Preparing for our first cruise EVER

[jollystomper]

DW and I have finally done it. After years of talking about it, being put off by the pandemic, food poisoning events, illness spreads, fight videos, and boredom concerns, we have booked and paid for our first ever cruise vacation, now less than 60 days away. The recent news about cruise situations has not scared us off yet .

We are taking a 7 day cruise on Royal Caribbean, on the Oasis of the Seas to the Bahamas. It may not be the “optimal” first cruise adventure one takes. However, early this year, friends of ours booked the cruise, and invited us to join them. Now, “them” encompasses a number (about 30) of their family members and other friends. Personally, I am a little wary to be traveling with that large a group of familiar people. But DW saw it as an asset, and she felt more comfortable having familiar faces around, so I gave in. These are good friends who have been very kind to us over the years, and not the type to "crowd" or insist that everyone do everything together. They are providing transportation to the cruise port (some hours away) for us, so we will save on port travel and parking expenses. I figure, on a ship that big, we likely will not be “forced” to running into them a lot.

Our preparation has mainly been watching various YouTube videos, which in general tend to be more upbeat about the experience. So I started this thread in this quiet, reserved community (HA! ) to get any "real" tips, encouragements, warnings, or observations that you think might help us.

In no particular order, here are some observations and questions.
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For the room, we selected the basic interior stateroom (and not close to the group we are going with, which is good from my perspective). From the videos they seem fine for the time we intend to spend in them (we have been in hotel rooms about the same size and survived).

Our room is in the middle decks, about a third of the way from the from of the ship, so that hopefully will mean no motion issues for our sleep.

In terms of potential seasickness, we should be fine, I been on smaller fishing boats and sail boats in fairly rough seas without a problem. DW, however, can get carsick, so we will bring medicine, though on that large boat I am hoping anything that might set off her motion sickness will be minimal.

The wireless cost, oh my! But, I cannot see myself totally detached for 7 days, so we bit the bullet and went BTD route. At least we can switch the 2 wireless slots we paid for among the 4 devices as needed. And we will keep our phones in “airplane” mode.

We are not “foodies”, so the free options are plenty for us. In fact, maybe too much. Neither of us normally eat 3 complete meals a day, and many times I just have one main meal, so we will have to resist the temptation.

I do not have a good sense of how "crowded" things will feel. Certainly it will be busy around the pools, but I am still trying to figure out how things will work for the rest of the ship and other activities.

The drink packages are not for us. We are fine with the free options and may bring some specific items that they allow. After seeing videos of folks having their 6th or 7th drink of the day by dinner time, I wonder how many “buzzed” people will be around – or are the drinks very watered down?

The exercise room and walking track seem fine . I will likely be spending time every day here. It seems that few are up and about before 9AM, so I hope these places are fairly empty before 8AM.

We are not gamblers, and the arcade is more interesting to me than the casino. I just hope I do not look like an out of place old geezer there.

On port days, we are not planning any paid shore excursions, are find with getting exercise by walking around, and finding not-too-crowded beach spots to take a break in the Bahamas and Coco Cay. In the Bahamas the private beach options seem less crowded and safer, so we may spring for that.

On sea days I hope to do more than eat, hang out at the pool, and move from dining venue to dining venue eating on the hour (which is what I got from many of the YouTube videos ). I hope I can find quiet locations with a good ocean view, things to keep physically active, and people watch.

For packing, the things that stand out to us are:
(a) Bring a multi-port USB charger, the room will have limited outlets
(b) Any luggage brought better fit under the bed, to save room
(c) We will try to pack relatively light, and be prepared to BTD on laundry if necessary
(d) Magnetic stuff like hooks (I am looking at 80 lb or more rate ones) and containers will be helpful for hanging and holding things on the walls to save counter space.

I hope we have a variety of "date night" and/or dancing opportunities.
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So… any wisdom to impart on us (other than “RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!”, that ship has sailed ) is welcome.

 

[Koolau]

Regarding sea sickness. Do all you can to prepare for it - just in case. At a mimmim, bring ginger products (they sell capsules and chews). Also Dramamine type products (if more than one formulation - bring all you can find). I was prone to sea sickness but the meds saved me. They used to have those on ship board, but I don't know if they still do. Take your own to be sure.

