Ten Things to Know Before Going on a Cruise

Shawn and I had the opportunity last week to go on a four day cruise from Orlando to the Bahamas and oh my gosh guys, it's so pretty down there! We had a blast and it was such a fun adventure, but there are definitely some things we learned. So here are some details, tips and advice for when y'all go on a cruise to one of the most beautiful places ever!

Tip One: Do All Your "Homework"

Before this trip, the last cruise Shawn and I went on was six years ago so we totally forgot a few things. First up, prepay all of your gratuities. We did this on our first cruise but somehow overlooked it this time. Prepaying allows you to not worry about tipping during the cruise and usually ends up being cheaper than if they charge you the flat rate per person per day during the cruise.

Also, make sure you read all of the info the cruise line emails over when you book your cruise. That info tells you what identification you need to bring, what to expect, what's allowed onboard, etc. You'll also fill out all your personal info ahead of time and print your bag tags. Apparently, if you don't do that stuff ahead of time, your check in process is a lot lengthier and more complicated as we unfortunately found out. So like I said, do your homework before cruise time!

Tip Two: Hotel and Transportation

It's always a good idea with cruises to fly into your departing port city the day before your cruise is scheduled to embark. If you choose to fly in the same day and your flight is delayed for some reason, you're out of luck because they won't hold the ship for you. Rather safe than sorry!

I also recommend staying at a hotel that provides shuttle services to the cruise port (even if it's an additional charge). The Orlando cruise port, Port Canaveral, is about a 45 minute drive from the airport. Uber and taxis will be pretty expensive, so unless you're renting a car you'll need a shuttle to take you out there and bring your back. There are several options for shuttles in that area, but the convenience of having one that coordinates with your hotel, has comparable prices to other providers and offers round trip services kind of makes the choice an easy one!

Tip Three: Check Those Bags!

Before getting on the cruise ship Sunday afternoon, we gave our bags (name/room tags attached) to the workers who delivered them to our room. I totally suggest doing this so you don't have to haul your bags through security and crowds of people onboard. Doing this also ensures that you can really soak in the boarding process and the experience of getting on the ship without worrying about luggage!

Oh and when you first get onboard, head to the buffets! Boarding is usually between 1:00-3:00 so you'll most likely be starving and they stop serving lunch at 3:30 to start prepping for dinner. So take advantage and eat first thing. If y'all know me, the way to my heart is through yummy food and cruise ships never have a shortage of that!

Once our bags were delivered, we got all settled into our room then headed out to find the director of food services and make sure Shawn would have something to eat while on board. 

Tip Four: Food Allergies and Diet Restrictions

If you or anyone in your party has a food allergy or dietary restriction, let one of the directors over food know and they will be more than accommodating.

As many of you know, Shawn has Celiac Disease and therefore has to eat gluten fee. He was really nervous about going on the cruise for fear of not having anything to eat. To our surprise, they not only had several options and gluten free items, they prepared and cooked his meal in a separate area to avoid contamination. All we had to do was make sure his meal was ordered beforehand. So at the end of our dinner we made sure to order his breakfast for the next morning so it would be ready when we arrived. Then after eating breakfast we would put in an order for his dinner that night. It was amazing! So if you are a vegan, vegetarian, Celiac or have any other allergies, just let them know and they'll take care of you! At least on Carnival...but I imagine all cruise lines are similar in this area.

Tip Five: Get an Inner Room and Sleep in!

Monday we spent the day at sea as we traveled from Orlando to our first port. Coming into this trip, Shawn and I both knew that we wanted to sleep in and take advantage of the fact that we didn't have to plan anything. And Carnival totally helped us out with this...we had an inner room with no windows so it stayed pitch black at all hours of the day and on sea days they serve brunch until 1:00 so there's no need to get up early!

Let's talk about the amazing brunch for a second! They had everything from steak and eggs, eggs benedict and huevos rancheros to omelettes, pastries and fruit galore. We were in food heaven!

Tip Six: Don't Skip "Elegant Night"

That night was elegant night so we got to get all dressed up and go to a nice dinner. Except Shawn and I forgot to take a picture together!! We looked pretty darn good and didn't realize until we got back to our room and "jammied up" that we hadn't gotten a picture. So sad! So all you get to see is the photo I snapped while I was getting ready. Which brings me to tip number six...don't skip formal night and don't forget to get your picture taken! That picture will be a great reminder of your trip and honestly is most likely the only time you'll look put together on the cruise ha!

Tip Seven: Get Off the Boat and Enjoy the Port Days!

Let's be honest, the ship is great but we all go on cruises to explore the port cities! Our first port was Princess Cays which is a privately owned resort on one of the Bahamian islands. As we were riding on the boat that took us from the ship to shore, I couldn't believe how clear and blue the water was. So freakin' beautiful! The boat docked and as we got off we could see a huge beach full of lounge chairs and cabanas. We found a spot, ditched our stuff and started exploring. There was an awesome tower that you could climb to look out over the water and the entire island! After taking in the views, we headed down to the beach.

