Things we learned...just for fun post

[robindina]

So the hubby and I went on our first cruise years ago.   That cruise was paid for by my employer so we didn’t pick rooms.  The boss put everyone in balconies.  The second cruise we booked on our own and chose an ocean view.   We learned that we prefer the ocean view over a balcony.  We like any time dining.  Prefer dining room for dinner, but like the buffet for breakfast.       What has everyone else learned from their years of cruising?  

[PhillyFan33579]

We are just the opposite of you in every area. Our first several cruises were on Carnival Fantasy class ships, which we had an OV cabin for every cruise. Once we booked a balcony, we were hooked on balcony cabins and have stayed in a balcony cabin our last 30 plus cruises, with a few exceptions when we booked cruises last minute and balcony cabins were already sold out. We also prefer early dining and eating breakfast in the MDR. But our different likes is what is great about cruising. There are so many options available and there is no right or wrong way to cruise. 

[TNcruising02]

I remember my first cruise and wondering why I would care about where my cabin was located.  LOL.  Ah, I was so innocent.  Now I know that we love to have a cabin on the lido deck.  We don't need a balcony to have a fun cruise since we barely spend any time on it.  I learned that the theater shows are nice, but we prefer to relax and enjoy the comedy shows the best.  I learned that we don't need to cruise on ship with a ton of things going on.  We are content just being out in the ocean and traveling from port to port.  After our first cruise, we realized that it was by far our favorite way to spend a vacation.

[karenemily]

While we LOVE a balcony and Jr Suite, we are just as excited to book an interior cabin at a great rate so that we can be cruising. Now that said, Alaska is the exception to our interior to cruise philosophy. Alaska needs a balcony so that you can be out in the elements. We also have learned that the dinning packages are very desirable for our tastes. We tend to stay away from the MDR and Windjammer. 

[Tree_skier]

I learned I like the buffet for breakfast.  I'm an early riser and I love getting into the windjammer when there is just a handful there and getting a table right by the window by myself and slowly starting my day.  I learned I absolutely adore figure skating. I learned that no matter how good of an athlete you might have been in your 20's that the Flowrider is hard when you are in your 50's.

[TwinMamainMN]

We love having a balcony cabin and won't sail without it. We love watching the sail in/out of port. Room service breakfast on the balcony makes me insanely happy. We too are early risers, and typically go get a latte when we first get up, and eat a "real" breakfast later. On a port day when we need to get off the ship quickly, we go to the WJ early to avoid some of the crowd and like the "sleepy" feeling that Tree_Skier mentions above.

[Michelle H]

We love a balcony and have had one on every cruise. We love My Time dining, and about half the time we just cancel it and go eat at the WJ or somewhere else, especially if we ate too much at port (I’m looking at you, all seafood places at the Alaska ports, especially the Skagway Brewing Company). If you want to run on the track, and it’s a Caribbean cruise, you’d better get up and do it before the sun comes up, otherwise it’s HOT. And we normally just do this in the Caribbean, but a lot of times we don’t plan anything on a port day, and stay on the ship and use the pool because nobody is there.

[SG65CB]

I learned the first cruise will not be your best cruise. The first one you are just figuring out how everything works. The second cruise is better. By the third cruise you have a regular routine and you know what's what. 

 

So if you recommend someone who has never cruised before to take a cruise, remind them that their second cruise will be better than the first. Or take them along with you on their first cruise and show them the ropes. 

[mugtech]

We have always booked interiors so we could afford more cruises, booked balconies twice and both cruises were cancelled by RCI.  Won't make that error again.  Love to take a 30 minute walk every morning to watch the sunrise, especially the first day at sea.  Always eat an early breakfast in windjammer and take food back to my wife.  We now cruise for the itineraries, but knew nothing about cruising on our first cruise, Mariner out of PC.

[PrincessPatti]

I love walking the ship early — when everyone else is sleeping.  I am an early riser and always up at 6am.  The ship is so peaceful and you can explore and get some great pics.  Also enjoy taking a nap in the afternoon.  We find a quiet spot on deck and snooze for a bit.  
 

Park Cafe and the roast beef sandwiches.  And oh the cream puffs — can’t forget the cream puffs.

 

In my world, balcony is the way to go.  Something about sitting on your balcony and enjoying a cup of coffee or glass of wine just makes it worthwhile.  Oh, and it makes it easier for watching the pier runners; you can do so in the privacy of your own room!  Sometimes it’s hard to get a good spot on deck to watch this.

[tanderine]

We have had most types of rooms except for an interior but I think the JS on the hump is our favorite; extra space, nice balcony and priority boarding.  We don’t really care about the bigger suite benefits since we are big fans of both the drink package and unlimited dining package.  Also early risers and love to be out by the pool early.  No afternoon nap but I love to read outside on the balcony before getting ready for dinner.  

[TexasRon]

We learned that having a balcony connects us to where we are in the world.  Waking up, having a cup of coffee, and seeing the port in the distance, or going to bed seeing one fade into the distance, is enjoyable.  We learned that you can sleep forever in the darkness of an interior room...or at least our kids could...so dark and cool.  We learned to meet people, some of them we still keep in touch with to this day.  We (I) learned not to fall asleep during a couples massage because you might wake up to your wife buying $500 worth of product because they gave her a "free" facial while you were snoring gently.  We learned to love the Piano Bar on Carnival cruises.  We learned that Royal is different than Carnival in many good ways, but that we will cruise on both depending on circumstances of the cruise.  

 

Most of all, we learned that we liked cruising!

