Cruising the Caribbean on a Party Ship

 

So you are thinking of taking a cruise. A word of advice. Make it a caribbean cruise. I’ve been on close to two hundred cruises and the three things I tell all my friends are “choose the right ship”, “choose the best destination” and “choose the best companion”. The first and third are third are interchangeable. I have friends I travel with for fun. Then there are friends I cruise with for relaxation. And never the twain shall meet.

 

The hardest part of a cruise is the research. Believe me. I do this for a living and because of people like me writing blogs like this, I think sometimes decisions are actually harder rather than easier. There is just so, so much information on cruise holidays that perhaps there is now too much choice. So to that end, let me now add to the confusion.

Let’s Party

I booked my caribbean cruise with Carnival Liberty. It’s known as the “fun ship”. Which is bit of an understatement. It’s probably more fun packed into seven days than I’ve had in my entire life. That’s a whole lotta fun! We were due to sail around the caribbean for a week. I had left the family behind. And I was now a twenty something year-old again. Heck, let’s not be an old fuddy-duddy. I chose to be more like a teenager.  The ship attracts a profile of cruiser slightly different from your average. There are no mobility scooters. No retirees. It’s high school kids, honeymooners, college graduates, and families. The ship is an absolute monster. It will carry over three and a half thousand passengers. It’s got more than twelve hundred crew on board and had dozens of bars, restaurants, pools and snack bars on it’s nine decks. The main pool is overlooked by a gigantic television screen where at night time you can enjoy cinema under the stars and below that there is an all night dance club featuring bands and DJ’s.

 

It’s a full-on week and after it you may need another holiday if you know what I mean. Perhaps the pretence of being a teenager once again didn’t fit with my physical prowess, but I certainly gave it my best shot. For kids young and old there is a gigantic slice at a crazy angle that splashes right next to the pool. There is gym next door. And next to that a casino.

 

And to not mention the food would be near on impossible. The food and the drink are in limitless supply. It’s hard to imagine or even describe the never ending supply of buffets which begin with breakfast and then turn into lunch which turns into dinner which turns into supper and then just keeps going. There must be a small army of kitchen staff behind the scenes preparing this mountain of food.  

 

But the food and drink is just one of so, so many attractions of a caribbean cruise holiday on board the Carnival Liberty.

 

 

10 Essential Cruise Packing Tips

We have tonnes of advice for you on what works based on years of experience. So here goes…

Roll your clothes

This works a treat. When you roll it saves tonnes of space. You don’t need to roll everything. But it really works on t-shirts and jeans.

Pack an empty bag

A tote bag is essential. It’s great for small items. And you can carry your toiletries in it. It’s not great for dirty laundry as it’s too small. And of course if you end up buying lots of goodies, you will need somewhere to carry them.

Drier sheets

Pop  a couple of these into your luggage and keep your clothes fresh and scented.

Roll up your socks

And stick them in your shoes. It works a treat! Not only does it save space. But it also keeps your shoes in shape.

Use a couple of zip-lock bags.

Put one zip lock-lock bag inside the other. And kiss goodbye to leaky shampoo bottles all over your suitcase.

Use a binder clip

Keep your razors safe. Pop a binder clip on it. Simples

Belt in your collar

Pop a rolled up belt inside your shirt collar. It saves space. And keeps the collars shape. great , eh?

Wrinkle reducers

Not just for your face. But for your clothes! There are now sprays you can get.

Shower caps

Pop a couple on your shoes. And keep the dirt from moving from your shoes to your clothes.

Shoes on the bottom

Pop your shoes on the bottom of your suitcase. This will keep your luggage from becoming top heavy and falling over. So keep the heavy goods on the bottom of your suitcase.
For more information on discount cruises visit www.cruiseparadise.ie