What are your oddest cruising traditions?

[havanadaydreaming]

Mine, watching the map channel in cabin.  Love the soundtrack!

 

Also, trying to catch one art auction to see who buys 2-4 pieces.  Fascinating! 

 

 

 

 

[Computer Nerd]

Embarkation followed by disembarkation. 😁

[RoperDK]

Not sure if it's odd, but we always head straight to lido and order a Funship at embarkation.  Nothing else gets done until that Funship is gone. We've done that on every cruise for over twenty years.  

[Roscoe13]

Once we get to our balcony, DW cranes her head around each side to see if she can see into neighbors cabins.  She can.  Then promptly announces that there will be no balcony "club" and curtains will be closed at all times unless we are both out of bed.  After that it's find the tv channel guide station and dance to the muzak that is on a continuous loop.  Then up to the Lido deck for a Long Island Ice Tea.

[CruiseBro16]

I head straight to the Aft Bar after embarkation to get a Shiner. 

[AQW]

We've cruised with our children since they were very young. We developed a short set of "cruise rules" and attached a laminated copy to their lanyard with their sail & sign card every time, as well as a full-size copy posted on the stateroom wall. 

 

Last week my oldest came looking for the laminator. When I asked what he was doing, he said he was getting the cruise rules prepped for the sailing we were supposed to embark on today... then was *shocked* to learn I hadn't planned to bring them.

 

He's 20. My youngest is 17. 😂

[nwcruiselover]

I like to sit on the balcony and watch for pier runners at the ports.

[CeleBrat]

My dad and I always watch the shoreside crew loosen the ropes.

 

No matter who I’m cruising with, all cabins in the traveling party get a hand/made door sign from me.

[ldubs]

All of our traditions seem pretty tame.  I can't think of anything that could be considered odd.  Superstitions perhaps, but not traditions.    

[tbmrt]

Usually head to a bar for our first toast and then walk the ship to see the layout.

[navybankerteacher]

Generally, not fans of mixed drinks, but for sailaway we always have a couple of those frou-frou jobs with little paper parasols.

[mammajamma2013]

17 hours ago, AQW said:

We've cruised with our children since they were very young. We developed a short set of "cruise rules" and attached a laminated copy to their lanyard with their sail & sign card every time, as well as a full-size copy posted on the stateroom wall. 

 

Last week my oldest came looking for the laminator. When I asked what he was doing, he said he was getting the cruise rules prepped for the sailing we were supposed to embark on today... then was *shocked* to learn I hadn't planned to bring them.

 

He's 20. My youngest is 17. 😂

That's sweet! 

 

[marden1970]

18 hours ago, CruiseBro16 said:

I head straight to the Aft Bar after embarkation to get a Shiner. 

We also go to the Aft Bar but we have a frozen daiquiri; the first of many!

[lenquixote66]

Being unable to get into the cabin from the balcony.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

Being unable to get into the cabin from the balcony.

 

Not something you want to make a habit!  😃

[lenquixote66]

2 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Not something you want to make a habit!  😃

No,but it happened once and that is enough

[jwattle]

One of our earliest cruises on formal night, I was at the slots all dressed up. A server came up and said "Excuse me, Countess? The gentleman at the bar would like to buy you this drink" I was wondering who the 4ell "Countess" was until I looked over, and there was my husband, raising his glass in a silent toast. Since then, it's "countess" when we cruise.🥂❣️

[Sailin Gal]

We take a bubble wand and do bubbles from the balcony, during sail away and at random other times throughout the cruise.  

[pris993]

We use to buy flowers in ports, sometimes they did not last the entire cruise.  We decided to bring silk flowers and have been doing so for many years now.  Adds color to cabin.

[lynncarol]

Very few ships have libraries anymore, but that was always the first place we would head after boarding while the book selection was still good. 

[pris993]

20 minutes ago, lynncarol said:

Very few ships have libraries anymore, but that was always the first place we would head after boarding while the book selection was still good. 

I still like to read a real book sorry ships have not maintained libraries, especially travel books.

[lynncarol]

1 hour ago, pris993 said:

I still like to read a real book sorry ships have not maintained libraries, especially travel books.

Although I sometimes use our county’s online library at home, I still enjoy ‘real’ books better. 

[rkacruiser]

Maybe some will think this as being odd, but I don't.  It's a tradition of expressing my thankfulness and appreciation to my Mother and to God.

 

My Mother instilled in me my love for travel by taking my Brother and me on many trips, on trips that I now wonder how she was ever able to afford.

 

Before I retire for the first night of the cruise and on the last night of the cruise, I go to an open deck, looking out to sea (and hopefully a star filled sky), and give thanks to God for my being able to once again cruise and for my Mother who introduced me to this wonderful addiction.  

[pris993]

10 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

Maybe some will think this as being odd, but I don't.  It's a tradition of expressing my thankfulness and appreciation to my Mother and to God.

 

My Mother instilled in me my love for travel by taking my Brother and me on many trips, on trips that I now wonder how she was ever able to afford.

 

Before I retire for the first night of the cruise and on the last night of the cruise, I go to an open deck, looking out to sea (and hopefully a star filled sky), and give thanks to God for my being able to once again cruise and for my Mother who introduced me to this wonderful addiction.  

Wonderful.  I understand, because I believe my love of travel started with traveling with my mother from San Francisco to St Louis Missouri as a kid.  We fly a few times and also took the Santa Fe San Francisco Chief train, was an amazing experience on the train for a young child.

[birdy]

3 hours ago, pris993 said:

Wonderful.  I understand, because I believe my love of travel started with traveling with my mother from San Francisco to St Louis Missouri as a kid.  We fly a few times and also took the Santa Fe San Francisco Chief train, was an amazing experience on the train for a young child.

I hope one day my children will feel the same way.  We started cruising when they were 13 and 11 respectively.  They went on a cruise every February break (teacher here) including taking our son's graduating class (28 kids) on a 8 day out of NYC.  The, now 22 yo daughter, may take the last family cruise this coming July with her grandparents, parents, aunt, and great aunt to Europe.  They have often said those memories (we often cruised with their aunt and cousins) were the best memories they have.

 

Moral of the story, parents don't give your kids things, give them your time and experiences.  They last a lifetime.