OT New Random Thread Pt. 3

[UCFKnights07]

Any tips for a first timer on a cruise?! My family and I are going on a 7 day cruise (Royal Caribbean) to Balize, Cozumel, and Roatan, Honduras.

one thing i learned after taking two cruises, is keep your luggage with you at the end if they dont force you to turn it over. the night before you come home they ask people to leave their luggage outside the door for them to pick up so you can get it once you get off the ship. But its easier just to keep it with you that way when you dock the next morning you can just walk right off with no problems, if you dont you get to sit on the docked ship for a good hour or so and wait for them to take off all the luggage and arrange it, before they let you step off the boat.
i loved the cruise but after 5 days i was tired and ready to go home, and im not gonna lie to be forced to sit on a docked ship with nothing to do (cause basically everything closes down on board that morning) was highly annoying.

 

[quitthedrama]

Any tips for a first timer on a cruise?! My family and I are going on a 7 day cruise (Royal Caribbean) to Balize, Cozumel, and Roatan, Honduras.

You've already gotten most of the tips you need! I don't know much about the destinations you are traveling too, but one of my favorite things to do on the safer islands is to rent mopeds and explore on our own. We did this in St. Croix and saw so many places we would not have had a chance to see if we had taken any of the excursions. We went to the villages, the rainforest, the college and found a local dive bar/restaurant where we had lunch with the natives. We had a group and never felt unsafe (I wouldn't do it if it was just 1 or 2 of you). Don't rent mopeds in Cozumel - or do anything to even catch a police crook's eye. My DH and his buddy were pulled over and it cost them $100 each to get their drivers licenses back from the scumbag cops.
Check the schedule with RC. The RC cruise we went on had everything scheduled - even certain clubs and bars were only open certain times. It wasn't my favorite cruise primarily because of that.

 

[cheerKT]

one thing i learned after taking two cruises, is keep your luggage with you at the end if they dont force you to turn it over. the night before you come home they ask people to leave their luggage outside the door for them to pick up so you can get it once you get off the ship. But its easier just to keep it with you that way when you dock the next morning you can just walk right off with no problems, if you dont you get to sit on the docked ship for a good hour or so and wait for them to take off all the luggage and arrange it, before they let you step off the boat.
i loved the cruise but after 5 days i was tired and ready to go home, and im not gonna lie to be forced to sit on a docked ship with nothing to do (cause basically everything closes down on board that morning) was highly annoying.

THIS WAS THE WORST because (probably TMI) but it was my prime sickness time and I was forced to leave my room with my nice private bathroom and sit in the theater with 400 other people. All the public bathrooms remotely close to me are closed and being cleaned for the next trip, so I had to sit in the corner by myself clutching a trash bag in case the nausea came again. I kept PRAYING for our number to be called so I could GTFOutta there. Luckily I made it through that and all the way to the bathroom in baggage claim before I had to.....go again.

 

[Ems]

Any tips for a first timer on a cruise?! My family and I are going on a 7 day cruise (Royal Caribbean) to Balize, Cozumel, and Roatan, Honduras.

I definitely second the hand sanitizer thing. While it can't replace washing your hands, illness is so much more prevalent on cruise ships. I mainly used them after touching menus and handrails because who knows when they were last cleaned. There were sick people when we were leaving so we're happy we avoided it.
I also agree about the luggage. Carry it yourself if you can. I've carried it both on and off. On, because it can take a while for the porters to get the luggage to your room so you can't unpack or change in the downtime while everyone is boarding. Or bring a small "carry on" bag with your bathing suit or anything else you'll want right away. And off because like other said, it can take forever and there really isn't much to do while people are disembarking.

 

[UCFKnights07]

I did it!!! I got the job I finally have been wanting as a cook in a high volume restaurant. I'm so glad that interview part is over but now I'm nervous as heck by the thought of having to impress these head cooks 24/7 when I first start.

