"We're jamming', I wanna jam it wid you. We're jammin', jammin', And I hope you like jammin', too." - Bob Marley
First of all I have to give a HUGE thank you to those of you who have taken the time to view my page and read my posts. It means so much to log in and see such high numbers of page views and visitors to my site! You all really encourage me to travel and blog more!
My seconds thanks is to Royal Caribbean International for providing yet another perfect cruise vacation. I am not even exaggerating in the least bit when I say perfect. Cruises are (in my opinion) the best way to vacation and see the world. Where else do you go to bed and wake up in a new location? This post is going to be long and detailed because cruising is my favorite and I want you to book a cruise. Right now. Not kidding. Click that little link above. You know you want to. It will seriously change your life and how you vacation forever. I am going to start with the basics of cruising and then cruise (ba dum tisss) into talking about the ship I just went on: Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas.
The question I am always asked first...
"Don't you feel the boat move and get sea sick?" I never dismiss this question because it is a legitimate concern of most first time cruisers. I had the same concern 10 years ago when I went on my first cruise. If you are prone to motion sickness, or you are worried about becoming motion sick, here are some quick tips to help prevent motion sickness:
- Time: When you book your cruise has a lot to do with whether or not you may experience rough seas. There are certain time periods that are a better time to cruise than others. June 1- November 30 is the technical Atlantic hurricane season, with September being month with the highest probability of a hurricane. That is a huge chunk of time and, oddly enough, actually the time that I always have cruised the most. The cruise we just went on happened to be when Hurricane Joaquin slammed the Bahamas. Thankfully the Captains of these ships are highly educated and have the technology to see these storms before it's too late. Redirection is always a possibility and sometimes a necessity. You might miss out on a port of call, but if it saves you from getting too close to a storm, the Captain may have to make that decision.
- Location: Where you travel can also affect how much movement you feel on the boat. Those beautiful Alaskan cruises tend to be in the roughest of waters. Caribbean cruises are notoriously smooth and a great choice if you are concerned about feeling movement.
- The Bigger the Better: When it comes to cruising, size does matter! The bigger the ship, the less you will feel any movement. We have sailed the world's largest cruise ship twice, Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas. I will dedicated a later post just to this ship because it is literally mind-blowing. We could feel zero movement aboard that ship. I have also been on what is currently one of the smallest Royal Caribbean ships, the Majesty of the Seas. This was my first cruise, 10 years ago. We were in a storm (not a hurricane of any sort), and you really could feel the movement as we were cruising. I could feel more movement on the Majesty going through a storm than I did on the Independence going through the tail-end of a hurricane. If you have any concerns of motion sickness, definitely go bigger.
- The Scoop on Sea Sickness: Choosing a large ship and cruising during less stormy times of the year are two of the best ways to avoid sea sickness. Unfortunately, some people are prone to motion sickness regardless of how many precautions they take. This site has as list of different products you can try on your next cruise. If you tend to get motion sick, or you are a first time cruiser and you don't want to risk it, here is a list of different ways to prevent a queasy stomach on board:
- Bands: There are several types of motion sickness bands available. Bands are great because it's not a pill you have to remember to take everyday, and you can essentially put them on and not have to worry about it the rest of the trip. Bands provide pressure to points in your wrists that help eliminate motion sickness.
- OTC Meds: There are plenty of over the counter meds that you can choose from. Dramamine is probably the most well-known choice. They actually sell this onboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships in the gift shop.
- Patches: Patches are a great way to prevent motion sickness, and they are as easy as sticking a sticker behind your ear. Literally, that's all it is. You will notice while on board several cruisers will have white circular stickers behind their ear. These are the motion sickness patches that you can get prescribed from your doctor. I don't have any statistics on how well they work, but I frequently see them on passengers.
"Isn't cruising really expensive?" My answer to that...NO! It doesn't have to be! Cruising is one of the cheaper ways to see the world, if you know what to look for when you're booking. Here are some tips to be the most efficient when booking your cruise:
- Deals, Deals, Deals! Believe it or not, cruise lines do offer some pretty awesome specials throughout the year. BOGO 50% anyone?! Royal Caribbean is notorious for offering a buy one get one 50% off deal several times during the year. With the exception of our honeymoon, Will and I have booked our cruises during this BOGO 50% deal which has allowed us to cruise on newer ships. Just by going to Royal Caribbean's website, they are currently advertising Holiday BOGO 50% off + $300 onboard credit (basically a $300 "gift card" or credit, you can use on board, anywhere) + a 50% off reduced deposit. HOLY COW what a deal. That's not all! They are also advertising BOGO GETTER on cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska, and Europe which includes everything in the Holiday BOGO deal PLUS FREE VOOM which they advertise as the "fastest internet at sea." Finally, Royal Caribbean is also advertising cruises (weekend getaways) as low as $199 a night! You can't beat that! This is an awesome deal especially if you are a first time cruiser and a little skeptical about cruising. I am a Royal Caribbean fan for life, but I did do some research on Carnival's site just to see what they have to offer. Currently Carnival is advertising Last Minute Deals on cruises which are up to 45% off, 50% reduced deposit for the Early Saver (aka you book your cruise from Jan. 2016- Nov. 2017), and No Snow Zone which is a deal for 30% cruises happening if you book a cruise now through May 2016. I'll let you decide which cruise line offers the better deals...
