Cruising News You Can Use

I just finished my 3rd cruise. My first one was in the 90"s and I think the boat was called "The Dolphin", I remember we docked somewhere close to the Fascination and my boat looked like the fuel boat it was so small. Flash forward to 2013 and me and another then single girlfriend of mine cruised out of Tampa it was a Carnival ship, I do not remember the name. We travelled to The Cayman Islands, big thumbs up and to Cozumel I think...no comment here. Towards the end of 2015 after a long year of recovering from an automobile accident, I decided it was time to cruise again, this time with my 15 year old daughter. Gaby decided she wanted to bring her best friend Ashley and I agreed, as I love AShley like she was my own and I felt if her parents allowed her and paid her way why not. So what is the purpose of this blog???? This blog I hope helps you learn from all of my wonderful mistakes and learning scenarios I encountered. Feel free to paypal me at lynnvilla168@gmail.com if this helps you, saves you time, money or sanity or if you just appreciate me. I am happy to receive. Lesson #1, if you are a tour planner and selling cruises, forwarding me mass emails does not help me at all. I welcome feedback from any individual or companies that truly offer a complete service meaning alls I have to do is pack and walk onto the ship and have fun this was not my experience. Lesson #2, print out directions to your port in advance, send and email to all parties, download directions via GPS on all phones. Follow the directions on how to fold said luggage tags and staple them onto each bag you plan on checking. Lesson #3: Leave yourself plenty of time to drive to destination add 2 hours to what you think it will take. Lesson #4: If you need to drive in the night before find a hotel, close to port that will allow you to park your car SAFELY onsite and that has a regular shuttle going to and fro the port. My experience....I stayed in a motel -ell, drove to a lot close to the airport where they said $5 a day, but my receipt magically morphed to $40 plus oh you have to have a reservation and they only had 1 shuttle bus that they are going to make you wait until is filled up before you leave. Ask lots of questions. Lesson #5: Print out your travel documents in advance, download them on everybody's phone. Print out the luggage tags per bag of the ones you are going to check in. Do pack a carry on of bathing suit, towel, flip flops, sunscreen or wear them under your clothes. Have an EZ 1 piece dress that you can wear to dinner should your luggage never make it to your cabin. Lesson #6: Unless you are hard core....really the all inclusive drink thing is unnecessary and or perhaps AA is a better option than cruising right now. Lesson #7: Do find the itinieraries, do take the tours, this will save you time and frustration trying to figure out how to get to breakfast on time. They give alot of stuff away if you show up to these events. The gals at my dinner table had won several items before dinner. I with no planning got a free necklace and a free piece of art. Lesson #8: Be prepared for motion sickness. I wear the wrist bands. If you KNOW you get motion sickness bring some ginger chews with you. I promise after day 1 you will stop walking sideways. Lesson #9: I asked for and received via email the alcohol and drink policy. I clearly read 1 750 ml bottle of wine was acceptable, yeah, yippie save me from paying $20-$30 for a mediocre bottle of wine onboard. I FAILED to notice that it said PACKED IN YOUR CARRY ON LUGGAGE. So a. my tour person come on you gotta know this...... b. I got my bottle of Cupcake chardonnay confiscted, boo hoo. Lesson #10- Do bring nice clothes and something besides flip flops for dinner, they will tell you " Sorreee we cannot seet you in those closings." in some bizarre accent. Lesson #11- If you can swing it do not work the day of travel there or the day of travel back. Lesson #12- 4 days is plenty... Lesson #13-If you have packed more than 1 suitcase and 1 carryon, go back and repack. Lesson #14- Ladies you can live in your fabulous bathing suit all day but you will need a cover and flip flops to eat in the casual buffet style area. Lesson # 15 - Avoid the crazy fast food lines by knowing what time the buffet opens and closes. They do serve a sit down breakfast and dinner. Every lunch I feel I got there as they were putting the buffet is closed sign out, don't believe it, just keep moving and put food on your plate as fast as you can and or get used to hamburgers and french fries for lunch. Lesson #16- If you meet somebody really cool, let them know that....seize the moment and don't let it slip by. Lesson #17-Pack and bring a water bottle, the quality and taste of water changes DAILY, one day it will be like "OMG I can't drink that to oh this is really good, maybe it depends on how many drinks you have had?? Lesson #18: If you are single and travelling with kids, do be prepared to have them disappear and never come back, be comfortable being by yourself and or go and attend the singles events. Be mindful of all the married men who say" My wifes in the cabin sleeping, she wants me to have a good time." Do not assume because he is by himself that he is single, his wife just had better sense than he did and went to the cabin to get some sleep. Lesson #19: If finances are woo hoo the skys the limit do the excursion. If you have a budget The Bahamas was safe to take a taxi, they expect you to prepay round trip. Look at the excursions beforehand, research online, find a taxi thats going to one of the excursions advertised, the cruiselines are NOT going to send you somewhere UNSAFE. I paid $14 for a taxi that was a $80 excursion. I lucked out on the first day, the 2nd day I took a ferry and walked around for a bit to find Atlantis Hotel. You do not have to pay to enter Atlantis and there is a free beach nearby. Lesson #20: Give yourself PLENTY of time to get back via taxi, I saw woman become unhinged trying to get back to their boats because everybody waited till the last hour and all the taxi's were full. Hope that helps, good journey.