5 things everyone needs to know before booking your first cruise ship vacation!
We recently took a Carnival Cruise to Cozumel, Costa Maya and Mahogany Bay over Christmas. My husband had been on a cruise before but it was my first cruise trip. I wasn't sure what to expect or how things worked. But having taken my first cruise there were a few things I wanted to share for those who may be looking to book their first cruise vacation!
tip #1 - as soon as you get on the boat, explore!
The check-in process was super smooth and very well organized. Carnival really has it down to a science! You get to the port, check your luggage, check-in with your passports, go through security and on the boat you go! If there's something in your luggage you might need, get it out! Your luggage will be delivered right to your state room but it may take a little while for it to go through security and get to your room. The cruise line has a ton of luggage to inspect and hundreds of state rooms to deliver to, so if there's something you need out of your luggage (i.e. kids bathing suits) make sure you have them with you!
After you get on the boat you have a few hours before you set sea. Use this time to find where everything is on the boat. Explore the different decks and get your bearing's as to where things are and find what you absolutely want to do while your at sea the first day or two. This is also the perfect time to hit the pools, they aren't too busy!
tip #2 - motion sickness - medicine essentials
If your like me and you get sea sick or motion sickness, BRING YOUR OWN medicine! I made sure to have Bonine and sea sick patches with me just in case I needed them! Although being on a cruise ship is not like being on a boat at sea; I tend to get severely sea sick when we are on a regular boat in the ocean, but never had an issue on the cruise. Thank goodness! Pack your medicine in your purse/carry on bag so you have it once you board. It's also a good idea to consult your doctor ahead of time and get some patches because those tend to last up to 72 hours, rather than the 24 hours oral medication does.
Packing your own medication saves you a trip to the infirmary. This way you won't waste time on your vacation having to spend it in their medical facility.
tip #3 - booking excursions, with the cruise line or on your own?
Typically on a cruise your only on an island or at port for a day at a time. Plan ahead! The cruise ship offers many excursions for each island and a variety of them to fit different age groups and demographics. Figure out what is important to you when visiting each island. Are you more active and want to hike or explore ruins? Or is a dolphin watching excursion more your style? Either way the cruise line has plenty of options for everyone.
We booked two excursions with the cruise line and one excursion on our own through researching and reading reviews online. The benefits to booking your own excursion:
You can personalize your daily itinerary. You decide where you want to go and what you want to see and do. There are several options for add ons and you can pack a lot of things in one day! Also If you want to spend a few extra minutes at the beach taking photos or watching the wildlife, the schedule is flexible - super bonus.
The other big benefit is that you get to really be immersed in the local culture and have a tour guide that's local to the island and not hired by the cruise line. They know where all the cool stuff is and can show you things that you might not get to see on a guided cruise tour.
Our favorite tour was with Cozumel Buggy. We took a buggy and drove around the entire island. Stopping at beaches, lookouts, and touristy photo ops along the way. We enjoyed lunch
oceanside and ended the day at the beach with snorkeling and margaritas. Our tour guide was amazing and let us stay or leave each stop when we wanted. Highly recommend! You can check out our vacation video reel with Cozumel Buggy on instagram here!
When you book with the cruise line keep these things in mind:
If the excursion or tour leaves at 9am...they mean it! They will leave you behind and you will miss your excursion and lose the money you paid to reserve your spot, so stick to the schedule!
You will be with a large group of people from the cruise. As soon as you get off the boat you report to the location where the excursion begins. They typically bus you to the excursion and the bus leaves promptly.
The biggest benefit to booking a cruise guided excursion is that they are on time and precise when it comes to getting back to the boat before it leaves for the next island.
tip #4 - download the app and use it
The cruise ship has a packed schedule for days at sea. There are shows, movie nights and tons of amenities to take advantage of while aboard the ship. You can check the schedule and see what it has to offer in their app! Book dinner or lunch reservations for special dining experiences and classes offered. The chef's table and cooking class experiences book up REALLY fast, so check those out and book before you even get on the boat. Those are worth booking ahead of time and become unavailable quickly. Restaurant reservations aren't that hard to come by, but if there's a restaurant you really want to try, book it on the first day that way you have a spot!
The app is also good for messaging back and forth with other friends you are on the trip with. Although we had connection issues, it was a great means of communication when everyone was out and about the boat and we wanted to check-in or find someone.
tip #5 - cash is not king
Everything is connected to a credit card. You do not pay cash for anything on the boat. When you check-in to board the boat they give you a card and a lanyard, that is what you use for payment for everything aboard the ship. Drinks, food, shopping, arcade games (parents you can put a daily limit on the kids cards, I highly recommend doing this). We never used cash for anything on the boat! Save your cash for the stops at the islands.
sail away!
Cruising is definitely a great way to experience different islands in one trip. There's so much to do on and off the boat. And there is no shortage of drinks and good food. Have you cruised before? If so, which cruise line? How did you like it? And if not, are you looking to book your first one? Let me know below in the comments!
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