Cruises Are Fantastic!

Here are some quick pointers.

CONSIDER TAKING THE FOLLOWING:

• Lots of swimsuits – they don’t dry so quickly in the cool AC air of your cabins.
• Comfortable shoes/ flip-flops (for on deck and on shore) you’ll possibly be walking more than on non-cruise vacations!)
• Waterproof ID /money/credit card holder: one of us carried all the cash, credit card, and ship IDs while on shore. Leaving nothing at all on the beach towels feels so good.  http://www.amazon.com/Kwik-Tek-Dry-Alligator-Wallet/dp/B000BJ7WHE/ref=pd_bxgy_sg_img_b
• Lightweight nylon backpack – I can’t tell you how valuable it is to carry a lightweight nylon backpack rather than a purse or beach bag!  Carry water bottles, beach towels, books,  extra clothing and lots of sunscreen stuffed into these, leaving your hands free! Same – onboard – it’s a hike to the pool sometimes. Backpacks saved us so many trips to the cabin. We brought travel scrabble and that was always in there too.
• A decent camera (not your phone see below) – if it’s your good one, have a plan to keep it secure.  (Are you all going in the sea at the same time?)
• Dramamine:  just so you have it. And if you need it, you won’t be paying exorbitant prices for it onboard. (Those wristbands are said to be proven to work: and an entire Navy somewhere wears them. But try them out first).
•  “Water booties” or Land’s End beach sneakers if you can get a pair. Lets you walk where turtles do…

A COUPLE OF MORE THINGS:

•  Leave your phones in the cabin when you go ashore. (so as not to incur really expensive roaming rates)
• Dinner: you usually are requested to chose a time slot prior to the cruise. What you can’t choose, however, is how many people you get to sit with. Be there early the first night – and be verbal. Tell the MaÓtre D’ what you’d like… (to sit with fewer or more people etc.)
• Read your cabin issue of “activity events.” You can miss out on a lot of good stuff if you don’t.
• Before you go, do some online research.  You can have the best shore outings by doing this ahead of time. Off the beaten path may be dangerous, but riding a bus with the locals…  Priceless.
• Google things like “best thing to do in Cozumel” … and put it in quotes like that  – you’ll get what tons of people wrote in those exact words… “best beach in ____ ” and “best place for lunch in _____” …then find a tour or other people going there so you’re not traveling around alone etc..