The cruise is coming up quickly (three weeks from today we will be in Labadee!) and so I though I would share a few tips that I have used in the past that could help others:
1. Place cell phone in airplane mode once sail away!
You do not want to get an unexpected bill when you get home. Roaming charges while at sea and in international ports can be quite expensive. Shortly after sail away, make sure you put your phone in airplane mode. This will turn off all wireless communications on your phone. If you have the Wi-Fi plan or want to use bluetooth, you can re-enable those on your phone while keeping the cellular services turned off.
2. Bring a clock or keep cell phone charged to tell time in room.
On my first cruise, I assumed that the cabins would be like a hotel room and would have a clock in them. This was before I had a smart phone (flip phone during this time) and I did not carry a watch. While in our room, we had no idea what time it was. Also, we had an inside stateroom, so we didn't even have the sun to wake us up. We slept good (no light), but we did miss out on a few things in the morning we would have liked. On all of our other cruises I had made sure to bring either a small alarm clock or now my smart phone to always know what time it is.
3. Bring a USB Multi-Charger.
There are very few outlets in cabins. I used to say bring a powerstrip, but they have not been allowing guests to bring those on board lately. However, many devices are charged via USB nowadays. I have a multi-port USB charger that charges up to 5 devices at once. This will free up many other plugs.
4. Don't get overwhelmed with all of the planned activities.
This more of a note to myself, but it may help you all too. There are many planned activities on Oasis class ships, but there is not way to do them all. Just choose the ones that seem like the most fun to you and try to do them. If you are not able to, it is okay, don't stress about it. There will be something else soon. Many times when I am on vacation I am in go-go-go mode, trying to "get my monies worth" by doing as much as possible. My wife likes to take it easy. I have learned that sometimes stopping, taking a deep breath, and not worrying about the next activity can be just as rewarding as getting to do it all. Besides, many times it is not as much fun as you hoped it would be.
5. Do try to make it to the water dive show.
In my opinion, I could miss all of the other shows, but the water diving show is a not to be missed experience. It is incredible!
6. Order something adventurous.
Try something new on a menu that you usually would not order, you might really like it! And here is the best part, if you don't like it they will replace your food with another item. Or just do what I do and order two entrees when you are not sure which one you want to get.
7. It is okay to not get off the ship.
This is another note to self, but I thought I would add it in here. It is okay not to leave the ship while in port. Enjoy the ship with less people on it. Enjoy getting that pool chair without fighting for it. Enjoy the discounts at the spa.
8. If you do go off the ship, download the maps to your phone before hand.
I do this for any trip that I go on, where I think the cell coverage could be spotty. The Google Maps app will allow you to download maps of areas to your phone. It will download all of the areas attractions too (restaurants, shops, gas stations, etc). Even with your phone in airplane mode, it can use GPS without using data. It is a little less accurate (only by a few feet) but this will enable you to be able to explore with a GPS in hand. Just enter where you want to go and it can even give you walking directions. Of course you need to download the maps before you no longer have cell service (best to do on wi-fi because the maps are a lot of data).
9. Make sure you are back on ship in time and keep ship time in mind!
The ship waits for nobody. It will leave you! Also, make sure you recognize the difference between ship time and local time. I do no think local time will be an issue with this cruise due to Daylight Savings Time being over, but you still want to check. Ship time is always based off of the time from the port that it came from. If an island is in a different time zone or does not follow DST, there could be a time difference. Like I said, I do not think it will be an issue on this cruise, but it is still wise to double check!
10. Have fun!
You are on vacation, so make the most of it! On every trip I have ever been on there has always be some sort of hiccup or speedbump. There is never that "perfect" vacation. However, your vacation is whatever you make of it! Remember to have fun!
I can't wait until I meet ya'll on the ship! Share your pointers as well.
