Cruise Rituals do you have any??

[tirakotchi]

On our last cruise two years ago, I surprised my husband with a little "pillow" gift every night. Just something small. The first night it was a great new paperback novel for him to read on the cruise. Chocolates, small cologne,etc. Can't remember the rest. You can buy things in ports, too. I will probably do the same thing on our Paul Gauguin cruise in October. :)

 

Def going to use this one. It's a winner.

 

Our cruise ritual is that we start warming up for the casino by playing games online against y'all.

Check-out the site we use. Feel free to click on the game-link a bit under our 'bon voyage' message.

 

Happy sailing

[LuvMyVette]

Hi Everyone:

Mahreeya ~ I'm so sorry to read about your mother's passing. I understand the pain that you are going through. My dad passed away in December 2004 and I'm still grieving his passing. We were extremely close and he meant the world to me. My mom is all I have left and I'll do anything to make sure she is ok. Just take things one day at a time and remember the good memories. Booking my 10th anniversary cruise in January 2005 is what kept me going and helped me deal with the pain. My DH/I renewed our vows on the ship and I wore my wedding gown again. That meant more to me than anything. That cruise kept me focused.

Pre-Cruise Rituals:

• Cruise Critic to chat with new cruisers, meet new friends that will be on the same cruise, get ideas or help others.
  
• Work on my Excel spreadsheet of everything that I'm packing.
  
• Go to light bulb beach a month prior to the cruise to get my tan.
  
• Start packing three weeks before the cruise.
  
• Try on all formal outfits, etc. to make sure everything fits. Also bring on clothes that's a little bigger just in case I gain some weight.
  
• Look at past cruise DVD's that DH/I purchased on the ship.
  
• Look at our video from the previous cruise.
  
• Keep getting on the RCI website for a better deal.
  
• Have a bottle of champagne the night before to celebrate our cruise.
  
• Continue working out at the gym.
  

Rituals On The Ship:

• Once we get on the ship we go to our stateroom. Take pictures of the stateroom, unpack our carryon bags and then jump up and down like little kids due to the excitement.
  
• Eat lunch.
  
• Tour ship and take pictures/video.
  
• Find luggage and unpack.
  
• Take pictures of us in the life vest during the muster drill.
  
• Go to the sun deck for the sail away.
  
• After the sail away, we go to the Viking Crown for a drink.
  
• Every evening we go to the Viking Crown for a drink before dinner. This tradition has lived on since our second cruise.
  
• DH has a shot every night after dinner to toast his best friend that passed away a little over a year ago. We cruised with this couple and the guys bonded every night with a shot after dinner. This tradition will always continue.
  
• Take walks on the deck at night and stare at the moon/stars.
  
• See how many pictures I can take on a cruise. Record: 1,078 pictures in 9 days on VOS in July! Thank goodness for a digital camera! LOL
  
• Go to the gym, do the morning walk-a-mile and try to burn off some of the extra calories we are eating.
  
• Climb the rock wall.
  
• Buy a piece of jewelry in a port that we haven't been to yet.
  
• Have breakfast delivered to our cabin if we have a balcony. Eat breakfast outside and enjoy the view!
  

C ya!

[pandas4cheri]

As DH and I approach our 10th cruise together (Infinity to Alaska on 9/3 - that's 18 days, 16 hours and 45 minutes, but who's counting?), I find I have developed several rituals.

 

1. The cruise achieves different levels of "realness" as the days and months pass. Initial "realness" is booking. Secondary "realness" is final payment. True "realness" is when the cruise documents arrive. Normally, DH allows me to open them first, even if he sees the envelope before I do.

 

2. After the documents arrive, I begin my "list of lists". It is a list of all the things I need to make lists of to take on the cruise. DH thinks this is adorable. I call it being organized!

 

3. I color-coordinate our formal wear so that we accessorize each other.

 

4. DH normally takes about 10 books to read - and normally gets through most of them.

 

5. Until this cruise, we NEVER pay for food, either on or off the ship. This time, we will try the SS United States specialty dining because it has been so highly recommended.

 

I'm sure I have even more rituals, I'm just not willing or able to admit to them. Happy sailing everyone!!!

[SugarFreeSheila]

• Unpack and hang up clothes immediately - or have the wrinkly ones steamed. Arrange the bathroom as it is at home!
  
• Have a brief conversation with the steward about what is expected of him/her, then he or she is pre-tipped.
  
• Many cruiseline's bedding and pillows are thin, flimsy, and just subpar; so I almost always have these replaced right away.
  
• Shower, change, go to the buffets!!
  
• As we set sail, I go out on the balconey with a large bubble wand I brought & make tons of bubbles. It's so festive!
  
• Every night, we order decaf coffee with heavy cream right before bed. It is such a lovely little ritual!
  

