Share your top tips for taking a cruise with Royal Caribbean - you could win a £200 Love2Shop voucher NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Following the event day we ran last year on Oasis of the Seas, We have been asked by the team at Royal Caribbean to find out your top tips for cruising - whether this is with the family or without.

So whether you have been on one cruise, or a seasoned cruise lovers - please share your top tips for any MNer who may be contemplating their first family cruise this year.

For example:
~ What appeals to you and your family about a cruise holiday?
~ When's the best time to book?
~ Do you always book the same kind of State Room? What's best for you?
~ What about food and drink? What do you make a beeline for once on board?
~ And entertainment - what's the plan for you and for the DC on a typical day on board?
~ Excursions - do you do your own or go with the ones arranged by the cruise ship? What's the best place you have visited?
~ What is your top tip for cruising?

Please share your tips and thoughts on this thread and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £200 Love2Shop voucher. Please add your comment by 06-02-2015. Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

If you have never cruised before try a mini cruise, we did that and found out we loved it. we also got a private transfer between the four of us for the trip into Bruges, worked out cheaper than going on a booked excursion, also we waited until we got a good deal for the balcony, we had it half price,
and enjoy, we did

I took my first cruise last summer and it was great to visit a different port each day in Spain. It was really an easy holiday experience especially travelling with elderly parents. It was nice to have meals together and then do our own thing if we wanted each day.

Organise your own excursions- more fun!

we also got a private transfer between the four of us for the trip into Bruges was that arranged through the cruise company of indepenatly?

Agree with other posters, don't worry about going for the top quality room - I do like a balcony, but the cheaper obstructed ones are fine.

Even though it's all inclusive, you'll probably want to tip a few people, so make sure you take some dollars in small bills with you for this

I've never actually been on a cruise before but have always wanted to, I would make sure the cruise has plenty of toddler activities to keep my little one entertained and lots of family things to do

I've been on 5 cruises, and loved them all! 3 times with Thomson, once with Celebrity Cruises and once with Royal Caribbean. The Royal Caribbean was definitely the best once, with great entertainment, fantastic food, the ship, cabins, etc.
My top tip would be research your planned destinations well before you go so you can decide what you want to see and do and most importantly, know how to find your way around. Having said that, the excursions are usually pretty good and make this very easy with everything sorted for you so you can totally relax and enjoy being taken care of. The only downside to cruises is that the ships are so good, you might not want to get off at all!!! I would highly recommend!

We tend to book one balcony room and one inside room. So we have somewhere to hang out but save some money.

Research itinerary before you go and highlight things not to miss as places can be limited. Explore the ship after check in to get your bearings before you are dashing to an event and can't remember where it's location is. If going it alone on sightseeing, unless seasoned at this sort of thing, ask at reception we found them helpful and informative. If going on "in-house" tour get to coach early or you'll probably be at back of coach, it's a lot harder to ask your questions from the back! Have a prepared group of items you take with you on tours such as camera/water etc. etc., it's hard to have to keep running back to the cabin to get the suncream!The food is great and always available so as others have said take some clothes that will expand. If worried about cleanliness take some spray disinfectant, just for peace of mind.

Research your ports of call - find out before you go what you want to see and if there are alternatives to the organised trip

Have been on two cruises and loved both. One just adults and one with an 18 month old. There were lots of people but we never felt crowded. We had a picture window on first cruise and then a balcony. Although we didn't spend much time in the cabin it was lovely to enjoy the view in peace and quiet without the crowds. I've heard on med cruises the decks can get quite busy.
Top tip is definitely research your cruise well as prices vary and their are so many hidden extras. You may be worth paying a little more up front for cheaper bar costs and free room service and shuttles at ports. Also the term 'outside cabin' can mean anything from a tiny porthole to a full picture window. Read carefully!! Excursions if you do some planning beforehand you can often do something similar for a lot cheaper by booking it yourself.

My only gripe with a lot of cruises family rooms are bunk beds. If you want a sofa bed you have to pay for a higher grade cabin. With young children I wouldn't trust them on the top bunk and no way can my 6ft 6" hubbie sleep top bunk. (Although I might like to see him try!!)

Will have to save pennies because we can't wait to cruise again it was amazing!

I've never been on a cruise but it is the stopovers that appeal to me, the idea of going to lots of different places on the same holiday. I'd want to organize my own time on land, not go on excursions.

I also like the idea of 'enforced relaxation' - really making the most of pool, sunbathing, reading etc rather than feeling like I should go see places.

Top tip would be to get a sense of the atmosphere of the cruise - I wouldn't want to go on one where formal dress is a requirement.

I've been on two cruises. One was a tiny ship, about 40 people through the Fiji Islands. Stopping at tiny villages and BBQs on uninhibited islands was amazing.

