Hey Friends!
I hope you are well and living a creative life! We are weeks from spring, so I thought I would discuss a subject I love! Cruising!
Since our last cruise is still so fresh in my mind and heart, I thought I would share some tips that we practice when planning a cruise, especially the first time.
Are you afraid to take a cruise? I was…I was not fond of the thought of being around all of that water. Then, in 2018, my husband and I decided to take the plunge, and I’ve never looked back. I always thought it was too much money and too scary, but I found that it was affordable and exhilarating.
Now, I’m not an authority on all “things” cruises. However, we were able to walk my sister and her husband through the process, so I thought the tips that we gave them might be helpful to others.
Here are five easy tips to help with planning your first cruise.
Tip #1 Decide to step out of your comfort zone.
This step is what my sister and her husband had to do. They’re not big travelers; however, they want to try new adventures in retirement. Nothing too crazy, but after retiring from their jobs after over 40 years, they wanted to see some new sights. Therefore, with some gentle encouragement, they took the first step to take a cruise.
Tip #2 Decide on how many days you want to cruise.
This is crucial for your first cruise. A cruise can go for three days or 30 days, some even longer. So, you want to consider what you feel comfortable with. On our first cruise, we chose to cruise for five days. That was perfect for us. We visited Mexico and had two great excursions to Cozumel and Costa Maya. We were able to see the sights and didn’t have too many days at sea.
Now, with our second cruise, we chose to do six days. There were more days at sea, but we were ready for the extra days at sea. Our excursions were to the Bahamas, and we experienced Nassau and Bimini. Wow, it was amazing! We had more days at sea; however, there were so many activities that we were able to choose some great activities to pass the time.
Tip #3 Choose a ship that you feel comfortable with.
You may not want to choose the largest ship for your first cruise. It might seem a little overwhelming. The Spirit Cruise Ship was perfect for our second cruise because it was a medium-sized ship with still a lot of room to accommodate all the passengers. The Spirit has a passenger capacity of around 900.
That’s a lot of people, but you would not believe how the ship accommodates such a large group of people. There are always activities and lots of food and fun.
You just would not believe how much fun a cruise is for those of us under 50 and over 50. It’s a great outing for us all! A city on the water!
Tip #4 Bring plenty of comfortable clothes but don’t overpack.
If you’re headed to a tropical location, comfortable shorts, shoes, and nice t-shirts will fit the bill. However, don’t forget the elegant dinner nights, which you can have a date night and dress up. You can pull out your elegant after-five dress that you haven’t worn in a few years.
Tip # 5 Prepare to have fun and try new adventures.
A cruise is a great adventure and so many things to try and experience. I enjoyed learning disco dancing and riding a golf cart on the narrow streets of Bimini. Now, that was exhilarating. Also, we watched “The Conch Man” demonstrate how he takes the conch out of its shell, and then my husband tried fried conch fritters. He said they were really good!
In Nassau, we took a ship excursion out to the coral reefs. Wow! Seeing the sparkling blue waters was priceless! It was something that I’ve wanted to do for years! To experience it was so beautiful! I will remember the boat sailing over the beautiful waves for the rest of my life.
That’s what we want to create! Memories that will last us a lifetime. There’s no time to sit in our rocking chair and believe that our lives are over.
Did you know that a cruise is affordable? They have payment plans, so you can plan for the trip and pay in installments. I have to tell you that cruising has been one of the best vacations that I’ve ever had. Don’t let fear keep you from experiencing life and new adventures!
Well, that’s all for now!
Take care and be kind to someone today! Our world needs it!
Live a creative life!
Best,
Shelly
