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2. Cash in Empty Travel Shampoo Bottle<\/strong> \u2013 Most cruise lines are a cashless experience. You put a credit card on file and then charge everything to your room including drinks, souvenirs, and optional dining. You really only need your room key the entire time you are on the boat. Unless\u2026you are visiting the casino<\/a>.\u00a0You will need cash if you are gambling and it\u2019s also nice to have some while in port. Want an inconspicuous place to stash your cash? Try an empty travel size shampoo bottle. Simply roll your bankroll insert it in an empty bottle and screw on the top. You can even stash it in your toiletry bag in the bathroom.<\/p>\n 3. Bring\u00a0permitted\u00a0alcohol and\/or mixers on board<\/strong> \u2013 Cruises are \u201call-inclusive\u201d vacations. That\u2019s the beauty of them. However there are a few areas where add-on\u2019s can really add-up. A few glasses of wine here and a cocktail here and there can lead to a big bill at the end of your cruise vacation. Check out your ship\u2019s alcohol policy before boarding and BYOBooze. Most cruise lines will allow for you to bring at least one bottle of wine onto the ship. My husband doesn\u2019t drink wine so he will bring his mixers on the ship and then order a bottle of his favorite spirits and have it delivered to the room on embarkation day. This method saves us a few dollars on each cruise we take.<\/p>\n 4. Bring water shoes<\/strong> \u2013 You may want to throw a bathing suit and a pair of non-slip boat shoes that provide good traction into your suitcase and call yourself packed. Especially on a Caribbean cruise vacation. However, you may want to pack yourself a pair of closed-toe shoes. Some Carnival cruise ships have a SkyCourse, which is a super fun ropes course and\u00a0closed-toe shoes are required. Additionally, those white sandy beaches may be rocky once you get out past the waterline. A cheap pair of water shoes will do the trick.<\/p>\n 5. Magnetic dry erase board<\/strong> \u2013 I pick up one of these at the dollar store before every cruise. Most ships are made of metal. Especially the doors. Bring a magnetic dry erase board and stick it to the inside of the cabin door so that you can leave messages for your family members. \u00a0They are also fun to stick on the outside of your cabin door. We always pose a \u201cquestion of the day\u201d on the board to encourage other\u00a0guests\u00a0to interact with us. It\u2019s fun to read all of the responses at the end of the day.<\/p>\n 6. Don\u2019t skip formal night<\/strong> \u2013\u00a0REPEAT:\u00a0DO NOT SKIP FORMAL NIGHT! Gone, for the most part, are the days of tuxedos and ball gowns on \u201cformal night.\u201d There are still cruise lines that require formal wear, including sports jackets for men on formal night. However, in general, cruising has become more casual. Carnival, for example, is mostly Cruise Casual dress code<\/a> in the evenings, with the occasional Cruise Elegant evening where you have the opportunity to get as decked out as you\u2019d like. But don\u2019t feel like you have to be dressed to the nines to enjoy that lobster dinner. Throw on a sundress and a collared shirt for guys and get your lobster on.<\/p>\n 7. Ship is like a glorious ghost town on port days<\/strong> \u2013 On a longer cruise with multiple ports of call? Stay on the\u00a0ship\u00a0during a port day. No lines at the self serve ice cream dispenser. You might have the hot tub all to yourself.\u00a0You might even get the pool\u00a0to yourself!\u00a0There are so few people on the ship during port days. This would be a great opportunity to read that book out on a lounge chair on Lido Deck in complete silence and take photos of the ship without anyone in your shot. I like to order room service for lunch and sit out on my stateroom balcony and people watch on port days. It\u2019s fun to see all the families coming and going.<\/p>\n 8.\u00a0Skip the elevator, take the stairs<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 It\u2019s vacation!\u00a0They cook, they clean and you enjoy all the deliciousness.\u00a0Who can turn down three-course meals and all night pizza and dessert buffets? Not I.\u00a0Vacation calories don\u2019t count do they? One thing that I have found that helps burn off some of those \u201cvacation calories\u201d is to opt to take the stairs instead of taking the elevator. You get a good cardio workout a few times a day throughout the duration of your cruise experience. Also, cruise stairwells tend to have\u00a0a unique piece of artwork hung on each landing. It\u2019s a\u00a0good workout and a\u00a0great way to get to know the ship.<\/p>\n 9. Embarkation day discounts abound<\/strong> \u2013 Most folks are checking out the ship and getting settled in on embarkation day. Check out the \u201cembarkation day\u201d specials when you board. Spas most always have an embarkation day special. \u00a0Also, specialty restaurants people haven\u2019t happened upon yet are easy to get reservations at on the first night. Carnival\u2019s\u00a0Steakhouse<\/a>\u00a0offers a free bottle of wine if you dine on embarkation day.<\/p>\n 10. Pop up laundry hamper<\/strong> \u2013 While you\u2019re at the dollar store picking up your magnetic dry erase board, think about picking up a cheapie pop up laundry hamper as well.\u00a0They are easy to stow in your cabin closet and will keep all of the dirties corralled in a designated area. When you are packing up on the last day simply dump all the dirties into a suitcase and fold the hamper back flat and slide it into the suitcase or leave it on the ship. It was only $1.<\/p>\n 11. Battery operated tea lights<\/strong> \u2013 Another dollar store find. These make amazing nightlights for bathrooms.<\/p>\n 12. Always pay attention to SHIP\u2019S TI<\/strong>ME<\/strong>\u2013 You don\u2019t want to be the knucklehead running down the dock as the ship is throwing off tie-lines to sail away. Ship\u2019s time rules on the high seas. It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019ve sailed into a different time zone. Keep your watch set on ship\u2019s time. Don\u2019t rely on your cell phone, which may switch to local time if you are in port and take your phone off airplane mode. A wristwatch is always best.<\/span><\/p>\n 13. Purchase an international\u00a0cell package before leaving<\/strong> \u2013 My husband had a\u00a0whopping\u00a0cell phone bill after our last 8-nighter. Of course, if had he pre-purchased a Caribbean plan before we left port it would have been a whole lot cheaper.\u00a0Contact your cell phone service provider and let them know where you will be traveling.\u00a0They will likely offer\u00a0a package to suit your needs.<\/p>\n 14. Last minute deals<\/strong> \u2013 Almost every cruise I have been on has been at a discounted rate. Frequently check in with cruise websites to see what kinds of deals they are running. Last minute cruise deals can save you over 50\u00a0percent! Also, once you have one cruise under your belt you will qualify for a return-cruiser rate. If you book another cruise while you are \u201con\u201d the ship you will\u00a0likely\u00a0get a better rate or reduced down payment amount.<\/p>\n 15. Bring a backpack carry-on<\/strong> \u2013 Remember how we discussed BYOB in number 3? You are going to have to carry that on with you and not put it on your checked luggage. Checked luggage may take quite some time to arrive to your stateroom. Be sure to pack your bathing suit and change of clothes\/toiletries in your carry-on so that you can enjoy the pool and have a change of clothes for dinner just in case your bags haven\u2019t arrived by dinnertime.<\/p>\n This post was created as part of my collaboration with Carnival<\/a>. As always, all of the opinions, thoughts, and ideas in this post are my own.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/images.newscred.com\/1cdbe6ef50ebca1561070fd0b0182b3f\")
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