Cruise tranditions

[RedSox5]

Hi all,

 

Just wondering what everyone's cruise traditions are (if any)? I grew up going on a lot of cruises, and my family ended up with several silly traditions: always gets pizza the night before a cruise, going "cruise shopping" for new clothes, dresses, etc., and silly things like that.

 

Now that I'm older, I'm starting to find "traditions" like this develop within my own family, and I'm just wondering if anyone else has anything that they do, wear, eat, etc. on or before every cruise? Just thought it might be interesting to hear from others... :)

[Putterdude]

DW puts her SeaBands on and then we wait for our luggage.;)

[taffy12]

We're quite routine-oriented, so we have a lot of traditions! We almost always cruise out of Port Canaveral, so our drive down to Florida the day before the cruise features:

- a stop at the same Wal-Mart every year for a rest stop and some last-minute purchases

- lunch at the same McDonald's in Valdosta

- a pause at the Florida Welcome Center, where we take a picture with the Welcome to Florida sign

 

The past few years we've been stopping at the beach first thing upon arrival in Cocoa Beach, then we head over to the Radisson where we always stay. Dinner that night's usually at Denny's, we usually go to Ron Jon's next, and then we always stop at the Walgreen's across the street.

 

On embarkation morning, we walk to the end of the parking lot from where you can see the ships in port and get our first glimpse of our ship, then have breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, Flamingos.

 

We always have lunch at the lido buffet after dropping our bags in our stateroom upon arrival onboard.

 

Post cruise, we return to the Radisson and take a nap, then go to a fishing place along the channel to watch the ships leave on their next cruises and have dinner at Florida Seafood, followed by some visits to tacky souvenir shops.

 

Breakfast the day we drive back is at Flamingos again and we stop in Valdosta for lunch again, this time at Wendy's. Then we always order pizza when we get home.

 

Ok, so that was more than anyone ever wanted to know!

[Happy ks]

We have a definite routine, I don't know if I'd call it tradition.

 

The weekend before leaving we go through our closets and drawers and get out what we want to pack. It's all checked for hems, buttons, pressed if needed and hung onto a rolling rack or folded below the rack.

 

We make sure all bills are paid, emergency information is given to the correct people, documentation that is needed is put into the purse I'm taking. I type up a list of last minute chores, a check list of things needing to be unplugged (small appliances), turned off or turned on (light timers). We make sure our neighbors have a house and mail box key.

 

We do order take out the night before, usually because we have pretty much run out of perishables with prior planning. But we don't have any particular favorite, it's what we feel like that day. The night before is for relaxing, everything is done or will be done in the morning. We've learned that a good nights rest is imperitive to start out our vacation happy, so if we are too excited we enjoy a glass of wine, or take a Tylenol pm to get a good nights sleep.

 

I have us packed the day before, or if leaving from a local port I'll pack the morning before we leave.

 

Have a great cruise :)

[linkerbink]

My mother, sister and I started cruising together and always got our nails done together just before the cruise. Now that our mother is gone we still do it...as much in her memory as in just keeping the tradition alive.

[Iluvmypuggle]

Usually, a day or so before we go, my boyfriend & I do our last minute shopping for any thing we realize we forgot to buy/pack or ran out of. We get a bunch of snacks- ChexMix, pretzels, & other munchies for our room & to bring by the pool. Then we stop at the liquor store and pre-mix our fav drinks to bring.

 

This is a repeat from linkerbink, but I always get a mani/pedi the morning of the cruise or the morning before (I usually drive to port).

 

Then post-cruise... We get a bite to eat on the way home, as my appetite grows from the cruising atmosphere, & then take a long nap. :)

[cruiserbryce]

we dont so much have any traditions leading up to the trip but do spend time doing many of the same things while on board...reading on deck, breakfast on the balcony on port days and playing card games while at sea