Cruises are fun for everyone, but especially group of friends who want to spend a vacation together. Ships have so many facilities and activities that everyone in the group of friends can surely find something exciting to do.
Getting on board
Arrange for your group to meet up at least two hours before departure. This will give you plenty of time to make sure everyone is ready for the trip. When the time comes to board, your friend group will be one of the first in the queue and get on board fairly quickly. Make sure all your friends can handle their carry on bags. Offer help to those who can’t.
As soon as you’re on board, unpack your swimsuits and jump into the pool! So make sure to pack swimsuits in a way that they are easily accessible in your carry on. Me and my friends love playing volleyball in the water. There are also floaties so you can chill and sunbathe after getting tired.
Don’t forget to buy an international eSIM to make sure you are connected while at sea. Cruise ships usually have WiFi. You can use it to download videos or any task that requires a lot of bandwidth. But still have some cellular connection just in case wifi does not reach some corners of the ship.
Getting most out of your cruise
When going as group of friends, you can have a lot of fun without even leaving the cruise ship. Still, you can have even more adventures if your ship stops at interesting ports. You should definitely take the opportunity and explore these destinations together. Last summer our cruise stopped at various Greek islands. Exploring the nature together was one of the highlights of the trip. Not to mention picturesque views!
Sometimes cruise operators will also offer organized tours at places where they stop. I recommend to book these to avoid the hassle of planning the trip yourself. But book early or you might find that tours are sold out. Most of these are day trips. Its probably best to go out early in the morning, when everyone is full of energy.
How to avoid motion sickness
If some of your friends are likely to have bad reaction to motions of the boat, plan ahead and consult with a doctor. In most cases, there is a medicine to relieve some of the worst reactions. Travel Calm is good and I always have some with me to make sure everyone’s having a good time and no one misses group activities.
Packing fun extras
In addition to your personal wardrobes, it can be a lot of fun to pack group costumes, so your clique can stand out with original outfits. It can be a conversation starter and help you make even more friends on board. I’ve seen some people wear cruise t-shirts for group of friends, and it looked like they were having fun. Me and my friends are definitely planning to get them before we go on a cruise.