New Cruiser - Tons of Questions

[bigrednole]

We are soon to be first time cruisers. We have booked an August 2 trip on the Harmony of the Seas. The date became the most critical and we were left with 2 choices Harmony or NCL Breakway. In the end we decided Harmony. Now that we are booked and soon to be fully paid, the vast amount of unknown has to be completed. These are the most critical questions this far out.

 

1. Diabetics: Do the rooms have a fridge to keep insulin cold? Any recommendations on what to have the doctor provide since we will be out of country for a week?

2. CocoCay: Leading up to booking, I had read that the waterpark was $50. Now that I am booked, my "discount" rate is $89pp. To me, a waterpark is not worth that much. Would we be missing out by not doing the waterpark and enjoy the complementary parts of the island?

3. Fear of over packing and not having enough stuff: There are no personal laundry service, so what we bring we has to cover the whole week. I think we will all be OK with one suitcase each and day bag for embarkation day. However, I think we will need 1 extra for "stuff". That stuff being my pillow (neck issues) and general things. Is 4 suitcases too much for 3 people?
4. Sunscreen: Yes, it is a cruise. The sun is going to be all over. I have had skin cancer. I don't have to worry about the sun because I cover up and use sunscreen. My question is whether they allow the spray sunscreen (think aerosol)?

5. Disconnecting: We are not going to do any paid wifi. The plan is to put the phones up. However, there is a need to be able to connect. What do people use to keep in touch with family?

 

[Essiesmom]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.  Two suggestions:  For your questions about Royal Caribbean and Harmony, visit the RCI board here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/51-royal-caribbean-international/

 

(Grammar police...can I put two colons in the same sentence?)

 

For information about Coco Cay, you can ask on the RCI board, and also on the board here for Private Islands, located under Ports of Call:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/308-private-islands/

[Mike981]

Per the suitcases, four isn't crazy for three people. Just remember if you are flying it might be a lot of money for a round trip. Below is something I put together to help new cruisers, I hope you can find a nugget or two.

 

R-E-L-A-X. Seriously. Don't stress.

 

95% of of the information you receive from others is just opinion. And you know what they say about opinions. The other 5% is fact based answers you could honestly just Google to find. Don't get caught up in the 95%.

Take the time to know what documents you need to have with you and have a system on where to keep them so they are accessible at all times. NOT, your checked luggage. Set reminders on your phone for any time sensitive things you need to do, for example online check in for your flight - dealing with pets - light timers/house sitter...

On packing. Don't fall into the 'I might want to have this' trap. Your essentials will take a lot of room. I know it's easy to grab a lot of clothes and shoes and so on, because your on vacation. Unless on a cooler weather cruise/trip, you will most likely be in shorts or a swim suit for most of the day. Start a packing list and when you get home look at what you really wanted (or should have packed) and the stuff that was not needed and adjust your list.

Before you go, come up with a plan to track ALL of your true costs. Everything. Many will look at the big ticket items, but forget about the extra expenses that are sure to occur. This will help you in your future traveling plans.

Be smart with your excursions and getting back on the ship. People get stressed about this, understandably so. They are expensive and you don't want to miss the ship. I personally book non ship excursions (usually much cheaper and less crowded). I always make sure that I do my due diligence on the company and schedule it so we are done and back to ship with plenty of time for any issues that might come up. How much is plenty of time? I try for 3-4 hours early. If not possible based on how long I am in port, I will just do a walking tour or maybe even stay on the ship.

You know those people who talk about their perfect vacations? Their secret? They didn't let any issues ruin their vacation. It takes effort to let things roll of your back, but it is so worth it. EVERYONE has some hiccups. Have you ever read a travel review and the people hated their trip? When you read what they are complaining about, you think, 'my god how do you get through life?' My favorite is a woman who hated the Caribbean resort she went to because it rained every afternoon. Oh, and she went during hurricane season. 😕 Like Elsa says, "let it go - let it go". And it helps you to...

R-E-L-A-X

Lastly, slow down and enjoy the experience. It's so easy to try to cram in as much as you can on vacation. Give yourself time to slow down and smell the salt air, do some wonderful people watching and think about how far removed you are from your normal day to day life. Oh, and if you can figure out how not to get a bit depressed on your last day, please share.

I hope you have a wonderful trip.

[cb at sea]

You do not need to spend a penny on Coco Cay to have fun.    No worries!  Loungers are everywhere, lunch is served on the beach....you don't need ANY excursions at all!

