Wanderlust Wednesday ~ Cruising

It's no secret around here how much I love cruising! It's my favorite way to travel with all meals included, exceptional service, and waking up at a new island/country each morning without having to pack and re-pack.

My cruising list:

Western Caribbean Cruise on the Carnival Liberty leaving from Miami stopping in Cozumel Mexico, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica - August 2008
Southern Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas leaving from San Juan stopping in Aruba, Curacao, Dominica, and St. Thomas - November 2009 (my favorite!)
Exotic Western Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Dream leaving from Port Canaveral stopping in Cozumel, Roatan Honduras, Belize City Belize, and Costa Maya Mexico - August 2011
Bahamas Cruise on Norwegian Sky leaving from Miami stopping in Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay - November 2013
Western Mediterranean Cruise on Norwegian Epic leaving from Barcelona stopping in Marseille, France and Palma de Mallorca, Spain - May 2014
Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Carnival Liberty leaving from Port Canaveral stopping in Nassau Bahamas, St. Thomas USVI, San Juan Puerto Rico, and Grand Turk - March 2015

Next up on my cruising list is another Mediterranean cruise, an Alaskan cruise, or a Hawaiian cruise. Any votes?

Why I love cruising

1. The excitement of seeing several new islands/countries on just one vacation. There's nothing like boarding a floating resort knowing that you'll be making several fabulous stops, and experiencing new countries and cultures.

2. Watching the sunset or the ship pulling into port in a new country from your private balcony.

3. The food... oh goodness the food! Cruises get a bad rep for buffet style food. Yes, they have buffets available all the time, but there is also fine dining included for free. The main dining rooms don't just serve dinner, but breakfast and lunch as well, and room service is available 24 hours in your stateroom for free. We love to order room service breakfast and enjoy it out on our balcony.

4. The on-board entertainment, there's no such thing as being bored on a cruise. From the contests by the pool and the waterslides the day time is filled with fun activities. Night time calls for a fancy dinner, a Vegas style show, and endless options to have fun. The casino, karaoke, theaters by the sea, comedy shows, jazz lounges, several themed bars, dance parties under the stars, etc..

*Norwegian Epic - recap found here*

*Carnival Liberty - recap found here*

*Carnival Dream - Recaps found here*

5. The impeccable service. The staff on-board are amazing no matter what cruise line I've been on, they are always going above and beyond. They even put on a show around dessert time at dinner where they sing and dance. Get to know them and learn their names, so you can make sure to give them a special shout out in your post-vacation surveys. That's how they get their raises and promotions which go a long way!

Cruising Tips
1. Don't forget your passport! Anything else you may forget at home can be re-purchased (bathing suits, toiletries, even formal wear) on board. But you'll need your passport to get on board (some cruises only require a birth certificate, but it's always best to bring your passport).

2. Spring for the balcony stateroom, it is worth every penny! Once you go balcony you can't go back, and it's so true. You get a lot more room in the stateroom, plus a sitting area, and your own private veranda which is great for enjoying room service breakfast in the mornings (always free) and a night cap in the evenings.

*Our stateroom on the Norwegian Epic*

3. Don't over pack, especially if you're on a Caribbean cruise or any cruise going somewhere warm and tropical. You'll live in bathing suits and cover-ups by day and sundresses (cocktail dresses on formal nights) by night. They also provide bath towels in your room (replenished daily) along with beach towels for the pool and on the islands which you can change out for fresh ones as much as you need.

4. Order as much food as you want! When at dinner, if you want 3 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 3 desserts... go for it! Sometimes it's hard to choose just one thing, and you're able to order as much as you want and the servers love it!

5. Cruise with friends! We've been on several cruises just the two of us, and we've also cruised on a 7 night cruise with another couple, and a 3 night cruise with a group of 10 of us which was so much fun!

*Bahamas Cruise recap found here*

6. If you're on a short cruise like a 3 night itinerary to the Bahamas, purchase the beverage package especially if you're traveling with a group. When 10 of us sailed to the Bahamas for a friend's birthday it was nice to just order drinks or a round of champagne for everyone at dinner without worrying about it all adding up. It also worked out great on the private island in the Bahamas that all of our food and drinks were included there as well since it was owned by the cruise line.

7. Practice safe sun! Don't forget to pack sunscreen, aloe (in case of sunburns), and a beach hat to further protect your face. Of course you're going to come back beautifully bronzed, but you don't need to burn or cause skin damage by not protecting yourself on the trip.

8. HAVE FUN! I have the best time, when I get up and dance with the entertainment crew during deck parties and at the night club. You'll hear the same line dance songs over and over, but you'll be a champ by the end of your cruise.

9. Enjoy all the fruity umbrella drinks, this is the time to indulge!

10. Enjoy the fun amenities on board like the Broadway style shows, ice bars, karaoke, jazz lounges, comedy clubs, themed deck parties, and specialty shows such as The Blue Man Group.

What do you love about cruising?


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**Did you check out my Wanderlust Wednesday post about a friend's destination wedding in Punta Cana last month? If you're interested in planning a destination wedding or are planning your honeymoon, don't forget to check out Destination Weddings & Honeymoons**

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Mediterranean Cruise on Norwegian Epic

Our first stop on our European adventure was in Barcelona, and then it was time to board the Norwegian Epic for a 3 night Mediterranean cruise. Cruising the Mediterranean was absolutely surreal, such an amazing experience!

Other than Royal Caribbean's Oasis and Allure of the Seas, the Norwegian Epic is the largest ship on the water. It was massive!

Room 10128 ~ Once you go balcony you can't go back!

*Ready to set sail on the Mediterranean*

*1st drinks of the cruise - of course I got the souvenir cup*

*Svedka Ice Bar ~ $20 admission which includes 2 vodka mixed ice drinks*

*Amazing to look out the window and see the beautiful Mediterranean Sea*

*Main Dining Room*

*Casino Bar*

*H winning us some money at roulette*

*One of my favorite things about cruises is all the food*

So much amazing entertainment on this ship! Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil dinner shows in the Spiegel Tent, comedy club, piano bar, Irish pub, jazz club, night club, and dance parties under the stars.