Cruising 101

Monday, January 7, 2013

I’ve received a few questions about our cruises so I thought I would do a quick post to tell you more about them.
We really like taking cruises because we always get them for a great deal, and it’s a great way to see different countries in one trip. I’ve done 5 cruises ranging from 3-5 nights and have been to the Bahamas 3 times, Belize, Cozumel, Jamaica, and the Grand Cayman. They’ve all been Royal Caribbean cruises.
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The two cruises I’ve been on this past year were both booked within a month of the sailing date. You can get awesome deals if you wait last minute! Once I found the cruise we wanted to take I would check the price online multiple times a day, and watch for it to get so low that I didn’t dare wait another day to book it in case it would sell out. Just for an example, the last cruise I took was 3 nights sailing to two stops in the Bahamas for $139 (not including taxes, tips, shore excursions, etc) a person. That includes all your meals as well. We always get the cheapest room because you spend such little time in your room that it doesn’t matter to us if we get an ocean view or not! It’s pretty easy to book everything on the cruise line’s website but a travel agent would make everything even easier, especially if cruising is new to you.
We don’t get sea sick, but if you’re prone to motion sickness they do have wrist bands that help with that, and I also see a lot of people wear special stickers behind their ears that I assume are for sea sickness too! You can feel the ship move and for a few days after the cruise I feel like I’m rocking but it doesn’t bother me.
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There’s lots to do onboard the ship, every ship has it’s own different features that you can read about on the website. The ships we’ve been on have had rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, the flow rider, a sports court, multiple pools and hot tubs, a work out room, running track, spa, casino, a theater, mini golf course, and lots more. We’ve never cruised with kids but there are also activities for children onboard. There is entertainment each night with dancing shows, comedians, magicians, etc. We’ve never been bored, that’s for sure!

Let me know if there are any other questions, I’d be happy to answer them in the comment section. All this cruise talk makes me want to go again ;)

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16 Comments »

16 Responses to “ Cruising 101 ”

Anonymous said...

How about a friends cruise...getting to know you :)

Kate @ When Hello Means Goodbye said...

sounds like a blast!

Anonymous said...

What type of deal did you find for airfare this last cruise?

Kate @ When Hello Means Goodbye said...

we got a (non-direct) flight out of GR to fort lauderdale on delta for around 260, if I remember correctly. i booked it through orbitz.

Lori B said...

Have you ever been to Alaska? We did a family reunion cruise to Alaska and it was beautiful! It may not be as warm as down south, but seeing God's creation up there is amazing. We hope to have the chance to go again!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing! Do you have any vacations planned for 2013?

Kate @ When Hello Means Goodbye said...

Nothing big as of now, just some short weekend trips!

Ashton and John's mom said...

LOVE to cruise! :) we made the mistake of taking our teenagers two years ago and now THEY are hooked too!!

unfortunately I have a 'little' experience with the motion sickness aids...I would HIGHLY recommend the patches-they work WAY better than the wrist bands!

I would love a blogger cruise!

Laura said...

Are the activities on board (rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, the flow rider, etc) extra for cost? You mentioned $139, but what did this include besides your room and the meals?
Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

Do you budget and save up for trips like this, or do you plan them last minute? Looks like so much fun!

Kate @ When Hello Means Goodbye said...

This last cruise was super last minute but the one Robb and I took in march was something we had been wanting to do so we saved up!

Shannon said...

Is there a website you go to to search for different cruises? Is there a cruise company you prefer or have had the best experience with?

Kate @ When Hello Means Goodbye said...

We've only done cruises on Royal Caribbean and I use their website to search.

Jackie said...

We go thru Vacations to Go for our last minute cruises. We have taken the family on two cruises for our 40th & 45th anniversary. The children and grandchildren cannot wait until our 50th. They absolutely love it. It is certainly the best vacation for the money. We have been going on Carnival, but much prefer Royal Caribbean. Will not travel Carnival again. Service has gone way down thru the years. For our big cruises we have the cruise line plan it for us.

Allison said...

Thank you so much for sharing! I will definitely take these tips and see what kind of great cruise vacations I can find.

Kate @ When Hello Means Goodbye said...

Yes, most on board activities are included!