Cruise Recs

Feeling seasick on a cruise is certainly a common fear, but is not as common in real life as you might think.  Every cruise can experience rough seas from time to time. Cruise ships have state-of-the-art stabilizers that drastically minimize motion while out at sea.  If you’re prone to motion sickness, pack medication like Dramamine (over the counter) or Scopolamine (prescription patch that goes behind the ear) and you can also try natural remedies like green apples and ginger (We hear ginger chews work wonders). We’ve also heard some have great success with Sea Bands, so that may be an option to try. Also note that cabins mid-ship and mid-to-low-decks usually feel less motion than the far forward or aft and higher decks of the ship. Consider these locations when booking.

A cruise ship is like a travelling city and there is so much to do at any given time, you’d have to work hard to get bored.  Trust us, there is ALWAYS something to do if you want to do something.  From organized participation games like trivia, board games brought to life, life-size checkers, bingo, stage shows, music venues, karaoke, belly flop (and other such) contests, mixology classes, watching a movie (yes, some ships have movie theatres and almost all show movies on the big screen by the pool in the evenings), and more – to more individual activities like reading a book, playing cards, eating a snack, taking a dip in a pool, soaking in a hot tub, people watching, having a chat with someone new, taking a nap, or gazing out at the sea…you can always find something to occupy your time.

Just like in any other public space, there’s always the possibility of catching a virus. Take the same precautions you would when going to any other public space and you’ll be fine.  The crew is CONSTANTLY cleaning, so I would argue that there is less surface contagion on a cruise ship than any other place (except maybe your home).  As for airborne contagion, a cruise ship is no more crowded than a busy airport, theme park, or even your neighborhood grocery store on a Saturday.  Don’t let this fear stop you from having a grand vacation aboard a ship.

Most cruise ships stay in port between 8-12 hours, which is not a lot of time, but enough to experience a destination’s highlights. Does it provide the same amount of time as traveling to that destination independently? Of course
not! But the joy of a cruise is to experience multiple destinations in one vacation – and the cruise ship is a destination in itself when traveling between ports.

Running into a minor rainstorm does happen on occasion, but it’s in the cruise line’s best interest to avoid inclement weather as much as possible. They want guests to be happy and in the safest conditions possible. Every cruise line has advanced tracking systems, state of the art facilities, and employs a full team of people who work hard to make sure that, whenever possible, the ship steers clear of any bad weather conditions (they’re a ship, they can do that) – and they aim to completely avoid severe weather altogether.  This may mean that your itinerary is modified so they can avoid a really bad storm, or you may miss a port because there are rough waters or severe weather at that particular destination, but you can rest assured that will always be safe. Does that mean there will never be rain or windy conditions? No – it sometimes rains and it’s often windy (you’re on a moving ship, after all), but it’s nothing that rises to the level of a safety concern.

Trust me when I say that if you’re not the height of an NBA all-star or traveling with your murderous arch nemesis, you’d have to work really hard to fall overboard.  You’re not going to be walking along a deck, trip, and suddenly find yourself in the ocean.  All railings are over belly button high on the average person (approximately 4 feet) and many are a combo of solid steel and thick tempered glass (no slipping through any open cross bars). So, if you don’t plan on climbing any railings or venturing into restricted parts of the ship, you’ll never find yourself accidentally taking a dip in the sea. If you ARE an NBA all-star, welcome to our site – we love the NBA – but you’re going to be fine, too. Seriously, those railings are solid.