I don't care what ship you're on or where you're located in the ship, you will be subject to sea sickness IF you're prone to it. Our ship was huge. 750 ft IIRC. Our cabin was buried in the middle/middle of the ship. But we were in seas that lifted the front of the ship out of the water and slammed it back down with the attendant splash you might have seen in WWII documentaries of aircraft carriers doing the same thing. They had to drain the swimming pools because the water was sloshing out on the decks. No storms where we were but 100 miles(?) away, storms churned up 30 foot(?) waves. It can happen and that was off the Bahamas. Oh, and as our purser made a point of answering one question "We never LEAVE the Bermuda Triangle." Doo-do-doo-do, Doo-do-doo-do... (Twilight Zone music).

Enjoy!!

 

[Souschef]

Bring Lysol antivirus spray. Spray all handles, phones, TV remote, etc.
For seasickness-Bonine-generic meclazine my wife swears by it.

 

[gailwinters]

As someone who has gotten motion sickness while the boat was still sitting at the dock (more than once!), I highly recommend Seabands. Dramamine makes me feel weird, and I don’t like to take it unless absolutely necessary, and my Seabands have been a miracle worker for me. Put them on before embarking on anything you think might trigger the sickness! I keep mine in my purse, so they’re always handy. I had to use them last week when we ran into quite a bit of turbulence on a flight.

 

[Fermion]

There is a new drug now for motion sickness but it is ridiculously expensive. Vanda is marketing it for direct purchase at $85 a dose. I think they are going to sell near zero.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

You sound well prepared. The Oasis class ships are wonderful. I've been on 3 of them so far -- the Oasis just this past December. There is so much to do. Have you made reservations to see the big shows? You will want them for the water theatre show and the ice show. I've heard that the musical Cats ended on the Oasis, but I could be wrong. If it's still running and you want to see it or they've replaced it with another big show, you'd want reservations for that too. But if it is still Cats, then you'll have to decide if you really want to see it. Haha. It's a bit dated now. I think some of the comedy shows might have an option to make reservations too. Without reservations for any of these, you may still be able to get in to see them, but you'll have to wait in a line until those with reservations are inside.

My friends and I are always amazed how the Oasis ships really don't feel all that crowded to us with that many people on them. But they are huge, so the thousands of passengers are spread out all over all the time. The pool decks are busy, for sure. But there's 4 pools to choose from too. You'll be fine.

In the Caribbean, me and the friends I travel with never do shore excursions any more. We just walk around and explore a little. Then back to the ship for lunch and relaxation around the pool. We also just eat at the free food venues for the most part. Every now and then we'll splurge on the steakhouse once on a cruise. But usually we just eat in the buffet every meal. We are fine with that. We also almost always just get an inside cabin. We only sleep and shower there -- spend the rest of the time around the ship.

One comment on the Wifi. I'm pretty sure you can save money if you can tolerate not having both of you on the internet at the same time. It's pretty common just to buy one connection and then pass it around between a couple. Yes, it's expensive. But, I also buy it on every one of my cruises. I need to be connected.

When you get on board, I suggest you grab lunch and then proceed to the very top of the ship. Then work your way down, deck-by-deck, doing a complete walk of every floor to see the venues. Once they announce that your cabins are ready, then go check that out -- usually between 1:00 and 1:30pm.

 

[Luvtoride]

Jolly, you have certainly done your homework on preparing for the cruise. Well done! Just a couple more tips…
Bring a Lanyard with a card holder to “wear” your sea pass around your neck. You will need this everywhere including using it as your room key and keeping it safe and accessible. It is easier than keeping it in a wallet or possibly losing it taking it in and out of your pocket.

The magnetic hooks are a great tip. Hanging space is at a premium and these come in very handy.

My only concern about your whole experience is the way your friends “invited” you to join without disclosing the entire group of family and friends they also included. I’m not saying there was anything nefarious about it, but just that it would have been nice to know it was part of such a large group. I hope it doesn’t become awkward with expectations (either met or not) of meals and activities together.

You’ve certainly covered most of the important considerations for having a great cruise!
Enjoy!

 

[audreyh1]

Meclizine hydrochloride 25mg (Bonine but you can find the generic) works very well for me when needed. I find it very calming. Works for 24 hours. You do have to take it 30 mins before you expect bothersome seas.

 

[disneysteve]

We have sailed on Oasis. It’s a beautiful ship. The only time/place it really felt crowded was on the main promenade when something was going on there.

My favorite spot of any ship I’ve been on was strolling or just sitting in Central Park in the evening. It’s easy to forget you are on a huge ship in the middle of the ocean as you look up at the stars and hear the birds chirping. They sometimes have calm live music out there like a piano and violin duet.

