Favorites / secrets / tips....anything NON covid related.....

[famof4togo]

20 minutes ago, LadyMac72 said:

On your sea days, take advantage of tea time.  I go every time I am on the ship.  Hot cup of tea and little pastries is a wonderful mid-afternoon snack.  

I always say I am going to do this and yet never have, I will make an effort in March to check it out....

[Kanyon71]

1 hour ago, my kids mama said:

Bring a small extension cord if you are on one of the older ships.  Don't bring one with a surge protector though.  They aren't allowed.  

 

FYI, no-one cares if you wear the same clothes for dinner more than once.  

 

If you want more than one appetizer, entree, dessert, order it.  They will bring it to you.  

 

OP,  thank you for starting this thread.  We fly out tomorrow for a 7 day on the Pride.  It's our first cruise since...well, you know...  It is finally sinking in that we are actually NOT CANCELING.  Yay!!!!!

 

We also will sometimes order the pasta dish as an appetizer, they bring you a smaller app sized portion of it. I especially do this on the carbonara night.

[May1cruiser]

On a dark night, lay on a top deck and watch for shooting stars. Free and hard to accomplish with city lights....

 

[JEANMR1]

14 hours ago, May1cruiser said:

On a dark night, lay on a top deck and watch for shooting stars. Free and hard to accomplish with city lights....

 

It seems to me like I can never see stars on a cruise. Not as many as I would expect anyway being far away from land. Just hazy I’m assuming from the ocean. Has anyone ever had a super clear night where you get overwhelmed by how many stars there are?  I want that. 

[adventuredancer]

if you leave out of a port, see what people suggest from there. like i live in florida. we usually sail out of Tampa. getting to see the ship pass under the Skyway bridge is really cool. it looks like the ship will barely fit, but they usually drop the ship a few feet just in case. and if you are leaving out of Tampa late enough, seeing the bridge all lit up at night is beautiful.

[Pellaz]

 

Don't overlook Seaday Brunch.  It is one of the best meals offered on-ship and it's amazing how few people partake.  

 

On 1/20/2022 at 11:09 PM, BTromboneFrack said:

I love to go to the lowest open deck on nights when the waves are really rough.   It thunders like Niagara Falls and is VERY dramatic.  

Yes, this is often on Deck 3 outside, on the older ships.   Even if the waves aren't rough it's usually nice and quiet and a great place to experience the ocean.  You're on a cruise, and sometimes it's easy to forget that you're actually ON the ocean.  (Royal's ships are especially bad for this.)

And if the seas are a bit rougher, yes, it's amazing to watch the bow throwing surf 50 feet to either side.  🙂  

 

On 1/21/2022 at 2:53 AM, momof3cruisers said:

For newbies—if your ship has an Italian restaurant, you can get lunch for free there. And if it has a Mongolian Wok, go the first day as the lines will get LONG. 

And if you're a stir-fry FIEND like me, get there a little before the official opening time.  The food is fresh and IMHO well-worth waiting in line for, but if I can beat the crowd there, so much the better.

 

19 hours ago, JEANMR1 said:

It seems to me like I can never see stars on a cruise. Not as many as I would expect anyway being far away from land. Just hazy I’m assuming from the ocean. Has anyone ever had a super clear night where you get overwhelmed by how many stars there are?  I want that. 

On some ships, the stars you seek will be visible from the front "secret" decks, assuming there is no cloud cover.   We did this on the Magic, but other ships may also have the right arrangement.

Try to get in a position just behind the forwardmost light, which faces outward.  It should otherwise be almost completely dark out there, since Carnival prefers darkness forward for better visibility from the bridge.  (Those with forward-facing staterooms are required to close their blackout curtains at night.) 

If all works out, you should be in nearly complete darkness.  After your eyes adjust, you'll see the stars burst out.  When we did this, it looked like there was some wispy cloud-cover arching overhead.  When it didn't move after ten minutes we realized in awe that we were seeing the arch of the Milky Way Galaxy overhead.  It was GLORIOUS.  

 

 

  

[nlktx49]

On 1/20/2022 at 3:44 PM, vicky3vicky said:

On certain ships, definitely all the Vista class, there is a smaller version of the breakfast buffet in the Ocean Plaza.

 

Also, for those in Family Harbor rooms, their lounge also has a small breakfast buffet, snacks through out the day, coffee and their own soft-swirl ice cream machine.

No!!! Don't tell people about breakfast in the Ocean Plaza!!! That's our secret, we even have our own table.😄

[TrqoisWtrs]

On 1/22/2022 at 4:28 AM, JEANMR1 said:

Has anyone ever had a super clear night where you get overwhelmed by how many stars there are?

Way back when I started cruising, I was able to see the Milky Way.  That was so cool.

[TrqoisWtrs]

11 hours ago, Pellaz said:

When we did this, it looked like there was some wispy cloud-cover arching overhead.  When it didn't move after ten minutes we realized in awe that we were seeing the arch of the Milky Way Galaxy overhead.  It was GLORIOUS. 

I cruised the Splendor to Singapore and Mr. Radu was on board.  He got this awesome shot when we were near the Philippines.  

 

[TrqoisWtrs]

I like having wine on my balcony so I'll grab a plate with cheese and meats from the Lido buffet to put in my frig to enjoy with the sunset later.  Or you can get the dessert cheese plate from MDR to go, and sometimes I'll have a late night snack out there too.  Yes, I like cheese.  😀

[LadyMac72]

On 1/22/2022 at 12:18 PM, adventuredancer said:

if you leave out of a port, see what people suggest from there. like i live in florida. we usually sail out of Tampa. getting to see the ship pass under the Skyway bridge is really cool. it looks like the ship will barely fit, but they usually drop the ship a few feet just in case. and if you are leaving out of Tampa late enough, seeing the bridge all lit up at night is beautiful.

