Things to Enjoy During your Cruise Vacation

Last year my Husband and I went on a cruise, our first cruise! As a US Navy Sailor, he had been on 5 Deployments and had never been excited about going on a “civilian cruise”, so this was a new adventure for us.
This adventure had a lot of firsts for us:

• It was our first cruise
• It was our first vacation in 18 years
• It was our first vacation without kids
• It was our first time celebrating an anniversary (our 18th wedding anniversary!)
• It was our first huge road trip alone, we drove from NY to Miami and back 😉

Needless to say, this was a memorable vacation! Since then I have been on 3 additional cruises and I have learned so much! I am happy to share all that I learn and see with you so that you can make the best decision when it comes to booking your perfect cruise!
Depending on which cruise line you opt to go with, some of these activities both on the ship and off port may not be available during your trip. Be sure to check your cruise line itinerary and website before planning on doing any of these Things to Enjoy During your Cruise Vacation.

Things to Enjoy During your Cruise Vacation

 

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All-Inclusive Meals

Meals are usually offered for free on all cruise lines, while you can have some that need you to upgrade to all-inclusive (to include extras or signature Restaurants), your family can enjoy free basic meals on the family cruise without extra costs. This is a great way to have the family enjoy new food options and drinks without spending money to find out what new foods the whole family enjoys.
Personal notes: 1) Take your stretchy pants 😉  2) Make it a point to have one meal outside on the deck, the balcony, or by a window; it is absolutely amazing!

 

Enjoy a Sunset

There’s nothing sweeter than enjoying a sunset across the ocean. The ocean water allows for the fading light of the sun to reflect off of the water like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. This is an absolutely free activity to enjoy on your family cruise and will create magical memories that are cherished by all for years to come.
Personal notes: 1) I took over 300 photos of the sunsets because they were breathtaking and none do the real thing justice!  2) don’t forget about the sunrises as well!

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Enjoy Adult Days or Nights with Kid Camps

Most cruise lines have set up a kid camp area for recreational fun while Mom or Dad are off enjoying on-board Bingo night or other adult activities like clubs, lounges, game nights,or just a great time on the outside deck enjoying the peace and beauty. They also have camps while in-port because sometimes you might want to do some activities that require a certain age or ability. You might want to go to that all-inclusive resort with your friends or your kids or Teens might not be interested in that certain port; the kids can have a great amount of fun with other kids from the cruise thanks to planned activities or free time as well. Check ahead to ensure there are no extra fees involved with the kid camp on the cruise line your sailing on.

Personal Notes: 1) While I initially thought “who leaves kids in camps on a ship?”I found it to be the best ting for both Parents and kids on the ships. 7 days on a ship sounds fun and all, but I have seen first hand how great it is to have some time apart and bond over dinner about your own adventures.

 

Hit the Beach in Port

A fun off ship activity to do while docked is to enjoy the beach. This is an easy to enjoy and free family activity for everyone. Enjoy the warm sunshine, cool ocean waters and relax on the beach when the cruise ship docks on port. Depending on your destination, there may be more activities to do on the beach than just relax and swim.
Personal Notes: We found amazing snorkeling and gorgeous beaches just by venturing out on our own. Don’t be afraid!

 

Tour the City

Wherever you’re docked during your family cruise, there may be options to tour the city before you have to be on board to sail off again. Consider enjoying a tour of the city that your cruise line docked at with the family or other cruise line families. Enjoying a tour of the city will help inspire a love for culture and other ways of living as well as enjoy some local food options with your family.
Personal Notes: 1) Don’t be afraid to wander outside of the main port, the places and things we got to do were amazing!

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Family Photo Time

Many cruise lines offer a way for the whole family to get a photo together in front of the cruise ship. While this will cost extra to have the photo, it’s well worth the investment to capture your family cruise moment in front of that big cruise line ship. During the time the ship is docked, you’ll usually see some offers to get a photo taken in front of this cruise ship, well worth the experience to take advantage of
this deal.

 

Animal Encounters

Though not on the ships, the animal encounters we have had on the cruises are beyond my wildest dreams. I have always shared my love with Tigers and that my bucket list has Tigers in it, but never did I think that on a cruise I would get to play with one. I have spent time with Tigers, Jaguars, Monkeys, Sloths, Lemurs, Macaws, Sea Turtles, and many more. Many cruise lines offer tours that include animal encounters, check your itineraries and port pages.
Personal Notes: 1) The BEST decision ever!

 

Things to Enjoy During your Cruise Vacation

While each of these on board and off port activities will be fun for the whole family, some events or activities shared above may have an age or height limit, in addition to not being offered on the particular cruise line you’re going on. Be sure to check your cruise line’s website before planning your full itinerary of events.
Here are both of the cruise lines I have been on:
Norwegian Cruise Lines  and  Carnival Cruise Lines.
This is a post I wrote on Reasons to Take a Cruise with Norwegian Cruise Lines if you would like some more information.

I can not wait to share with you many more things I have learned. Have you been on a cruise? Will you be planning one? Did you know that many cruise lines have payment plans and low deposits?

 

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