You’re dreaming of lying on the beach or by the pool, drink
in your hand, Kindle by your side, basking in the sun to the sounds of a steel
drum. And waiting for your cruise is sheer torture.
|
Picturing yourself here, in Roatan's Mahogany Bay? |
Is there anything you can do to pass the
time? Sure! Here are some things you could do—and should do—to get pumped up
and ready to go:
Do
now
Passport
valid? Check! You’ll need it even for
the Caribbean—or the cruise lines will make you show a certified birth
certificate. Important note: your passport cannot be expiring within six months
of your trip. For more, see the posting, “The One Thing You Absolutely Must Know Before You
Cruise.”
Make
your list and check it twice. Now’s a
great time to make your packing list if you don’t have one. You’ll want plenty
of time to add to it.
Extra!
Extra! Sign up for the
extras—beverage packages, excursions, specialty restaurants and shows now so
you don’t have to think about it later. (For Oasis and Allure of the Seas,
you need to
|
Sign up for the ice show on the Oasis or Allure before you go |
book shows online before you go, unless you want to stand on a
wait-list line before the performance.)
Lose
it. You might consider dropping a few
pounds to make room for some new ones. And once you do, you’ll need new clothing
for the new, svelte you, so…
Shop
for less. Time to get shopping! All
you’ll need is a bathing suit, cover up, shorts, tops, flip flops and a few
nice things for dinner.
Don’t
forget the to-do. You don’t want to
get halfway to the airport or port and get that punched-in-the-stomach feeling when
you realize you left something behind. Make that to-do list now. Some tasks to
put on it: pay bills, stop mail, turn off water, gas up car, give contact info
to family.
The
right dose. Check your medicine
supplies to make sure you’ll have enough. You don’t want to run out while
you’re in the Caribbean.
Travel
ahead. Book your flight and/or hotel
sooner rather than later to get a good deal and make sure you can get the place
and time of your choice.
Watch
for a drop. Keep your eye on the
price of your trip. If it goes down, you could qualify for a discount.
Plan
to socialize. Sign up for a Cruise Critic
“Meet and Greet” if there’s one on your trip. Check out cruisecritic.com to find out and/or join the roll call and virtually
meet some of your upcoming travel peers. See posting “Free and Worth Every Penny.”
Get
in the groove. Add a count-down
graphic to your Cruise Critic signature and blog, and change the wallpaper on
your PC to a beach scene.
Cruise
the web. There’s so much info out there
to give you tips on your ports and ship. For some great sites, see the posting “Cruising
the Web.”
A
week before
Follow
that ship. Use the (free) Ship Mate app, which you can get from cruiseline.com, to track where your ship is at any given moment.
Weather
watch. Check out the upcoming weather
at your ports of call with cruiseoutlook.com.
Get
Harry to sing. Few sounds evoke the
Caribbean more than Harry Belafonte’s Calypso. Spring for one of his CDs or hop
on YouTube for some “Day
O.”
If Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” or Arrow’s “Hot,
Hot, Hot” is more your style, they’re
on YouTube, too. Guaranteed you’ll hear both at least once on your cruise.
Start
the party now. Now that you’ve got
your Harry Belafonte CD, throw yourself a Bon Voyage party. Brew up a batch of
rum punch, carve a watermelon boat, make some jerk chicken and limbo the night
away!
A
few days before
Get
‘em clean and full. Juice up your
tablet and phone, make sure your camera batteries are full and your SD card is
clean and ready.
Pack
it in. The earlier you start, the
more time you’ve got to swap things out. And add in what you almost forgot.
Now you’re ready to cast away!