Cruising is not for everyone. There, I said it! But, let’s be real. It really isn’t – not everyone wants to be on the water over the land and not everyone can handle being on the water over land!

When it comes to cruising, most of my experience has been working on various vessels on different bodies of water. This is due to the fact that I wanted a very diverse experience when it comes to gaining my 100-ton captains license and using it as a captain in various places of employment. I worked on the Arkansas River as a captain of a paddle-wheeler, I’ve piloted vessels on the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers, I worked as a captain in Alaska on Skilak Lake, and on Lake Powell. I was a deckhand onboard American Cruise Lines and Lindblad where I worked on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. What I’m saying is that I love being on the water, either for work or play! So, I tend to lean a bit more that direction.

Our itinerary brought us from the Port of Tampa to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Honduras, and Belize. The main reason for us to actually book this trip was to gain experience on a Royal Caribbean ship, but also to see the historical Mayan ruins! Using our company’s relationship with Shore Excursions, as opposed to Royal Caribbean directly, we were able to secure three tours long this trip that had a guide pick us up from a location off-ship and visit these historic sites. Shore Excursions allows for the same tours and trips while visiting a port, but for us it was much nicer than the direct cruise line options because we usually had just our own family and friends / group as part of the excursion instead of 50-100 people that are on the ship’s tours! The only downside that I truly saw was that you had to wait for the Royal Caribbean excursion clients to board the ferry or shuttle. When we visited Belize, we ended up being about 30-45 minutes late. Because they had the same guarantee to get you back to the ship and wait for you (and since we were the only ones on the tour!) it was not that big of a deal. What is a big deal is how you want to experience the shore. Do you want a relaxing day at the beach? A tour of a historical or cultural site? Do you want to stay on board and relax poolside? All of these are discussed in this month’s Make America Travel Again podcast!

When it comes to preparing for a cruise, it is important to think about the luggage and what you are packing! Let’s not start off your trip as a statistic – make sure to remove any weapons, explosives, and spray cans. Security does not like these items! Beauty products like hairspray, etc – will be fine entering the cruise ship, but if you plan to take a flight, they will usually take this from you. Additionally, make sure to leave your extension cords at home! They WILL be confiscated at security before you even make it on the ship. If you do have items confiscated, do not worry (at least at the cruise ship!) They will hold them for you, and you can pick them up after the cruise. They just cannot be used on board.

When I pack for a trip, I personally pack very light. I usually go with the “5-5-5 rule”, meaning I try to pack 5 shirts, 5 pants, and 5 dresses. Underwear and socks I usually pack enough for the entire trip, but with outfits you can mix and match. I will adapt depending on the specific cruise or trip. For instance, when I went to Ireland I packed 7 shirts, 5 of them long sleeved and 7 pants, with some of them thermal leggings. I knew it would be cold and I only needed 1-2 dresses. When I was on the cruise, I packed 7 dresses – one for each day! In keeping with a general 15 pieces of clothing limit, I find that I am able to bring more items that I love more than the outfits. With the room I save, I can bring more bathing suits, alcohol (750ml are allowed if you check your baggage!), fun items like walkie talkies or decorations for the room, and I save room if I buy items while on excursion. Additionally, though they do have a spa and places to buy spa items, I find it best to bring my own. I usually bring face masks, gel socks, hair items, etc to spoil myself when I travel. Travel should be fun, not stressful!

The process of onboarding was surprisingly easy. I recommend downloading the app for the cruise line and connect your cruise. It was helpful to see the daily itinerary – they will even add it to your calendar and will alert you when the event is about to happen. I loved going to the free bracelet event and appreciated the alerts since they were at different times depending on the day. What I also found was that as we got closer to the date for boarding, more and more events and items were added to the app!

It is important to understand the difference between a closed loop and open loop cruise and how this will affect you if you do not have a passport. First, GET A PASSPORT! They are good for ten years and there really isn’t a reason NOT to have one. It is another official form of identification and more importantly, it allows you to visit other countries! A closed loop cruise is one where you enter and exit at the same port. For instance, we entered the Port of Tamp and went on our cruise, and came back to the Port of Tampa. Cruises like this, you can bring a birth certificate. Say you realize too late you need to update your passport (which, if you book with Talley Your Adventure, we make sure to alert you when your passport is 90 days away from expiring) you can still attend the cruise if it is closed loop. Be aware – the line will be long! The passport is always the best option. I had to recently renew mine and it was incredibly easy. You don’t need to go to a post office anymore – you can take the passport photo right at your house! I renewed online and it took less than a week to arrive.

I hope this post has inspired you to continue to get out and Talley Your Adventure by cruising! Make sure to follow the Make America Travel Again podcast, every Friday at 11 a.m.!

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