi from the buffe. It is a very nice way start the evening.

[jasm8449]

A relaxing embarkation lunch in the Bistro on Five (the only time we eat there).

 

Table for two every night.

 

Room service breakfast on the balcony most days. Otherwise MDR.

 

Sunning and reading on the balcony on port days - don't like the noise and crowding at the pool.

 

Rent a car in every port where it is reasonable to do so and do our own thing.

[AntjeG]

I don´t spend much time in the stateroom because I always book inside staterooms.

I love music so I like to listen to the many different performers all over the ship.

On sea days I try to find a spot in the aft to relax and view the back wave of the ship. I always bring my book but most of the time just watch the world/sea go by.

I do shore excursions in almost every port and I try to do DIY.

[Cas3ym]

A relaxing embarkation lunch in the Bistro on Five (the only time we eat there).

 

 

 

Table for two every night.

 

 

 

Room service breakfast on the balcony most days. Otherwise MDR.

 

 

 

Sunning and reading on the balcony on port days - don't like the noise and crowding at the pool.

 

 

 

Rent a car in every port where it is reasonable to do so and do our own thing.

 

 

Question: Have you rented a car on Malta? Or in Israel? Any suggestions/tips?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Tracey

 

 

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[wallie5446]

We are those that are running in circles early in the morning, on the sorry excuse of a jogging track on the S-Class ships:D Watching the sun slowly come up over the horizon, sigh, it don't get much better:)

[jasm8449]

Hi Tracey,

 

Malta is the one port where we will not be renting a vehicle because a) driving is on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the right side of the car. b) Valetta, which we have never been to, is close to the port so we will use a taxi and just get around town on our own, or if there is a Hop on Hop off bus, use that.

 

We are renting everywhere else, including Israel,where my DH has driven before.

[jasm8449]

Hi Tracey,

 

Malta is the one port where we will not be renting a vehicle because a) driving is on the left side of the road with the steering wheel on the right side of the car. b) Valetta, which we have never been to, is close to the port so we will use a taxi and just get around town on our own, or if there is a Hop on Hop off bus, use that.

 

We are renting everywhere else, including Israel,where my DH has driven before.

[Cas3ym]

Thanks for the info jasm8449. That's one of the reasons we want to drive in Malta though. Probably the only experience my husband hasn't had driving a car is driving on the wrong side of the road. [emoji1]

 

 

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[AtlantaCruiser72]

I try to make my cruise experience as "inclusive" as I can by pre-paying tips, purchasing bev packages (if not already included), pre-booking speciality dining, tours, etc. That way once onboard I'm not constantly worrying about how much my bill is adding up to and can just enjoy the cruise - I use the same mindset regardless of cruiseline.

 

Other than that I just go as the day takes me - room service coffee and croissants are my typical wake-up call, preferably enjoyed on my balcony, and after that I take things as I go and just relax and enjoy.

 

If I'm traveling with my partner we can often be found somewhere in the atrium in the afternoons sipping wine or a coffee or tea and playing cards, RummiKub or dominoes. We are very friendly people and like to engage others in conversation and have often invited total strangers to joing for a set - you never know what new and interesting people you may meet :D

Edited September 7, 2015 by AtlantaCruiser72

[BunnyLebowski]

My favorite moments at sea are on a private balcony with my husband and young children enjoying the view along with some wine and fruit and cheese.

 

I request "a nice cheese plate and fruit plate" which the butler will happily supply, but so would room service in any cabin, although there may be a (totally worth it) added fee.

 

Add a large bottle of Pellegrino, a bottle of wine (extra points if it's sparkling or something special) plates, cloth napkins, and assorted crackers and I'm in heaven.

 

 

 

This is an example taken on the Constellation last month.

 

 

This was taken while anchored off Santorini. At least the cheese plate is in focus...

 

The cheese is not "top of the line" but it's arranged artfully and thoughtfully. The fruit plate is ripe and fresh and equally lovely. This simple meal in privacy and surrounded by the beauty of the coast and the sea is travel at its most relaxed and luxurious for me.

 

Here, we occupied one of the aft cabins on the 6th deck which no doubt adds to the feeling of seclusion and privacy, but I would do this while staying in any balcony cabin.

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

 

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