How long does it take from the port to the Skyway bridge?  We're sailing out of Tampa in March and don't want to miss it.

[Cruzmomma77]

On 1/21/2022 at 12:54 PM, LadyMac72 said:

On your sea days, take advantage of tea time.  I go every time I am on the ship.  Hot cup of tea and little pastries is a wonderful mid-afternoon snack.  

Where is tea time held?

[Cruzmomma77]

Trivia time is great! The few times we participated, we made some great friends. Once, we were all on ATD and ate together every night. Pizza is a must and I agree, if you get to know the chefs they will get to know you. 😉 I always order two shrimp cocktails (you can order as many menu items as you want - don’t be greedy though :)) Don’t fall for the art auction, but go for the free champagne. Have fun in your stateroom with your stewards. We always leave funny things out so they play with our towel animals. Made for great pictures/memories. I always take an insulated tumbler (w/straw) and fill with water and lemonade for the day. I also always take a crossbody bag that can fit a towel, book, tumbler and some goodies for poolside and excursions. 

 

[May1cruiser]

2 hours ago, LadyMac72 said:

How long does it take from the port to the Skyway bridge?  We're sailing out of Tampa in March and don't want to miss it.

approx 1.5 hours if i recall. 

 

[TerReuv]

This is a great outlet without surge protection.  It has 3 outlets and 3 USB plugs.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082FJXVW6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[freewilly]

Tip: We have found it helpful when we purchase trip insurance to purchase a policy where the medical coverage is primary. We only had to file once when we have had to access medical care on our trip. Instead once with our regular insurance..get denied and then file with the trip insurance carrier. 
Any tips for sailing out of Charleston, SC ? We will drive to port. 

Edited January 24, 2022 by freewilly

[LadyMac72]

On 1/23/2022 at 3:55 PM, Cruzmomma77 said:

Where is tea time held?

On the Miracle it was the upper level of the Bacchus Dining Room.  On the Paradise it was in the library.  

[sportscruiser]

On 1/21/2022 at 10:19 AM, Kanyon71 said:

We also will sometimes order the pasta dish as an appetizer, they bring you a smaller app sized portion of it. I especially do this on the carbonara night.

I've always done that on carbonara night too so I can have the prime rib as the main. However, this time I had just eaten at the steakhouse the night before so I ordered the carbonara as my main. Turns out the only difference in getting it as an app is the size of the bowl! They give you a small bowl when it's an app but as a main they give you the same portion size, just in a bigger bowl!

[RenoNanaOz]

On 1/20/2022 at 12:25 PM, famof4togo said:

So I come here to daydream happy thoughts of my upcoming vacation (learn a few things too)...and while I understand the necessity for it I am SO OVER the posts on covid/mask/testing/vaccine's etc....and thought we needed some more "fun" threads to get us through our workday (if you are like me lol)....SO I know this topic has gone around a million times if you've been on this board for a while but for the newbies and those maybe going on their first cruise etc it might be insightful...

 

What are your favorites...be it employee, meal, location to sit and watch the sunset etc etc etc....or what are some secrets either to cruising or to a specific ship?  Maybe not so much secret but a helpful hint, tips, packing tidbits that others may not have come across or think of etc...

 

Love Aft Balcony Cabins! A nice cocktail and I could sit for hours just watching the water. Love Seaday Brunch, People Watching, Meeting People, Alchemy Bar and NAPS! The only time I ever nap is on a cruise. Thanks for starting this!

[adventuredancer]

On 1/23/2022 at 3:15 PM, LadyMac72 said:

How long does it take from the port to the Skyway bridge?  We're sailing out of Tampa in March and don't want to miss it.

from leaving the port to the skyway is 1.5-2 hours. but you might want to get up and get a good spot a little early. it gets crowded fast. i personally perfer the back of the ship. you get a perfect view of the mast barely going under the skyway and then gorgeous photo op once you pass under. and FYI- you are still in Florida waters for about 200 miles after the skyway. so you can still use your phone easily until you get to the skyway. you will still have service from the surrounding counties. 

[PekingeseLady]

On 1/20/2022 at 6:13 PM, Kanyon71 said:

Last cruise I really wanted a supreme type pizza with veggies, pepperoni, ham. So did our friend. We had made nice with them and we ended up with fresh whole supreme pies and our wives got fresh pies. No real waiting in line either. Love the pizza onboard. Then we had to get soft serve after. 😂 

You can grab items from buffet, bell peppers, ham etc. Or Guys get some jalapeños you get it,  bring to 🍕 they will throw out on 4 u.

[bandjwayne]

On 1/20/2022 at 4:13 PM, famof4togo said:

Clear tape over luggage tags is a good idea.

We got some luggage tag holders. we just never had packaging tape at home when we needed it.

[dallasdan]

I bring these magnetic hooks to hang on the walls.  We hang hats, bathing suit coverups, light jackets, etc...

Edited January 27, 2022 by dallasdan

[Cruiser_1977]

I have found it helps to unpack after getting my luggage. I learned (thanks to CC) that my suitcase will fit under the bed!!

[Luckysll]

I love to order a banana split for dessert from the children’s menu at least once every cruise.