- Booking On Board: The fastest, and easiest way to book your next cruise is via NextCruise which you will find on board any Royal Caribbean ship. Booking on board is great because you get to tell the representative what dates you want to travel and where. They do all the work for you! Plus, there are typically even more deals on board as well as you will receive some instant on board credit.
- Multiple Destinations! What other type of vacation allows you to travel to multiple destinations where YOU don't have to figure out how to get from point A to point B? The best part about cruising is getting to explore multiple destinations in one vacation. What's even better, is not having to figure out the transportation from port to port- the captain does it for you! The 5 cruises (including the one that we are taking in May of 2016) we have visited the following: Fort Lauderdale, the Bahamas (twice), St. Thomas, St. Maarten (twice), Jamaica, Cozumel, St. Kitts, San Juan, Boston, and Bermuda. And this is just the Caribbean! Cruises can take you to Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Europe, South America, Greece, and even Asia! The possibilities are endless!
- It's all paid for! (well kinda...) What I love the most about cruising is that once you step on board, you essentially don't have to pay for anything else. The way to do that is to not purchase alcohol, excursions, souvenirs, meals at specialty restaurants, or gamble in the casino. All of your tips will also need to be paid for in advance (another perk to cruising!) So, if you already feel like your wallet has been stretched thin by going on a cruise in the first place, you can essentially get by without paying for too many extra things on board. However, once you get onboard it's hard to say no to those specialty restaurant, cocktails, souvenirs, excursions, and trips to the casino!
- Food: I'm going to start with the obvious- FOOD! There are multiple places to eat on a cruise. The cuisine is very diverse. Don't go on board expecting just the typical American cuisine. Royal Caribbean International especially delivers a wide variety of foods. If you look on your Cruise Compass (daily agenda) it will tell you which nationality of food will be represented in the Windjammer (buffet style restaurant). Each day was a different nationality including: Italian, Mexican, German, Greek, Indian, Chinese, and English. The Independence also included Jade, a Japanese mini buffet. Every day there was sushi rolled fresh, as well as other Japanese favorites. On top of the general dining room and the Windjammer, the Independence offers Chops and Giovanni's Table. Chops and Giovanni's first made their debut on board the Oasis class ships. Now, as ships are being renovated these restaurants are being added. Chops is an upscale steak house where you order a la carte. What is amazing about cruises is that you pay a cover charge for the restaurant, and then you can order however much food you wish! You can essentially try every side dish the restaurant has to offer! Not to mention the desserts! Giovanni's Table is a family-style Italian restaurant. We had an incredible waiter that not only encouraged us to literally try almost everything on the menu, but also he gave us a napkin folding lesson while we waited for our food! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the staff on these ships- they are amazing! My parent's went with us on this ship, and my dad said the steak at Giovanni's was much better than the one at Chops. So, if you are in a situation where you are only going to choose one specialty restaurant, go with Giovanni's Table where you still have the option of steak, but there are multiple other dishes to choose from as well that may be more pleasing to your party. Other ships on higher classes offer more specialty restaurants to choose from. The newest class, Quantum, offers the largest variety of specialty restaurant- 18 to choose from! The Independence (as well as the majority of Royal Caribbean ships) also offers the always delicious Johnny Rockets! Burgers, fries, onion rings, milkshakes and more! All with the low cover price of just $5.95. Milkshakes and specialty drinks are an extra cost, but you can indulge in a hot fudge sundae included in the cover price! Not only do you get to eat an awesome meal, the atmosphere is so much fun! You'll get to see a little dance number put on by the amazing wait staff of this restaurant! If you are needing a midnight snack, check out Sorrento's located on the Royal Promenade of most ships. They offer hot, fresh pizza until 3AM. The Independence also has Cafe Promenade which offers sandwiches, cookies, and other small desserts for free! They are opened late as well. If you want to pay for a specialty dessert, check out Ben & Jerry's or The Cupcake Cupboard. A little tip that I learned on the Independence: check the Cupcake Cupboard about an hour before they close. They will run a buy one get one free sale on their delicious cupcakes!
