little things you do differently the next time you cruise RC!

[critterchick]

We're in our 50s and used to be out by 11:00 or so. We seem to have gotten second winds (perhaps coinciding with second childhoods:rolleyes: ) and have been known to stay up until 2:00 or 3:00. It helps to be having a fabulous time!

 

We plan to skip the dining room on one our upcoming cruises, probably Monarch. We'll have dinner in the Windjammer or Jade Sushi instead. Although we've had some wonderful tablemates and dining experiences, a change would be good.

 

I used to be able to travel for a week with a carry-on bag (stuffed to the gills) and a knapsack. Then I got the idea that I need two different formal outfits and shoes to match everything (probably from hanging out here). I'm going back to my old ways!

[jallison8378]

Before every cruise, my fiance and I (both in our 20's) think of a couple new things we want to experience or "goals" we want to accomplish. This was our list for the last cruise:

 

-- see a sunrise. (okay, my fiance could have cared less about that, but after a couple cups of coffee he was glad we experienced it)

 

-- order room service more than once. (we finally learned that ordering breakfast to your room on early shore excursion days is the way to go!! never again will we get up even earlier to go to the Windjammer!)

 

-- don't go to shows that don't interest us. (I don't know why we used to force ourselves to go to EVERY show... we were never pleasantly surprised by a show that didn't interest us in the first place.)

 

-- have as many photos taken as possible. (we are both very critical of how we look in photos, so why not enlarge the pool of options. besides, floating from photographer to photographer makes us feel like celebrities at a premiere or something, lol)

 

-- order specialty coffee. (we both enjoy a mocha or latte more than a regular cup of coffee, but on past cruises were too frugal to pay extra for it. compared to the price of a mixed drink, mochas are a bargain. we had one every morning and it didn't add much to our Seapass.)

 

 

Next cruise:

 

-- forget about the pool games... sexy legs, belly flop, etc. (I don't know why we force ourselves to do this every time... it's always the same, and even if I'm early to get a close lounger some jerk always stands right in front of me.)

 

-- eat breakfast or lunch in the dining room at least once. (our timing has always been off on past cruises.)

 

-- take the towel off the lounger and claim it for myself. (I've hesitated in the past, but to heck with it from now on. if you haven't left a piece of personal property behind, that lounge is mine!)

[sandytoes03]

I don't push myself too hard--it's a vacation! If I'm tired, I sleep, if I want to stay up late, I do. The best parts of a cruise is just being away and being free to have fun. We usually don't participate in many orgnaized activities, but when Bingo is played for a free cruise we are there!

[sandytoes03]

One more thing--sharing a soda is not theft!!! Chill out people!

[cruisingbooboo]

Before every cruise, my fiance and I (both in our 20's) think of a couple new things we want to experience or "goals" we want to accomplish. This was our list for the last cruise:

 

-- see a sunrise. (okay, my fiance could have cared less about that, but after a couple cups of coffee he was glad we experienced it)

 

-- order room service more than once. (we finally learned that ordering breakfast to your room on early shore excursion days is the way to go!! never again will we get up even earlier to go to the Windjammer!)

 

-- don't go to shows that don't interest us. (I don't know why we used to force ourselves to go to EVERY show... we were never pleasantly surprised by a show that didn't interest us in the first place.)

 

-- have as many photos taken as possible. (we are both very critical of how we look in photos, so why not enlarge the pool of options. besides, floating from photographer to photographer makes us feel like celebrities at a premiere or something, lol)

 

-- order specialty coffee. (we both enjoy a mocha or latte more than a regular cup of coffee, but on past cruises were too frugal to pay extra for it. compared to the price of a mixed drink, mochas are a bargain. we had one every morning and it didn't add much to our Seapass.)

 

 

Next cruise:

 

-- forget about the pool games... sexy legs, belly flop, etc. (I don't know why we force ourselves to do this every time... it's always the same, and even if I'm early to get a close lounger some jerk always stands right in front of me.)

 

-- eat breakfast or lunch in the dining room at least once. (our timing has always been off on past cruises.)

 

-- take the towel off the lounger and claim it for myself. (I've hesitated in the past, but to heck with it from now on. if you haven't left a piece of personal property behind, that lounge is mine!)

 

Take the towel and enjoy your seat, many people try to " claim" the chair, rise up woman!!!! take the chair and enjoy!!!!

[san4u2]

I will bring a t-shirt and a Sharpie. Prior to the cruise, I will write on the t-shirt with the Sharpie...

"LEGEND OF THE SEAS BAR CRAWL"

I will get bartenders to sign the shirt.

 

Best idea I have heard all day.

[icanflossu]

I love the bar crawl shirt idea, which brings me to my "next time"

 

I will NOT mix more than two kinds of liquor in an evening.....oi vay.

[sagiv666]

Umm, that's theft. Soda cards are one per person. If you think it's too expensive for one each, buy your soda by the can.

