Go With The Flow vs. Schedule Everything

[twodaend]

We have our 1st cruise coming up in the summer of 2023 and I'm wondering how do most people cruise.  Do you go with the flow meaning you just do things as you feel or do you schedule everything and have each day planned out.  For example, I was looking at the cruise planner and I see you can reserve specialty dinner and now some lunch has shown up.  This is our first cruise so we probably will take advantage of the main dinning room this time around for dinner.  However we did want to try at least one of the specialty restaurants for lunch.  However, this far out, scheduling lunch seems a bit odd.

When we get on the ship, from what we understand, we can schedule shows, and other activities.  Thus by scheduling lunch this far out, plus with the set port days in which we plan to do some sort of excursion, which again is another scheduled activity, got me to wondering, do people schedule each day of their cruise, or just wing it and go with the flow.

[Linda R]

I schedule a few things but like to leave open times.  I do not think you can schedule yet for a cruise next summer.  But main things I do schedule ahead, like excursions.  Even if there are excursions I want to do in every port, I do not schedule them everyday.  I do not like to feel rushed and committed all the time.  I may stay up late, like 1-2am and then regret I have an excursion at 7am.  You cannot see everything, or even do everything on the ship that is offered.  I pick the few things I really want to do, and just go with the flow for the rest of it.  But everyone is different.   

I also go on cruises for different reasons.  Sometimes to just relax and do things as they come.  The main theater I do not not think even requires reservations anymore.  I have been on several cruises this year, and is open seating.  Smaller venues may require reservations but you can almost always get in without them.

Other cruises, like the one I just took for 2 weeks in Europe, I did schedule many excursions.  It was a busier vacation but loved it.  Just not too relaxing and always a bit tired.

You will get it figured out, and get better at planning once you have been on a few cruises.  Just enjoy!

[smokeybandit]

Somewhere in the middle.  

[Do you love it]

I like to schedule big things: specialty dining (dinner), shows like Hair spray, must do excursions.  Most of my trip I wing it.  Personally I wouldn't lock myself into a lunch.  

 

[Jill]

I always schedule dinners (we usually do the unlimited dining package) and shows. I’m a planner though and like to know what I’m doing each evening. 

We rarely do excursions in the Caribbean. Always just plan a beach day

Just finished a 12 night Holy Land/Greece and that was heavily planned due to the extensive ports of call. Did a 5 night dining package with 7 nights in the dining room. 

If there’s anything that you really want to do, reserve it in advance 

[twodaend]

When I saw the specialty lunch in the cruise planner, I figured the pre-cruise price might be a deal, but the hassle of scheduling a lunch and having to stick to the day and time selected seems a bit stressful.  I'm guessing you can just go to a specialty restaurant and just pay the cover charge although it may be more than the sale in the cruise planner.

[ChessE4]

1 hour ago, twodaend said:

When I saw the specialty lunch in the cruise planner, I figured the pre-cruise price might be a deal, but the hassle of scheduling a lunch and having to stick to the day and time selected seems a bit stressful.  I'm guessing you can just go to a specialty restaurant and just pay the cover charge although it may be more than the sale in the cruise planner.

Last week we had a specialty lunch at Chops which we ordered and reserved in Cruise Planner.  Our only option was a SeaDay, and it was simple to pick our time (noon).  Not stressful, just easy.  In June, we ate at Jamie's on a different ship.  The lunches are delicious, there is plenty of food, and they are less expensive - about 1/2 the price of dinner.

[AshleyDillo]

3 hours ago, twodaend said:

When I saw the specialty lunch in the cruise planner, I figured the pre-cruise price might be a deal, but the hassle of scheduling a lunch and having to stick to the day and time selected seems a bit stressful.  I'm guessing you can just go to a specialty restaurant and just pay the cover charge although it may be more than the sale in the cruise planner.

You can pre-buy and lock in the price and change your reservation once onboard if the time doesn't work for you. If you can't find a time you can ask them to refund what you paid in the Cruise Planner.

