The ship IS the vacation. First time cruisers like myself need to know that -- it's important. Once I learned and accepted that fact, I started to enjoy my first-ever family cruise. We sailed the world's largest cruise ship to the Bahamas and, because I love to experience new cultures, I was anxious to arrive at our first port. That anxiety made for a very long 3 days! Instead of luxuriating in all that the ship had to offer, I was thinking of the cruise ship as a mode of transportation. OK, an expensive one, but a way of getting us from one island to another.
Cruising Dilemmas & Remedies
I studied the vast lists of things to do, shows to see and restaurants. By the end of Day 1, I was overwhelmed. Remedy #1: Book a time for EVERY show in advance and then don't show up. That's what the expert cruisers do (or so my 90 year old dining companion who is a self-proclaimed cruising expert told me).
The kids wanted independence but I didn't like the idea of not knowing where they were and with whom. Remedy #2: Rent the on-board communications system or bring walkie talkies. Even better if the ship has a GPS system onboard because then you can spy on the kids without them knowing. Meeting times are meaningless on a cruise ship.
Soon, I had a groove. I knew my way around the ship and was so confident in my ability to navigate, I opted to change our set dinnertime to a flexible dinnertime. I realized too late that was a mistake. Remedy #3: Keep the set dinnertime. The waiters get to know your preferences and your kids know where to meet you for dinner.
As a kid I never rode the roller coaster first. I had to work up to it. I had a similar experience on the cruise ship. I am a surfer wannabe but I had to watch others before I could commit to the simulated wave machine. I almost waited too long to try the Flow Rider. I found out the hard way that some of the activities were available only if weather permitted and not when we were in port. Remedy #4: Just go for it.
I will cruise again with my family. Our family dinners were wonderful and memorable. We laughed, told stories and hung out for hours. But next time, I will begin the trip by enjoying my time on the ship.
