Drinks. Endless buffet. Gleaming dance floors. And of course, who can forget the infamous shuffle board? Approximately 20 million tourists take cruises annually- why not be apart of that group? What’s the best solution to getting away from the winter blues than getting out there on the open water and basking in the sun on a luxurious cruise ship? Haven’t taken a trip on a cruise before? No worries, we’ll touch on the basic ‘in and outs’ for all of you first-time cruisers out there!
Cruising the Waters for the First Time
Believe it or not, thousands of individuals refrain from hopping on a cruise ship simply from their fear of water, as well as a ton of other reason. Do not fret, whoever! We will provide some crucial tips for first time cruisers and ease your mind on approaching the open water for the first time. Here we go:
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Explore the Ship
After you’ve boarded and have all of your things settled, make sure you go and explore the ship in order to see what all they have to offer. Cruise ships are absolutely huge and all the venues they have available will blow your mind! Taking a look around the ship when you get there will allow you and yours to find out where everything is located, which will help you plan your days (and nights) better.
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Come Prepared!
Open water. A gently rocking ship. Sea sickness may be a factor unfortunately; since this is the case, it will be in your best interest to come prepared with medication to combat that. Most likely, your body will get adapted to the movement but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have meds available to fight any possible discomfort. So stock up!
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Be prepared for cover charges
Although everything (most times) is all-inclusive on cruises, you may want to prepare yourself for paying a cover charge for the extras. For example, you may get tired of the standard buffet options and decide to dine at a fancier restaurant. More often than not you’ll have cover charge around $25. However, once you are in the restaurant you are free to choose from anything on the menu.
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Avoid boredom when cruising with the family
We are all well aware that young teens and children can have the attention span of a flea. For this reason, make sure you plan out activities that you would like to do with the family. Keep in mind to keep a look out for things that the ‘youngins’ would like to do- don’t make it all ‘adult-only-bingo’ kind of trip. Although there are a TON of things for kids to do on cruises, you may have to help them with the selection of activities.
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Know Where You’re Going
Last, but certainly, not least, keep in mind that you guys aren’t going to be on the ship the entire time during your vacation most likely so make sure you research the various ports you’ll be stopping at to enhance your visit. You have to being back goodies of course!