[mahreeya]

Pre-tipping sounds great. I guess you pre-figure out what the tip is for the steward, and deduct it from the rest of the other peoples tips. I usually just put it all on my credit card, whatever the suggested rate is. But there is a point that you can change the charges, right?

 

I am doing one of my pre-cruise rituals right now: Cleaning out my black hole of a closet, finding things that fit, that have been lost forever. Trying to get my hubby to get the suitcase from the attic. Also, deciding on formal wear: the sequined evening gown that weighs a ton, the plain black dress that is easy to pack, or the crazy blue satin strapless ball gown.

[kenandlaura06]

Mahreeya,

 

 

I hope you have a relaxing trip---you deserve it.

 

Laura

 

 

Everyone else, keep these rituals coming, they are great!

[Cruise Craver]

Mayreeya - we pre-tip an extra amount and still give the regular tip amount at the end of the cruise. A lot of the cruiseline employees make very little money and depend on the tips to get by. A pre-tip is a little something extra to let your room steward know you hope to have a good trip and want them to be involved in helping you have a great trip.

[bangzoom6877]

Pre-cruise:

 

1. Get all necessary formalwear altered.

2. Exercise and eat right (I'll be eating so much for the cruise!)

3. Make an extensive packing list and check off everything once it's packed.

4. Color my hair 1-2 weeks before sailing date.

5. Get a haircut 1-2 weeks before sailing date.

6. Get a manicure & eyebrows waxed a day or 2 before the cruise (work this around packing).

7. Make sure we have plenty of sunblock to pack for the deck and the beach.

8. Make sure we buy enough Bonine to prevent motion sickness.

9. Count down to the day of the cruise with our friends and family who are joining us!

10. Make sure we have our "cruise toothpaste" and other items!! :)

 

Day of sailing:

 

1. Wake up super-early (if we were able to even sleep the night before with all the excitement).

2. Have a super-light breakfast (I'll eat a ton when I first board the ship!).

3. Bring the dog to the kennel at 9AM.

4. Leave for the ship between 10AM and 10:30AM (leave ample time for packing the car).

5. Arrive at the ship by 11:30AM so we could board as soon as boarding starts (by noon, it is always jam-packed...11:30 eems to be a good time for us to get there.).

6. Once on the ship, find our cabin and put down our carry-on luggage.

7. Meet our family and friends (we all usually board together) and go to lunch in the dining room. Sit there together talking about all the wonderful meals we will get to eat throughout the cruise.

8. Explore the ship and get lost about a dozen or so times! :)

9. Check out the gym and spa.

10. Check out the casino.

11. Go up on deck (maybe grab something to eat while we are there), buy my first of many drinks of the cruise, and hang out and enjoy the fresh air while we await sailing time!

12. Make sure I have a drink in hand (preferable a frozen one) when we sail.

 

These are all the things I can think of, I know there are more though!! Of course, when we go July 22, 2006, it will be the first time we go with our son, who will be 18 months old at the time! Yes, I am aware that the cruise will be an entirely new experience for us, but that is fine with us. I know there are no "vacations" from taking care of my son, and that is just fine with me. As long as I don't have to cook or clean for a week, I'm a happy camper! Can't wait to show my son a ship for the first time, even though he won't remember it in years to come. But we will take so many pictures and video too so he can always see his first cruise!! I'm sure one of my new rituals will be getting him milk first thing each morning, making an extensive baby packing list, etc. And I am sure we will take the casino out of our vacation, which is a good thing, no money lost in that case!

 

-Bonnie

[kenandlaura06]

Bonnie, I am sure you will have a wonderful trip with your son!

 

 

Happy Sailings!

 

Laura

[bangzoom6877]

Thank you Laura! I have come across so many people on these boards that tell me not to go with him because it won't be the same as before. I am not expecting it to be the same, after all my life is very different than it was before I had him!! But in a good way, as I am expecting the cruise to be. My husband and I got tired of staying out until 3AM on the last cruise. It's enough of that already. I'm looking forward to more daytime stuff. And if I am lucky enough that my son will sit through a couple of the shows, we will go to those too. We take him everywhere with us and we have only gone out just the two of us one time since he was born, and that was to our high school reunion which was later in the evening. We go to restaurants with him, shopping, the park, the beach, you name it. Things that have changed are going out to dinner earlier, not going to the movies, not staying out later than 8PM. But whenever we went somewhere with my sister, who has 2 little girls, we did this anyway!! Plus we were on one cruise when my older niece was 14 months old, and another when she was nearly 3 and the little one was 6 months old! Yes, my sister's cruises were different than when we were younger, but she sure did enjoy herself and so did the kids! Well, I know the little one was a baby but she didn't seem to mind it! My sister brought her girls on the Carnival Legend last month (they are now 4 and nearly 2), and she said they were well-behaved and they loved it. She kept them up until 10 or 11 most nights and they did just fine. And they had a smooth transition back to regular bedtime of 8PM the night they got home! Hoping my experience will be as positive as hers!

