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

I've never been on a cruise with the kids, but we did go on one before the children. It was very expensive, but we had a lovely time and I would recommend it if money is not a big issue. We were able to visit several countries in the week we were away and the ship had loads of things to do on it.

I have been on two cruises, both with Royal Caribbean. I cannot fault them and they make for excellent family holidays! There are lots of things for children to do and if you want to go ashore without the children, there are handy things called kids clubs!

As for tips ...... Buy gifts ashore as they are cheaper and get the photo package on the first couple of days as you save a fortune..... oh and book all your hair/beauty treatments when you first get on as they get full up pretty quick, especially on formal nights.

Bring a nice range of accessories as they can help create different outfits with the same dress, and brighten up a day outfit for evening. Don't forget comfortable shoes for day excursions. Get a decent debit card like the Halifax which has no foreign exchange fee.

Use the Halifax credit card for your onboard bill with Royal Caribbean too, as it is an American company you will get charged a percentage with most UK credit cards.

Book a balcony room...waking up and sitting on the balcony in a new place is amazing. Sailing into venice in bed with the curtains open lookng at the quiet city...

Find the adult only pool and enjoy if you have no children!

Try a couple of speciality restaurants. They are lovely.

Make friends with the people you share a table with at dinner and you might be friends for life!

Go to the main dining room for breakfast...you eat with different people! Although if you plan a late or early morning, or are going on a trip
order breakfast in bed. Very relaxing.

Enjoy it...

Make sure you factor in the service charge and gratuity which is automatically added to your bill.

Been on two cruises. One with Princess, one with Royal Caribbean, both around the Caribbean, and both before having DC.
Now we have DC, I am thinking of another cruise for late 2016 or early 2017 when they will be six-ish and two-ish.

~ What appeals to you and your family about a cruise holiday?
At the ages my dc will be, I love the idea of somewhere sunny (probably Caribbean again), with lovely beach days - and a different beach every day in case one isn't great for whatever DC want to do. (mainly thinking of Dc1 here who would love to snorkel every day.) But a whole day in the sun for children is not what I'd want for them, so a few hours would be great, then back on board to use the lovely facilities. I also like that there would be a doctor on board for any emergencies.

~ When's the best time to book?
Booked relatively late both times, got decent deals. Would try again for our next trip, especially as we are able to be flexible with times.

~ Do you always book the same kind of State Room? What's best for you?
Cheapest room is fine, as long as it isn't noisy. Don't need a sea view as we'd not plan on being in the room much except to sleep and change.

~ What about food and drink? What do you make a beeline for once on board?
We are a vegan family, so not easy to always just have the help yourself stuff. I was catered for very well by both RC and Princess when I cruised before, just meant I had to speak to the maître D, but both times I was really well-fed. Both lines went well out of their way to make sure I was happy with my food, I've not had that kind of service in a hotel.

~ And entertainment - what's the plan for you and for the DC on a typical day on board?
I'm not hugely into the shows, and currently Dc1 doesn't sit through a 90 min film, let alone live entertainment. We would make use of the facilities on board like ice rinks, climbing walls, waterslides etc. Those kind of things appeal the most to our family.

~ Excursions - do you do your own or go with the ones arranged by the cruise ship? What's the best place you have visited?
I did the ones organised by the ship. Was always a bit concerned I wouldn't get back to the ship if I went off on my own - if unavoidably delayed, the ship wouldn't wait for me! I'd aim for a cruise that stopped off at nice beaches at this stage, DS isn't really the sight-seeing kind yet. At this stage, just hanging out at the beaches appeals to us. When they are older, I'll look for cruises with good sight-seeing stops. City breaks are on hold for now!

~ What is your top tip for cruising?
Factor in the tips, make sure there are no hidden charges.

Don't pack too much as there are good washing facilities on board. Male sure you leave plenty of room for all your purchases. Avoid paying for the excursions offered by the cruise company- they are a rip off and do your own thing. Don't bother with the wifi either- it costs a fortune. All the food, entertainment, staff and cabins are fab though

My husband and I went to Norway in 2013. It was an incredible holiday and I would love to go on a cruise again now I have my son.

I would recommend researching the ports that you are going to. That way you will know whether it is a busy place with lots to do that you could entertain yourself in or whether it is a quiet little town where you would be better off booking an activity.

When eating we enjoyed being on a flexible booking for dining. This meant that we could either choose to eat alone or share a table with a group. This was a great way to meet people but also gave us the flexibility of spending time together as a couple.

My other top tip: do not buy WiFi access. Leave the gadgets, bar your phone for when you get back, at home.

It was so refreshing to see entire families on board, eating together and talking to one another, playing card and board games, in the arcade, going to shows gadget free, dancing on the noisy decks, hanging out.

We got to know one another in 10 days more than we had in the past 10 years.

Take along your favourite flask or Thermos if you are a hardcore coffee or tea drinker. It's available 24/7 but in standard cups, if you want more, bring your flask along and fill up all at once.

Lose weight before you go! LOL.

And take a good carry-on/hand luggage.

You will need to leave your bags outside your stateroom the night before, usually around 11PM, so have a good wheely bag for all your essentials.

I was totally anti-cruise before we went - fires, sinking, captains like the Concordia guy, viruses. My parents soooo wanted us all to be there.

They had to prise my fingers off the railings and drag me down the gangplank to get me off!

I've been on royal Carribean. Just to contradict one of the tips above, don't take your own booze as you are not allowed to bring it on board!! They will take it away from you when checking in and return it ?hen you leave.

