Tips for FIRST Time Cruisers!

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So how many of ya have been on a cruise?!

I don’t know about ya…but going on cruises is not something very common for my family.

My husband & I got married last year on September and we decided to go on a cruise for our honeymoon! Both of our families were shocked, since it’s not something we (Mexicans) normally do. & I L O V E  D  it!!! It was such a great experience & now I can’t wait to go on another one with the whole family! (I hope I can convince them all!)

So basically this post is going to be tips for first timers. I will include things that helped us on our first cruise and I will also include ideas that I wish I would have done used.

First, we can talk about things to pack! I went a little crazy on Amazon…(you can never be too prepared right..?) One of the things that I know for sure I will take again is a backpack & an insect repellent. I got this simple black backpack (which comes in multiple colors in Amazon if you prefer a different color), just to take on our excursions. & it was so convenient. It’s not that big, but not too small either, just the right size. & I got this insect repellent for the excursions & I’m glad I took it too because on one of our excursions in Belize nobody in our group had insect repellent except for us! That insect repellent was definitely handy, I even had an extra for everyone else in our group to use!

Now let me just say…that for any awesome vacation, you can never go wrong with some NEW sunglasses & swimsuits! I got about 3 pairs of sunglasses & a swimsuit from Amazon & I even got compliments on them!! They were all absolutely stunning & at a very affordable price!! I got these 3 different sunglasses just to go with my swimsuits that I had packed for the cruise & they looked so CUTE! I also got some swimsuits from Target but the one listed below was the only one I got from Amazon. & I got the glasses below specifically for this swimsuit! They also come in different colors! I got the one below in gold/ pink & I also got some black ones!

I also got this plain black cap for excursions and I ended up using it on the ship daily for days that I really didn’t want to do my hair! (which was everyday) Also, this cap comes in multiple colors and it would be super cute if you buy one and get it monogrammed! I LOVE these type of caps & its about 6 bucks!!

We did pack some motion sickness tablets since it was our first cruise & we didn’t know what to expect! But we didn’t even use them! So I’m not sure how well they work, since we didn’t actually try them out, but these are the kind we got…you are more than welcome to try them and leave comments in the section below for other readers to see if they actually worked for you! I did read the reviews on these and they are supposed to be really helpful for people that tend to get motion sickness easily.

Now for tips for the actual cruise…

I suggest purchasing your cruise tickets ahead of time. This is one of the things we didn’t do & we were stuck with whatever rooms were left. So basically, when you purchase tickets, you have the option to do simple upgrades for no extra charge. They’re not major upgrades…but every little bit counts. We got a room with a balcony & we loved it! I will definitely get our next room with a balcony again, the only difference is…if I get the room ahead of time, I can choose to get a room that’s on one of the upper floors & I can choose a room with a larger balcony for no extra charge! You also get a lot of other specials, like you don’t have to put as much down for the deposit depending on when you get it. Another plus on purchasing your tickets ahead of time is that you can pay it off slowly where it won’t really hit you all at the same time!

Something else we didn’t do and I wish we would have done is get a drinks package. It’s definitely worth it for soda drinkers & for people that like margaritas. I am guilty for both. I LOVE sodas & I also LOVE margaritas. They have the best margaritas on the cruise but they are too expensive on their own. We probably got one margarita every other day. & I shared that one with my husband. Next time we will get the deal on the drinks and pay a certain price for unlimited sodas & unlimited alcoholics beverage for a certain price a day. Now I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m on vacation…my diet goes out the window! I am out to enjoy myself and to eat & drink whatever I want!! So yeah, I will definitely get both of those packages next time! & you can always go for a run or walk in the mornings if you want to burn those extra calories. You can also bring your own pack of water bottles or even 12-pack of sodas but you would have to double check with the rules for that specific cruise. I would rather not have to deal with all of that hassle, but it is an option!

Anyways, hope you enjoyed these different tips & ideas for your future cruise!

List ideas that make cruising so much easier for you in the comments section below for the rest of the readers!

P.S. We actually VLOGGED our honeymoon you can check it out below! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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XO,

Mariela Oviedo

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