 

All but the very oldest ships have dorm-style fridges in each room.  Today's insulin really doesn't need constant refrigeration any more.  You can request a "sharps" container for your cabin.

 

If you need a few things laundered, you can send them out...and you should be able to rewear things more than once, if need be.

 

You may bring  any kind of sunscreen you want.  Even the "spray" needs to be rubbed in, tho!

 

To "keep in touch", talk with your group when you ARE together and find out their upcoming plans until the next meet-up!  You can also leave messages on the cabin phones.

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, Essiesmom said:

(Grammar police...can I put two colons in the same sentence?)

 

Do you really want the answer to this????? 

😁

[bigrednole]

Thank you for the information. My wife's diabetes are the only big concern. The rest is more general and part of my knowledge searches starting this weekend. We will be planning our excursions and activities that are in proximity to an indoor facility (taking a trip out to the Mayan ruins is not on the cards).

 

As for relaxing, that is easy for me. Once I leave work, I am in all relax mode, drink in hand, and island music. 

[skrufy]

7 hours ago, bigrednole said:

We are soon to be first time cruisers. We have booked an August 2 trip on the Harmony of the Seas. The date became the most critical and we were left with 2 choices Harmony or NCL Breakway. In the end we decided Harmony. Now that we are booked and soon to be fully paid, the vast amount of unknown has to be completed. These are the most critical questions this far out.

 

1. Diabetics: Do the rooms have a fridge to keep insulin cold? Any recommendations on what to have the doctor provide since we will be out of country for a week?

2. CocoCay: Leading up to booking, I had read that the waterpark was $50. Now that I am booked, my "discount" rate is $89pp. To me, a waterpark is not worth that much. Would we be missing out by not doing the waterpark and enjoy the complementary parts of the island?

3. Fear of over packing and not having enough stuff: There are no personal laundry service, so what we bring we has to cover the whole week. I think we will all be OK with one suitcase each and day bag for embarkation day. However, I think we will need 1 extra for "stuff". That stuff being my pillow (neck issues) and general things. Is 4 suitcases too much for 3 people?
4. Sunscreen: Yes, it is a cruise. The sun is going to be all over. I have had skin cancer. I don't have to worry about the sun because I cover up and use sunscreen. My question is whether they allow the spray sunscreen (think aerosol)?

5. Disconnecting: We are not going to do any paid wifi. The plan is to put the phones up. However, there is a need to be able to connect. What do people use to keep in touch with family?

 

1. I’m type 2,  all I need is the sharps container. Ask your room steward where you can have the insulin stored, it’s no problem. I do bring an extra weeks supply of meds with me. If you need certain food type upon boarding go to the dinning room and advise them of your needs.

2. Have not been to CoCo Cay . Have been to Half Moon Cay and have had a wonderful day just enjoying the beach.

3. Most cruisers over pack for their 1st cruise. Quick tips, mix and match it saves space. You will not need a pair of shoes for each day. Pack a couple you can wear with anything and one comfortable pair for exploring the ports.  You can buy small packets of soap made for washing small items in the sink. You will be surprised how little you will need for a 7 day cruise.

4. If you are flying to port be aware of the size aerosol spray can you can bring on board the aircraft. Many people pick these kind of things up when they reach the port city.

5. We put our phones in airplane mode just as the ship leaves port and do not turn them on until we are ready to disembark the last day. When you are in port you can usually find a free wi/fi establishment. The best way to find one is ask any crew personnel they all know the best places.

6. HAVE A GREAT 1ST CRUISE.

Edited February 12, 2020 by skrufy
Addition

[Itchy&Scratchy]

7 hours ago, bigrednole said:

Is 4 suitcases too much for 3 people?

yes. IMHO, too much. 

We bring two 28" spinners for the 3 of us, and my parents bring one 28" spinner for the two of them. And then everybody gets a small backpack with the essentials (electronics, documents and medications).

 

Bring all the sunscreen. We usually do 1 bottle (10 oz spray) per destination day plus a separate face bottle. That's usually enough for us three (1 pale red head, 1 pale blonde, 1 pale brunette)

[hallux]

For the packing, you might refer to this thread that is currently right below the one in which I'm replying - 

 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

20 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

yes. IMHO, too much. 

We bring two 28" spinners for the 3 of us, and my parents bring one 28" spinner for the two of them. And then everybody gets a small backpack with the essentials (electronics, documents and medications).

