
Welcome to the Sunday series a ‘Q & A with a Cruise Ship Passenger’. Earlier this year we had ‘The Officer Wife Series Travel & Cruise Tips Q & A’ and I had such great feedback I thought let’s get another cruise perspective and who better to ask than the actual passengers!
Being an officer wife on a cruise ship, I meet some lovely people from all over the world and I found some great volunteers to give you all their cruise tips.
This week we will feature the couple Debbie and Rafael from Woodland Hills, California in the USA. They have been cruising since 1998 and have been on 49 cruises equalling to 589 days onboard! So they know a thing or two about cruising!
Let’s see what great cruise tips Debbie and Rafael have for you.

What is your favourite port in the world?
Rome
What is your favourite cruise?
Mediterranean
Why do you like cruising?
The ability to sample lots of cities/countries in an easy and affordable manner.
What cruise tips would you give to a first-time cruiser?
Give yourself plenty of time to explore ports on your own.
Do you have any packing tips?
Make a list prior to packing. Since we go on cruises of a month or so at a time, you hate to forget to pack something that you cannot easily find in a foreign country. Our packing list is now over 2 pages long!
What type of cabin do you prefer onboard?
We enjoy any cabin that has a view to the outside!

Do you like formal nights?
I think we are over the formal attire. We still dress up for formal nights but are looking forward to all casual dress cruises. For us, it is mainly an issue of reducing our baggage for flying.
Do you book your cruises far in advance or last minute?
We usually book cruises 18 to 24 months in advance. This way, we can more easily use our air miles for flights. But we do book last minute from time to time.
Is there a lot of planning involved for you when you book a cruise?
We usually don’t do any planning for the cruise until about 6 months before departure.
What is the longest cruise you have been on and would you do it again?
We have been on several 35 to 38-day cruises (back to back legs). We really enjoy cruises of 28 days or more. We usually will combine a land stay of a week to 10 days before or right after the cruise. We are looking forward to our first World Cruise!

Read more Q & A’s with a cruise ship passenger:
Q & A WITH A CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER – PART 1
Q & A WITH A CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER – PART 2
Q & A WITH A CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER – PART 3
Q & A WITH A CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER – PART 4
Q & A WITH A CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER – PART 5
I hope you enjoyed reading a Q & A with a Cruise Ship Passenger. They gave some great cruise tips and next Sunday you can read more Q & A’s.
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Happy Cruising!