[King of Wales]

It’s tough not to want to do everything, but the fact is you can’t do everything.  That’s especially true if “relax” is on the must do list along with all the ship and the ports have to offer. I always feel like I’ll likely never be on the same ship twice so want to do everything as can while on board.  It’s always felt like the days are scheduled around meals, even port days to an extent.  Anyway, we’ve found that try not to Over schedule helps create a balance. Being willing to skip an activity when your getting tiered can help to, so aside from not over planning/scheduling being flexible might be the best advice I’d offer.

[TeRriii]

For shorter cruise like 3-5 nights maybe you want to cram everything you can do onboard. But for longer cruises you may take it slowly, skipping breakfast and lunch for long sleep then order room service when you wake up at 2 p.m or having bloated overeating stomach from previous days in MDR / specialty restaurant, you can have light meal like sandwiches,salad or pizza at cafe / sorrentos. 

 

[FSUFAN]

IMHO, it depends on the ports of call.  Anything Alaska means that there is very much to see and experience off of the ship.  I think first time Alaska cruisers need to do as many off-ship excursions as possible. Our first trip to Alaska (many years back), we did a float plane trip in Ketchikan, a whale watching trip in Juneau, and the Train trip out of Skagway that went up to the Yukon (at the time) with lunch at a dog-sled place.  It was a lot, but we got to experience a ton of really cool stuff. We were life-long Floridians back then and it was a very radical change of scenery for us.  The float plane trip was phenomenal. We are going back in June and will probably do less off ship. 

Again, in my opinion, the Caribbean stops, particularly the ones that are near ports from Florida in a 7-day sailing, are all very similar. Beach, snorkeling, drinking fruity drinks, T-Shirt and straw-hat shops. 

[CrimsonCruiser]

I'm somewhere in the middle. The annual cruise my mom and I take is literally our only vacation in the year so it is important to us that it both be relaxing and interesting, equally. So we plan the big things i.e. excursions. We plan one excursion per port and make sure to break up the level of activity so we don't end up doing 2 or 3 days of high-intensity exploring back to back.

On the ship, we plan what shows we want to see and when since those fill up but we never really plan the smaller level events (we try mind you...but we never stick to it). Since we get a free dinner from our TA, we also plan that but that's pretty easy for us since neither of us eat lobster so we just skip lobster night.

Other than that we really just go with the flow, doing what feels right at the time and enjoying the time away from work.

[JC Pats]

As with many others, somewhere in the middle. On Day 1.. I will book my Specialty Dining and everything else I end up doing on board, revolves around that. As for excursions, I do book those out in advance, as some of the places I like to go, can book up quick and/or have limited capacity. I do NOT try to do everything as I am a believer of Less is More. (Less activities, More relaxation). 

[billnye97]

What can actually be booked on the ships other then specialty dining? I'm sailing on the Liberty and Freedom in December. Are shows something I need to reserve when I get on the ship? What about ice skating (actually skating not the show)? I'm still puzzled over what needs to be reserved. 

[ChessE4]

We found out yesterday that shows on Allure can be booked for our December cruise. So Oasis class, etc. I don't know about Liberty, but App will indicate if you can.

[barbeyg]

I schedule shows that take reservations, and specialty dining we really want.  Tours that we desire. We are casual about everything else, may even change plans at last minute.

[WannaCruise]

I'm a scheduler, but that's me as a person.  I like to plan and know what's coming up....plus that just helps with the excitement for the time between the cruise to when you board.  For planning, I'll look at other cruise compasses (or on app) to similar itinerary on our ship and even spreadsheet it out to see the options.  I know that this may not be the same as our cruise but it gives me an idea.  I am happy that pre-booking for shows is returning for some ships as this helps too.

We also do traditional dining, but even when we had My Time on Allure, I had booked dinner each night (around the show times)

[Ampurp85]

I echo that sweet spot in the middle. Plan for things like shows and dining reservation but flow with everything else. I don't ever try to do all the things, just the things that will make me happy. I see lots of people miserable because they are standing in line for something they planned but at the moment no longer want to do. 

[tjcruisers]

For us it depends on the ship. On the smaller ships I just go with the flow. The Oasis class we schedule many things