AARP Rewards Online Community Cruise Contest 2024

[AARPTeri]

Whether you're a seasoned cruiser or a first-time explorer, we want to hear from you!   

The contest runs from April 8 through May 5, 2024. We will choose four (4) winners to receive a $300 AARP Rewards Cruise Line Gift Card! 

To enter, reply to this post before May 5, 2024, with your top tips, tricks, and hacks for leveraging AARP Rewards to elevate your excursion experiences.

Official Rules for the contest are posted here -  https://community.aarp.org/t5/AARP-Rewards-Connect/AARP-Rewards-Online-Community-Cruise-Contest-2024...

Share your top tips, tricks, and hacks for leveraging AARP Rewards to elevate your excursion experiences.  From booking strategies to excursion recommendations, every insight counts! Share now in AARP Rewards Online forum for a chance to win!

Example Post:

I went on my first cruise after winning a sweepstakes and have enjoyed cruising ever since that was 15 years ago! I love meeting new people on cruises and excursions.

[BobbiD594560]

On a Carnival cruise that has Guy's BBQ go as soon as you board. They're never busy on embarkation day cuz most people don't realize they're open

 If you wait till sea days the lines are endless. 

[Nelsonmark]

Make on m-ship specialty dining reservations as soon as you book your trip for the best times and days. Pick a day when the Main Dining Room menu isn’t your preference. Many times booking a slot on night one includes a free bottle of wine. 

[dd1409]

Check with your physician about taking seasick meds.  

[LisaMathaya]

They usually have significant discounts & specials for the Spa on port days! It's fun to do that when u don't find an excursion that u want to do!

[WendyL82015]

Study up on efficient packing (cubes, rolling vs. folding, using space inside shoes and your neck pillow wisely). Also, be realistic about what you need vs. what you want, AND what you can expect versus what you assume is included or even available (a/c, dry cleaning, etc.).  Less is more, watch the weather, and plan for success! 

[LindaW348106]

Be flexible—and you’ll never get bent out of shape.

[pr9779]

Never been on a cruise so i don’t have any tips. All the more reason that I need to win. 🤣

[JenniferM502736]

Carnival Cruises: a magnet for your door to easily locate your room.  Download the carnival hub app before getting on the boat. Take a refillable bottle with so you can hydrate or die.  Laundry service prevents over packing. 

[g816942a]

My husband & I have been cruising for years, mainly Caribbean. We are planning for a European cruise one day

i I agree with many posts:

1) Magnetic walls, got my hooks 2 for $1.25 at Dollar tree

2) Don’t overpack- Use mix-match clothing. Most clothing for dinner you are not in it long, wear again later in cruise.

3) If you can afford it , balcony is the way to go.

4) we mostly use Celebrity with our church group as it has less screaming children on it. Look at itinerary of next days acts and make small adjustable plans.

5) Even if no real plans, get off at every port, you may happen on something to cause you to return to try sgain.

6) Excursions can be an expensive , ask ship steward for other activities you can try locally. They will give you the ‘safe’ ones to try, and how to get there, great local cuisine restaurants to try, best shops that are selling authentic items, especially jewelry. No scams.

It’s good to have (as a woman), a small crossbody or pouch on lanyard to hold cabin room card, ID, money etc for on & off ship. Large purses are targets for pickpockets & cumbersome.

Shoes with good soles for off the ship treks. 
Make friends with your cabin steward, give them a tip if desired, they can usually get any extra items you may want (hangers, etc).

please tip all your help (usually included in price). If not, pay upfront. Then you don’t have to worry about any addl costs at end of cruise. 
Happy Sailing!

[pattiea12]

Don't feel like you have to do a cruise-line (expensive) tour at each port.  Do research and see what you can do on your own or with an independent tour operator -- just be sure to be back to the ship on time, because if you're not with a ship-sponsored tour and you are late, they will leave without you.  

Bring magnetic hooks to use to hang things on the walls and (better) ceiling.  Bring a portable clothesline to hang wet bathing suits and items you washed in the sink.  