- Activities On Board: So what is there to do when you have those days at sea? The question should be, "What isn't there to do?!" Royal Caribbean does a great job offering a variety of activities for all ages. Bingo (where you win CASH), game shows, dance classes, trivia, meet-ups and more are available all day, even when you are ported. Some of the repeating, large- group activities that you will find on all Royal Caribbean ships include: Belly Flop Contest, World's Sexiest Man Contest, The Quest, and Battle of the Sexes.
- Belly Flop Contest: This is a hilarious, fun for the whole family, show. Men on board can volunteer to participate in this hilarious competition. Typically the cruise director hosts this show on a sea day, in the afternoon, at the pool (or the Aqua Theater if you are on an Oasis class ship). The game is in the name: men line up and do a series of belly flops. The audience are the judges and the winner is crowned Belly Flop Champion!
- World's Sexiest Man: This competition is geared more towards the older crowd. 5-6 men will volunteer to try to woo the 5 volunteer female judges to be crowned World's Sexiest Man. This typically also takes place at the pool (or Aqua Theater) on a sea day.
- The Quest is an adult's only scavenger hunt. This happens typically after 10PM in either Studio B (the ice skating rink) or another large venue (or bar if you are on a smaller ship). This is THE GAME SHOW to attend but I will have to warn you that it is truly ADULTS ONLY. I have seen my fair share of inappropriateness at this show- but boy is it fun! The entire crowd is split up into about 7-9 teams. A female and male captain is chosen by each team (or they volunteer). The game starts off tame: perhaps the cruise director asks for something simple like a Cruise Compass, or a credit card, or maybe a $20 bill. As the game goes on it gets more and more...crazy. You'll have to just go and be prepared to see who knows what! If you are a thrill seeker and love to have a good time like myself, volunteer to be the captain! I did while on the Independence and I had a BLAST! Just be prepared...I'm warning you!
- Battle of the Sexes is a much tamer version of The Quest. Again this takes place in a larger venue, typically Studio B if your ship has that. The room is divided up men against women. There are several challenges that may call for as little as 1 or 2 people, or up to as many people that are willing to volunteer. Again this is much more tame and there is no age limit, however this is another late night game and some of the activities they may say you have to be 18 or 21+.
- Trivia is offered multiples times every day on the cruise. Some of the trivia I have either attended or seen available include: Michael Jackson, Queen, Harry Potter, music, movie, specific decades, and general trivia. Typically trivia takes place at the Schooner Bar.
Every night there is a Headliner show. Typically the first night there will be a big production put on by the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers. It may be a rendition of a Broadway musical, or a musical featuring the songs of a specific band or genre. You will get to see at least one comedian on board, but typically there are two! The comedians offer a clean, family-friendly show earlier and the adults-only show later at night. I've also seen magicians and illusionists. Typically, Royal Caribbean will offer a show that features someone that was on America's Got Talent. You don't want to miss these headliners! Oasis and Freedom class ships have an ice skating rink where you watch incredible ice skating shows! You will be amazed how these performers take on this small ice rink on a moving ship! It's insane!
Parties are huge on cruise ships. The Independence had a 70's Disco party where the Cruise Director's Staff put on a huge show on the Promenade with music, dancing, and costumes. Other ships I have been on have a Glow party where you wear all white and they turn on only black lights and you have a huge dance party. Poolside parties happen frequently as well. You can't forget the sail-away party when the boat starts it's voyage! You will never be board on a cruise!
For the sports lover, you have to try the Flowrider: a boogie board and surf simulator. It is free to participate (you must sign a waver and receive a special wristband), however you can pay to take private lessons. Check the Cruise Compass for available times. There is also a rock climbing wall, basketball court, and mini-golf course on board the Independence!
- Off the Ship: There are so many excursions to choose from when you port. From swimming with dolphins, to lounging on a private beach, zip lining in the rainforest, or shopping in the city, the possibilities are endless! Most ports have plenty of places to explore without needing to pay for an excursion. If you are looking to get off the ship and really explore the city that you are ported in, make sure you talk to the excursions desk experts, or check out the excursions online before you board. I do suggest you have a general idea of what you want to do and what you want to spend. Most of these excursions are pricey. Also, make sure you double check whether or not they offer handicap accessible options if you need that. The most important thing about going on an excursion: make sure you are back by curfew! The cruise ship waits for no one! You can seriously be left behind so make sure you double check time change (the boat will tell you when you need to be back according to the boat's time) and make sure you are diligent in getting back on time.
Any questions about cruising? Hit me up on twitter, or comment below!
-Cassie