 

Tell me. When you purchase the soda package, you agree that for a given sum each day you are entitled to as many sodas as you desire. If you do not buy one single soda on one day, can you ask for credit for that day? :confused:

[jwick]

My husband and I have been on one cruise, and can't wait to go again! A few things I'd like to do the next time:

 

1. Stroll on the promenade deck at night and enjoy the moonlit sky (I know, that is SO Love Boat!) I can't believe I didn't do this the first time!

 

2. Make an effort to watch a sunrise/sunset (how often do you get a view like that?)

 

3. Try the dining room for breakfast or lunch

 

4. Get to the gym more than once :rolleyes:

 

5. Try out different drinks

 

6. Not wait so long before booking another cruise!:D

[Scorpiorose]

no credit for soda card usage or non usage

[Scorpiorose]

also i have to learn to take less pictures...sometimes i get so caught up in where the next Kodak moment is going to be that i miss out on the relaxing part of being at a beautiful and exotic beach!

 

 

Yikes.....you are giving me ideas....remember I was going to try NOT to plan but that need to have every day down to the hour is creeping in:p

[DrivesLikeMario]

After 10 cruises with RCI, I've learned NOT to book a cabin too mid-ship. I've learned the hard way to book a bit farther aft or forward to avoid hallway noise. It's not the elevators that we hear all night long, it's the noisy people in the hallways at 3am! :mad:

 

I wish people understood the common courtesy of being quiet in hallways, especially after 10pm.

[obsessedsc]

i'm glad this didn't turn into a thread about theft and soda cards!! i have really gotten some great ideas!!! :)

[cruisingbooboo]

I love the bar crawl shirt idea, which brings me to my "next time"

 

I will NOT mix more than two kinds of liquor in an evening.....oi vay.

 

I will not go to Matrini class and get BOMBED!!!!!

[cruisingbooboo]

I love the bar crawl shirt idea, which brings me to my "next time"

 

I will NOT mix more than two kinds of liquor in an evening.....oi vay.

 

I will not go to " Martini Class" and get BOMBED!!!!!

[JonAlone]

Only tip if u get good service!!

 

Our cabin steward was so poor last time he lost out..

 

Make sure you have pool towels the night before a sea day .. You wont want to queue 1 1/2 hours for one when you should be enjoying the pool, because others have taken more than their fair share, put them on the best placed sunbeds and disappeared to one of the many restaurants for 2 hours.

 

which leads me to another suggestion..

 

If you cant find a sunbed where u want it on a sea day, and sunbeds are 'reserved' and empty,,,, move the 'reserved' sunbed along and put yours where you want it... likewise dont hog a sunbed INCASE you may think about using it later after you have emptied the Windjammer... It may collapse then anyway... :-)

 

Lastly... If there is music on the decks, taking a radio or similar will upset others... use headphones please!!!

 

Just remember it is everyone's holiday and some have paid a disproportionately large amount of their income for a lifetime retirement holiday while others do several cruises every year.... We know we are only 'bus passengers' and 'retail fodder' to RCCL ... but many of us look forward all year to this kind of holiday and being pampered .. Let us enjoy the cruise in ignorance .. lol

 

Finally, Have a lovely Christmas and Chanukah, and a healthy and prosperous 2008...

[H2OH!]

Thing(s) DH and I would do differently:

 

1) Book next cruise while on board

 

2) Sleep in one day. I tend to wake up early and want to go, go, go...

 

 

Things DH and I would do again...

 

1) Pub/cabin crawl with some fellow cc'ers which was great! We were able to see other cabins and drink along the way. Perfect afternoon of fun on a sea day.

 

2) Have the chocolate dessert from Chops wrapped "to go" and stash in cabin fridge. Return to room at 1:00 am and eat dessert on balcony with spouse...priceless!! :)

[yellowfrog777]

i wanted to start a thread for people that cruise royal caribbean over and over and what things that they make a "note to self" that they want to do different the next time and things that they would def not change!

 

for us:

1. not interested in the shows...would rather be in the hot tub or the casino. so many nights we planned around them and got stressed out trying not to miss...and one night i even fell asleep in it! (our exception is the Love and Marriage show! love it)

 

2. watch the sunrise. in the cruise compass it tells you what time the sun will rise. we set our alarm the morning we were pulling into cococay and found a peaceful spot on one of the upper decks and held hands and enjoyed one of God's many gifts! it was one of my favorite moments the whole week and i'd love to do it more than once on the next trip (you can always catch a nap later on)

 

3. ive seen the ice show on voyager and mariner and it will never get old!

 

4. try to find your favorite bar tenders day to day...they put a smile on your face and you put a smile on theirs (its a win-win) and when you tip them you feel like its going to someone you've bonded with!

 

5. pre order wine- we will do this again!

 

6. we are in our 20s. we will buy one coke card next time and just share a soda when we are craving it. that was too expensive for the little amount we used it!

 

7. dress up!!! i wore formal dresses to formal night and cocktail dresses to all the other nights and my boyfriend wore a tux the formal nights and shirt and tie all but 2 nights! it made us feel like we were glamorous! so worth it! do it long enough to eat and get a picture and then change!!

 

8. Private islands- yes. lunch is free but the birds love it and its not my fav. learned this on voyager and so this time we got back on the ship and got Johnny rockets at its best (NO WAIT) and we'd do that again!

