Cruising Tips

One of the cool things about a cruise ship is that they feed you well, clean your room daily, and offer wonderful shows. I have cruised to Mexico, Bahamas, Norway, Alaska (2), Canada/East Coast, and now Asia. We have sailed on Holland America, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival (never again) and the small ship Azamara (part of Royal Caribbean). Dan and I love cruising and here are a few tips and reasons to see the world this way.
Tip 1
Before leaving home, pack several baggies of assorted sizes along with a small insulated lunch sack that can easily slip into a day pack/backpack. Once on ship you can fill them with all sorts of snacks to take along with you on those adventures on shore. The buffet bar is always open and has healthy stuff.
Tip 2
Start your day with a wonderful breakfast and stash away fruits, bread and cheese to take ashore if you don't want to pay for lunch. Better yet, room service is usually free, so order a sandwich sent to your stateroom in the morning along with ice in the ice bucket. Fill one of those baggies with ice then slip it into another baggie to insure against leakage. Pop the ice bag and the food into the little lunch bag you brought from home into your day pack and you are set for a "free" day on shore.
Tip 3
When planning your trip, book a room near the laundry room. Ships are well insulated and you don't hear the noise, but it is super convenient to dash across the hall and throw in a load of laundry so you feel fresh all the time. Even on a 7 day trip, it is nice to throw in a load or two. It also illuminates having to bring so much with you if you know you will be able to have clean undies etc. On some ships it is free and others there is a small fee. The front desk can make change for you.
Tip 4
Anytime dining is nice if you don't want to be tied to a set time for dinner, however there are down-sides to it. The biggest is that you never really get to know your wait -staff and that can be a real bummer. If you go to set dining, you will always be at the same table, with the same people and your waiter becomes your friend on the ship. He knows what you prefer to drink, what you like and don't like to eat, gets you "extra food" or has things prepared "just right" for your tastes without making a big deal about it. It is fun to chat with the same folks at night and hear what they have been up to. On the first night if you decide you don't like the table mates, you can request a new table for the next night. No big deal.
Tip 5
Spend the $$ on day excursions. You learn so much more than if you try to do it on your own AND if for some reason, you don't make it back to the dock before sail away time, they HAVE to wait for you. If you make your own plans and don't make it back, they sail without you and it is up to you to find a way to the next port to get back on the ship! I knew this and thought nothing of it until the last trip when our bus tour really was late returning and the ship waited for the 30 of us to return. This was in Vietnam and that is a place I would not have wanted to be left behind!
Tip 6
Let the cruise company shop for the airline to get you to your embarkation port and make all those arrangements for you. Unless you work for an airline or have access to cheap tickets, it is easier if they do it and they usually guarantee that if you let them book it and the plane is a little late they wait to sail until they can get you there. They usually find great deals too. Pay the little extra for a transfer from the plane to the dock. No hassles and you arrive relaxed and ready to vacation

When you take into account cost of hotels and their taxes, food, transportation, time to plan excursions etc. nightly entertainment, availability of medical care and Internet cruising makes sense. It is almost always cheaper and there is next to no stress. You don't have to move hotel rooms all the time either. So pick a destination, save up, and go enjoy the world!