I love travel so much that there are not many places I wouldn’t go. However, one form of travel has always made me nervous… a cruise. People love cruises and the cheap prices you can get should make it a no-brainer. Each time I consider it something holds me back. I feel like I have so many unanswered questions about cruises that I’ve stayed away from them. I decided to ask five friends to give me their honest opinions about cruises. I thought I’d share some of their responses in case anyone has the same questions. Enjoy! (And thanks girls for sharing!!)
What were your favorite excursions? Did you book through the ship or on your own?
“Our excursions were booked through the cruise line. Between our two cruises we have done snorkeling and parasailing in Castaway Cove (Disney private island), a water trampoline park in the Bahamas, and boat/snorkel adventure to Honeymoon Beach in St. Thomas. Loved them all.” -Laura
“I liked the different excursions that involved explored the island and being active such as snorkeling, atv’s, or horseback riding. However, on the last island we rented a jeep on our own and explored without the constraints of time and without other people all around, which was the best decision.” -Becky
“With the Disney Cruise we went to Atlantis Resort, which I had gone to as a kid and it is amazing! Super expensive but really worth it. The water park and aquarium are spectacular. The other port of call was Castaway Cay, which is a Disney owned island, so we were the only ship there. It had beautiful beaches and snorkeling was the activity there.” -Jenna
Did you feel like there were always tons of people around? Did it feel overcrowded?
“Yes, there were tons of people around but I didn’t feel overcrowded. I think if I did it today though I would. (You know how things change when you have kids!)” -Christine
“Royal Caribbean did not feel overcrowded. The Disney Cruise felt crowded and it was difficult to get a seat by the pool. This cruise had a large amount of young children.” -Laura
“The boat was very crowded…especially the pool on the boat we took (Norwegian Gem). We wouldn’t do that again.” -Christie
Did you or anyone you traveled with get seasick? If so, any tips?
“My daughter was a little seasick at one point. You can get a prescription for a patch ahead of time from your doctor. They also have medicine onboard. But most of the time it was smooth sailing for us!” -Laura
“I was so prepared for us to get seasick! As a kid, we used to take Dramamine so we didn’t get sick. I remember walking down the hallway and you would walk swaying side to side. The Disney ship wasn’t like that at all. They must make the boats bigger and better, or we had really calm seas. But no one got sick and you couldn’t even feel the boat moving.” -Jenna
“My son got sick one night at sea. The crew was amazing. They came during the night and our room was cleaned in 20 minutes. I think he ate too much chocolate dessert that night… not truly sea sickness.” -Christie
Did you ever worry about your safety?
“Not on the boat, but a little bit on the island when we first got off the boat because it was unfamiliar.” -Christine
“No, never. One thing I appreciated was each stateroom got two phones for personal use to carry around the ship and get in touch with other family members. The boat was a little too big to let the kids run free, but with the phones, if we knew their intended location, we let them go.” -Jenna
How was the food? Was it all buffet? Was it the same food each night?
“Great! The sit down dinners were wonderful and so was the buffet. You could choose what you wanted to do. Always a variety of food, some the same, but lots of choices. Each dinner was in a different theme room and you had to go by what you were scheduled for.” -Jenna
“It is true that there is a buffet for you to eat from all of the time. The food is great and there is a lot of variety. You have your main restaurant with your reservation and then you can choose from other restaurants with specialties. Some are at an extra cost and some are included.” -Christie
“Food was great. We didn’t have buffet, we had all table service. One night was fancy and the rest was in the general dining room.” -Christine
Did you have to sit with other people at dinner? Was that weird?
“We did sit with other people at dinner. I thought that was great. Such a fun opportunity to meet people you didn’t know. I enjoy meeting new people so I loved it. I still remember the couple we ate with each night.” -Becky
“Our first cruise we sat as an entire group. On the next cruise I don’t know if we will sit with others but I am chill either way.” -Christie
Are the rooms tiny? Did your room have a window or balcony? Any tips on choosing rooms?
“Our room was amazing! It was just myself and three kids. I had a queen size bed. A curtain divided the room and on the other side was a bunk and an extra pull down bed, so each kid had their own bed. I didn’t choose the room, my parents did, so not sure the level of the room. We had a window and balcony.” -Jenna
“The rooms are bigger than you think they would be. Everyone had a bed and were comfortable. We did have a window which was beautiful. The non-window rooms, from what I hear, are smaller.” -Christie
Would you take another cruise?
“I don’t think I would because of the things that have happened recently (illness and capsizing). It’s not out of the question, but it’s really not something that appeals to me. I’d much rather stay on land.” -Christine
“We are doing it again but a new cruise line, new ports of call, still no airfare so that we can keep costs down. A little over $3000 for the four of us. That is the least we’ve spent for a vacation in years.” -Christie
“I think there are better ways to travel and explore. I also didn’t think you had enough time in one destination. At first I thought it would be wonderful to visit so many places in a short period of time, but each destination didn’t have a lasting effect.” -Becky
Any other suggestions about taking a cruise you think people need to consider?
“Be very aware of all aspects of the boat and their tolerance and activities for children/teens with disabilities. We always need to plan very deliberately for a trip and Carnival offers more than the Norwegian Gem did. We will never do that ship again.” -Christie
“What kinds of things are you looking for in the cruise? Singes cruise? No kids? Pick the one that has the activities you are into so you aren’t disappointed.” -Christine
“Ask around to determine which cruise line works best for your family and what you are looking for (i.e. Disney was not as relaxing, but a family with young children may prefer that.) Book ahead as you get to choose your cabin location. I prefer the middle of the ship as it can minimize sea sickness.” -Laura
“Look up the cruise ahead of time and find out what theme nights there are. We knew there would be a pirate night and brought accessories for that. There is often a white night and other themes that if you don’t know about the stores will happily sell you stuff…but it’s much cheaper if you are prepared.” -Jenna
Have you ever been on a cruise? Would you do it again?
Any suggestions for first-time cruisers?