We didn't plan any excursions for this port because we wanted a good old fashioned beach day, just laying in the sun and relaxing. As we were walking down the beach we saw a place to rent snorkel gear and decided to get some! For our last cruise we brought our own gear, but renting is so much easier. It's not very expensive and you don't have to pack it all with you. I totally recommend it! Snorkeling is the best; swimming under the bluest, clearest water ever and seeing all the fish is awesome. We brought these waterproof iPhone cases with us so we were able to film and take pictures underwater while we snorkeled. So cool! It really was the perfect, relaxing, low key day we both needed!

So I have mixed emotions about the port we went to next. Freeport, Bahamas was hit by a hurricane a few years ago and they haven't really rebuilt anything. Hotels are abandoned, businesses boarded up...it's almost a ghost town. Since it's a very industrial area that does well with oil storage and other things, they don't rely on tourism as a source of income. Which unfortunately for us tourists, means the locals don't put a lot of effort or money into keeping things nice. The first thing we checked out was the Port Lucaya Shopping Market. It was a little shopping center full of brightly colored buildings and storefronts, but nothing was really open yet so we were kind of disappointed. 

The two saving graces for Freeport were the beach and Wendy's (better believe we got Frostys in the Bahamas!). The beach wasn't as nice as Princess Cays, but it was still really blue and beautiful. We wanted to jet ski, but the prices were seriously outrageous and a storm was blowing in, so we swam and hung out on the beach for an hour or so before heading back to the ship. Since everyone else was still on shore, we pretty much had the pools, hot tubs and slide to ourselves so we definitely took advantage of that!

Tip Eight: What You Need to Pack and What You Don't

I was a nervous wreck when I was packing because I worried that I'd forget something and not have everything I'd need or want on our cruise. So I sat down and thought through each day of our cruise and made a list of everything Shawn and I could possibly need. These are some of the essentials that you should bring:
- one swimsuit for each day (plus an extra one in case. You won't want to wait for one to dry, plus it'll be full of salt water and sand so just put a fresh one on! I got this swimsuit loved it!)
- iPhone waterproof cases (we used these ones)
- formal attire for elegant night (go all out and enjoy a fancy night!)
- sweatshirt (it can get chilly on the ship at night, especially on the top deck)
- sunscreen and aloe vera (the sun down there is a lot brighter and stronger than most people are used to so be prepared)
- small backpack to take to shore (we used a small drawstring bag that could get wet to hold our ship cards, sunscreen, water, books and towels while we were at the ports)
- cash (Bahamas use US dollars, but they may give you change in Bahamian dollars which don't work in the US. So use exact change or a credit card whenever you can)
- sunglasses (I brought two pair in case one got broken or lost. Trust me you'll want sunglasses almost the entire time!)
- comfortable swimsuit cover ups (we wore our swimsuits to shore because we didn't want to carry extra clothes or find somewhere to change. I wore simple little rompers like this one and this one over my suits and Shawn just wore board shorts and a shirt)
- street clothes to wear around ship (on most ships shoes and clothing are required in all dining areas. Plus for dinner and shows you'll want to wear something a little nicer)
- phone/camera chargers (unless you pay for international data, you don't use your phone much. But if you're using it as a camera you'll want it fully charged before you head into the ports)
- workout clothes (if you plan to use the gym on board)
- passport (we brought our passports because it's so much easier! You just have to show that instead of a driver's license and birth certificate. Fewer documents to carry too)
- driver's license and birth certificate (bring these if you don't have a passport)
- a good book (laying on the beach under the sun reading a book...doesn't get better than that!)
- lotion (with all the salt water your skin may get pretty dry)

Don't worry about bringing these things:
- towels (don't bring shower towels or beach towels...most ships have them for you)
- toiletries (again, most ships have shampoo and body wash in the showers already)
- hair dryer (most ships have one in your room)

Tip Nine: Take Advantage of On Board Entertainment

There's always something fun going on on the ship! We went to an 80s Rock Concert, Hasbro Game Night, the Newlywed Show and some trivia. There's also piano bars, poolside movies on the top deck, mixers and something for everyone!

Tip Ten: Don't Pay for Wifi

One of the things I was looking forward to the most about this cruise was unplugging from the world completely and getting some true R&R with my man! I didn't have service or wifi for four days and it was amazing! I wasn't distracted by or worried about anything. So do yourself a favor and don't pay for wifi on board. Challenge and reward yourself....can you go a few days without the outside world? You should because you deserve a break, it's healthy to step back and unplug once in awhile! We read that the wifi on board is terrible and even if you pay the outrageous price you can't stream, all you can do is check email and maybe social media. So just unplug, you won't regret it!

Well, there you have it! I hope this helps y'all for when you plan your next cruise! Seriously, one of our favorite ways to vacay. Hotel, food and transportation all in one. And they're so affordable! Happy Friday!

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