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 can afford it try and book a room with a window. Although you won't be spending a lot of time in your room, I find it's much nicer to be able to see outside before you go to sleep & when you wake up.

Also try and organise your own time during shore time. If you go with cruise offerings then it'll cost you a lot, and you'll do what they choose, not what you want. Don't be afraid to go off and explore on your own.

Royal Caribbean cruise to med with DD 2.
Loved the all day buffet as it meant we could fit around her times. We did a black tie one night and she played under the table.
Loved the soft play crèche area.
Shame we couldn't take her in the pool as she was in nappies.
Went at Easter and really enjoyed the excursions

For me it's almost a once in a lifetime experience (well, once every 10 years maybe!) so I would advise really making the most of it. Take full advantage of facilities on board and then make the most out of the places you visit.

My tip is if you'r not 100% see worthy then stay on the lowest deck possible in the middle of the ship, that way you don't get the full force of the motion and sea sickness is more managable

Cruising is great to visit lots of different places without much hassle. There's lots of activities for kids and the best part for us is the vast amount if food and choices for meals so there's no worry of finding dinner especially with children!

The thing I love about cruising is that all the boring bit (the travelling) is done while you're asleep / strolling around / dozing on a sunbed / stuffing my face . We used to book fairly close to the time but now with DC we need to be better organise. I prefer an outside cabin but we managed a 2 week cruise in an inside cabin and it was fine. I make a beeline for all the food and drink but I do absolutely love Indian themed nights - they honestly are the highlight of the food for me!

We haven't been away with DC (too young) but can't wait until we can. It will be kids' club all the way tbh but lots of pool time is a must as well so a proper children's pool is essential. We tend to go on the cruise organised tours if the ports are further afield but if we dock in port we usually just go for a wander ourselves. I loved the Baltic cruise we did - St Petersburg was wonderful but we really enjoyed all the ports we visited.

As for top tips, I would say a) pack light enough to have room in your suitcase for all the treasures you pick up! b) bring sandwich bags so you can grab an extra croissant at breakfast to eat for lunch (especially in Scandinavia where lunches can be very expensive) c) make the most of free Wifi in big cities rather than using internet on board d) bring your e-reader as it's the kind of holiday where you can get through lots of books from the comfort of your sunbed on sea days.

Ooooh, this is making me want to go an book a cruise! :o

Research and plan ahead with what you want to see and do at each port you stop in so that you can make the most of each stop. Make sure you bring your own mini first aid kit with things you may need, pain killers, anti-sickness tablets, indigestion remedies, Calpol for children etc. as it's much cheaper than buying onboard in an emergency or trying to find something locally if you are in port.
Pack light with a capsule wardrobe where lots of the items are interchangeable and match each other as space is limited and make sure you are aware of any dress codes on board.
Sea views are nice to have, but I don't think they are worth paying all the extra for as you aren't likely to spend that much time in your room other than sleeping so it makes more sense to save money for excursions.

Make sure you pack the essentials (meds, special foods/treats for kids) unless you have a huge holiday spending money budget!

take plenty to keep kids entertained ie portable dvd, ipads, fav story books. So at night time they have home comforts

Remember that water reflects light , so despite the feeling that you may be in shade on the cruise ship, sun protection should be higher than you would expect . We made the mistake of under protecting , but luckily caught what was happening early and sorted it. My other tip is make sure you know the extra costs that are " expected" (eg gratuities that you will be asked for) even on all-inclusive trips. We were shocked on our trip and to be honest when you have budgeted for a holiday they can scupper your plans ( and stopped us being able to do things we wanted to do) its something that makes me think twice about booking another one sadly . Wish all the costs were clearer .

When going on a cruise, one thing we have learnt is not to skimp on accommodation. Very important, there is nothing more miserable than being squashed in the bowels of the vessel, with the family behaving like a bunch of caged animals! People behaving in a rather familiar way too, is a funny one, some think they can talk down to others, because they feel superior, even though they are on the same trip! DC's make loads of friends and the entertainment is always very good fun. The main thing though, don't budget and go cheap if you find it a struggle financially, what you get is what you pay for, in our experience! ;)

Not been on a cruise yet but I would make sure it's to somewhere I really really want to explore whilst on land and somewhere that's as spectacular by sea as it is on land. And I'd choose a cruise that caters well for special diets so I could work on increasing my BMI

Check up on what the kids' club will be up to whilst you're onboard - ours hosted a fantastic pirates party, and many of the children had bought costumes with them. The cabins can be quite small so stretch to a balcony if you can - it gives you somewhere to store your stroller whilst you're at sea.

I've cruised twice before (Med in May, and December in the Canaries), and am looking forward to my third trip later this year. All of these have been with Thomson - they tend to be cheaper, but more informal, and DH doesn't really like the whole "dressing for dinner" concept.

My top tips:

1. Research your ports of call. One word I look out for is "gateway". Anywhere that is described as a "gateway to...." means, get out of there as soon as you can. Those are the ports at which I will book a ship's excursion, as the place itself probably doesn't lend itself to aimless pottering among the pretty market stalls.

1. Check the day of the week for each place - is it a Sunday when attractions might be closed? Market Day? Local holiday? What are siesta hours?

1. Be prepared - the Canaries in winter are much rougher and cooler than the Med in summer. Always pack a light raincoat and something warm. A large soft pashmina that can squish into your hand lugage is a must-have item.

Be prepared. Do as much research as possible before you go on your cruise.

Seasoned traveller here. Taking my dd on her first cruise this summer.

I book a cabin with a balcony so we aren't so claustrophobic.

Get out early so you can tire them out and they'll sleep in the stroller when you want to get off the boat.

Take lots of their favourite snacks with you, a few books and some familiar toys.

Be prepared to eat room service from the comfort of your cabin most nights.

Most ships have compulsory gratuities/tipping. Make sure you know whether you have prepaid with the holiday booking or if they are automatically added to your onboard account, to save embarrassment on check out.

Book as early as possible, giving time to save and plan ahead, finding the best deals on excursions etc rather than booking everything through the travel agent. Also allows booking the cabin you really want, rather than what is left.

The best type would be a fly cruise - so not spending days at sea before reaching the first destination!

Take seasick pills with you!

Thanks for all the tips etc - am pleased to say glennamy has been picked as the winner of the £200 Love2Shop voucher! Well done.

We cruised South America for our honeymoon it was fabulous. We would love to go cruising with the children, once the youngest is old enough to appreciate it we will look at replacing the package holidays with cruises - first up will be a Disney cruise, then some med ones and then another big one around North or South america. We would also like to do the northern lights one when we retire.