 

Bring all the sunscreen. We usually do 1 bottle (10 oz spray) per destination day plus a separate face bottle. That's usually enough for us three (1 pale red head, 1 pale blonde, 1 pale brunette)

oh, and we do fly and pack the aerosols into luggage, of course. I bag all the lotions and aerosols into double plastic shopping bags or gallon sized ziplock bag because pressure makes them leak.

 

You may overpack the first time, it's no problem. You'll learn as you go. Don't under pack (make sure you got flip flops, tooth brushes and hair brushes - something we forgot on different cruises).

We bring one pair of shoes for dinners in MDR, flip flops, and we wear sneakers for travel. You may also need water shoes.

[martincath]

3 hours ago, bigrednole said:

Thank you for the information. My wife's diabetes are the only big concern.

Contact the Special Needs department. I'm diabetic, but not on insulin - had no problem getting a sharps container for used testing supplies, and was offered a 'real fridge' which I didn't bother with as I didn't have insulin to worry about (given the weirdness of what healthcare plans cover, and many tales of woe from US diabetics who are forced to use cheaper, older drugs instead of better ones, I don't want to assume that your wife's insulin will definitely be fine in just a Cooler - and the 'fridges' in just about every cruise cabin these days are not actually fridges, just 'knock at most ~20 degrees off room temp' coolers).

 

If she's got a fancy auto-pump then eating might not need any extra work onboard, but if she needs to manually calculate carb intake be aware that a) special needs dept will ensure that Maitre d' etc. onboard are informed someone with dietary needs is cruising, b) when you get on board make an appointment to speak about menus, c) do not assume that food or drink, especially 'no added sugar' desserts or cocktails, are actually carb-free. The great thing about cruising for anyone with dietary needs is that every single thing prepared on the ship is done to a detailed formula - they can tell you with great accuracy exactly what goes into the food, and it's prepared almost identically every time.

 

Not being on insulin, I do need to be careful what I eat at all times - can't just bump up the insulin intake - so I've had many conversations. A lot of waiters, bartenders, and buffet servers don't have a clue - but there are always supervisors, chefs etc. available, you just need to remember to self-advocate by asking. Some folks like to see the menu for tomorrow and preselect what they'll eat at dinner - this works best if you are on a fixed dining time with a regular table - but even if you are on flexible dining you can still figure out what's safest to eat next day or perhaps several days in advance (sorry, never cruised RCI but based on multiple Princess/NCL, no two ships ever operate exactly the same way - individual Maitres-d' and Exec Chefs do colour how things happen even within official cruiseline policies).

 

TL;DR - use your cruise personalizer to confirm your wife's diabetic status and get what she needs in the room; call or email RCIs Special Needs dept if you cannot do that; when onboard, call from your cabin phone as soon as you get there to schedule a chat with the Maitre d'/a chef about dining; if you aren't preselecting meals ahead of time, always ask about carb content - and if the person dishing up/taking orders does not know, ask for a supervisor. For example, real coconut is fatty but not too carby - but a Pina Colada onboard is almost certainly made with a 'coconut cream' product that involves a ton of sugar syrup and flavourings! A 'no sugar added' or even 'sugar free' dessert could easily have lots of wheat flour per serving, so two+ standard units of easily-digested carbs regardless of the lack of actual sugar.

[Host Kat]

@bigrednole

 

Howdy and welcome to Cruiuse Critic!  

 

Cruise Critic is a great resource for all cruisers, whether new or experienced, and we are so glad you found us!  And for first time cruisers we have lots of articles for you at First Time Cruisers.

 

Planning your first cruise is exciting, but it can become "too much" after a bit. Hopefully the Cruise Crirtic article How Not to Go Nuts Planning for Your Cruise will be helpful.

 

I sincerely hope this will be satisfactory and glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic!

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat

[KnowTheScore]

11 hours ago, bigrednole said:

1. Diabetics: Do the rooms have a fridge to keep insulin cold? Any recommendations on what to have the doctor provide since we will be out of country for a week?

 

 

As per other posts it's important to understand that the "fridge" in cruise cabins is invariably nowhere near the cold temperature of a domestic fridge and thus may be unsuitable for your needs.   With something that important health-wise you must contact your cruise line directly via email or phone to make them aware of your needs and let them explain how and where your meds need to be stored.

 

best

[taglovestocruise]

Be sure to book all your shows as soon as they open in the cruise planner.  Anytime during the cruise you can ask your cabin steward for a next day wash and fold laundry bag.  About $35 and you can pack it until it's ready to explode, it holds a lot. Don't miss everyday free breakfast at Johny Rockets before 10am. happy cruising