Make the most of the activities.

It's easy to want to relax which is good, but you've paid a lot for everything that is included. Get your money's worth.

Fuckmath - p and o allow you to take your own drink on. They say they reserve the right to take it off people but only do that if people take the piss with the amount or are getting drunk and causing trouble

I did a weeks cruise in the Med. What appealed to me was being able to visit so many places without the inconvenience of moving from place to place oneself, one woke up in different places.

Best time to book? Unsure re this as my ex booked it through work.

Best state room? I would book the nicest I could afford, a balcony would be lovely.

Food was lovely, but they could have varied the buffet lunch more, the same things every day.

Entertainment on board for me would be a deck chair as secluded as possible and a book.

Excursions, it depended on the place, we went on the organised one to Pompeii but wandered around places such as Valetta on our own.

Best cruise tip. Take own booze and snacks and a well stocked first aid kit, including analgesia, anti sickness tabs and Imodium etc.

And don't go with your boyfriends parents, his mother would not let us even have a night time stroll on deck on our own. Grr! Seriously though, only go with people you really like, it is a long time in close proximity if you do not.

We love a balcony cabin, the balcony makes the stateroom feel much bigger and it is lovely to sleep with the door open and have so much fresh air. The balcony is a great place to retreat to when all the activity on board gets too much too!

I would say don't skimp and get the best holiday for you. You only live once and special holidays like this are the stuff that memories are made from ....

My top tip? Wash your hands with soap and water. Norovirus isnt killed by alcohol handrubs on the market.

Only cruised once prior to having children but would love to go again as soon as youngest is old enough. Royal Caribbean were great, we loved the boat and the experience of waking up in a new place each day. We also found it surprisingly relaxing as there was lots of time to sunbathe and enjoy the views. We are planning a cruise next year possibly and will be looking for a Mediterranean one leaving from Southampton with the biggest cabin we can afford.

the buffet used to be the first thing people went for on board i noticed.now with people knowing more about food this has gone down a bit and people would like proper meals for some parts.so i like it when there is a place we can go and eat as a family like we would at home to a nice cooked meal.but without needing to want to aim for the posh no jean restuarants.the breakie buffets are always great though.
being offered food options throughout the day.we were given a menu with other things they could offer so we didnt feel like we were detoxing on three meals a day!!
cabins are best with a sea view.id say whether you pay for the balcony should also depend on what ur heigh aversion is.this is something to keep in mind.
where your room is too.being cared for if your with family was much appreciated and being swapped with a rowdy corner so they could all be together was lovely of them to do for us.

I cruised with Celebrity on my one and only cruise before I had my DS.

I thought the price was reasonable and we paid for an outside balcony cabin and the premier drinks package each. So once that was all paid for we didn't spend anything else on board except for sale items in the stores or a little bit on the slots in the casino.

We did our research on our ports before we left and knew which buses we would need to get into towns and the timetables and where to get them from. We didnt use any of the ships tours as I don't think these are good value for money. We also got the Visa's for Russia so we could go out and see St Petersburg on our own. Which meant having to get a bus from the port.... Scary, but do-able.

My top tip is to bring on your own soft drinks and ask the room attendant to empty the minibar. Store your own drinks and keep them cold.
Also, mingle. Cruising is a great way to meet lots of interesting new people. You are stuck on a floating resort so you best make some friends or else you may want to throw your partner over the balcony when you get fed up of him being the only person you have spoken to for 2 weeks ;)

Now I have DS, I may wait until he is old enough to use the kids clubs before I take another Cruise. But it was definitely an experience I want to repeat more often.

My parents went on a cruise and had a lovely time. They liked to get a taxi at the docks rather than do the tours - could tailor it to suit then!

~ What appeals to you and your family about a cruise holiday? That there is something on board for everyone. The children and us alike.

~ When's the best time to book? Just after Christmas

~ Do you always book the same kind of State Room? What's best for you? I've never booked a cruise - I'd LOVE to though! If I were to, I'd book an outside cabin.

~ What about food and drink? What do you make a beeline for once on board? I'd try and have a little restraint on board! Otherwise I'd be 3 stones heavier by the time the cruise ended...

~ And entertainment - what's the plan for you and for the DC on a typical day on board? I think the childrens clubs are a fantastic idea. That's why I love the idea of cruising. We can relax and enjoy ourselves because we know the kids are safe and happy.

~ Excursions - do you do your own or go with the ones arranged by the cruise ship? What's the best place you have visited? I would arrange my own trips - that way the children can take turns choosing excursions.

~ What is your top tip for cruising? Relax and enjoy!

I went on a cruise when I got married and found it a great way to explore all sorts of different countries without having to keep packing. I think it would be a great way of traveling with families and my top tip would be to book a cheaper inside cabin, they can be just as spacious, and lets face it how much time do you want to spend in your room, when there is so much to do on the ship!

Don't book excursions through the cruise operator they are way over priced. Getting around port is often very easy by shuttle bus or public transport. My advice is do a good amount of research on all of the ports you are visiting and plan ahead, you are only off ship for a few hours so you need to be organised.

I'd always been under the illusion that cruises were ridiculously expensive and so had ruled them out in the past. But this year I have been doing my research and have actually been very impressed. Unlike other types of holiday a lot of cruise prices do not have that huge fluctuation between termtime and school holiday prices.

We are going to plan for end of summer.

So my top tip would be not to rule out a cruise based on thinking it will be too pricey as these days they seem to be far more accessible.