Put your empty suitcases under the bed to save room.  

If you have a balcony, enjoy it, but make sure to close the slider door to keep A/C running in your cabin.  

[OrganizedChaos75]

I've only cruised on Carnival, so I can only speak in regards to them. Use your AARP membership combined with AARP Rewards to purchase the Carnival e-gift cards for 10% off. The great thing about Carnival gift cards is that they can be used for pretty much everything. You can pay your cruise fare, order items from Carnival's online Fun Shops prior to the cruise, take them onboard to add to your Sail & Sign account, and even purchase cruise excursions (through Carnival) with them. All for 10% off. You may not think it's much, but trust me, when you use them for everything, they add up. I'm here to tell you first-hand, you can save hundreds of dollars on your Carnival cruise. The great thing about AARP's 10% off Carnival e-gift cards is that they're emailed to you almost immediately. No waiting for them to be shipped and no shipping fee. With the savings you'll get purchasing 10% off Carnival cards from AARP Rewards, you'll easily make up for the cost of an AARP membership, which, let's face it, is very affordable as it is.

[rg335]

 For bargain shoppers look for last-minute cruise discounts, use AARP's discounts and special pricing, and leverage AARP Rewards (i.e., savings on cruise gift cards) to elevate your excursion experiences!

[mikeian]

The top tip for leveraging AARP Rewards to elevate the cruising experience is researching cruising.  AARP has a fantastic travel section and one of the best member only access articles is "AARP Smart Guide to Cruises"  This article has 47 tips for planning, packing and landing the best deal. AARP also has you covered to reduce your out of pocket by using AARP rewards gift cards for about a 10% savings. The more you know, the more you save.  

[elenaeml]

Read a fiction or nonfiction book about one of the ports of call before you go.  While at the port see if the author got it right.

[lovies]

My husband and I will be celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary in June on a Princess British Isles Cruise.  We're so looking forward to seeing beautiful new places where we've never visited before.  We look forward to spending our childrens' inheritance, and we definitely deserve it! 

[bp51934772]

 I've never cruised, so a free one would be an incredible way to try it out.

[DeborahT4991]

Be sure to buy gift cards through AARP before you go to save $. 

[bp51934772]

 Odd...after I just entered this contest already a few minutes ago, I was kicked out of AARP's website, had to reenter login info, only to find out that my original post was already in place. I deserve a cruise after that hassle!!! lol

[SonjaS768264]

That probably has more to do with your internet connection than the AARP website...nice try!!!🤣🤣🤣

[QcyZ]

We always take advantage of the free shows which are top notch usually

[QcyZ]

We always book a room in mid ship if on large ocean due to motion sickness.  You won't feel the waves as much

[DavidJ112310]

Port side of the ship is often the better side for your cabin. Why, the captains bridge is on the port side and therefore the ship often docks on the port side. This allows you to see the shore when your in port.

[marib117]

Would that it were so.  Many times we book starboard to have a view of the sea away from the port shoreside and we end up facing the port.  

[r86700r]

Don't over pack, leave half of suitcase for souvenirs. Pack two pairs of pants that can be matched with different tops. Take a small sample size of washing powder for items that can be washed and hang in the bathroom to dry.   

[robinr888852]

Much of the enjoyment of any event comes from anticipation of the fun. Whether you're traveling with a group, as a couple or by yourself, you can up your excitement with advance actions to anticipate the fun.  Buy some sea or boat-themed kitchen towels to put up.  Same thing with stickers that you can put on your calendar with "One month to cruise!" or other reminders.  Buy some Tiki or paper umbrellas and put in your morning smoothie or evening cocktail.  Seashell-shaped or ocean-scented candles are great, too.  Buy matching t-shirts, scarves or tie/bowties for everyone to wear on the cruise and they'll remind you of the fun, after the event.  

[ChristineK807586]

It has been a long time since we have gone on a cruise!  But we did enjoy them.  We always purchased the drink package and took some excursions.  I really like reading all the tips on this thread and hope we can have access to it well after the contest so that when i book our next cruise i can gather all these tips!

