PACKING
-Bring a jacket or a sweatshirt in case you get cold while on the ship.
-The only items of clothing that you need are dinner outfits, bathing suits, pajamas, and 1-2 lounge outfits.
-Don’t pack a beach towel because the ships provide them!
-Bring way more sunscreen than you think you’ll need. You do not want to have to buy anything on the ship…..SO expensive!
SCHEDULING
-If you can, do the early dinner time. This leaves time to see more shows after dinner!
-Excursions are so much cheaper at the port! We saved $100 by buying our Atlantis pass at the actual resort instead of pre-buying on the ship. (Not all excursions are offered at the port.)
PORTS
-Carry some cash with you at each port and make sure you have one and five dollar bills
-Be prepared to be bombarded by locals at each port of call wanting you to get in their taxi or pay for their tour
TIPS
-Take the stairs all the time! It’ll help you feel better about eating so much 🙂
-Deck chairs go fast so don’t wait too long before going to lay out on your days at sea
-Get to know your room steward. They are some of the nicest people on the ship and will help you out if you ever need it.
-If at all possible, try not to check your luggage when you disembark. It takes so much longer to leave the ship and you’re one of the last groups called.
What would I have done differently?
-I would have packed a small blanket because I did get a little cold each night while sleeping.
-I would have packed a few snacks for when I was hungry between meals. The only food items available on my ship 24 hours was pizza and ice cream. After eating more fattening foods for my meals, I did not want anything fattening for a snack.
-Check with your ship about bringing canned cokes on board. If you’re a coke drinker but don’t want to order the drinking package, you may be able to bring a case of your own for your room. Carnival allows it! I’m a water drinker, but cruise ship water has a weird taste to it. If I would have checked, I could have brought a case of Coke Zero.
Dustin’s advice:
-Pack a few extra outfits in case you need them since there aren’t any clothing stores on board (that you want to shop at) (Total opposite of what I said!)
-Pack an insulated water bottle (like Nalgene or Swell)–you will need this when you get off the boat and at the pool
-Dustin also says to bring cash in lower increment bills (He wanted me to reiterate this point ha)
-Take some sort of motion sickness medicine (or prescription patch from the doctor) with you in case the ocean gets rough
-Bring a carry on to the ship that has an extra outfit in case your luggage takes hours to get to your room like us
-Bring a backpack/bag to take with you off the boat
-Have sinus meds/Tylenol/cough drops in case you get sick (Dustin had sinus drainage so we had to pay $7 for a small box of cough drops)
-Relax and enjoy it all!
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