Cruising, a different way to see the world

Cruising, Part 2

Good day all.  Are you ready to book your cruise vacation?  Let's talk about making the most out of your experience,  especially if you have never cruised before.  There are so many little things about cruising that can make your trip.

Lets assume that you have picked your cruise destination and are ready to make your reservations -- just a couple of things to consider:  What type of cabin do you want?  Your choices are usually:  inside cabin - no windows, outside cabin with a port hole, obstructed view,  window or  balcony.  I've listed these in least expensive to most expensive. I have been in all types of cabins.  I generally just pick the cheapest category because the truth is, you are rarely in your cabin.  But if this is your first cruise and you can afford it, splurge on the Balcony room -- it's fun even if you only do it this one time.  I will admit that it is very nice to sit on your balcony at the end of the day with a glass of wine!  However, if saving money is a key factor for you - take the inside cabin, really, it's no big deal.


Next to consider -- where do you want to be on your ship - port? Mid-ship? Aft?  I like mid-ship myself.  But ask your cruise counselor (the person booking for you) about cabin type & and the pro's & con's of each deck.  A good cruise counselor will be able to tell you all the ins & outs about picking out a cabin.  And if you want advise from a separate source, go to CruiseCritic.com.  This is a fabulous website.  You can read up about any cruise line and any ship on this site.  There are a whole bunch of great features on Cruise Critic, but more on that later.  Right now, you just want to know the basics about the ship you are considering -- how old is she? when did she last go under renovations?  What do other cruisers say about the ship?  All this can help you make your decision. 

Now you've booked your cruise, it's time to start the 'Get Ready" list! 

The first thing on your list will be to get on the Cruise lines website and scope out your ship and the trip itinerary.  Every cruise line will have a site you can go to about your specific cruise.  You can tour the ship, see what amenities are available, review the shore excursions, make spa appointments, read about your dinning choices and more.  Get your lay of the land on the site, then you can start making some choices, like what to do about dinner seatings and such.

Our table mates & waiter on the Baltic's cruise

Dinning on a cruise ship:  You will have many options.  There is always a buffet open, breakfast, lunch & dinner.  Then there are several casual places to get a bite to eat throughout the ship like the Pool B-B-Q.  Then there is the main dinning room.  For breakfast & lunch you just show up and wait to be seated.  For dinner most ships do 'seatings'  and you have to pick one of the two offered times.  The early or the late seating.  I always choose the late seating because I want to get back on board at the last possible minute.  Just because you have a sitting time of say 8:30 pm, does not mean you are locked in to eating in the restaurant at that time.  You can always go to the buffet when you do not feel like going to the restaurant.  Or have room service for dinner if you are just too tired to get dressed and go out to dinner. 


One of the things I do enjoy about dinning in the dinning room, is that you meet new people.  You can choose what size table you want to sit at.  If there are just two of you -- pick a table of six and meet some new friends.  You can always change tables if you do not enjoy the company you are placed with, just talk with the Maitre'd.  It really is fun meeting people who have simular travel tastes as you.  You might just end up having a conversation that leads to your next vacation destination!


Most ships now have speciality restaurants like a steak house or Italian joint that charge a small fee to make a reservation there. It can run anywhere between $15 to 25 per person, these will require a reservation in advance usually.  There is a lot of discussion amongst people who cruise a lot on wether these specialty restaurants are worth spending the extra $$.  My take on it is if you have a special occasion to celebrate and the restaurant is getting great reviews on line, that would be the time to make a reservation.  Otherwise I usually skip it.  There is so much food that is include in your cruise fare, that you can eat plenty of great meals.  Many ships now have 'free-style' dinning.  This means you can have a set reservation nightly at the same time, or you can just show up at whatever time suits you and wait for a table,  Usually the wait is not too bad.  

One more tip on dinning -- if keeping the expenses down on your cruise is a major factor for you, then eating all your meals on the ship is the way to save big bucks.  When cruising, you have already paid for your room & board once you get on the ship.  Your additional expenses  are coming from your airline ticket, shore excursions, buying souvenirs and eating while in port.  Plan your day so you can eat your meals on the ship and you will get the best bang for your buck on that cruise ticket price.  Think of it like this.  If you were staying in a hotel you would need to budget around $70-85 per day for breakfast lunch & dinner.  You might think that sounds high, but you get out on the road and you will be amazed at how much you can spend on food with out even thinking about it.  Lets call it $75 per day for a 7 day cruise - thats $525 that you won't spend right there if you eat all meals on the ship.  

Now you may say, 'Susan, I do not want to come back to the ship for lunch everyday'.  Well, you do not have too.  Most ships have  european style breakfast available as well as american.  Meaning you can get meats, cheese, rolls, etc.  You can make yourself a sandwich  and take some fruit with you and you have lunch to go.  I have a small insulated lunch bag that folds up nicely that I pack.  I take a hand full of ziplock baggies with me.  I pack my lunch, put a ziplock of ice in the bottom to keep things cool and I am good for the day.

The Pride of America, which is the only cruise ship that sails Hawaii departing from and returning to Honolulu, actually puts out a deli spread at breakfast because so many of their passengers leave the ship for the day after breakfast and want to take lunch with them.  It's really handy.  BTW if you want to go to Hawaii on a cruise, The Pride of America is a great way to go.  I'll talk more about that in a future blog.  

Next on the list is Shore Excursions.  I am going to save that topic for tomorrow because I have a lot to say on the subject !

Until tomorrow, 
Travel Safe!

Note:  all pictures in todays blog are by CJS

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