The second was through Hawaii, stopping at a different island each day. Organised our own hire cars and activities each day. (Quarter of the price, like all tourist bus trips, a hire car is cheaper and less crowded).

For us, an inside cabin is fine. We would never do a cruise that involves days on end at sea. Eating and sitting all day on deck is not appealing to us at all. The cruise was a "moving hotel" for us-we spent as little time on board as we could. It was adequate and comfortable.

If you're planning on going on a cruise get saving as they can be very expensive!
Book when there is a sale on if you can then once on board make use of all the 'freebies'!!

Take sickness tablets if you're prone or think that may be a problem.

Outer cabins are nice for the views though in reality you're only going to be in it for sleeping and can take in the views on deck.

My two tips are: 1. Pack swim stuff in hand luggage so you can go straight in... And 2. Bring an extension multi plug so you can charge everything in the cabin no problem!!

I just thought of another tip, if you enjoy a massage some lines offer a daily special. I always wait for that, it can be substantially cheaper and usually includes day access to the spa.

Beware of giving credit card details at the start of the cruise, they make take money off it even though they say they are not going to!

My family all LOVE cruising and we love the flexibility that it offers. I usually stay away from the set excursions, because there is often a large choice if you book locally (also the prices can vary so shop around). I also agree with the idea of getting a cheaper cabin - there is SO much to do on the ship, and when you dock, that its really not worth the extra money. You'll find that its just somewhere to sleep really.

'Complain in the restaurants that you've found a beetle in your food and you'll get loads of freebies.'

Lying like this is theft by another name.

Cruises often offer such amazing service, it's a shame scammers take advantage of this to be dishonest.

We went on a RC cruise (Navigator of the Seas) in the Caribbean this past summer with my family to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary.

What an amazing experience!

My parents are veteran cruisers (they live only 40 miles from a major port and are retired, so able to take advantage of last-minute offers and just jump on).

My top tip is, if you go on any excursions, make sure it's one you book through the cruise line.

If anything goes wrong on an independent excursion, the ship will leave without you.

My sister and her family went on one excursion that was delayed and we stayed in port until it got back as it was through the cruise line. Otherwise, that could have have very expensive.

My parents have been on cruises where passengers learned this to their cost.

Another tip, keep extra track of the time in tinder ports. These often involve very long queues that can leave you racing back to the ship.

Another tip is check your onboard spending throughout the cruise otherwise on your last day you could well be met with a bill bigger than expected!

I agree with expat about the excursions being best as official ones (and about the lying for freebies)

Depending on the cruise line, factor in the cost of the gratuities when budgeting for the holiday. RCI add $10 pp per day which is $40 a day for a family of 4. That's an additional $560 on top of the cost of a 14-day cruise.

If you're not arranging the flights through the cruise line, fly in the day before in case there's any problems with your flight. The hotel will keep you bags until you're ready to board the ship the next day so you can squeeze some sightseeing in.

Make sure your travel insurance knows you're going on a cruise holiday. Medical costs can be high, especially if you have to leave the ship by helicopter!

Usually DC can order what they want off the main menu and aren't restricted to the kids menu. It's a good chance for them to try new things without the worry of not liking it and them going hungry as you can just order something else. DS had snails on our last cruise which he loved. DD had the sirloin steak every night.

Lastly, a biggie for us, is check if you can leave DC in the kids club if you want to go ashore. One of the reasons cruising suits us as a family is that DH & I love wandering around random places and stopping for a coffee. This bores DC senseless and they're much happier on board in the kids club. So they stay, we go for an explore and meet up for lunch. Win win. Of course we wouldn't go far without them but the freedom makes a cruise worthwhile for us. RCI and NCL do this but P&O don't so we never sail with them.

Make sure you have plenty of money. These don't come cheap! I know as i've always dreamed of a Med cruise. Maybe I might get one for my non-existant honeymoon haha. The dream lives on.

The price for a weeks cruise is actually pretty comparable for the price for a weeks holiday abroad in most resorts. I don't think around £700 a week is bad really especially not for what you get

We've found them very expensive, but we usually camp or self cater, so can't compare. We also have two interconnecting cabins rather than cramming into one and are stuck with the school holidays, our last one cost about £1500 each for a fortnight, plus onboard expenses, excursions etc.

My parents cruise every year and are taking us with them next year.
They think we will enjoy eating in the self service canteen rather than sit down restaurants.
We might have breakfast in our cabin some days.
We also hope to use the pool and cinema.
My mum thinks the boys will love going up on deck when the ship leaves and enters the port.
We also plan to get a cabin with a window, prob not a balcony though (prob just me being paranoid)