Neither of us gets motion sick. My mom does and the trans derm scopalamine patches worked great for her.

Food on the ship was fine. Plenty of free options and honestly I don’t find the specialty restaurants to be worth the cost.

 

[georgemoe]

You are going to have a great time! The wife and I love Oasis class ships. Seasickness has been covered. We enjoy an interior room. We are only in there to sleep, shower, and change clothes. TV is on only for ship channels. Regarding shows. Even with reservations it's not assigned seating. It's FCFS. For the theater shows don't show up 5 minutes before and expect a good/great seat.

Will anyone be at your home while your away? If not we always stop mail, put water heater in vacation mode, and turn off water to the clothes washer.

Have a great cruise!

 

[savory]

Your post resonated with me . I think I could have wrote it before my first cruise which was on Disney just months ago. Based on the respones so far, I felt PaunchyPirate did a good job of describing my thoughts about a cruise. I am guessing Disney and RC have overlap in their style and approach. Shows were fun. Crowding was minimal. Access to health club and walking around the ship was fun to do, etc

You sound well prepared. The Oasis class ships are wonderful. I've been on 3 of them so far -- the Oasis just this past December. There is so much to do. Have you made reservations to see the big shows? You will want them for the water theatre show and the ice show. I've heard that the musical Cats ended on the Oasis, but I could be wrong. If it's still running and you want to see it or they've replaced it with another big show, you'd want reservations for that too. But if it is still Cats, then you'll have to decide if you really want to see it. Haha. It's a bit dated now. I think some of the comedy shows might have an option to make reservations too. Without reservations for any of these, you may still be able to get in to see them, but you'll have to wait in a line until those with reservations are inside.

My friends and I are always amazed how the Oasis ships really don't feel all that crowded to us with that many people on them. But they are huge, so the thousands of passengers are spread out all over all the time. The pool decks are busy, for sure. But there's 4 pools to choose from too. You'll be fine.

In the Caribbean, me and the friends I travel with never do shore excursions any more. We just walk around and explore a little. Then back to the ship for lunch and relaxation around the pool. We also just eat at the free food venues for the most part. Every now and then we'll splurge on the steakhouse once on a cruise. But usually we just eat in the buffet every meal. We are fine with that.

One comment on the Wifi. I'm pretty sure you can save money if you can tolerate not having both of you on the internet at the same time. It's pretty common just to buy one connection and then pass it around between a couple. Yes, it's expensive. But, I also buy it on every one of my cruises. I need to be connected.

When you get on board, I suggest you grab lunch and then proceed to the very top of the ship. Then work your way down, deck-by-deck, doing a complete walk of every floor to see the venues. Once they announce that your cabins are ready, then go check that out -- usually between 1:00 and 1:30pm.

 

[CaptTom]

I'm not a fan of interior staterooms. That said, see if it works for you. I guarantee if you started with a balcony on your first cruise, you'd never go back to an inside.

I don't know where the metacenter of a ship like that might be, but not being at the extreme front will help, as will being farther from the engines.

Seasickness is a funny thing. Different types of motion affect different people differently. You might be fine with the short rolling and pitching of a fishing charter, but get sick from the slower motion of a large ship. Or not. Chances are you'll be OK in all but the worst weather. Bonine or Dramamine are effective if taken before you get sick. Both can make you drowsy, Dramamine much more so, but it might be more effective.

Sometimes you can get a discount on the WiFi plan part-way through the cruise. Sign up for whatever minimal plan you can get with a package, then switch to the discounted plan when that runs out.

The fact that you're not foodies will serve you well. If you're not too picky, you'll always find something you like at the buffet. There are often great ethnic options, made by people who are actually from the culture. Nothing against fine dining, but it's just theater to me. Play along if you like that sort of thing, but don't make that the make-or-break feature of the cruise. Generally the regular "main dining room" sit-down meals are pretty good, too.

There are things you can do to make it feel less crowded. My trick is to avoid the pool deck during the day, with hundreds fighting for a place they can pack like sardines to work on their skin cancer. That's the time to explore the air-conditioned spaces. Go up on deck at night to enjoy the night air and the stars, while the hoards are packed into the bars and casinos.

It sounds like the drink package isn't worth it for you. Me either. Some of them charge for soft drinks now, too. Usually there's iced tea or some such for free at the buffet. On some lines there's a discounted alcoholic "drink of the day" if you feel like just having one now and then.

