Cruising - Tips for the Novice and Expert Alike
This year our vacation schedules did not align and O5P has split once again to cover lots of territory. Greg went off to the Canadian Rockies in June (more on that in a series of blogs to come). I had hoped to take the family off to northern Europe in early June, but when we started to plan the trip in the early part of the year, the geopolitical tensions surrounding Greenland were too much of a risk for us to want to commit. So I shuffled our five-year plan for vacations and pulled forward a Caribbean cruise. We had been holding out a little longer for my children to be a older, but given their resilience in Iceland, we decided to move ahead. This blog will focus much less on the specifics of the trip (though we had a great time in Cozumel and in the Bahamas) and more on tips and recommendations for making the most out of a cruise should you decide you want to take to the seas. Note: Both of my cruises as an adult have been on Royal Caribbean (RC) ships. Experiences may differ per cruise line.
Book everything early. Unless you’re the carefree type who has a bag packed and ready to go and you don’t care what you get or where you go, book your trip early. We booked ours four months in advance. If you’re planning shore excursions or activities on-board the ship, reserve those when you book the cruise as spots fill up fast. Modern cruises range between 2,500 passengers on smaller ships to over 6,500 on the mega ships. You’re competing with a lot of people who want to do the same things. To take a line from our other blogs on photographing wildlife: Step 1 - Establish Dominance.
When to go: As usual for me, the school year drives our vacation time, so we had no choice but to go during summer. I cannot say for certain, but I don’t think our ship was at capacity. We had the hot tub to ourselves for half an hour one morning while at sea. In contrast, on my honeymoon (which had been in March), we had been elbow to elbow with people the whole time. In short, I cannot say if the seemingly smaller crowds were due to the timing of our cruise, the popularity of the itinerary, or other factors (like recent news about hantavirus, norovirus, or that diarrhea lettuce). Regardless, see tip #1: book early.
Choosing a ship: Increasingly the ship is a destination unto itself, a floating resort/amusement park. Our ship was huge. It had two pools, a dozen bars and restaurants, a mini shopping mall inside, a casino, rock climbing, a spa, water slides, theater, ice-skating rink, and mini-golf. When we docked in the Bahamas, we were dwarfed by the Icon of the Seas, currently the record-holder for biggest ship. It holds about 7,600 passengers and has an entire waterpark on it. There is no shortage of things to do on board. Pick a ship that fits what you want to do and see.
What to Pack - Clothes. I think I packed less variety and less overall clothing for South Africa and Kenya combined than I did for this trip. I had casual wear, resort wear, beach wear, and formal wear. There was something different for the wide array of activities and excursions both on and off the ship. Pro tip: Even if you are going to be in tropical places and you’re planning on wearing shorts and sandals the whole time, bring at least one pair of pants and one pair of sneakers. We missed out on ice skating and laser tag because we didn’t have the proper attire. Bummer.
What to Pack - Cameras. If I was overloaded with clothing, this might be the absolute lightest that I’ve ever been when it came to camera gear. I brought only my old d7000 and one Sigma 18-200mm lens. And honestly, I only took about a dozen pictures in Cozumel. The rest were with my phone, so I probably could have even left the dSLR at home (sheer blasphemy!). I did however purchase an InstaCam360 X5 ahead of the trip for underwater video and photos. That worked out really well and it’s been added into my loadout bag for my wildlife photography. It’s compact, waterproof, and takes great photos and videos. Pro tip: The InstaCam is waterproof to 15 feet, but the refraction between the lenses and the water causes an image stitching error. Even though the dive case says it’s good for deeper water, it is also good for any underwater work.
Be prepared. This is a common theme for us and this trip was no different.
Cruise ships have been in the news lately for a variety of reasons, but mostly for on-board illnesses. Your toiletries bag should include all manner of remedies for gastrointestinal ailments.
If you’re prone to motion sickness, get some wristbands or patches to help. The other way to avoid nausea is to eat - a lot (see tip #8 below).
While in the Bahamas, a severe thunderstorm blew through the island and with limited shelter (my only complaint about the whole trip), we took refuge under an umbrella on a picnic table while the waters rose around us. Much of our gear got wet, so consider bringing a small dry-bag for electronics and passports. I actually had one on the ship and decided there was no way I was gonna need it that day. C’est la vie.
Get to know the crew. Your stateroom or cabin attendant, your dinner waitstaff, bartenders, photographers, etc are most likely working on a contract that is set to last months. They have long shifts as the ship makes its ports of call. Our one waiter worked a morning and evening shift, the other worked as a waiter until the dining room closed, then switched to a cleaning crew until 6 am. Through all that, they are eager to make your experience on-board enjoyable and will go the extra mile to get you what you want or need. On a personal note, my many years of learning a variety of languages was put to work on this trip. I used my Spanish in Cozumel, met a waitress from South Africa one morning and spoke some Afrikaans, and had a great conversation with a Kenyan photographer in Swahili. As always, hearing their native tongue from a non-native put a huge smile on their face.
Try all the food and drinks. Most meals are included when you book and, at least for RC, there is no limit on how much you can eat. You want a second New York Strip for dinner? By all means. Want to try both desserts? Go for it. Try new things that you’ve never had access to before. We found that my oldest child is a huge connoisseur of escargot, while the missus found that she was not fond of English trifle. The drinks are expensive. Consider a drink package if you’re going to beat the threshold for cost.
Hidden costs: Your booking price is probably only half of what you’ll spend. The major cruise lines are businesses and the staff is there to assist you and make your trip memorable, but they’re also there to make money for the company. You’ll be offered packages for pictures, for specialty upscale dining, for onboard tours, jewelry, discounts on future cruises, etc, etc… RC allows you to prepay gratuities as a package for your waitstaff and your stateroom attendant. It also includes the gratuities on everything else, but still leaves a line for an additional tip. Don’t be fooled.
Be sure to take some time to enjoy the scenery. We managed to spot some flying fish one day while quietly taking in the views. The ocean is immense, but full of little surprises.
Final thought: I pride myself in being a savvy tourist who tends to get off the beaten path, but every once in a while it’s nice to be pampered a bit, enjoy some luxuries, and do something completely different. Enjoy the experience and take in as much as you can (or not!).
Bon Voyage!
-ET