 

9. specialty dining option- yes it costs but its so worth it. this time were are doing both of them! (try to make reservations a priority on your first day so you can get the day and time you want)

 

10. taking ferries to other islands. we love to cruise more so for the ship so this is our best bet. find if there are islands closest to the ones you have already visited with ferries to commute. I have a long list of islands i want to visit and i've been to several others multiple times!

 

11. use cruise critic. but look at peoples responses to various questions and get a feel if they are similar to you. because everyone likes different things about vacation. we are young and we did NOT enjoy QUEST, the Parades, the contests by the pool. Our goal was kind of to stay away from the action! ha! (another thing is i don't know how people my age stay up on a ship until 4am and then make it off the ship the next day...we took naps and were still tired by 11/12)

 

 

12. we didn't get into the pools at all and didn't get in the hot tub until the last night. we will make time for this on the next trip.

 

13. don't be too picky. there are going to be things you like and things you dont like. somedays you are going to get hungry at the same time as the majority of the ship, there are going to be things you wished you did and things you wished you didn't just make a mental note and do things a little different the next time!

Great info. Thanks for the encoragement and ideas.

[drrich2]

Book a longer cruise so there's more than 1 'at Sea' day to enjoy the ship itself.

 

Otherwise, your typical day can be:

 

1.) Get up early.

 

2.) Get showered & dressed fast.

 

3.) Fuss with spouse that you're not going to make the shore excursion.

 

4.) Make it around 8:30 a.m. with minutes to spare.

 

5.) Have a good excursion.

 

6.) End excursion around 1 or 2 p.m., mess around a couple of sourvenir shops, return to ship.

 

7.) Lunch at Windjammer.

 

8.) Get cleaned up & changed.

 

9.) Eat in main dining room.

 

10.) Catch a show.

 

11.) Chat with spouse.

 

12.) Go to bed a bit late; end up getting maybe enough sleep, maybe not.

 

Sounds fun & it is, but day-after-day it can wear you out.

 

Richard.

[Sarahsmom85]

take a bottle of water to keep in frig. refill it. I needed it when we left the ship. I found a bottle with a cap was even good to have on the pool deck. You can just toss it in your bag and off you go.

 

Put sun screen on. Saw some pretty red people.

 

I enjoyed getting a cookie and coffee to take into the late night shows.

 

I used a shoe box every day to toss pocket change, room key, and other small items. It came in very handy.

 

Don't buy every photo (even if you want too)

 

alway take a power cord, take battery charger, leave walkie talkies at home.

 

Make sure I go to Johnny Rockets this time.

 

Win at the casino.

 

Take dramine before I even step foot on the ship. I don't feel sick, just walk with a tilt.

 

My friend picks a color theme for clothing so everything can be mixed or matched. Less clothing.

 

Oh yea If you (Gals)have a two piece bathing suit make sure you grab both pieces. Last time I took two black tops and no bottoms. !!!!

[peabodyqp]

Thank you for all of the great ideas. We leave Sunday on Voyager out of Galveston. Its our second cruise and I'm so excited.

[Thunderwoods]

I've only cruised once, and will definitely do it again. The one thing I will change on future cruises is not to plan every minute of the cruise only to have the family mutiny against your plans and disappear into all the ship has to offer at any given moment.

 

We did an organized bar crawl, and picked up new friends along the way. If you have shirts printed for the event, bring a few extra - pays off!

 

Yo ho, me harties, yo ho!:D

[obsessedsc]

 

Put sun screen on. Saw some pretty red people.

 

Don't buy every photo (even if you want too)

 

 

 

take enough sunscreen and tanning oil with you. we had to buy some in the gift shop and it wasn't great, smelled a little too girly/tanning salonish.

 

we were just looking back at our photos tonight...we bought one from every day and/or night...still are in the cases. good point! and all the time we spent in line to take those!! i think in the future we will go for the most plain backgrounds...some are ridiculously cheesy.

[JandJ091902]

We have cruised twice and everytime we always say "we wish" well here it is this time around:

 

 

John-

 

1) Sleep in on a sea day. I love being active. DW calls it "ADHD"

2) Climb the rock wall. Didnt have a chance to on Mariner because of the other things going on

3) Dont Try to explore the entire ship in one day. YOU HAVE 7!

4) Not worry about the alcohol tab.

5) Not worry as much about the waist line. I lost weight on board.

6) Enjoy not working. It comes rarely.

7) Get more involved with activities. I love sports and dodgeball was awesome

 

Janessa-

 

1) Doing more on board.

 

 

Life is short. ENJOY!

 

Those with comments about the soda cards (I am going to say this as nicely as possible. We're all adults): GET OVER IT! Soda Cards are soda cards. I get a soda, I get it with the card. If my wife wants a soda, she uses the one off my card. I just dont care. No one should care until they start effecting life on board. Charging 48 dollars for a weeks worth of soda is lame. Until they start keeping records, I STILL will do it. Thats just my philosophy. I'm sorry if you dont agree.