Walking the deck is great. Most ships have at least one outside deck where you can do a full, or almost-full loop. That one is so huge I'm sure you'll find your own route, inside or out. With that many passengers, you won't be alone on your walk, but only a small percentage of people actually walk regularly.

Ships these days offer a lot more than gambling and a few arcade games. Last cruise I did go-carts and a couple of 12-deck-high slides. I'll bet that one has all kinds of active attractions.

Your plan to do your own excursions is a good one. You can almost always pick up a local taxi or tour for less than the cruise charges. The risk of course is that you have to be back in time. The other advantage of the cruise line's own excursions is that they make it very easy. You're on vacation. It might be worth a few bucks to let someone else sweat the details, especially if it's a unique destination and you only have part of the day to see it all.

The best excursions fill up fast, so we usually pick 2-3 we really want to do, and book ahead or first thing when we get aboard.

It's fun to find your own "hangouts" aboard. You'll no doubt learn where the best views, the best breezes, the best shade, the most comfortable seating are.

For packing, yes to a good, fast, multi-port charger. Don't count on under-the-bed storage. Yes to packing light. The old saying is that you always bring too much clothing, and not enough money. Nowadays you don't need formal wear for dinner, so that helps. We did the magnetic hook thing last time, and it does help. Zip-lock and regular plastic bags come in handy, too.

For "date night" there are usually good options like comedy, cover bands, lectures and game show events. Unfortunately this is one area where it's hard to avoid crowds. Everyone not getting drunk or gambling wants to go to a show. You might have to get there early and stand in line at the smaller venues.

Other advice: Have fun! Don't let the little annoyances get under your skin. Maybe your steak wasn't grilled to perfection, or the line for the manicure was too long. Get over it. It's still an adventure.

Oh, and do consider hygiene. Wash your hands often. Don't touch your face. Favor cooked foods over raw. I know some people who bring disinfectant wipes and go over everything in their cabin, although I don't go that far.

 

[mystang52]

1) Most important: don't let your guard down with infection prevention. Wash your hands before every meal; literally do not touch anything with bare hands (use available paper or cloth napkins); carry hand sanitizer on you at all times if you inadvertently did touch something. 2) We haven't done RC mega ships, but have done other lines' mega ships. So, this may not apply to your ship. If going to a smaller venue show that does not take reservations, get there early, even if it means standing in line. 3) For any entertainment you want to attend that does require reservation, make those reservations the first day.

 

[disneysteve]

I'm not a fan of interior staterooms. That said, see if it works for you. I guarantee if you started with a balcony on your first cruise, you'd never go back to an inside.

One neat feature, well two features actually, of Oasis is that they offer interior cabins that have a giant picture window that faces the common area of the ship. I haven't been in one but I'm sure it feels more open than a windowless cabin. Then they also have interior balcony cabins that face inward to the boardwalk area, so you're outside but not facing the ocean. Those are cheaper than ocean facing cabins.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have been on six cruises and five of them with royal Caribbean. All of our royal Caribbean cruises were great. Initially we got the ocean view rooms, but then we switched to an inside room and found it better because it was really quiet to sleep. We were only in our room to shower, change clothes and sleep.

At every port, we would take a paid excursion because there was usually at least one thing that we really wanted to do. After the excursion then we would walk around the town and go in some of the shops. That would get old if that’s all you were doing at every port.

Besides exercising and using the pool and hot tubs, the ships have different activities that you can partake in. The last cruise we took had 14 lounges and we would go watch different activities in different lounges. Some of them were more active like a trivia contest and one they split people into teams to solve a murder mystery, which was fun. If we found something boring we just left since everything is free on the ship.

The only time we paid for the Internet was when I was teaching an online college class because I needed to be available. The other times we just put our phones on airplane mode and put them in the safe and we were disconnected for a week. I didn’t watch the news on TV either and decided just to relax.

 

[Al18]

Let us know about the cruise afterwards. We took a few cruises years ago, but they were all out of Port Canaveral in Florida. We never got sea sick on the huge ships when visiting the Caribbean islands - the water is usually very calm.

 

[frank05]

Modern cruise ships usually have active roll stabilization. Makes a big difference when the ship is moving.

 

[Sunset]

There is a new drug now for motion sickness but it is ridiculously expensive. Vanda is marketing it for direct purchase at $85 a dose. I think they are going to sell near zero.

Wow.....

We buy the Bonine-generic meclazine (sometimes meclazine is spelled differently depending on US vs Europe naming). Even at a small pharmacy in Greece tourist area it was only $5 for 10 pills.
I think Walmart is ~$2 for 10

How they think they can sell it for $85 is amazing.

