Summer vacation is the perfect time to discover the world by taking a cruise! The warm weather draws large crowds to relax and get away from reality for a week or two. A couple of weeks ago I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise with my family and it was absolutely amazing! This was my second cruise, but my first one to the Caribbean. While we cruised we visited the Cayman Islands, Honduras, and Mexico, and were able to have so many new experiences both on and off of the ship. With new experiences though came lessons learned, so here are a few pieces of advice that I have to give to anyone who is considering going on a cruise.

1. Explore the ship at some point during the beginning of your cruise.

When you first see the ship the size of it might intimidate you. It’s best to get a feel for where the majority of events are held early on in your cruise so that way you are not running around the ship trying to get to a place that you had no idea even existed. Once you spend a few days on board the ship does not feel as large as it did when you first boarded.

2. Check out all of the dining options offered at the buffet.

There were multiple times when I would be sitting down after getting my meal and my parents would have some kind of food item that I didn’t even know was being served that day. The same thing applies to the desert table.

3. Bring cash with you whenever you get off of the ship.

My family found out the hard way that many stores in the countries that we visited only took cash and not debit or credit cards. Also cash is needed to tip drivers and tour guides.

4. Learn the currency exchange rates for the countries you are visiting.

Even though every place that we visited accepted the US dollar, the ATM machines required you to take out money in the country’s national currency. Thankfully, some locals were willing to help us out in Honduras.

5. Go on a shore excursion.

By far, these were my favorite part of the cruise because they were all things that I had never done before. In the Cayman Islands I was able to hold sea turtles and snorkel with fish and turtles, in Costa Maya, Mexico I was able to see Mayan ruins, and in Cozumel, Mexico I was able to snorkel by a reef. Many cruises offer a ton of excursions to choose from and even though they cost extra they are worth it! I do recommend booking them through the cruise line though and not an outside source because if for some reason they run late then the ship will not leave without you.

6. Enjoy the different activities that are going on around the ship.

The ship is not only a place to relax after a long day of visiting a new port, it is also a place where many activities take place during the cruise. Every night, a copy of the next day’s itinerary will be left in your room so that you can see what all is going to be happening on the ship. There are many different kinds of activities including shows, trivia, Bingo, stuff at the casino, karaoke, sporting events, events for kids, etc. My ship even had an ice skating rink where people could go ice skating and watch ice shows. With all of the different activities going on everyone in your group is bound to find something that they want to do.

7. If you can't figure out something to do, then walk around the ship and find something random.

One night, while my family was walking around the ship, we discovered a band that was playing in one of the lounges.They were called Rockport Band, and we ended up going to watch them play almost every evening. They were really talented while at the same time being really funny and relaxed. If we had not been walking around the ship that one night, we probably would not have found them.

8. Protect yourself.

Basically wear sunscreen when you will be out in the sun, stay hydrated, and wear bug spray when needed.

9. Tip your drivers and tour guides.

These people are not paid very much so most of their income that they use to take care of their families comes from tips. The majority of these people are really nice and are doing you a nice service, typically out in the hot sun, so they deserve a tip.

10. Enjoy your cruise.

Cruises are amazing vacations so whether you decide to relax and soak up the sun or go out exploring I hope that you enjoy it! I hope that this article helped some with planning for a cruise!