What do you wish you had done more of/less of on your cruise?

I don't relax very well ... it's okay for awhile and then I'm bored. We vowed no more cruise after our first experience, but we're getting ready to try again.

More: check out adult pool, see shows/movies, sit on verandah with a drink more often, take advantage of room service, bring some extra books, port excursions, dramamine (I didn't take it because I wasn't nauseous, but I did get some vertigo and dizziness, which I now realize was motion sickness), check in the navigator for specific kids club activities the kids are interested in ... last time they didn't like the clubs too well but I think paying better attention to what is going on there might give a better result, exercise .. using fitness area or walking, let the kids play more tablet if that's what they want to do, allow myself to relax and do nothing without feeling like I'm not getting my money's worth.

Less: eating ... we are planning to request 1/2 portion sizes ... I would rather try several things but in small amounts - I don't ever want to feel uncomfortably full, character lines - last time we felt like we had to cram a bunch of these in, and then the kids burned out on characters within a couple of days ... we will aim for just a couple a day (if that), or just if we chance upon one with a low line.
 
More: Hanging out in room relaxing, watching Disney movies, should have taken advantage of room service more too!

Less: I booked Palo Brunch once, because I’d read so much hype but I’m not a foodie and really wasn’t into it. I know a lot of people love it but it was a one and done for me. Same for the princess tea at Royal Palace, it was really expensive and my daughter wasn’t that excited about it like I was hoping. I felt like I needed to book things for the sea day but in hindsight we should have just hung out and relaxed.
This. My favorite cruise ship memories are of my son and I just hanging out in our stateroom.

I had two Palo ressies booked for our last cruise, but ended up canceling them both onboard. Just couldn't be bothered, in a good way. It might be perilous to say this, but I never found the food there that much more special than what you can get elsewhere on the ship. The chocolate mousse is the exception- if only you could get that to go...
 


Less: eating ... we are planning to request 1/2 portion sizes ... I would rather try several things but in small amounts - I don't ever want to feel uncomfortably full, character lines - last time we felt like we had to cram a bunch of these in, and then the kids burned out on characters within a couple of days ... we will aim for just a couple a day (if that), or just if we chance upon one with a low line.

I asked for half portion sizes because the portions are just so huge. I was told they don't do that and to not worry about leaving food on our plate. Wasn't pleased with that but we lived with it.
 
I wished I would have at least visited the spa/rainforest room one time my first cruise, from what I read on here I missed out.
I also wish I visited the other food spots instead of just Cabanas for breakfast and lunch.
I would like to get more photos with characters for me (I'm that kind of person)
But not do the Princess meet and greet because my daughters could not have cared less about it and would rather be enjoying other activities.

I will spend less time on my next cruise doing the silly little crafts. I will also avoid going to the DVC member presentation, we went for the free drink and giveaways but it was really a waste of precious time since we're already members and not planning on adding on.
 


More eating, but spread out as more smaller meals, with more diversity. More time exploring the whole Cabanas buffet--the popular stuff repeats often and I didn't realize until the last couple of days how much diversity there was if I kept going. I wish we'd got in a game of minigolf, particularly as we're on the Magic next that doesn't have it. I wish I'd remembered the drink of the day cup and tried more fruity drinks on deck. I wish we'd picked a night and done a funnel vision movie "drive in" style. I wish I'd gotten around to snorkeling at CC, but I had such a great day that it's hard for me to regret anything about it.

What would I change that we did? Less time in character meets, but we went in thinking it would be our one and only cruise and needed to do all the things--that was a laugh, we booked another cruise two days after getting off. FWIW waiting in line for characters next time was our 7yo daughter's least favorite thing as well. Fewer MDR "menu" drinks--a couple were good, most were forgettable, all were pricey.

Best coincidental happening: all our excursions got cancelled, including losing Cayman to weather we couldn't tender in. This was such a relief. I loved the ship so much I had no interest in getting off. Maybe I'll go find some cheapie line if I want to get off. Or just fly down.
 
More Palo brunch and lounging around.

Less time walking around in Ensenada. Not much there, so don't try to find it. The Opal mine and La Guerre Rense are about it.
 
I wish we had tried a sit down meal for something other than dinner and debarkation breakfast.

Also wish we could have done mixology twice! I also think watching movies in the theater was fun, so I guess I wish I had gotten to do that more than once
 
More: Watching the sunrise over the water, taking part in activities on the ship, listening to music in the atrium, pictures
Less: listening to my husband when he says he put sunscreen on...
 
My DD (12) and my DS (11) had very different experiences. My DD hung with us most of the first day while my DS hung out in the Edge. My DS made a few friends and spent the rest of the week hanging out with them. I think my DD missed out by not hanging in the Edge the first day and making friends. By the time she was interested, she had a hard time finding people to meet. So I wish I had sent her to the Edge the first day to make friends. At home, she's the social butterfly and he's totally not.

As for me, I wish I had done more time in the adult area. Part of that was our DD hanging with us, but it was much quieter there and much easier to relax.
 
This was me until about halfway through my first adult cruise. Sounds weird to say but I needed to learn how to relax and do things at cruise speed.
Whoa, that's me. I want to do all the things I posted earlier, but can't put down the the Navigator and running all over the ship to get to every event.
I hope once I'm finished with the university and I receive my PhD I can turn off the "Gotta get everything done now" button.
 
Whoa, that's me. I want to do all the things I posted earlier, but can't put down the the Navigator and running all over the ship to get to every event.
I hope once I'm finished with the university and I receive my PhD I can turn off the "Gotta get everything done now" button.
Sorry, it does not stop after the PhD ;)
 

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