The Top 7: First Cruise Lessons

Author: Maibella Rhoiden, February 2018

Welcome to my new series, The Top 7. Each month I'll share 7 things about a particular topic and invite you to add to my list. Why 7? Because 5 is too few, 10 is too many, and 7 is one of my favorite numbers!

On Dec. 31 I departed for my first ever cruise. This was a family trip with five adults and 4 boys ranging in age from 7 to 15 to celebrate my mom’s 70th birthday. In all we were on the ship for 7 nights and made stops at 4 ports of call: the Bahamas, Grand Turk, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

Here are the top 7 things I learned on my first cruise:

1. It’s all about the food. People told me that cruise food was amazing but I had no idea until I experienced it for myself. You can eat literally All Day Long – something is always open. By far the best food experience we had was the dinner service. Your formally-dressed waiter presents you with a menu worthy of a high-class restaurant and you choose as many appetizers and entrees as you like. If you want all 6 appetizers that day, you can get them! If you love one of them so much, you can more of it! We were adventurous and tried all sorts of new-to-us foods like rack of lamb, oxtail soup, ox tongue, rabbit, escargot, and lots more. Some we liked, some we didn’t, and when we didn’t like them our waiter happily brought us other entrees to enjoy. It was AH-MAZE-ING. And I didn’t even mention the incredible desserts – YUM. This cruise was worth it for the food alone!

2. Or maybe it’s all about the photos? I never knew there could be so many photographers and props and backdrops in one location! Every time you turn around there is another photographer wanting to take your picture. All the pictures are printed and available for you to browse and purchase each day. They’re not cheap (prices range from $12 to $23 per photo) but we bought a few of the best ones and I’m glad we did – they will look great on the wall and will bring back wonderful memories!

3. Choose the right cruise line and the right ship for your group. Each cruise line and each ship offer something a little different for their guests. Our ship was a bit older and on the smaller side. Amenities included pools, hot tubs, lounge chairs, kids clubs, a dance club, comedy shows, a casino, and more. If you are a party person, choose a party ship. If you want an adult-centric trip, don’t choose a family-friendly ship. This was a family trip for us so we selected a family-friendly ship, but next time I think I’d like a more low-key adult trip!

4. Stepping outside your comfort zone is very worth it. I’m terrified of heights while my 15-year-old son absolutely loves being up high. He talked me into doing a rope climbing course and zip-line that were 45 feet up in the air. I was certain I was going to die but I’m proud to say that I completed the course AND really enjoyed it (after it was over). Whenever possible I encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and do something that scares you – it may give you one of the best memories of your life!

5. Too many shore excursions can be exhausting. We wanted to make the most of our experience so we booked an excursion at 3 of the 4 stops on our 7 night cruise. Although we did really enjoy the excursions, doing so many of them was very tiring. We felt like we were always rushing to keep to a schedule and that we didn’t have a lot of time to relax. Next time we’ll book only one or two excursions, and spend the other island days exploring at our own pace.

6. Don’t cruise and fly home on the same day. If at all possible stay one more day in the port area and do something fun or relaxing, then fly (or drive) home the following day. We were up at 6am on departure day, off the ship by 9am, at the airport by 11am, and finally arrived home at 8pm (with several stops after the airport). We were completely worn out and not at all ready to go back to work and school the next day.

7. Even a teenager without wifi will end up having a good time. My son wasn’t thrilled about a week without wifi, without his girlfriend, and with his crazy extended family. But after a day or so of moping around he got into the spirit of things. He danced at the deck party and with our dinner waiters, played with his younger cousins, learned card tricks from the magician, and made new friends in the teen club. By the end of the week he was ready to come home but could honestly say that he had a good time and wants to cruise again, albeit with a smaller group!

Have you ever been on a cruise? Where did you go? What lessons would you add to this list?