 

Again, I am well aware that I still have to dress, feed, bathe, and take care of my son. Other people here say to wait until they are 2 or 3 so they can go to the Kids' Club. My older niece refused to do that at age 3, but loves it now at age 4! So it also depends on the child, and I have no problem spending the whole cruise with him! :)

 

Bonnie

[WKM]

Bonnie

Why don't you have your husband watch your son for an hour while you go get a massage.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

 

Carol

[kenandlaura06]

Thank you Laura! I have come across so many people on these boards that tell me not to go with him because it won't be the same as before. I am not expecting it to be the same, after all my life is very different than it was before I had him!! But in a good way, as I am expecting the cruise to be. My husband and I got tired of staying out until 3AM on the last cruise. It's enough of that already. I'm looking forward to more daytime stuff. And if I am lucky enough that my son will sit through a couple of the shows, we will go to those too. We take him everywhere with us and we have only gone out just the two of us one time since he was born, and that was to our high school reunion which was later in the evening. We go to restaurants with him, shopping, the park, the beach, you name it. Things that have changed are going out to dinner earlier, not going to the movies, not staying out later than 8PM. But whenever we went somewhere with my sister, who has 2 little girls, we did this anyway!! Plus we were on one cruise when my older niece was 14 months old, and another when she was nearly 3 and the little one was 6 months old! Yes, my sister's cruises were different than when we were younger, but she sure did enjoy herself and so did the kids! Well, I know the little one was a baby but she didn't seem to mind it! My sister brought her girls on the Carnival Legend last month (they are now 4 and nearly 2), and she said they were well-behaved and they loved it. She kept them up until 10 or 11 most nights and they did just fine. And they had a smooth transition back to regular bedtime of 8PM the night they got home! Hoping my experience will be as positive as hers!

 

Again, I am well aware that I still have to dress, feed, bathe, and take care of my son. Other people here say to wait until they are 2 or 3 so they can go to the Kids' Club. My older niece refused to do that at age 3, but loves it now at age 4! So it also depends on the child, and I have no problem spending the whole cruise with him! :)

 

Bonnie

 

My cousin went on a cruise with her baby when she was 11 months and they said it was a great time...the baby loved staring out at the ocean.

[TSCOTT]

I always take a couple of days off work prior to going on a cruise and a couple more after returning. A 7-day cruise usually means a 2-week vacation for me. Before cruising, I always get my hair cut and styled, manicure and pedicure, etc. About a week before the cruise, I lay out our clothes in the guest bedroom and double check our packing list. I also get all of our travel toiletries and documents together and hubby gets the luggage down from the attic. The majority of our packing is done the night before we cruise. On the morning of the cruise, we both get up very early. (Much easier for me than it is for my hubby) We try to fly out one day early to avoid the possibility of any travel mishaps. This also allows us of a day of rest after a long plane trip. The first thing that we usually do when we get on board is explore the ship and take pictures. We then book our excursions and return to our room to unpack. After that, it's noting but fun and relaxation for the duration of the cruise. We will be taking our 4th cruise in June when we go to Alaska.

[wawa40207]

1. pack and repack at least 10 times (it goes with being a type A)

2.figure out my deck plan

3.make sure all documents are in exact order of listing in a document folder (also goes with being a type A)

4. Go on www.cruiseclues.com and see if there are menus listed if so i look just so i can plan out what we are going to have and which nights i will try a supper club.

as you see i am the one who has to have everything planned Thank GOD for my husband as he is the i could give a crap less attitude!:)

5. I always try to be drunk while flying as it scares the holy crap outta me because someone else is in control!

[kenandlaura06]

I always take a couple of days off work prior to going on a cruise and a couple more after returning. A 7-day cruise usually means a 2-week vacation for me. Before cruising, I always get my hair cut and styled, manicure and pedicure, etc. About a week before the cruise, I lay out our clothes in the guest bedroom and double check our packing list. I also get all of our travel toiletries and documents together and hubby gets the luggage down from the attic. The majority of our packing is done the night before we cruise. On the morning of the cruise, we both get up very early. (Much easier for me than it is for my hubby) We try to fly out one day early to avoid the possibility of any travel mishaps. This also allows us of a day of rest after a long plane trip. The first thing that we usually do when we get on board is explore the ship and take pictures. We then book our excursions and return to our room to unpack. After that, it's noting but fun and relaxation for the duration of the cruise. We will be taking our 4th cruise in June when we go to Alaska.

 

I will definitely be doing the manicure/pedicure thing!