[Havin'fun]

I also love a balcony, those early mornings with a cup of coffee staring out at that beautiful blue ocean watching the sun come up is one of my favorite times of the day

Three days into our first cruise, I looked at my husband and told him that I couldn't believe how absolutely relaxed I felt.  The relaxation along with our time alone is what hooked me on cruising.

I have learned to love sea days and now look for cruises that are not port intensive.  

I take time to talk to the crew especially my room steward.  I always ask about their home and family  and they have told me some amazing, funny and personal stories.  

 

Edited March 8, 2020 by Havin'fun

[retired dude]

learned that a table for the two of us is the way to go for all our meals...on the first couple of cruises back in the 80's had to listen to wayyyyyyy to many stories of how many grandkids they had, all of their medical woes, how many cruises they had been on and the details of each and every one and last but not least the guy who wanted to date one of our presidents(no not hillary).. Happiness is being married to you best friend and our meals together are memorable.. Hope everyone enjoys cruisin' as much as we have...wish ya well.

[Erik101]

1. I prefer the specialty restaurants versus the main dining room. I don’t like the mass amount of people in the same room

having dinner. I prefer a smaller dining environment. 
2.  At certain ports, staying on the ship is so relaxing. It feels like the ship is all mine because most people are exploring the port.  The quietness is gold! 
3.  It’s a balcony or bust. Sliding the curtain when I wake up in the morning and seeing the ocean is such a breathtaking view.  

[Kevin's girl]

We started out in ocean view cabins and knew once we tried a suite there would be no going back. Now with retirement on the horizon and a more defined vacation budget, a balcony is still a must. We really enjoy our quiet time and ocean views.

 

We have also learned to enjoy exploring other eating options on board. The MDR is our backup now, and dining options depend on what we want to do in the evening after a port stop or our day at sea.

 

Our entertainment on board is the ocean and Mother Nature herself. We used to go to the shows but grew weary and are not a fan of the new water park and amusement park feel to ships. I love to sit or walk on the Promenade deck and enjoy the views. Star gazing after dark is wonderful at sea.

 

We are also fans of the smaller ships and love the friendly feel they offer.

[dreadpirate3]

We enjoy balconies and suites, but ocean view cabins are what we generally book, especially on smaller ships. I have my first interior cabin booked for a solo weekend.

 

We enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the MDR. We like a table for two at dinner and don't mind sharing the other two meals. My go to for breakfast is a vegetable omelet.

 

I enjoy waking up early and either watching the sunrise on my balcony or going to walk a deck during sunrise. I am an avid photographer so I enjoy the many photo opportunities while at sea or sailing into port. There is nothing like having a pod of dolphins jumping right as you sail into Coco Cay.

 

Most of all, I've learned when the upgrades are worth it and when they are not. We've eaten at specialty restaurants, had Chef's table, Gallery Brunch, and paid tours. I don't need those things to enjoy my cruise. 

[suesnake2002]

We like being mid ship, one deck down from pool. Guess we sleep good, noise has never been a problem. We had a corner aft suite once. Didn't like the long walk to the room. And missed the view of looking foward as we came into port. 

Love the schooner bar, and piano players. Who woulda thought that. 

We usually only eat 2 meals a day. 

You can't do everything, so relax and enjoy. 

[sargeantcurley]

order the  brownie sundae off the kids menu in the dining room

[Tom_n_Sara]

We learned that several things help us start our vacation quickly such as boarding as early as possible and unpacking as soon as we get our luggage. 

We learned to not schedule everything and just enjoy the moment.

[Tree_skier]

The other thing we have discovered that we love is aft-cabins.  Had two of them now and every chance we get we will get another.

[bonsai3s]

When much younger and poorer...it was all inside cabins.

A little older and a little more money...oceanview cabins.

Much older and a bit more money...balconies and mostly suites.

 

We used to ask to in a table for 8.  Then asked for a table for 6.  Most recently, we prefer a table for two.

Even with a table for two, we still meet many new friends because we play lots of Trivia. 😊

Trivia is the one constant thing we have done from day 1.  The only difference is we now win most of the time. And for those who play a lot of trivia, you guys know full well it's not how smart you are...it's simply how many questions you've heard over and over and know the answer. 😉

 

 

[Bailey & Sophie]

The naps on a sea day are (well, you know).

[lovescats5]

We started out with an ocean view and upgraded to a balcony, really, really small balcony, and from there we found RCI and their nice large balconies.  We were lucky to get a Star Class suite on Oasis when we got back into cruising and that is what we discovered we liked.  Learned I like the genie and that I just have to tell him what I would like and it is done.  Learned that when I used the sea pass card it worked for what ever I wanted to purchase.  Really had this lesson when on Liberty March 1 and was not sure what my sea pass card would purchase with the refreshment package.  So I guess I have learned that when you fly cross country for every cruise the less I need to think about when boarding a ship the better I like it.  Also, like many have mentioned, it is wonderful when you wake up to see the sunrise to just walk out on the balcony and take in the beauty of the beginning day.  Also agree that sunsets are much prettier on a balcony.  But, mostly, I guess I learned that a cruise is much better than staying home and cooking and cleaning.

[F27TW]

I've learned that unless you  cruise several times a year, it really doesn't pay to limit yourself to sailing on just one line.  Loyalty to one line for people like us who only cruise once a year is silly.   This past Sept., we ventured out of our comfort zone (Royal Caribbean) since we were getting a little tired of the sameness  .. and tried Norwegian Escape.    We absolutely loved it .. it was like a whole new vacation being on a different line.   Norwegian, that ship and the service totally wowed us.   We learned .. sample other lines! 

 

Edited March 10, 2020 by F27TW