AARP Rewards Online Community Cruise Contest 2023

My husband and I love cruising.
Years ago, I made a grid (in Excel) that captured day-to-day what port we were in, if we had an excursion, etc.
I bring "Command" plastic clips and affixed a couple to the mirror nearest the door. The cruise planner, excursion tickets, and our cruise cards all got their own clip. It made it so easy to find things. At the end of the cruise, pull them off and reuse them on your next voyage.
Once on board, we head straight to the adult-only area (on Princess ships) and book deck chairs for the whole cruise. The quiet places on board are a little bit of heaven each day.... some offer noise cancelling headsets if you want to catch up listening to music on board. 
We purchase cruise line-specific gift cards through AARP for a bit of savings. 
Now that some lines have gone digital, cruise cards are going by the wayside.... so if your chosen cruise line has done this (like Princesss Cruises), be sure to bring your smart phone so you can take advantage of digital ordering and other features. 
We bring two suitcases which we cross-pack so if one bag gets lost, we both have clothes in the second bag. Also, we bring a carry-on with one change of clothes and bathing suits, meds and other essentials. That one doesn't leave our side through all pre-cruise travel... but we check it in on the way home.
We love using the baggage check service that the cruise line offers. We leave our bags outside the cabin and don't have to deal with them again until we deplane back home. Well worth the additional cost.
Lastly, we get to the departure port 1-2 days ahead of time to start relaxing.
#keepcalmandcruiseon

One way I learn about helpful tips for my cruise is to go to You Tube and look up blogs from passengers who were on my exact cruise - same ship and same locations.  Most of them have videos of the ship and places you are going and they give great advice.

Cruising is my favorite way to vacation! My family and I have gone on more than a dozen cruises together and the following are some of the things we have learned along the way:

It is a luxurious way to travel on a budget. You can save a lot of money with the discounted gift cards that are available on the AARP Rewards web site. I purchased two $100 Carnival Cruise Lines gift cards for $180 before my last cruise and converted them to a $200 on board credit which I used to purchase shore excursions while we were on the ship.

You can also save money by paying for your cruise with discounted gift cards from AARP or booking your flight and cruise through the AARP Travel Center!

The AARP Rewards site also offers discounted gift cards for car rentals, hotels and restaurants that may save you money getting to or from the ship. We have used our AARP Membership to get discounted rates on hotels and restaurants many times and if you also pay with discounted gift cards you save twice!

If you have to travel very far it is a good idea to stay at a hotel near the cruise terminal the night before you sail. You should check in as early as you can on the day of departure. There is usually a very nice lunch buffet on the pool deck available as soon as you board the ship. You will not be able to get into your cabin until late afternoon so if you want to go in the pool you should either wear a bathing suit under your clothes or put one in your carry on.

The cruise line will probably invite you to the theater before they get to the first port of call so they can advertise the merchandise that some of the vendors will be selling at the upcoming ports. You can watch it on the TV in your cabin but if you go in person you may win some of the merchandise or prizes that they raffle off! I once won dinner for two at the ship's specialty steak house! It was a wonderful treat!

If you are able to carry all of your own luggage off of the ship when it is time to leave, the cruise line will probably allow you to walk off the ship early in the morning, otherwise you will be directed to a public seating area where you will have to wait until they call your section to leave. That could take hours. It is so much nicer to walk off of the ship right after breakfast and be on your way home!

Relax and have a great time and remember to be kind and generous to the people who serve you. They work very long hours and many of them are there so they can support their families back home.

I love the private islands in the Bahamas. Can relax on the beach and enjoy the beautiful weather safely. Most lines have a destination and these islands are free. 

When we cruise we usually park at a offsite parking secured lot (Park Port Canaveral) that is much cheaper than the port. They shuttle you right to the porters at the port to take your luggage. However, the last time we went to Port Canaveral we stayed overnight at a hotel across from the offsite port parking lot the night before embarking. They offered 5 nights free parking included with your stay. We were on a 10 day cruise and the additional parking fees would be almost half of what we prepaid to the offsite port parking place. Great savings! Also, remember the port side of the ship is the left side. To easily remember this, both have four letters : )   Also, if you're traveling down the hallways, the fish on the carpet are swimming towards the front of the ship, so you know which way you are walking. And, depending on what ship you are taking, AARP has a discounter gift card for most cruise lines. We've bought Carnival cards at a nice discount to use on the ship (do not use a debit card when you check-in at ship, the hold they place can send your account into oblivion) and for booking. Have a super cruise!!!

I have never been on a cruise, but many of my family members have enjoyed cruising different continents of the world.  I have lived vicariously through their adventures over the years and thought that a cruise would be the perfect celebration for my 50th wedding anniversary.  I have heard that the food is amazing, shows are entertaining, and there are so many different activities on the ship for all ages.  Because the cruise ship has so many food choices, it is a good backup plan for meals when you are hesitant to eat the local foods when touring different ports.  The one thing that I find appealing about taking a cruise is that you don't have to worry about packing and unpacking at each destination, and most everything is prepaid in advance to make the trip more enjoyable.

On my last cruise we arrived a day early so that we were sure to be ontime for the cruise and to not have any travel tie ups.  Take a reusable straw, and reusable water bottle.  You can take magnetic hooks or an over the door shoe organizer for extra storage, and a clothesline with hooks will be helpful as well.  

I have never been on a cruise before. I imagine the great food & putting on my dancing shoes. I definitely will find the right outfit for dancing! Deborah Gonzalez

My first cruise was on my birthday this past November, it was not a very good experience on the Royal Caribbean. We spent a majority of the cruise at customer service for various issues from dirty cabin from the first day to purchase of wifi and never getting it because of technical issues. Was thinking of cruising carnival because our kids cruise on there at least 3x a year and seem to never have any issues.