 

[UCFKnights07]

In other news I can't wait to see this ronda rousey fight. Is it bad that I want to see ronda just completely brutalize her, after all the smack talk bethe correia has been doing.....:wasntme:

 

[CheerBank]

one thing i learned after taking two cruises, is keep your luggage with you at the end if they dont force you to turn it over. the night before you come home they ask people to leave their luggage outside the door for them to pick up so you can get it once you get off the ship. But its easier just to keep it with you that way when you dock the next morning you can just walk right off with no problems, if you dont you get to sit on the docked ship for a good hour or so and wait for them to take off all the luggage and arrange it, before they let you step off the boat.
i loved the cruise but after 5 days i was tired and ready to go home, and im not gonna lie to be forced to sit on a docked ship with nothing to do (cause basically everything closes down on board that morning) was highly annoying.

That last paragraph pretty much sums up in general why we are not cruisers. While I loved seeing parts of Alaska, I was honestly bored when the ship was at sea. I worked out. I read my book. I ate and tried to avoid the dining room crowds at all costs. The kids loved ditching us on board though and made friends very quickly who they hung out with the entire week.
And yes, I third keeping your luggage with you the last night and taking it off the ship yourself, especially if you are going right from the cruise to the airport. And see if your cabin entities you to any priority boarding or departure times.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

I definitely second the hand sanitizer thing. While it can't replace washing your hands, illness is so much more prevalent on cruise ships. I mainly used them after touching menus and handrails because who knows when they were last cleaned. There were sick people when we were leaving so we're happy we avoided it.
I also agree about the luggage. Carry it yourself if you can. I've carried it both on and off. On, because it can take a while for the porters to get the luggage to your room so you can't unpack or change in the downtime while everyone is boarding. Or bring a small "carry on" bag with your bathing suit or anything else you'll want right away. And off because like other said, it can take forever and there really isn't much to do while people are disembarking.

This is why I like Disney cruises. They have hand wipes outside of every food location and in other popular areas around the ship.

 

[BuegeSmalls]

That last paragraph pretty much sums up in general why we are not cruisers. While I loved seeing parts of Alaska, I was honestly bored when the ship was at sea. I worked out. I read my book. I ate and tried to avoid the dining room crowds at all costs. The kids loved ditching us on board though and made friends very quickly who they hung out with the entire week.
And yes, I third keeping your luggage with you the last night and taking it off the ship yourself, especially if you are going right from the cruise to the airport. And see if your cabin entities you to any priority boarding or departure times.

Aww days at sea are my favorite! Plenty of time to just relax and work on my tan

 

[mamabear]

ugh - he shows horses in the same circuit as my family. I have never known someone so arrogant and condescending. He is a complete and utter jackass.

Lol.. I am not sure what you are trying to say


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[yooolizzi]

Any recipes for 2? I know we love recipes here so figured I'd start here!

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

Any recipes for 2? I know we love recipes here so figured I'd start here!

This is the best chicken Parmesan I've ever tasted. I made it for my parents one night. Not sure how elaborate you're looking to get but it's really good.

The Best Chicken Parmesan - Cooking Classy

 

[caitlyn_the_camille]

Any tips for a first timer on a cruise?! My family and I are going on a 7 day cruise (Royal Caribbean) to Balize, Cozumel, and Roatan, Honduras.

When booking excursions, be careful to book the very earliest ones of the day. We went deep sea fishing in Cozumel and it was scheduled to leave 30 minutes after the ship was scheduled to start letting people off. Well naturally they weren't on schedule to begin with, and the lines getting off when you first dock are crazy and we ended up having to run (like, RUN) down the pier to catch the boat.
Also, depending on who you're going with, I'd bring some sort of walkie talkies or something. My boyfriend went with my family and roomed with my brother, and we had the hardest time finding each other. He would wake up way before me, or we'd make plans to meet for breakfast and one of us would oversleep, or I'd want to go lay out by the pool and he would want to go to the gym, so we'd split up... It was just a pain the entire time. I felt like we were chasing each other around the boat more than we were actually hanging out together.
I third (or fourth?) the trying as many new things as possible. Some of the coolest foods I've eaten were on a cruise. It's not an adventure unless you let it be!
PS: idk what cruise line you're cruising with, but if it's Carnival, get the chocolate gooey cake at dinner. Like every night. It's the greatest and you'll miss it when it's gone

 

[CheerBank]

Aww days at sea are my favorite! Plenty of time to just relax and work on my tan

Sadly the days at sea in Alaska even in August weren't warm enough for a bathing suit!

 

[Ems]

The more I watch Friends, the more I hate Ross.