 

[Aerides]

Since you are going to the Bahamas, depending on the island, you won't need any paid excursions.

IE, Nassau is easy to walk around yourself. Bimini has nothing but a beach. Exuma, might need an excursion if you want to see the swimming pigs. Some of the islands are very pretty but nothing there besides a beach. Even if you don't have plans, getting off and walking around for a bit is always a nice change of pace, assuming it's a safe area. With a larger boat, you'll be docked and safe for several blocks no matter where you stop.

But it really depends on your expected stops. Be open to changes though, it's been windier than usual this spring and summer and some boats have had to change ports.

As far as interacting with your group, if they are more seasoned cruisers, expect them to want to be around you more than you might think, particularly at meals. But for sure if that is what happens, find places to chill and be explicit that you need some downtime, some couples time, and take it!

 

[latexman]

For motion sickness, DW uses the Sea-Band wrist bands that have a stub that applies pressure to the P6 (Nei-Kuan) acupressure point on the wrists.

 

[Fermion]

Wow.....

We buy the Bonine-generic meclazine (sometimes meclazine is spelled differently depending on US vs Europe naming). Even at a small pharmacy in Greece tourist area it was only $5 for 10 pills.
I think Walmart is ~$2 for 10

How they think they can sell it for $85 is amazing.

Yeah. I guess it is because it doesn't cause drowsiness or all of the other stuff. It blocks the nausea and vomiting effects in a different way from the old style antihistamine drugs. Still, for $85 it seems like a many millionaire's drug, not for us normals.

 

[disneysteve]

There is a new drug now for motion sickness but it is ridiculously expensive. Vanda is marketing it for direct purchase at $85 a dose. I think they are going to sell near zero.

I'm sure they will sell a ton of it. Cruising is incredibly popular and many people can't tolerate the existing drugs for various reasons. If the new drug works differently, doesn't have the same side effects, and doesn't have the same drug interactions, it will do very well.

 

[Dtail]

I have been on a decent number of RC cruises including the Oasis class to the Bahamas.
You seem to be a little conservative on the money spending side. We have booked excursions through RC and had a blast. Yes, on the expensive side. We also have always booked some specialty restaurants which are a nice alternative at times.
Since we are retired and have our own pool, we didn't hang at the pools, which can be crowded.
We tried to engage in the many at sea activities. They should have Pickleball, lots of trivia and good music.
At night, there should be some very good shows, including a Love and Marriage gameshow, which is like a Newlywed game except there are contestants of all ages including usually a married for 40-50 years couple, whose responses tend to be hilarious.
Have fun and don't worry about too much.

 

[FIYes]

We have been on a number of cruises and stayed in cabins ranging from interior to ocean view to balcony. We have had enjoyable cruises regardless of the cabin type. These days I prefer balcony just to have a quiet place to get away from it all and still enjoy the ocean.

We fortunately haven’t had seasickness but we have been on cruises where other passengers were succumbing to seasickness due to rough seas. I would recommend taking medication for seasickness with you and hope you don’t need it. Your DW may want to consider a seasickness band or a patch. The ships are very stable, but better safe than sorry.

I haven’t been on Oasis since I prefer smaller ships. I have been Royal Caribbean and they tend to have good shows and activities. I much prefer a smaller ship. However, many people must prefer the mega ships or the cruise lines wouldn’t keep building them.

We have traveled with friends and found cruising to be a good way to travel with friends although we have never been with a large group. We typically do our own thing during the day and meet up for an evening meal or a show.

We don’t usually do specialty dining. The drink package isn’t worth it for us. We usually don’t have WiFi. Be sure to put your phone in airplane mode so you don’t get inadvertently hit with an excessive bill. Neither of us like to gamble and see the casino as a place to walk through quickly holding our breath since many times casinos are very smoky. I don’t know about Oasis but smoky casinos are an issue on some ships.

You will find opportunities for dancing and date night. Formal nights are not obligatory, but you may want to dress up. Some passengers go all out for formal nights and some are extremely casual. You will not be out of place either way.

When you first get on board if a dining room is open that will be much less hectic than the buffet. You probably won’t be able to get into your cabin until 1:00 or so. The buffet gets very crowded.

Have fun! Wash your hands. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Good advice for life in general as well as cruises. My other tip is that if you’re able take the stairs. I try to avoid the elevators as much as possible.

 

[audreyh1]

@jollystomper Which stops are on your itinerary? Just curious.