[texancruzer]

but each evening after dinner when they brought the little "specialty drinks of liquors" around (in little Royal Caribbean momento glasses) my mother-in-law and I would each order one. We would drink half of it straight and then pour the other half in our after dinner coffee yummmm . You get to keep the glasses and we each have a set. It is something I will do with my best friend on our upcoming cruise.....I like the little glasses better than a t-shirt :D

[mahreeya]

Tis the night before cruising, and all thru the house, everyone's freeking, except hubby, the louse.

 

First, overturn entire house looking for shoes that I bought 6 months ago just for the cruise. Give up, and run out to buy another pair. Take everything out of the closet, throw into living room. Lost packing list. Alter clothes. Put things in suitcases. Take everything out of suitcase. Sneak a few things into hubby's suitcase. Take a break, to read message board. Look at Alaska weather. Pack more warm things. Put everything back in suitcases. Need something to wear tomorrow. Take everything out the suitcase looking for something to wear. Hubby says he is wearing a bathrobe.

 

Bon Voyage to me!

[Chucksta63]

I am going to have to print this thread out!! There is a lot of great stuff in here!:D

[mahreeya]

I dropped the dirty laundry from the cruise at the laundromat, and they did 28 lbs. of clothes for $19! What a relief.

[ProfessorandtheGeek]

Wow, this is so funny and my fiance when I was readng this said there was a big red arrow forming on the wall poiting directly to me!!! LOL!!

[natnik99]

Love love love this thread! Kuddos to you, cdorman for reviving this thread after four and a half years!

 

 

My rituals include...

 

1. When I'm first planning the cruise: Searching for weeks on various cruise and travel sites to find the best deal, becoming obsessive over studying each ship and their various themes until I find the perfect one.

 

2. Prior to the cruise:

• Laying out all of my clothes on the bed and planning out all of my outfits for daytime and dinner time.
  
• Searching CruiseCritic for information on ports and excursions.
  
• Make lists of everything that needs to get done pre-cruise
  

3. On the Cruise:

• Head up to the Lido deck for lunch first thing. I get a DOD as fast as possible and take a picture of my passport with the DOD.
  
• After lunch is finished I check out the ship and get really familiar with the layout.
  
• Every night I go through the Capers with a highlighter determining what to do the next day.
  
• Use every available opportunity to win a ship on a stick.
  
• Purchase a Christmas Ornament to commemorate the cruise
  
• Attempt to win as much free stuff as possible (though I must say I'm not very successful with this one!)
  
• Go swimming every single day
  

There are so many more! I get almost as excited planning the cruise as I do actually going on the cruise.

[Tammylyne]

My rituals are

 

2 weeks before start tanning

Hair done a week before

Manicure and pedicure 2 days before

I diet 4 months prior to cruise so I may overstuff myself and not worry ;)

Buy a new formal dress..I have so many I should open a shop up lol

Go shopping and more shopping ;) I buy a new suit or 2 every year for the cruise and at least 2 new pairs of sunglasses

 

Load our ipod up with songs just for vacation

 

We like to leave early, being we are less then a half hour from port we like to leave early..sit in port and people watch :)

 

As soon as we board

we go EAT!!!! Then we go to our room and I like to unpack the minute my luggage arrives

 

Grab a strawberry daiquiri pina coloda drink and go up on deck to watch sailaway

 

I usually take the day after we come home off so I can do laundry and catch up on mail

 

My little one and I will make a countdown chain 30 days before..we do this for Christmas every year too.

Its so exciting to see the excitement in her eyes every night as she rips a piece of chain off

[The other Idaho 21]

I was reading this thread and noticed that there was a 4.5 year break... it jumped from September '05 to January '10. Interesting...

 

Bethany and I are not too much different than a lot of people that have posted in here. For the most part we:

 

always fly in the day before

always board as early as possible

always unpack as soon as we can

walk a few laps every day after breakfast to get the day going

get up early & stay up late... don't want to miss anything

try to hit the casino with the friends we make

eat dinner in the dining room every night that we aren't in a specialty restaurant

 

I like the idea of packing your swimsuits in a carry-on (or wearing them) to be able to enjoy the whirlpools before the ship even departs.

 

More to come... I'll try to recruit more people to get this thread active again.

 

Jason

[The other Idaho 21]

I almost forgot...

 

We ALWAYS plan our next cruise while we're onboard. That keeps us always anticipating something.

[Kalleen]

My rituals include:

 

* buy all new clothes/sunglasses/bathing suits for the cruise (i live in florida so i am going to wear them all in summertime anyway)

* find a catsitter

* buy a new camera because i usually need a new one each year anyway, i do some damage to them :)

* get a pedicure

* i am a vegetarian & i eat vegan for the 2 months prior to drop those extra winter lbs.

* tan

* get my hair done

* pack realllly early

* drive down realllly early to the cruise port

* get a frozen drink, jump in the hot tub & sail away :D