[jchadwick56]

Before the night shows, check the nearby bars-there is usually a special drink(couple bucks)- order and take into show(there will cost

$7-$10 each 

[bp51934772]

Would that matter if you bought the drink "package"?

[marib117]

Try to arrive the day before your cruise departs, especially if your embarkation port is overseas.  Flight delays could cause you to miss the ship if you fly in on day of departure.

Join CruiseCritic which is full of help and information from seasoned cruisers about cruising in general and cruise lines and ships in particular.  Also look for a roll call for your cruise.  You can plan sharing of private shore excursions with fellow cruisers, letting you travel in a smaller group at a better price than ship excursions might be.  A great way to make new friends.

If you do book shore excursions through the ship, don't wait too long to sign up or the excursions you want may be filled up.

If you are going on a destination intensive cruise, do some research on the ports so you know where you can DIY and where an excursion is the best option.   For some ports you can find great walking tour information online.

Check with your cruise to see if you need to pre-book any activities or dining.  Some cruise lines let you book reservations for specialty dining restaurants and may have a time frame for doing so, sometimes based on your booked stateroom class.

If you plan to charge up multiple electronic devices don't pack a power strip with a surge protector built in to it - they can't be used on cruise ships.  

Pack anything you want to have with you in a carryon or tote that you will keep with you when boarding (meds, swimsuit, etc.) or you may be waiting for some time for your luggage to arrive at your stateroom.

Bring magnetic hooks which usually will work on the walls.   Bring a hanging collapsible shoe bag (the kind that has pockets) or something similar - this works great for holding things like sunscreen, insect repellent, etc.  and keeps that stuff off the shelves where you might have limited space.  

Want to travel light or carry on only? Bring a collapsible water bottle.  And a collapsible backpack that folds into its own pouch.   Lightweight rain jackets that fold into their own pocket pouch.   Packable puffer jackets for colder weather that also pack into their own pocket pouch.  A foldup shopping tote as well.  

Color coordinate your clothes to pack fewer items.  Women can accessorize with jewelry (leave the expensive stuff home) to change up their looks.

Traveling with a spouse who has large feet?  Ladies, you may be able to slip your sandals inside their shoes (I have actually done this!).  

If you can wear clothes that have some spandex/poly in them, you can find lots of clothes that can be literally rolled up and will unroll without wrinkles.  I have been able to pack a half dozen tops/skirts/slacks to wear to dinner in a small packing cube.

Get some inflatable hangers (I have a set my mom gave me back in 1970!!!).  These are great for hand wash and gym clothes.  If you hang a wet shirt on them, the inflation keeps the front and back from sticking together so they dry faster. (these work great for any kind of travel, not just cruising).

If your ship has self service laundry, bring a cloth laundry bag and a collapsible laundry basket - this will make carrying your dirty laundry and clean folded laundry a breeze.

Use a packing list - there are lots out there, many specifically for cruisers - which will help you make sure that you don't forget something you need.    And after your cruise,  look at what you did and didn't use on your cruise - that will help you with packing for the next one.

Consider travel insurance very carefully and seriously.  Friends have broken bones while on excursions, and I have seen people disembarked with medical issues mid-cruise.  Personally, I have broken a bone tripping onboard a ship once.  I also developed a severe respiratory infection bordering on pneumonia that required medical attention onboard and payment upfront, but travel insurance reimbursed the very substantial bill (over $2K - lots more than what I would be billed at home).  While it is not cheap, it can be invaluable if you require medical attention.  AARP members can also take advantage of the discount for Medjet Assist medical evacuation insurance (not the same as travel insurance).

If you are traveling to foreign countries, research the currency needed and plan for how you will get it.  Even in the Caribbean, some ports like Martinique use the Euro- some shops won't accept dollars and small vendors don't always take credit cards.  

Go with an open mind and heart and enjoy yourself!

[d48294l]

I have been on many cruises marib117, and I still learned a lot from your tips. Thank you very much.

Diana